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Need good solution for a broken dash problem
mcmars
Member Posts: 10 ✭
Hello all. I recently bought a 93 Rinker Captiva 209. Boat is in overall good shape mechanically, but working out a few issues. My biggest challenge to repair is going to be how to keep the dash panel holding the gauges secure. The dash panel screws into a black plastic material with 8 tiny screws and it is age and heat damaged to where the tiny screws just rip out of the rotten plastic and the black plastic itself just breaks away into tiny pieces I am finding on the floor. Rinker used some thin black plastic for the dash that got covered with some vinyl and the actual smaller "dashboard" that holds the gauges screws down with 8 tiny screws. I tried drilling some new holes and thought it might hold, but the black plastic is so weak, it just breaks away once boat is on the water and impacts some waves.
I am betting I am not only person with this problem and hoping someone here has some ideas on how to repair this.
I have some west system G flex 2 part epoxy and have used it before for various repairs to coolers and other plastic parts with success, as unlike most epoxy resin, it is both flexible and adheres to plastic. Some ideas I have that might work are to use the G flex to glue some thin aluminum strips down where the dash screw holes line up, drill out some small holes and then use some small self tapping screws or better yet, some screws with nuts. I think that might work OK, but as the plastic is so weak, they might just break as well.
Other idea I have is to try and soak some 1" fiberglass tape with the G flex and try and get a couple of layers of tape onto back side of rotten plastic for a stronger repair. Or maybe I cut out some fiberglass patches from the tape and build up a few of these where the actual screws would go to drill out some anchor points for self tappers. I think just 4 good contact points is all I would need if I could strengthen the black plastic backing and use bigger screws. I think Rinker had a poor dash attachment design as the small actual dash panel holding the gauges is flat, but the dash plastic backing is not flat, but is recessed, so there is constant tension acting to pull out the screws as the dash does not sit flush with the plastic backing. But 4 of the screws do line up perfect and are flat against the plastic backing material. Guess I could use some tiny flat washers to shim out the voids if I want to use all 8 dash panel holes. Hard to describe, sorry. This will be difficult and messy to do as the black plastic is not flat, the cut out is rounded oval shape and I would be working on my back directly under the repair site with drippy resin.
No new parts are available even if I tried to replace entire drivers side dash. There has to be a simple but effective solution and maybe someone here knows a better solution? Thanks in advance.
I am betting I am not only person with this problem and hoping someone here has some ideas on how to repair this.
I have some west system G flex 2 part epoxy and have used it before for various repairs to coolers and other plastic parts with success, as unlike most epoxy resin, it is both flexible and adheres to plastic. Some ideas I have that might work are to use the G flex to glue some thin aluminum strips down where the dash screw holes line up, drill out some small holes and then use some small self tapping screws or better yet, some screws with nuts. I think that might work OK, but as the plastic is so weak, they might just break as well.
Other idea I have is to try and soak some 1" fiberglass tape with the G flex and try and get a couple of layers of tape onto back side of rotten plastic for a stronger repair. Or maybe I cut out some fiberglass patches from the tape and build up a few of these where the actual screws would go to drill out some anchor points for self tappers. I think just 4 good contact points is all I would need if I could strengthen the black plastic backing and use bigger screws. I think Rinker had a poor dash attachment design as the small actual dash panel holding the gauges is flat, but the dash plastic backing is not flat, but is recessed, so there is constant tension acting to pull out the screws as the dash does not sit flush with the plastic backing. But 4 of the screws do line up perfect and are flat against the plastic backing material. Guess I could use some tiny flat washers to shim out the voids if I want to use all 8 dash panel holes. Hard to describe, sorry. This will be difficult and messy to do as the black plastic is not flat, the cut out is rounded oval shape and I would be working on my back directly under the repair site with drippy resin.
No new parts are available even if I tried to replace entire drivers side dash. There has to be a simple but effective solution and maybe someone here knows a better solution? Thanks in advance.
Comments
I just know it cannot be good to have the dash loose as it is now and somehow I need to figure out how to reattach it so it is not vibrating and rattling the wiring and gauges with every wake or wave the hull hits.
Maybe I just get some construction adhesive or gorilla glue and glue down the dash to the weak black plastic and buy a few years till that hack fails and I am stuck again with same problem? At least I can boat for a while and not have dashboard moving around loose pulling at wiring and rattling the gauges.
Such a bummer as rest of boat is mechanically and structurally very sound, problem is cheap plastic that has weakened and degraded with age. Hopefully not too many other tough to repair issues as this one. Next big challenge is to replace spark old plugs buried deep under the huge cast iron manifolds, but I think I can successfully deal with that much easier than trying to secure this loose dash. Thanks for any suggestions.
Regards,
Ian
The Third “B”
Secretary, Ravena Coeymans Yacht Club
https://www.rcyachtclub.com/
Either way this sounds like a minor issue that will just take some effort and thought to get it looking like new.
Get a picture and that will help everyone who's trying to help.
Example:
https://www.amazon.com/Marine-Density-Polyethylene-Plastic-Textured/dp/B06X9GBXJS/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=starboard+marine+board+1/4"&qid=1601284635&sr=8-2
Any chance your dash looks like this?
My plastic panel was all cracked so I cut this one out and installed the gauges. I reused all the factory gauges, adding the depth. I used the old one as a stencil. Mostly used a dremel, a straight edge and a zip wheel. Used a cement block to smooth out all the edges nice and even.
One side of this material is textured and the other smooth if you wanted to cover with wood texture vinyl wrap. For me it's easier to use than wood and much more durable.
Most of the mounting holes were also broken.
To remedy this I used epoxy and clamps to glue (epoxy glue) small tabs of 1/2 plywood to where the broken mounting tabs were.
If I hadn't sold the boat the vinyl cover on the dash was next on the list.