Motor Well Drain Tube

[Grazer]

Hello Brats,

I am installing a new drain tube in my motor well as I wait for the flaring tool to arrive I have a couple of questions to anyone who has installed one of these before.


1) Assuming you buy the tube length greater than the transom thickness, how much extra does one leave to create the flange with the flaring tool?

2) My balsa cored transom has been backcut, and filled with epoxy, but I suppose a layer of some sort of bedding compound should accompany the drain tube installation. 3M 5200, 4000, sika ... any thoughts?

Grazer

[thataway]

My personal choice would be 5200. Although it is "permanent"-the shear strength on a brass tube is moderate. Why would you want to remove the tube, except ot do what you just did. You have already solved any problems.

You want to cut the tube to allow enough flare as there is on the currely fixed side--I suspect 3/16" should be plenty.

[Grazer]

I removed the brass tube to inspect the core as I noticed some small hairline cracks around the old tube. There was very little in the way of sealant around the tube, but still dry. Now sealed forever and going to put back the tube to make the hole cleaner looking. The flange should secure it well enough and some bedding compound will keep down any vibrations as it is not a tight fit in the through hull hole.

[Sunbeam]

I could see potentially wanting to remove the brass tube (in future). The one on my boat was not in great shape. Even though the boat was stored indoors, I think brass is just not that corrosion resistant around salt water, and the tube material seemed very thin. That's not to say one cannot "get around" 5200 even still, and it would be a ways "down the road" before a new one would deteriorate (especially if in fresh water and/or rinsed often).

Reading this thread reminded me that I had not written up the last step in the replacement of my splashwell drain, so I just went and did that in the "Sunbeam ~ 22 Cruiser" thread*. I bonded the final cosmetic cover (i.e. my equivalent to the brass tube once the hole/core were sealed with epoxy/glass) with 3M 4000. It's rated with reasonably good adhesive properties, and supposedly more UV resistance than polyurethane (i.e. will not yellow, and I was using white so that was desirable).

I, too, found nothing sealing the core but a "whisper" of sealant when I removed the original brass tube.

Sunbeam

*Well, I wrote it all up, with photos, and thought I submitted it, but apparently something went awry and it's not showing up now

[thataway]

If you want to remove a thin brass or corroded brass drain--then cut it, remove the outside flange (or inside) and heat it, pull it out, even with 5200. A heat gun with the conductive property of brass works well to remove the 5200 bond. You can ream out the hole if necessary.

This brass tube is in the splash well, not the bottom of the hull, where I would have some concern if the boat was left in the water full time.

[Grazer]

Thanks fellas. I agree on leaving about 3/16" to create the flare at the end of the tube.