new transducer installation question

B

bcarli

New member
Hi
I will be installing a new depth sounder and transom mounted transducer when I haul out soon and I wonder what is the best way to seal the old transducer screw holes? I thought about gooping the screws with 5200 and reinstalling them. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

thanks
Bill
 
I've done a new transducer that way, but now I do it this way (and I'm no pro - this is just how I do it).

If there's any looseness in the screw holes or any suspicion that the least bit of water intrusion and softening has occurred, drill them out to a fairly generous diameter, and check to be sure the now larger hole is clean and dry. Fill with a dowel (I use oak) that fits without a lot of slop, thoroughly gooped in 5200 or even better Marine Tex. I use Marine Tex to cover the outer end of the dowel as well.

Drill new pilot holes, (if they're in the same place wait till the plugs are dry) and put in the new screws well gooped (I use 4200, but 5200 or Marine Tex may be better?)
 
Guess you could do it that way but Thataway has instructions on a much better way. Drill the holes a little larger, undercut the core, either with a dremel tool about 1/4" or so or with an allan wrench chucked in a drill at slow speed to gouge out some of the balsa or foam, depending on what is in the core. Then, thicken some epoxy to the consistency of peanut butter or the like and pack the hole full. Cover with tape until it dries hard. Then you can drill into it and remount whatever you need or drill new holes, fill the same way though to protect the core.

I just finished mounting a radar mount on my TC255 cabin top (about an inch thick) and that method worked great. I just looked for the instructions on this site and couldn't locate them easily. Recently there was a link to another website with pictures et al which was great. Maybe someone else remembers how to find it..

Charlie
 
The transom core on your boat is a synthetic product that will not absorb water, so you could use 5200 to fill the holes, or marine tex. Marine tex is a two part epoxy product, and can be sounded smooth, and finished with gel coat.

It depends on how nuts you want to go. With the marine tex, various grades of sand paper and some gel coat you could make the original holes almost unnoticeable. Or, fill the holes, and then mount the new transducer in the same location to kind of cover the holes.

Either way, I'll never tell you cahnged it. :wink:
 
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