Bracket plate, any suggestions before I remove mtrs?

[RussH]

The access plate on my engine bracket continues to leak eventually filling the bracket with water. I've tried most of the suggestions from the board and few of my own to resolve the problem.

The access plate is on the top of my engine bracket and it frequently under water especially when drifting or anchored. The plate is a 4" which Armstrong doesn't make a plate that small. Now three of the six 10-24 x 3/4" stainless screws are stripped and can be pulled out easily and won't tighten the plate down enough to seal it.

I recently tried caulking all around it (looked awful) but since I can't get the screws to tighten down it eventually works loose and starts to leak again.

I thought I would simply drill & tap new holes but I can't get a standard drill or a right angle drill to the screws because they are covered by the front of my outboards and the only way I could do it is to remove the engines.

It was suggested that I enlarge the hole to 6" and get the Armstrong deck plate. Again I would have to remove the engines and then find a 6" hole saw. Probably not a good option.

The only thing left I can think of is to find a product that I could either put on the screws or in the screw holes that would either enlarge the screws enough to tighten the cover down or shrink the holes enough to do the same. I thought of the kind of epoxy that comes in a stick and you knead it together and it cures. Not sure how I would use it though.

I tried self tapping screws on one hole but it didn't hold either and now that hole is extra big.

I don't want to install a bilge pump in the bracket as I would have to drill another hole in the bracket and one in the transom for power. Besides the water that gets into the bracket seeps through the bolts that hold the bracket to the boat. I just hope that whoever installed the bracket epoxied or siliconed those holes or I am going to have a rotted transom in time.

Any other suggestions other than removing the engines and drilling/taping new holes?

[warthog5]

Your not going to find a 6in holesaw that will work. A hole is already there that is 4in. You need no hole to use a hole saw.
Forget all the drilling and tapping for new screws.
Tape around the existing hole and draw a new circle that is 6in. Use a sabersaw with a bimetal blade. If you have to remove the motor/motor's so be it. Buy the Armstrong deck plate and install it. Problem solved.

http:www.classicmako.com

[jtburf]

do this pull all the screws out you can and simply break it out and replace it with a another one.
The plastic should snap just besure you do not deform the bracket.
i have several of these in my boat and i have no water intrusion at all
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...&productId=676
be sure to clean and through bolt the new one use 5200 let it sit for an hour the finish tighting it down ... do not bow the o.d. plate ....John

[cgrand]

russ

two good suggestions there...

i'd try warthog5's idea first- can you reach into the area with a sawzall? if you can, enlarge the hole to 6" (actually a bit bigger) and try the armstrong plate. i've also heard of others enlarging the hole with a router.

i had the same exact problem with the plate in my splashwell, and have now solved it with the compression plate.

Pacific 19CC, Yamaha F100

[RussH]

I was hoping someone could come up with a brilliant idea.

JT- It isn't this kind of deck plate. It is an aluminum inspection type of deck plate that simply screws into the engine bracket. It has no frame or anything to go into.

Pulling the engines....I would sooner pull my molars out with a rusty pair of pliers. Once I have the engines off there is no way I will have enough room to run a jig saw since the current hole is about 1" from the bolt brackets that holds the engines. I'm not even sure I would have enough room to cut a 6" hole before I would get into the front portion of the bracket.

Mounting a bilge pump is looking better every day!

Still hoping for a brilliant idea....

[warthog5]

Offset the hole. IE don't go back any farther, go foward with it. A sawsall you will not have the control that you will with a sabersaw/jigsaw. With a bimetal blade will eat that aluminum up.

http:www.classicmako.com

[RonSC]

Have you looked at retapping the screw holes with helocoils these will give you a larger hole then tap with correct tap for helocoil and the bolt thread you need. These are SS and will give you better holding power to secure the bolts! when I was in the navy we used these to repair cover plates in aluminum and then sealed with A good RTV (3m 4200) on the plate and the threads with no leaks!!!!


23 Donzi W/A Twin 140 johnson 4 strokes

[inkahootz]

Russ, could you possibly go with a locking plate with a frame? I have a 8" plate with a heavy o-ring that has a 1/4 turn locking mechanism. I used this over my fuel tank fittings and they are dry as a bone. It is not a high quality piece, but works just fine.
This way you could through bolt it and use 4200 sealer on the frame yet still check inside easily.
There is probably a quality 4" plate that would fit your bolt pattern available.

