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ok- time to get started on my bellows repair

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    dalekdalek Member Posts: 259 ✭✭✭
    I totally concur with aero3113.
    Those 12 point flange head bolts are going to be HARD. They are forged, not machined.
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    skennellyskennelly Member Posts: 2,196 ✭✭✭✭
    Socket slightly smaller than the head of the bolt.  Pound it on and then impact wrench.  Old trick for getting off rounded lug nuts.

    Another option grind a slot in the bolt head that would allow you to get a flat head bit.
    2002 - 270FV Mag 350 B3
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    rasburyrasbury Member Posts: 8,270 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Guys, I tried the heat- the Irwin sockets do fine- just not breaking loose. I drilled off the top two before the storms hit...will try the other two as soon as I can...
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    davidbrooksdavidbrooks Member Posts: 1,351 ✭✭✭✭
    Ras, Dont feel bad.  When they took off my TA last summer the mechanic told me it normally takes 3 days of heat, cool and break free.  Even then....he said he normally breaks bolts. Bottom line he said he rarely gets a TA off in a manner that allows it to be reattached.  Told me to start shopping for a new one.
    It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere!
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    rasburyrasbury Member Posts: 8,270 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Thanks, we will see...i might be a little more motivated to get it off to reuse than mechanic would be! It is what it is....
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    GMSLITHOGMSLITHO Member Posts: 1,560 ✭✭✭✭
    Been following this post if your transom is in good shape no soft spots your almost ready to put it all back together and you’ll know you have everything good as new If not better 
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    rasburyrasbury Member Posts: 8,270 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Not there yet but we will see shortly. This has been a big learning experience for sure!
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    GMSLITHOGMSLITHO Member Posts: 1,560 ✭✭✭✭
    Yep pulled a motor on my 19 well craft twice 
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    Dream_InnDream_Inn Member, Moderator Posts: 7,568 mod
    Alswagg said:
    When reinstalling transom assembly’s , we always replace the seal and add a bead of 3m 4200 sealant to the assembly 

    Exactly what was done with both of my transoms last year.  There were a couple spots you could actually see where it slightly oozed out. :)

    Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express

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    rasburyrasbury Member Posts: 8,270 ✭✭✭✭✭
    wow, so sounds like the merc seal is not 100%- I would assume the transom if in acceptable condition would be as flat as the day it was built or does it fatigue a bit over time? I will for sure do that. I will get that trans asy off this weekend if I have to break out the chain saw.
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    Handymans342Handymans342 Member Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Some boats had a high spot on the inside causing stress to make the TA crack over time .
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    Handymans342Handymans342 Member Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Use a straight edge to confirm after its out and cleaned up
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    Dude_HimselfDude_Himself Member Posts: 596 ✭✭✭
    When I bought my 280EC it had a bead of caulk around the transom. I caught it at the time, but everything else about the boat seemed well maintained and the boat had been spring serviced by the local shop and had a clean bill of health.

    I had to replace the HVAC - compressor valves were stuck. The batteries both failed the second trip out. Trailer brakes converted to EoH to handle the steeper ramps here. And I spent a lot of time replacing the chartplotter/transducer. But I never looked at the caulk.

    I've been thinking about that caulk all winter and wondering what shape my transom is in - if maybe that's why it was there. The boat is 1 mile down the road and I can't bring myself to go look at it. :-\

