Dave's transom repair my 2556

[builderdude]

I had to restore the photos on this thread, some may be a bit out of order.
So I've decided to dive into my transom repair. After removing just about everything from the engine bay and looping my throttle, shift, steering cables and PA steering cylinder around (with the help of some zip ties), I labeled up the wiring harness, removed it from the transom, and "coiled" it up with the rest of the cables and such.
Then removed my deck drain hoses and scuppers, most of the hardware that holds the swim platform to the transom, and the stainless U bolts. Now ready for some cutting.
You can see at the bottom the glass has delaminated around the drain hole.
Started on the center section first. The glass was only about an 1/8 thick at best till I got down close to the bottom then it got thicker. The plywood (2layers of 3/4 I think) was toast! Half came off w the glass and the rest came off real quick with a flat bar all the way down to the bottom piece around the drain. It was a solid piece of DF and was still sound and seems to be stuck in good but does have moisture in i
You can see the piece of DF right above the flat bar, it has some 3/8 holes in it from the core sampling.
The outer layer of glass measures 1/2 thick around the transom assembly but appears to get thiner as it moves outward, maybe just under 3/8 by the time I got to the part of the transom that starts to angle forward. The core appears to only be 3/8 thick from this point on out to the sides.
Then onto cleaning/removing the last of the engine stringer "pockets
4 separate pieces were used on both port and starboard sides of center section and I could see where the cut lines were previously made.
So now I'm wondering, how do I know if polyester resin was used for the previous repair or epoxy? Is there some way to find out, or should I just grind it all back to where I hopefully will now its original?

EDIT: going back over my thread, I belive this was this was factory work done with polyester resin and the transom is the original BL "quality"

[Guest]

Looking good Dave. I've wondered where you've been the last few days. I'll be following along on your project.

My fingers are crossed for you that the needs stay in the bilge.

Question, does the plywood cores go all the way across the transom? It doesn't look like it in the pictures.

[Guest]

[builderdude]

Hey Larry, the plywood core does go all the way across. It appears to be a 3/8 plywood core but could be 1/2, then an additional 1/2 plywood core starts at the outward main stringers (this is where the transom angles forward a bit), then there is another 1/2 layer on top of that starting at the engine stringers for a total thickness of 2" around the T assembly after it was all glassed up.

EDIT: The original core was 2 layers of 3/4" plywood around the transom assembly only (between the engine stringers). It then stepped down to a single layer of 3/4" plywood from that point to where the transom angles forward. From there on out its a single layer of 3/8" plywood.

[builderdude]

"Timberwolf" post=542099 wrote:
[attachment]3225 wrote:
image_2014-03-03-5.jpg[/attachment]

Good deal :cheer: but could the BOC gods replace my upside down pic in the original post with it? :whistle:

[Chief_Alen]

Ok i pulled the upside pic and replaced it per your request.

Keep it coming, take lots and lots of pics.

When you feel the topic is complete, you have options, please pm me anytime we can discuss them.

[2850Bounty]

Dave..... a bit too late now, but should you take on a similar project in the future, I would strongly suggest that you leave as much of the original stringer "shells" as possible, and remove only the tops of the shells!

.

[builderdude]

"2850Bounty" post=542133 wrote:
Dave..... a bit too late now, but should you take on a similar project in the future, I would strongly suggest that you leave as much of the original stringer "shells" as possible, and remove only the tops of the shells!

.

Hey Rick, I read about doing it that way. Funny thing was I originally cut the engine stringer shells about 1/2 way up. Once I pealed the tops off I found the wood inside was in fairly good shape (wet but solid) except for the very tops (tower area) were completely rotten. Maybe I could have spliced in some new wood on top of the old, but I had my self convinced that the engine stringers needed to be cut down close to the bottom because I needed the space for removing the fuel tank. Not sure if I needed that much space but It is what it is and the tank came out real easy. Also now that the transom and fuel tank bulkhead are in the mix I feel like it'll make the glass work a bit easier. Or not.
Here you can see the port side engine mount (engine stringer) the horizontal line half way up is where I made the first cut to remove the shells. Note how the wood is in good condition at the bottom but completely rotted up at the top tower area. The tower area was made up of mostly plywood.

[builderdude]

"Chief Alen" post=542129 wrote:
Ok i pulled the upside pic and replaced it per your request.

Keep it coming, take lots and lots of pics.

When you feel the topic is complete, you have options, please pm me anytime we can discuss them.

Thanks chief, I think I figured out why the pics go sideways and upside own. It's an Apple thing or tablet thing. I took that pic with my iPhone upside down. The phone knows this and simply rotates the image to right side up for viewing etc., but there must be a code within the pic that tells BOC to stick it in the way it was taken. This also happens when I take pics in portrait mode, they get rotated 90* counter clockwise.

Thanks again for fixing it. :cheer:

[Nauti_Mike]

Dave how far forward have you removed the stringers? Hope it's not as involved as Larry's.

Off to a good start, thank's for documenting the project.

[builderdude]

Hey Mike, just had to do my engine stringers only. They go from the transom and stop at the fuel tank bulkhead, about 3 1/2 feet I'm guessing. My main stringers are solid as it looks like the plywood core of the transom does not go all the way to the bottom of the hull in that area. It tucks down just below the top of the box, then it goes to solid fiberglass.
That white triangle area is solid fiberglass 3/4 to 1" thick. Both sides are this way, but the port box steps down (lower) about 1 1/2" half way back. I've seen photos of other engine bays set up the same.

[Guest]

Dave, have you drilled a hole in those triangle sections to make sure there's no plywood in there?

[builderdude]

I haven't, but now that you bring it up guess what I'm doing first thing tomorrow? :P

You bring up a great point, I am assuming they are solid glass because I can see the thickness from the edge of it, but there could be some old rotten plywood buried in there being that I'm positive this transom has been worked on before.

That's one reason I had inquired of other 2556 owners to see if anyone had the same look to their transom that I do. I guess it's not that big of an area to grind out compared to the grinding you've had to do.

EDIT: Looking back on my project I am now sure this transom has never been repaired. I belive this is the original transom core done by BL

[Guest]

Your going to have to grind all that paint off anyway, so you'd find out sooner or later. But I just don't see BLer taking the time to fill an area with 1" of layered glass.

I was waiting to see if anyone else had the same setup as yours before I asked my question.

OK, one more. Is the outside of the transom flat across the back? It almost sounds by your description above like it's not.

[builderdude]

My transom is flat only in the center section (about 4 1/2 feet (guessing)) then both sides angle forward about 8-10* (again a guess)

Looking down from the top would look something like this



Ya like my drawing :whistle: