1985 bass tracker tournament tx 16.5 transom

[Patsway]

Hello everyone

if any of you have seen my posts you know I am a rookie at this. I have finally removed the old wood transom from the boat and I have made a new one out of (2) 3/4" pieces of exterior plywood. I treated with epoxy and sealed all the edges. I am now getting ready to install but noticed that when I removed all the rivets from the back I also removed the rivets for the knee braces. How should I attach these before installing the new wood? I do not have a rivet gun and was told I could use stainless steel bolts, nuts and washers with 5200 coating them. Does this sound ok? Does anyone know the right size length screw to install the knee braces? It looks like they could only be 1/2" long to go thru the hull and the braces themselves. Then I guess I would get 2" SS screws for the ones that go thru the wood itself being that the total width of the transom and wood is about 1 3/4" total? Any help here would be greatly appreciated. I am looking forward to getting this part done so that I can finally move on with this project.

 

[onthewater102]

If you go with stainless hardware make sure it's hardened.

When you drill through your new transom board for the screw holes make sure to line them with the epoxy resin too.

 

[typed by ben]

onthewater102 » Yesterday, 23:48[/url]"]If you go with stainless hardware make sure it's hardened.

that will be pretty tough- next to no hardened stainless fasteners out there

 

[onthewater102]

uhm???? Maybe in the local hardware store but there's tons of variety available online.

Some of the mainstream (most reputable) places would include:

https://www.fastenal.com/web/products?term=stainless+bolt&searchMode=productSearch

www.grainger.com is another good supplier for all sorts of hardware odds and ends

 

[typed by ben]

i dont see anything truly "hardened" in that link. and even "hardened" stainless screws (like what ARP makes) relatively weak when put next to even a run of the mill grade 5 steel screw.

not worth the expenditure IMO. for what were doing your average stainless screw is plenty strong.

 

[onthewater102]

Probably true - I over-do everything the first time through so I don't have to revisit it...

 

[typed by ben]

onthewater102 » 16 minutes ago[/url]"]Probably true - I over-do everything the first time through so I don't have to revisit it...

ha well if youre revisiting fasteners that you broke in an aluminum boat its safe to say that you have other things going on that go beyond the fastener itself! :mrgreen:

 

[smackdaddy53]

I couldn't even go five minutes on a boat mod without a rivet gun.
Use nylon washers between the head and washers to aluminun and I use TefGel to kill dissimilar metal corrosion. Not cheap but do it right the first time is my motto...

 

[richg99]

Smackdaddy..just a question.."dissimilar metals". Are you not using aluminum rivets on an aluminum boat? Or did I miss something?
Thanks and regards, richg99

 

[smackdaddy53]

Smackdaddy..just a question.."dissimilar metals". Are you not using aluminum rivets on an aluminum boat? Or did I miss something?
Thanks and regards, richg99

I mean if he uses the stainless bolts. Some of my fasteners had to be stainless on aluminum to fasten my platform, fastening the console to the deck, handrail, motor mount bolts etc. I used as little stainless as possible but it is inevitable unless you weld everything but you still have to mount the motor. Look up TefGel, it is cutting edge but not many know about it because it is made in Australia. Factories use it on machines, sailors love it, it can't be BS. It is PTFE which is liquid teflon and it is super stlicky. No more seized up bolts or white powder around stainless fasteners.

 

[KRS62]

Any pics of the open transom?

KRS