posted 08-08-2001 04:53 PM ET (US)            

You have a lot of choices availible to you. I would go to West Marine, etc.. and look at you options. the standard brass tube is 2.99 at West ( but get an O-ring for it, which they did not have when I last looked at mine), or you can put in one of the screw out ones. Others on the forum have used ones with built in chek valves. Really your call. If your boat will be living in the water, do the check valve, otherwise up to you.

posted 08-08-2001 05:07 PM ET (US)            

I'm makeing a little joke. Actually, pretty much the above, but the point is not to destroy the tube while its in the hole, but rater collapse it and pull it out. Long medium sized needle nose can help here. On the outrage a real pain in the behind. the dubes have a tendency to assume a larger dimension that the hole thaey go through, and then you are left trying to manipulate them while laying on your stomach done in the sump under the console. I almost couldn't get out (6', 250 easy...).

posted 08-18-2001 10:46 PM ET (US)            

I measured and cut a new bronze thru hull for the starboard aft drain well. I thought that I might as well cut the post side to the same length. Big mistake. The port side is about 1/2 inch thicker through the hull. I measured the forward bait well, and it fits there, so not problems, just annoying.

I make this sound much easier than it was. All my helpers have gotten tired of going to the boat, so all the jobs that take 2 people get done by me, alone. It ends up looking like a keystone cops film, with only one cop. I covered myself in Fast Cure 4200, and was getting a little frustrated.

So, with the 2 aft thru hulls replaced, I go forward to work on the bow. I paint some PVA on three thru hulls, and on the hull area where they will seat. Mix up a batch of epoxy with medium weight fairing compound, peanut butter thick. I spread this on the base of the thru hulls, push them in, and run a tongue depressor around the edge and tape in place. I go up top and look in the port and starboard line lockers, and realize that the nut that came with the bronze thru hull will not fit, due to the molded shape of the locker. I'm thinking I will grind the side of the nut flat. Not sure though.

This last bit went generally well, but I leave out my failed attempt to do this as bigz describes, with mish-mash. I thought I had scissors in my toolbox, but didn't, so I used a razor blade to cut up some cloth, mix up the mish-mash, and smear on the thru-hull. Unfortunately, I can't get the mish mash to fair (must mot be cut up enough I surmise), so I clean it all up, and go with the fairing compound.

So, with the three thru hulls curing, I decide to try to fix the anchor locker tube. On my boat, the inner and outer hulls are separated by about 6 inches of foam here. To complicate matters, the tube does not emerge from the hull at a 90-degree angle. It’s more like 70/110, depending on how you view the world.

Well, I assume that since I have the BW specific flaring tool, this will not present a problem. I was wrong. The tool, for those of you who have not seen it, it consistes of two ss flaring dies, with a 3/8 inch 5 inch long bolt through it. For the longer through hulls, you buy a section of 3/8 threaded rod to replace the bolt.

You are supposed to put the tube and o-rings in place, insert the tool as if it were a bolt, and then tighten to flair. This does not work as advertised. The tool does not accommodate the angle of the hull at all. I try tightening any way, planning to use a ball peen hammer or some similar tool to complete the flair. When I go topsides to remove my vice grip, I see that the o-ring has completely squeezed out from behind the tube.

So now, the nex time I get up to the boat (it’s a 100 miles away), I’ll have to remove yet another one of these tubes. Just my luck. Of course, at this point, I have even more 4200 on me, and mixed with the epoxy from part two of today’s work, my hands are a mess, as is just about anything else I have touched.

I guess I’ll get a smaller diameter threaded rod, and hope that that will allow the outer flaring die to accommodate the angle of the hull. I’m also going to email Chuck Bennett at BW and solicit his advice. First I have to spend a few hours cleaning the 4200 off of my tools.

I am so tired of these tubes. They are really taking the fun out this project for me. I hope you guys are having better luck.

posted 08-21-2001 12:46 AM ET (US)            

I like your idea, but I'm not much of a machineist. Wood worker, yes.

I founf extra long bronze thru hulls in the right diameter, and they will work, its the anchor loker that has me beat. About 6.5 inches in lenght, and perpindicular on the inside, but about 70/110 on the outside.

posted 08-21-2001 09:57 AM ET (US)            

How did Whaler install the anchor locker drain tube? If they did it, surely you can too.

posted 08-21-2001 10:54 AM ET (US)            

what I tried was to apply 4200 liberally to both ends of the hole. One the pre-flaired end of the tube, I put 4200 inside the "cup" of the flair, and around the circumfrence of the tube. Then I slid the o-ring up the tube into the 4200 filled cup. Insert the tube into the hole. Drop the flairing tool through the hole. with vice grip attached.

On the outside of the hull, ensure tube is aligned correctly, then smear outside of tube with 4200. Put o-ring on tube, and snug up to the hull. Attach lower part of flairing tool and begin to tighten.

It is here that the process breaks down, as the flairing tool can not accomidate the angle the tube is cut at to match the hull.

posted 08-23-2001 11:37 AM ET (US)            

There were several different flaring tools used at the factory, however, this seems like a rather steep angle for either one. One was used for flat or even flaring and another was used for a slight angle. If you can't find the correct flaring tool, you might want to try it with a ball peen hammer (carefully). With the end of the drain tube, used on the inside of the boat, already pre-flared, install the o-ring and place the tube into the hole. Measure down about 3/8", mark it, and cut with hacksaw. Place the O-ring around the drain tube and, while someone else is holding the other end of the tube, proceed to peen or roll the edges of the tube over the o-ring until it is sealed. A little 3M5200 might help seal it better than the old o-rings. Good luck with the angled installation! Regards, Chuck

posted 08-28-2001 09:49 PM ET (US)            

Funny how things work. I just replaced my transom drain tube today. Mine was in a simalr condition to yours, but was long enough.

BW has a new 2 piece plastic drain tube, 1" inside diameter. I tilded my motor up, and used a 1 1/4 inch hole saw to drill out the old tube. Then I 5200'ed the bejeasus out of the hole and slapped in the new tube. I tightend it with a 3/8 inch rod, with nuts and big washers. Worked great.

posted 08-28-2001 10:55 PM ET (US)            

As for then pilot hole, I bought a pack of 1/8 dowels at a craft store, cut the pack in half so all the dowels were about 4" long, then stuffed the existing drain tube with them. Then I pushed in the dowel I wanted to center the hole on and went to town.