Transducer Relocation

[C-Dude]

I just bought Bennett M-120 trim tabs and will be installing them in short order. I am doing this mainly based on the comments supporting trim tabs from other C-Brats in this forum, so Bennett should be thankful to C-Brats!

I will need to relocate the transducer for my fishfinder in order to install the trim tabs. Any suggestions on what to fill the holes with from the original transducer mounting location, that will be abandoned? 3M 5200 or something else. I will wait to install until I get some feedback.

Thanks again,

Ben

[Sea Wolf]

Ben-

We just discussed how to fill larger holes a coup0le of days ago.

Since the holes are small, you could either use Marinetex or 3M 5200.

The 5200 will take about a week to really cure good enough to be put back in the water for any loength of time, but it's a better sealant than Marinetex for small screw holes because you can get it into the narrower width screw holes better than the thicker, pastier, Marinetex,.

Marinetex is better on larger holes because of it's heavier consistency which allows it to stay where you put it instead of running all over!

I'd clean out the holes of loose debris and try to totally fill the holes with the 5200.

Use a stick or nail to push as much 5200 as possible into the holes as possible.

After you've filld them as much as you can, use masking tape to prevent the runny 5200 from flowing out, emptying the holes.

Too bad you can't tip the boat up on end so the hole is vertical to fill instead of being horizontal.

I'd try to use a hypodermic syringe to fill the hole from the back end up as the needle is withdrawn, but you'd have to have a pretty big needle to get the 5200 to flow down it because of it's consistency.

Another alternative would be to do as above, but finish off the hole by replacing the screw with another screw, which would provide very high hydraulic pressure to push the 5200 into everything inside. You could use a flat headed screw and counter-sink the surface, putting the screw heads down maybe 1/16" below the surface and then filling over the shallow area above the head with Marinetex tinted to match your hull.

Kinda depends on how much trouble you're willing to go to!

End of Chapater 1 of "How to get your PhD and Holes Filled for Fun and Profit at the Same Time".

Joe.

[thataway]

I am going to have to disagree with Joe on this one. I feel that an epoxy is the best way to fill old transducer holes. I like to take a drill bit about the size of the screws, and clean out the hole very well. I like to clean the holes with acetone and dry them well. Then use tooth picks to work Marine Tex or other thickened epoxy into the holes. The reason I prefer an epoxy is for its better adherance and filling property than 5200. 5200 is a sealant and adhesive, but not a filler. There are times when 5200 does not bond well, and that would allow moisture into the transom core.

I like to screw a piece of King Starboard onto the transom to put the screws of the transducer into. That way if you have to relocate the tranducer or if you need to replace the transducer you can drill holes with impunity into the Starboard. I like to score the back of the Starboard with cuts--best fine dovetail cuts, for the 5200 to get a better "hold" onto in the starboard.