Corner brace cracked on a brand new 1442 alumacraft/added pics

[boater1234]

I just bought a brand new 1442 alumacraft jon boat and i never noticed till today there is a small crack on were the triangle braces are on the transom.It doesn't really look like they do much,will that hurt anything.It's not a bad crack it's just that it's there and bothering me so i also want to know if it will hurt the strength of the boat.

I would assume this may be a common problem on them as the braces are rather flimsy but they must be there for a reason.Don't get me wrong it's not falling apart or anything,i just want to make sure it won't hurt the boat.If anyone has had this problem can they tell me what they did or just left it and it didn't get any worse.Thanks for any posts on this.

 

[JimS123]

Re: corner brace cracked on a new 1442 alumacraft jon boat/need help

Re: corner brace cracked on a new 1442 alumacraft jon boat/need help

The braces on my current 14' tinny are all solid as a rock, though its not an Alumacraft.

Cracks on a brand new boat should not be there. Take it back to the dealer and tell him you want the boat replaced. That'll stir things up....LOL. If they all are like that, or the Dealer says its a common occurrence, time to think about it real hard. Common "problems" and common "occurrences" are sometimes one in the same.

My old 14' tinny had numerous cracks start in some of the ribs and braces. After a few years, they all cracked thru completely. Of course, that boat was 35 years old and saw heavy service.

I am a born communicator. If it were my boat, I would be on the phone talking with Alumacraft's Vice President of Customer Service to get his input.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: corner brace cracked on a new 1442 alumacraft jon boat/need help

Re: corner brace cracked on a new 1442 alumacraft jon boat/need help

Find a good aluminum welder and get the crack welded.

 

[smallboatlover]

Re: corner brace cracked on a new 1442 alumacraft jon boat/need help

Re: corner brace cracked on a new 1442 alumacraft jon boat/need help

just get some jb weld and do it your self

 

[gt]

Re: corner brace cracked on a new 1442 alumacraft jon boat/need help

Re: corner brace cracked on a new 1442 alumacraft jon boat/need help

Is it the bracket, or the transom that's cracked? Should be fairly easy to replace the bracket, the transom is another story. I would definitely be on the phone with Alumacraft, and get their input. I've both spoken with, and emailed their tech support, but each time was more of a "can I make this alteration to my boat" type question, or "how does this work", not a claim. They seem like decent folks to deal with. If it is the bracket, it can probably be welded, by someone who knows what they're doing (not me), but why should you have to do that on a new boat. I would not trust JB weld for a structural support. No flames please, I'm familiar with JB weld, us it and other products like it, but wouldn't use it here.

Good Luck, and let us know how you make out.
Gary....

 

[mercury713]

Re: corner brace cracked on a new 1442 alumacraft jon boat/need help

Re: corner brace cracked on a new 1442 alumacraft jon boat/need help

You can get this stuff kinda cheap off ebay if your handy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-cv3R4fWZc

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: corner brace cracked on a new 1442 alumacraft jon boat/need help

Re: corner brace cracked on a new 1442 alumacraft jon boat/need help

You can get this stuff kinda cheap off ebay if your handy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-cv3R4fWZc

Not as structurally as strong as advertised...... one mistake with a torch by overheating and you have ruined your hull or moved on to a major repair.

I would not advise using it and we have not seen enough good results (very very few) with it. USE CAUTION

 

[metriccrescentwrench]

Re: corner brace cracked on a new 1442 alumacraft jon boat/need help

Re: corner brace cracked on a new 1442 alumacraft jon boat/need help

If it were my boat, I would be on the phone talking with Alumacraft's Vice President of Customer Service to get his input.

Darn straight. You just paid a lot of money for a new boat, it shouldn't have cracks showing up so quickly.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: corner brace cracked on a new 1442 alumacraft jon boat/need help

Re: corner brace cracked on a new 1442 alumacraft jon boat/need help

Seems easy to me,

Contact Alumacraft Customer Service, send them a pic of the damage, find a welding shop (prop shop) to repair the cracked weld, have Alumacraft pay for the repair.

Maybe they missed a weld or didn't get it right, stuff happens. Your boat could have been the first one Monday morning or the last on on Friday. If they fix it, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[mercury713]

Re: corner brace cracked on a new 1442 alumacraft jon boat/need help

Re: corner brace cracked on a new 1442 alumacraft jon boat/need help

Bob_VT Bob_VT


Yes could be tricky... need to heat aluminum and strike rod on part without melting with flame. and check often.

Or he could get it tig welded but its just for perfection that kind of crack will not affect transom.

 

[boater1234]

Re: Corner brace cracked on a brand new 1442 alumacraft/added pics

I added some pics so you guys can get a better understanding on what i'm talking about.No doubt it should not be there but after looking again i thing some jb weld with a quick sand down and some paint should make it like new.I think it's more cosmetic then anything.

