Transom help On a v20 center console

D

drj

Member
Can Someone Please give me some suggestions or ideas of how to do a fiberglass transom repair and strengthened. Here is the problem. The transom was replaced professionally and he did a good job except he left space between the new wood and the old fiberglass. I know how to handle that just grind and re glass the corners of the motor well. From there I'm stuck. The last owner did a botch fiberglass job to shorten the transom for a 20 inch motor. he did not glass the top of the wood good after he cut it but there there appears to be no problem. the problem is where the bolt holes are. Water got in fro the lack of silicone on the bolts and rotted a 3 inch radius around each hole. Can someone please tell me how i can tie in a piece on the top to make it a 20 inch transom again and fix the holes. The transom is not in horrible condition I took an old Johnson 120 off of it and will replace it with a 200 this is not overrated for the boat but I want to make sure with a bigger motor that I do not have any problems.
Please help
thanks
 
Welcome to the site.
To me it sounds like a redo (once again) of the transom is needed, to be done correctly and finished correctly, especially of you need a taller transom.
There are a lot of threads on this site that covers transom rebuilds, different approaches and materials. Personally I've always questioned if it rotted once why are you going back with wood again?
My first floor rebuild was useing pressure treated plywood and that was a huge mistake. The glass wouldn't stick to it and it was always "spongey" feeling, yet it didn't rot.
Search the threads in "repairs" and "modifications".
 
Welcome to the site. You might want to get up with Randleman and look at his pictures in his gallery. The last owner of his V fabricated some steel that layed ontop of the transom so he could go with a longer shaft motor. Post Pics. of your transom. Someone should be able to help ya. ;)
 
Here's some pics. of Randlemans V. He should have a few other pics. somewhere showing a better sot. But you get the idea. The bracket that was made raised the motor up higher and wraps over the transom. Through bolt it, drill new motor mount holes and it should work.

rm1.jpg


RM.jpg
 
What has to be done is redo, Now if it was I and I wanted to use the boat and the transom is solid, no flexing, I would bolt and go!!

see the water that got in there is still there and over time is going to rot some more. But it is going to take time!!

Is it solid right now?? with motor on and you lean on the leg is the transom moving, cracking noise or anything??
If not use it, keep a eye on it, when she is moving or anything redo again.

Find some 1/2 alum plate and put on the bolts as a backing plate lets sat 3" X 12" or so drill to match the bolt holes, use some longer bolts to mount motor.
This will help distraput the weight,better

Good luck
 
macojoe said:
This will help distraput the weight,better
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Wut win tokka sed.   ;D ;D ;D

I have a boat to get out on the water, there are several small projects going on at all times (like on most older boats) but she is still functional. If I had to tear her down for everything that needed to be done I'd never get to use her. Read about others projects concerning the same topic and use your best judgement.
 
Its kind of hard to follow what you are talking about and if you could post some pic's that would really help. Is the gap you talking about between the splash well and the transom near the corners where it goes back up? If so mine was the same way and was covered up by a cap. That should be ok if the transom was sealed as I think it would have been.
 
Thanks guys for the quick replies. I think though if I have to replace the transom I'm going to do it now while I have the whole boat gutted and before I paint. I'm going to take pictures tomorrow because the boat is at my dads work and not here at home and then you guys can see whats going on.

Now to answer your questions.
I leaned hard on the motor and the transom flexed just about 1/8 of an inch. There were also some small cracks on either side of the engine . I ground off a little of the loose fiberglass on the top and the transom hollow between the wood and the glass such that you can see into the bilge. The wood is laminated well though so I think the replacement transom was never flush against the old glass.

I am going to take some pictures because I can only imagine how hard it is to understand what I am saying.

Thanks again
 
i think i follow what ur saying doc. to fill that gap, if i chose that route, i would find my nearest spray foam insulation contractor and have him fill that void wth closed cell (rigid) foam. would prob be cheap if you could pull ur boat to a jobsite where he is already spraying. then reclass the cap and no worries.

keeping in mind that this will not fix any wet or rotten spots that already exist in ur transom. nor will it raise it any. if you do wanna get it rite, like you said, nows the time.
 
drj said:
Thanks guys for the quick replies.  I think though if I have to replace the transom I'm going to do it now while I have the whole boat gutted and before I paint.  I'm going to take pictures tomorrow because the boat is at my dads work and not here at home and then you guys can see whats going on.

Now to answer your questions.
I leaned hard on the motor and the transom flexed just about  1/8 of an inch.  There were also some small cracks on either side of the engine .  I ground off a little of the loose fiberglass on the top and the transom hollow between the wood and the glass such that you can see into the bilge.  The wood is laminated well though so I think the replacement transom was never flush against the old glass.  

