Drain plug....?

frenchship

Last year I noticed that my drain plug was letting some water in the engine room, so this spring I remove the complete assy. Then use plenty of 4200 to seal everything even use Teflon tape on the thread. Today I noticed that water still find is way in not much but still a bit...... Any ideas ......

randy56

 you can put a small amount of grease or petroloum jelly on threads of plug?

MarkB

French, did you apply the 4200 and splash right away, or did you let it cure first?

Michael T

I would have used 5200 or sikaflex on the "housing" or main part that has the female thread and Teflon tape on the male drain plug.

Can you get at the inside of the housing. If you can put colored jelly around the perimeter of the housing and just below the drain plug that way you will see where the water is getting in.

Hopefully your gel coat is not leaking.

frenchship

Mark, the 4200 had more than a week to dry.. MT I can see where the water is coming in at the bottom of housing .
So I will bring my trailer at the  marina pulled the boat and have a second look I could do the work at the marina
Thanks
Paul

Black_Diamond

Ah yes. Been there. Make sure the screw holes are sealed too. 

aero3113

I rebedded mine a couple of weeks ago with 5200. I actually put my plug in with 4200 and have no issues removing it at the end of the season.

Black_Diamond

Pipe dope or teflon tape that plug too. 4200 is i teresting and would seal for sure! Pipe threads are not self sealing. 

Michael T

@frenchship, I know that you are very knowledgeable about gel coat so I know you will check the integrity of the transom around that housing. I hope it is just coming in around a screw hole. If not it could be the lay-up around the housing. The good news if it has to be repaired that is a good place to do it easier than most other transom areas and do it well.

jme097

I put my teflon tape on my drain plug. People actually use 4200 on it? ****

MarkB

JME - my dealer applies 4200 to my drain plug EVERY year in spring before I drop her in the water. It is very good practice.

jme097

Definitely going to do that next time!

frenchship

Hi,
I am at the boat just remove the drain  plug could not see where it was leaking,but i am going to replace with new one .
Here is the big question after removing the everything i noticed that there is two hole or opening on each side one at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock just in front where the housing of the drain plug end the size of the opening around 1/2 inch when i probe the inside it look about 3inches deep should those opening be there?????? 
Thanks

aero3113

Are you able to take a pic and post it?

frenchship

I wil try i was wondering if they could be drain holes

frenchship

Here is a picture the yellow shrink wrap goes in about 3inches same on the other side

aero3113

Looks like it's supposed to be there. Definitely use 5200 to seal it back up and to seal off the holes that aren't being used. Don't be afraid to use too much. You can always wipe off the excess.

Michael T

IF I understand you correctly there are two holes in the WALL of the main housing hole cut-out? I don't like that. Why would the fiberglass  lay-up have holes there? Couldn't water migrate up into them and the lay-up? Respectfully, I'd PM Al.

aero3113

It looks like they're holes in stringers that go back to the transom.

Michael T

Aero 3113 you could be 100% on that. If it were mine I would be inclined to fill them with 5200 or sikaflex BUT what it they are some kind of weird Rinker "in house designed" water drain outlet? I'd ask Al or call Rinker at this point.

aero3113

MT, why would you want to fill them? I would think they are in house designed for drainage when the plug is pulled.

frenchship

Looking ar them closely i start thinking they are drain holes they holes seems to be lower than the actual floor of the engine room. I just PM Al to see what he think

Michael T

@aero3113 and @frenchship. I agree 100% that they could be drain holes.

My problem is I can't tell from the picture but the holes seem to be IN the fiberglass transom lay-up?

If they are that wouldn't that be a recipe for roe and de-lamination?

aero3113

I agree, but if the holes are on both sides it sounds like they were put there for a reason. And hopefully they were finished and coated properly.

Michael T

@aero3113, I agree and pray a bit too but,....how do I say this diplomatically...I'm still worried. I don't think the holes should be closed until more is found out. But I have done a lot of drilling through transoms for through hulls and drive swaps. The idea of trying to properly waterproof a channel THROUGH a fiberglass transom is not believable to me. Hopefully somebody has a rational explanation.

aero3113

MT, you think the holes are through the transom? I was thinking they are just forward of it?

Michael T

Aero, your eyes are younger than mine! But if the holes/channels were cut into the surface of a transom wall I'd still be really concerned. I need a better picture from the inside. Where is one of those selfie sticks when you need it?

aero3113

LoL, my eyes may be younger but I have an iPad that I can zoom in with!

Michael T

That looks like a drain channel IN the lay-up and that would scare the cr*p out of me. I'd like Al's opinion or that of Rinker on this before I re-installed the drain plug housing.

Maybe this would help? From the picture does it look like the brass drain plug housing goes all the way through that caavity and out the back wall (inside the bilge) of the transom - and - shouldn't it to prevent rot?

If so shouldn't there be matching drain holes in the brass drain plug housing to let the water through?

No matter what the idea (to me) of a water channel IN the transom lay-up seems crazy. There has to be an explanation that I can't see!

When we cut holes through transoms were like crazy people in our efforts to make sure water could never come into contact with the transom lay-up.

Aero, it's just weird! 

aero3113

I don't think the drain plug housing sits in that deep. I just resealed mine a couple of weeks ago and was surprised how shallow it was.

aero3113

Just found this pic online for reference.