ADVICE NEEDED; Safely removing swim-step.

L

localboy

New member
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)
 
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
 
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". :roll: Whatever it is could hold the Space Shuttle together.
 
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..
 
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.
 
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 :) )
 
Looks like JD & Les were on the correct path. From the 3M website:

CURED-Polyurethane adhesive sealants must be removed mechanically if cured. Use a knife, razor blade, piano wire, putty knife or sandpaper. Heating to remove is not recommended be cause of the vapors given off and possible damage to the substrate
Click to expand...
 
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.
 
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
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.

023.jpg

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.

025.jpg

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.

026.jpg

Thanks to Scott @ Triton for the gelcoat, catalyst and instructions.
 
Nice job! The step by step photos are great. How does the color match? I may get brave enough to try the same modification. Our 22 seems to be port heavy when leaving for a 3-4 day weekend. A kicker, two passengers and 20gallons of water to port with just me and a few odds and ends to starboard. I max out the trim tabs and still have a hard time staying on an even keel.
Regards,
Dave
 
I've never seen the swim step on the starboard side except for Casey boat which has 2 swim steps . Every c-dory Ive ever seen have been on port side . When I had the (Duck c-22)I had to reposition my swim step a little higher when we put the Suzuki 90 on her instead of the honda 50. yes we had to use a lot of muscle and wire and goof off . YOu will like it on the port side no more stepping on cables etc .
 
Well, unfortunately, not so fast. I awoke this a.m. and the gelcoat is still wet in some places, especially over the patches and the patches are now visible through it. :? Pics in my album now. It's all a learning curve, I guess.

I just sent an e-mail to Scott for some advice. I WAS so proud of myself. :roll: More to follow....
 
Scott thinks it's an issue w/ the prep. I removed the uncured gel-coat w/ acetone, which curiously, was only over the "Duraglas" patches. The gel-coat I sprayed over the original factory gel-coat is cured/hard/dry etc.

Scott advised I use a rougher grit sandpaper for the scratch coat prior to spraying the new gel-coat. I had used 600 but will re-sand the patches w/ 220 on my DA. Then re-spay new gel-coat.

Live & learn.
 
Repair is complete and the boat goes to Les on Friday for the kicker install. I just don't have the time to do it.

The repair was a good learning experience. I'm happy w/ how it came out. I ended up getting a new batch of gelcoat & another Preval sprayer from Scott, along w/ some tips/advice. He told me to warm the sprayer w/ a hair dryer to smoothen out the spray. I also cleaned the area w/ brand new acetone and sanded the patches quickly w/ 220 to give them some "teeth". I did this to remove whatever made the first attempt react negatively. Temps were about 62F when I sprayed it on and I added a bit more catalyst to the mix on Scott's advice.

In general, the repairs are nearly indiscernible. The new gel coat is not spot on in color, probably due to the four yrs the boat has been exposed to the elements. Not a big deal though; it's so close as to not be noticeable.

Also the stern was much easier to work on than the splash-well part of the repair. The stern was flat and easily reached and using the DA & the buffer was easy. Working in the splash well was awkward; the cables are in the way, the angles make working on it a PIA & especially the curves...ahhhh, the curves. You cannot use the DA due to the curves, so much of the sanding was by hand w/ a 3M sanding block. I despise sanding. The splashwell is also the most visible of the patches and the least attractive. The gelcoat started to get too thin as I sanded and the blue patches are slightly visible. I'd spray on the gelcoat a little thicker next time. Buffing was a real PIA there too. There is just no room to work.

Oh, well. I'm happy w/ the repairs; not perfect but they will suffice. Pics in my album.
 
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