    I guess regardless, I'll be running it as-is this season even if it means gluing a trash bag over the transom and running on trolling motors. If I have to pull the outdrive/transom/engine it'll be next winter.
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    rasburyrasbury Member Posts: 8,270 ✭✭✭✭✭
    yep @handymans342  I have a drywall square that has a good flat edge the width of a piece of drywall so that should tell the tale......unfortunately Dude, I can't imagine why the caulk would be there if it was not leaking. It might just have been a bad seal as I hope mine is but I would never be able to put it in the water wondering......just sayin as raybo says!
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    Handymans342Handymans342 Member Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭✭
    They use caulk to seal Ras .May have been off before
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    rasburyrasbury Member Posts: 8,270 ✭✭✭✭✭
    That's the main seal right?
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    rasburyrasbury Member Posts: 8,270 ✭✭✭✭✭
    10 4- hopefully will have this apart today, fingers crossed on the condition of the transom.
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    zaverin1zaverin1 Member Posts: 1,672 ✭✭✭
    edited March 2018
    Your a$$ is probably fine
     either old repair or new ones caused the seal to dislodge 
    Post edited by raybo3 on
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    rasburyrasbury Member Posts: 8,270 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Well, don't normally get to this point but I'm really at a loss as to how to get those bottom bolts on the y pipe- I tried to drill the heads off like the top but there is just no room down there to work, have kind of part of them drilled to where I can't get a bit to bite anymore....I tried a small diamond wheel on a dremel, not caring if I cut into the y pipe or not....ended up cutting into one of the trim hoses ....only thing I can think is a big reciprocating saw with a hack saw blade and keep cutting away on the y pipe until I can pull whats left through the key hole...anyone got any better idea?
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    zaverin1zaverin1 Member Posts: 1,672 ✭✭✭
    edited March 2018
    There is a reason we pay a boat mechanic to do this kind of a job
    its not that you or I can’t do it 
    it’s just the unknown Is covered by them
    plus I don’t have every special tool under the sun 
    its like my mechanic buddy that owns 20 plus I worth of tools to fix cars.
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    Handymans342Handymans342 Member Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Can you get a 4 inch grinder down there??
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    rasburyrasbury Member Posts: 8,270 ✭✭✭✭✭
    handy, you can't get a one inch grinder down there....That son of a **** is laying on the ground....so I cut the ears off the Y pipes and it came apart with a little effort and here it is. I have a buddy that is a marine mechanic, the one I borrowed the tools from for the bellows. I have asked him to come by and take a look at the transom before I do anything more with it. Might not be until this week as I think he and is family are camping this weekend. From digging around the edges, it looks ok. It has certainly been leaking for some time and I think what has been the saving grace is it does not sit in water and PO had it on a lift. You can see the bottom bolts have rust on the base of them, they came apart ok. The holes through the transom has lost some wood around the edges but when you poke in them, it seems solid and not mush. Again, will have better eyes than mine take a look. I'm not sure what that outer seal is supposed to look like but it is completely flat to the gimbal ring, I don't see how it would have sealed anything! Let the healing begin.
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    zaverin1zaverin1 Member Posts: 1,672 ✭✭✭
    Transom looks fine
    you just found the problem
    no seal to be found. 
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    rasburyrasbury Member Posts: 8,270 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I think so...i put a large square on it, everything is flat...will have my buddy look at it but I think I'm good. Only taken a year....lord only knows what it would have cost. Also figured out I have a full closed cooling system. Will have to replace the risers but the manifolds should not be an issue? I'm feeling better already!
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    zaverin1zaverin1 Member Posts: 1,672 ✭✭✭
    Just look at everything with a fine eye
    this is your time to do everything right 
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    reneechris14reneechris14 Member Posts: 3,134 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Success. See now you just have to put it together. Way to stay at it ras.
    2005 Rinker FV342  Pawcatuck river,Ct
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    rasburyrasbury Member Posts: 8,270 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Lots of room down there with no motor! Maybe I'll put an out board on it....
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    Michael TMichael T Member Posts: 7,227 ✭✭✭✭✭
    You deserve a break Ras.....you have been at this like a champ for a looooong time!
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    Liberty44140Liberty44140 Member Posts: 4,337 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2018
    Great work Ras! You should be proud. So is the core glassed over or sealed with epoxy? Has to be sealed somehow since you have no rot. 
    07' Cruisers 390 (Previous Rinker's: 06' 342EC & 01' 310FV)

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    rasburyrasbury Member Posts: 8,270 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Well.don't know for sure I have mo rot...looks like the bottom was glassed and painted higher up. Have not cleaned things up yet.
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