I am going to take some pictures because I can only imagine how hard it is to understand what I am saying.  

Thanks again
Click to expand...
When I took my 1983 v20 apart there was somewhat of a gap between the splash well and the transom. Where the two top bolts to the engine went in the splash well there was little to no gap and the gaps where on the father out from the engine. Well craft had used what looked like body fill to cover these gaps. When we but mine back together we took a good amount of body filler and ran it about 4 inches down on the inside of the transom about an inch thick. When we put the inside shell in it squezed out the excess and we just cleaned it up some.
 
Hi guys I got the pictures. It looks much worse in the pictures than it really is. The places that are ground out are where cracks were. please look at my pics and tell me what you think. I looked at a couple of v 20s with swim platform brackets and a closed transom. i think i can remove the small rotted section and replace with fresh fiberglass and wood but put a platform. I think since the platform bolts all the way across and all of the motors weight will not be concentrated on the new piece of wood this will be a good solution. I just see if i can budget enough for a platform. I like the one made by d and d marine.

Thanks let me know your opinions

here are the pictures

http://picasaweb.google.com/drjmoo1
 
Beggers cant be choosey, but any chance of some pics. that have some distance. Having trouble at what I'm looking at. The crack looks bad, but maybe you can fill it with some west System and through on a few layers of cloth for strenght for a temp. fix. You can always
dial the 1-800-Skool help line. 8)
 
If your standing in the boat looking at the transom is the crack in the left corner of the splash well. Where you cut open and could see the gap that is ok but the inner shell should meet the transom where the engine mounts. From what I see you may want to start by cutting of the fiber glass that covers the top of the transom. This will give you a good idea of what is going on and the is a good post step by step of how someone mad that section all one peice as those transom caps have been issues. Could the crack hav come from the transom not metting with the transom where the engin mounted and when they tightened the engins mounting bolts it force the splashwell to pull in and eventually caused it to crack. Mine had in that area which was filled with body filler as I explained above. Maybe try inserting a bolt in one of the top holes and see what starts to move s=when it tightened. Just a few ideas.
 
I have been debating weather to do a seacast transom or redo it with ply wood. Any body have any experience with seacast or another non conventional method. Seacast seems like an easy fix but i couldnt raise the transom back to 25 inches with it. With seacast i can be sure the transom will not rot again.
What do you think?

jordan
fort myers fl
 
drj said:
The transom was replaced professionally and he did a good job except he left space between the new wood and the old fiberglass.
Click to expand...



sorry bro..i cant see anything that looks professionally done on that transom.....you need a full redo of that transom..and using wood not that seacast stuff.
 
drj said:
I have been debating weather to do a seacast transom or redo it with ply wood.  Any body have any experience with seacast or another non conventional method.  Seacast seems like an easy fix but i couldnt raise the transom back to 25 inches with it.  With seacast i can be sure the transom will not rot again.  
What do you think?

jordan
fort myers fl
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Why do you think that the transom has been notched. Mine drops down like your in two stages and lowest is where the motor mounts. Mine is a 1983 which I think yours is a different year. With everything gutted from the boat I would remove the inner skin and fix the transom from the inside. It's not hard to do and you have done about 90% of the work allready. You just now have to remove all the screws from around the rub rail and the ones under it and she will come right apart. This will expose all the stringers and you can make any needed repairs to them. That is how we did mine and there is a thread with pics of someone repairing their boat the same way.
 
The Guy i bought it from said he had cut the transom and that is why it rotted. he cut it because he "got a good deal on the motor" which ended up ruining the transom. Somebody told me about a structural composite board that i can use for the transom has anyone heard of it or know where to get it. I am still considering seacast. i am still continuing with the project while i decide on the transom. I have been sanding and grinding and filling.
 
drj said:
The Guy i bought it from said he had cut the transom and that is why it rotted.  he cut it because he "got a good deal on the motor"  which ended up ruining the transom.  Somebody told me about a structural composite board that i can use for the transom has anyone heard of it or know where to get it.  I am still considering seacast.  i am still continuing with the project while i decide on the transom. I have been sanding and grinding and filling.
Click to expand...
With what you have allready done just take the boat apart it will take you a couple of hours at the most. All you have left to do is remove the rub rail and the screws under it and the boat will pop apart. You will need a hoist to left it out or do as I did and use a big tree limb with a pully. Then you will have acess to the entire bottom of the boat and can repair any other damage to the stringers etc... If you want more info on how I did the job let me know.
 
Drj, can you post some better Pics. of what you got.
Been looking at seacast myself. It's interesting stuff.
Lifting off teh top would be the way to go, but I guess you would have to snip/disconnect all your guage wiring.
 
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