ADVICE NEEDED; Safely removing swim-step.

[localboy]

I have to remove the factory swim step so I can re-mount it to port. My intention is to patch the holes and mount the new kicker/Mini-Jacker to the starboard side. I figured easy-peazy, right? Wrong.

I removed the lower lag bolts & washers, then the upper through bolts, washers and nuts. I then discovered that whoever installed it had used a white adhesive (5200, 4200?) to seal the holes. Well the extra was squeezed between the step and the transom and yep, that son-of-a-b.. is ON THERE. I even resorted to my floor jack w/ a 2X6 to exert some force on the step. Nada. The boat actually started moving up on the trailer. She didn't budge more than a 1 mm.

Any suggestions. I obviously don't want to damage the gel-coat and make a much bigger repair. How to remove the adhesive or at least soften it to remove the step. That thing is so solid I bet I can put my 190# on it and it wouldn't budge. I searched Google and found these suggestions:

heat gun
mineral spirits
acetone
"Debond"
a hot butter knife (I kid you not)
even "dynamite and a prayer" (at least he has a sense of humor)

[nimrod]

Hey Mark,

How about using some real thin solid wire (piano wire?) and sawing action to kind of saw through the adhesive between your boat and the swim step?

I'd be interested to see detail pics of your old installation and/or your new installation. I bought a used factory swim step and am not sure about the location of the install. Forum photos seem to show it installed from just under the transom cap or down to near the water line.

jd

[localboy]

I thought about that, JD, and may have to resort to it. Problem is there isn't much space to even get a razor blade in there, much less a wire or a blade of some type. When I used the jack, the gel coat on the step began cracking right at the edge, so I stopped right then & there and "re-assessed". Whatever it is could hold the Space Shuttle together.

[dotnmarty]

I don't know about the 25 footer, but on the 16 and 22 the balance was much better with the kicker on the port and the swim step where it is. The tiller is not ideally located with the kicker on the port side, but it still works OK.Just a thought..

[localboy]

Marty, there are two reasons why I want to place the kicker on the starboard side.

First & primarily, it will allow us to use the step without having to resort to climbing over all the control cables/fuel lines etc for the main. As it is now, we have to avoid those obstacles when using the dinghy and they present a trip hazard.

Second, it will allow the routing of the kicker's fuel line/battery cables to be clean/simple and will place all the cables/fuel lines to one side without having them traverse the entire transom. It's just cleaner and safer.

I almost wish it didn't have a step mounted at this point.

[Les Lampman]

I would try the 5200 debond stuff which should be available at the local hardware store (hopefully).

The second thing I'd try is some very light gauge wire (like a high "E" string from a guitar or a piano wire attached to a couple of dowels (or something to protect your hands). A thin enough wire should slide between the swim step and transom to at least allow you to start slicing through the bedding compound. (Hopefully )

[localboy]

Looks like JD & Les were on the correct path. From the 3M website:

[texasair]

Carefully applied heat, not a propane torch, but a heatgun on a mild setting will weaken 5200. 3M does not recommend heat, but it has worked for me in the past.

[Two Bears]

I built a "step" or a bridge over my cable/ control lines. Took some fiddling to get it to fit, but it works well. My primary reason to build the bridge was that the well is slippery when feet are wet - I really smashed my toes one time when my foot slipped as I came aboard. I built the bridge level (2x6 brace against the transom and a "bridge" of plywood to forward edge of well. Put non-slip (grit from paint store) to give traction with wet feet. Also changed to 3 step ladder of swim step as my wife doesn't have upper body strength to pull herself up on the original two step ladder, even after I added a handle to pull with.

Chuck

[starcrafttom]

downrigger cable with work if you dont want to steal from your guitar. I have a old one here some place I can give you a length of. I need to return that beer bottle of remover to you any how.

[Minnow]

I have successfully used the Anti-Bond 2015 for 5200 removal, but this stuff is supposed to be better.
http://www.marineformula.com/index.html

[localboy]

Well the step is off. I came home from work and it took about 1.5 hours. I used a small putty knife that I sharpened, a heat gun, a rubber mallet, a nylon pry tool, floor jack/2X6 and muscle.

Tapped the putty knife into the goop and twisted it back & forth "cutting" the adhesive all while the jack kept some upward force on the step. It did not give up w/out a fight. I had to go pretty much all the way around the step as much as possible to get it to release.

I then cleaned it up w/ a sharp razor blade, some GOOF OFF and more muscle. Very minimal damage to the hull and some cracking to the edge of the swim step gelcoat. I should be able to use some 4200 like caulking and clean the edge up once I re-install it to port.

Now to repair the holes, touch up the gelcoat and have Les install the kicker.

Pics in my album.

[dotnmarty]

Nice job...

MartyP

[starcrafttom]

Well hurry up the pinks are biting

[localboy]

I've been very busy w/ work, painting our house & other summer projects so the swim step repair has not moved along for a while. Today I took advantage of what may be our last "warm" day and finished the patches.



Followed by mixing/spraying on the gelcoat. I also fixed a small ding in the roof where I dropped a tool while installing our solar vent. Voila! Trust me; the holes are there, somewhere.



The gelcoat is a bit rough in texture so I can understand the required sanding w/ 600 to 800 on the DA. Then on to the 3m compound.



Thanks to Scott @ Triton for the gelcoat, catalyst and instructions.