[OMC-Boats] Trim tabs attachment

Kenneth --
We had same issue w/ water in hull foam, presumably from those bolts
and a couple small hull punctures. We also found ours attached w/
toggle bolts/anchors as you describe. We sucked the water out w/ a
shop vac for at least an hour, and then let it drain/dry for at least
a month under cover. That prob didn't completely dry it but it had to
have helped. :) Eventually, we may have to remove/rebuild the deck
and foam beneath it, but I certainly hope not.

We filled the old holes w/ West System, thickened w/ chop (but Bondo
works great too). We drilled new holes in the metal tabs and drilled/
TAPPED new pilot holes in the transom for ~3/8 x ~2" stainless lag
bolts (not screws).* I don't remember exact bolt size. We bedded the
tabs w/ 5200 sealant, which prob would have held them on without the
bolts!

*You probably know you can get a drill/tap set for this at any
hardware store, and we thought the transom was plenty thick enough.

Feel free to email back w/ any Qs.

Cheers,
-Micah Donahue
Newburyport, MA
'68 Sportsman 155

>
> Message: 2
> Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:02:21 -0700
> From: "Kenneth Fingerlos" <kenf@...>
> Subject: [OMC-Boats] Fasteners for Trim Tabs?
> To: omc-boats@...
> Message-ID: <485D09ED.BFB4.0050.0@...>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
>
> Hello!
>
> for those who don't want to read the whole sob story, the question
> is - what is the proper fastner, or method for reattaching the
> factory trim tabs at the bottom of the stern on these late 60's EJO
> boats?
>
> The sob story starts here...
>
> I brought my boat back out this spring, took it into the shop to be
> serviced. When I brought it home and parked it in the driveway I
> noticed a drip from one of the screws holding the factory trim tabs
> on at the bottom of the transom. A quick peak inside the boat
> confirmed no water above the deck ... and no visible penetrations
> above the deck for the trim tab fasteners.
>
> Thinking that water dripping from the tabs (boat's been out of the
> water for months) can't possibly be a good thing I decided to bite
> the bullet and remove them. They seem to have been attached with
> some form of hollow wall anchor - a nylon plastic bit which will be
> compressed by a screw and presumably mushrooms out on the inside of
> the hull.... much to my chagrin, there seems to have been no sealant
> at all applied to these. Further, behind one of them I found a 3rd
> hole, which also had not been sealed. Good Grief!
>
> So, now I'm wondering about the proper way, and/or the need of
> reattaching these trim tabs to the boat. How were they attached
> originally? And since I can't through-bolt them now, should I
> repeat the hollow wall trick?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Kenneth
>
Received on Sunday, 22 June 2008