But please everyone look at the pics i put up just now and see if your guys opinions differ from mine as i want to make sure it won't hurt anything.It's not on the transom it's just a small hair crack less then a 1/8 of an inch long that i think won't affect a thing after looking at it again.But please feel free to correct me if i'm wrong.This also seems to be very common on all the alumacrafts i have seen even the brand new ones.Ok here are the pics.The first pic is the left back of the transom and you can see the triangle brace and the second pic is the triangle brace itself were i point out the crack.

 

[Triton II]

Re: Corner brace cracked on a brand new 1442 alumacraft/added pics

Hey Boater, the trouble with small hairline cracks in structural items like transom braces is that they can quickly develop into longer cracks and affect the integrity of the transom. I'd be taking her back to the dealer where you bought her from and get them to fix it. Good luck,

TII

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Corner brace cracked on a brand new 1442 alumacraft/added pics

Are you trailering the boat with the outboard attached? If so, are you using a transom saver?

 

[boater1234]

Re: Corner brace cracked on a brand new 1442 alumacraft/added pics

I haven't even had the motor on it yet.A motor of 72lbs will not hurt a boat of this size anyway as i have never used a transom saver in my life especially with a jon boat.I will just put some jb weld on it and see what happens.I don't think those braces affect much to begin with as if they did they wouldn't be so flimsy to start with.Like i said after seeing it and comparing it to the other side it is just as strong and doesn't have any play as far as movement in the brace.

Like i said i have seen this several times when i was looking at new jon boats even some of lowes jon boats have it and i guess it must be a common problem.As long as it's not on the transom i don't think it will affect anything.But i will take more opinions please on what anyone here thinks.I will also give alumacraft a ring just for the heck of it and see what they say.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Corner brace cracked on a brand new 1442 alumacraft/added pics

Call the company and send the photos. JB weld on that part would be just as effective as a piece of duct tape. That crack will only get worse and it would take a welder about 2 minutes to fix it right..... and permanent

That is a point where transom forces are transfered to. Common problem or not..... I would fix it.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Corner brace cracked on a brand new 1442 alumacraft/added pics

I am a master level aluminum welder MIG & TIG with 23 years experiance, currently the lead welder at Bennington and I can tell you that is a crap weld.

It is hard to tell from the pics but it looks like a bad mig weld, way too hot and fast, you can see a ridge inside the weld towards the actual brace, that is called undercut and it is not good, weld should be flush or above the welded part and the weld should have been carried around the corner and had the fisheye filled in.

The crack started at the fisheye where the weld ends and filling that in is one of the first things I go over with a new welder since that is always where cracks start.

If I saw a weld like that on ones of our boats it would be redone.

If you want them to warranty this DO NOT TOUCH IT, anything you do to it will void the waranty, they will say you made it worse.

Contact your dealer asap and let them know there is a problem, I am sure they won't be suprised.

The crack is small now but will grow till it runs out of aluminum, I would imagine eventually it will run clear across the brace and probably right along the undercut line.

When they fix it have them do the other side too since it is probably the same way.

Concur with Bob, I am huge fan of JB but it has its limitations and this would be one of them, sometimes there is no substitute for Real Weld.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Corner brace cracked on a brand new 1442 alumacraft/added pics

Guys, read the original post. It's a brand spankin' new boat. Boater, that's not something that should be happening on a john boat under ten years old, much less a new one. You just got a boat with a bad weld. You should have no problem returning it to the dealer, who will then most likely make Alumacraft take it back. If the dealer balks, let him know you'll be contacting Alumacraft immediately. If they just want to repair it that would be acceptable as long as they commit to doing it right and going over all the other welds to be sure there are no other issues. Either way, this will be taken care of for you. I promise you Alumacraft does not want anyone to be stuck with a defective boat. Just don't use it like that. Don't want to give them any wiggle room.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Corner brace cracked on a brand new 1442 alumacraft/added pics

agreed--unacceptable on a new boat; typical and easy to fix on an old one.

Take it back or get a $500 discount

 

[boater1234]

Re: Corner brace cracked on a brand new 1442 alumacraft/added pics

I just called the dealer and they are going to take care of it for me no questions asked.They said they would have their welder put a new weld on it,or i should say a reweld.

The place is a long ways away thats why i wanted to know if there was a quick easy fix.But they are willing to fix it right then i will just do that.I will ask them to go over all the welds to while he's doing it.I will go over any of them also.Is there anything out of the ordinary i need to look for on this boat that may lead up to a crack in the welds.I know nothing about welding.A weld like the one they are gonna fix,how can he get underneath the brace and get the underside of it,or does he?Or when the weld goes on it goes all the way through to the bottom of the crack and seals itself?Ok thanks guys for the advice.I have to drop it off monday and go by when their guy is free to do it.

 

[BUDDY123]

Re: Corner brace cracked on a brand new 1442 alumacraft/added pics

I would also get something in writting from the dealer stating the problem and when and how they fixed it. Could save you some headaces incase their fix does not hold up. And as suggested would call the manufactor service dept or customer service and get there suggestion on a fix to the problem. Don't know what type warranty you have, but cover you butt with documentation and when and who you spoke to at the manufactor.