Transom D Bolts

kordo

Take a look at the attached pic.  You'll notice that the factory slathered a lot of sealant on the inside of the transom where the D Bolt is secured.  My thinking is that this is not necessary and even harmful.  Any water coming into the boat would obviously come from the outside of the boat and if there were a leak, you would not know because the sealant on the inside of the transom would prevent water from entering the engine room but not prevent water from entering the coring of the transom, possibly creating a very expensive repair.  When I re bed the D Bolts, I intend to put no sealant on the inside so that I will be able to detect a leak and make repairs before the transom coring becomes saturated.  Thoughts?  

Liberty44140

Since the engine room can be a wet environment with water coming in through vents I would want these sealed so that water cant wet the core from the engine room. My logic may be totally off there, but that is my thinking. Sealant on both inside and outside. 

kordo

I see your point but if there is enough water (or more likely mist) in your engine room to wet the core, I suggest you have other more serious problems.  When a thru hole is sealed, it is sealed at both ends which makes sense if the hull is solid fiberglass.  If it is a cored hull then you would need to hollow out some of the core around the hole and then epoxy it so that the hole is completely surrounded by epoxy (according to Steve D'Antonio).  Since the transom is cored, I think leaving the inside unsealed makes sense.  That way, I can catch any leaks before they damage the core.  Ideally, I should do it the right way but I don't have that expertise or time.  On the other hand, I wonder what the chances are of damaging the transom core if it is not sealed.  On some other posts, members have stated that the stringers have bare wood around the limber holes without any damage.  Thanks for your input.

skennelly

I don't see a problem having sealant on both sides.  Why are you re bedding them in the first place?  Is there an actual issue?

davidbrooks

Sealant is like dynomite. More is always better. 

kordo

skennelly, I noticed that one of the nuts on the outside of the transom was a bit loose after haulout, so I thought I would remove both D bolts and check what was up, just to be safe.  No water intrusion, everything looked good so I now have to re bed them.  

ruggerole

When I installed a swimplatform on my 232, I had to move these D rings. The sealant was not just on the inside, it was all the way thru the holes. After I drilled the new holes for the new location of the D rings, I did the same thing. I put 5200 in and around them before reinstalling the ring and backing plates.

LaRea

@kordo, I'm guessing these are attached just above the waterline.  I see your point, but I'd install them like @ruggerole said.  Fill the holes with sealant, use a small screwdriver to work the sealant into any voids or gaps, then insert the bolts.  And I'd add stainless washers on the inside for load distribution.