[warthog5]

I got another idea for 'ya if you want to use the type that inkahootz shows. Conserning the stripped holes. Rotate the new flange so that the new holes will be in between the old ones and drill and tap. I'd put machine screws in it, not self tapers or sheetmetal screws.

What type of bracket is it anyway? I forget what you have. Armstrong,Stainless Marine,Gill?

http:www.classicmako.com

[RussH]

Inkahootz, That may be possible. I'm looking for my Boat U.S. catalog right now. Wife tends to hide it so I will have to look hard for it. She is sleeping on the couch and I'm sure not going to wake her up!

Warthog, great idea...the same one I thought of and bought drill bits and taps to do. Problem is that I can't get a straight up and down hole because the outboards are over two of the holes and the steering cylinders are over the other one. I thought it would be a simple fix by simply drilling and tapping new holes. Not to be. But thanks for the effort!

Going to look into the plastic screw in deckplate. That could be the ticket.

I'll get back to you all.

Thanks for the ideas!!

[inkahootz]

Actually the reason I suggested the type shown was to allow using through bolts with nylock nuts. Turning, drilling and tapping new holes is an exellent idea that I didn't think of though.
Heli-Coils are great but I wonder if the aluminium is thick enough for them?
Heck, any thing other than pulling motors.
Have you considered using epoxy to carefully glue nuts to the underside of screw holes?
I think you could bolt each nut in place then use a q-tip or something to put a bead of glue around each nut.

[RussH]

Inkahootz, another great suggestion would be to epoxy the nut to the back side of the aluminum. Not sure how well the nut would hold once I tighten and remove it a couple of times.

Not enough thickness for a heli-coil, I thought of that too.

I agree, the last thing I want to do is pull the motors.

I'll check out an epoxy tomorrow. Just when you think you have thought of everything someone comes up with another idea. I feel better all ready just thinking of options other than pulling engines.

Thanks!

[billyboy]

Is there an expanding foam made that is waterproof? if so just fill the entire space with it.

[RussH]

Inkahootz- Boat U.S. shows a Bomar "Tough Series" deck plate that will work with a 4 1/4" cutout. Gaining a 1/4" will be easy with a die grinder. Not sure how I will be able to drill the new holes but maybe I'll get lucky and they will line up OK. In combination of epoxied nuts and good threads this may work. The best thing is that it comes with a clear screw in plate so I can just look and see if it has water in it. Woo woo...maybe I won't have to pull the engines afterall!

Billyboy, great suggestion but I put this to the board and they said no. The foam will eventually fill with water and breakdown and then I will have a huge mess. I was ready to do this but asked for the members opinion and I'm really glad I didn't do it. It was also brought up how the additional buoyancy would effect the boat performance. All questions I hadn't thought about.

Thanks for the suggestion though, you never know when you will hit on a winner.

[inkahootz]

Ok, one last idea in case none of the others work. Make a backup ring out of 1/4" aluminium like shown. Drill and tap the holes to match your existing inspection plate or new one. Cut in half and glue and clamp to the underside of the hole. Screw cover in place using sealer of choice.

[RussH]

Damn, your a regular genius! That would be easier to mount than the individual nuts and I have a great machine shop that a buddy of mine works for that could make the backing plate. That would work for either cover but I really like the thought of a screw in cover that has a clear plate I could see in to.

Do you think the engine bracket holes between the bracket and transom were sealed at the factory? The screws come through the transom and the nuts are screwed in on the boat side of the transom. The seeping is a rusty color running down the inside of the transom which means the holes probably weren't sealed prior to installation of the bolts. YIKES!

Great ideas now I'm sure I won't have to pull the engines. Maybe I will sleep better tonight not worrying about the damn thing!

Thanks again!

[RonSC]

IF you are getting tomuch water in the bracket You can put a tire intertube in to it to keep the water out. I did this and it works great. I thought about foam but as you said will get water logged. but the intertube will not. and if you need to get in to it just deflate. I was getting about 3" of water in mine I have two insection covers and was worried about the weight with twin 4 strokes just installed I came up with this Idea. It's working so far after 14 hour on water I would pull plug and no water just dont over inflate just till firm. and you can still close inspection cover.


23 Donzi W/A Twin 140 johnson 4 strokes

[RussH]

Hey Ron, that is another great idea that I'm going to use. I thought about the foam but never thought about an innertube.


Thanks for the input! Great idea!