Expanding foam (for transom reinforcement) Anyone done this?

[boatdude100]

Kickout of Stingray 185 got water in, I repaired. I'm about to put in "Gelcote expanding foam" (30x its volume) and I'm realizing there are a lot of considerations!! Does anyone have experience doing this as a kick out pour? I believe part of the foams purpose is transom reinforcement but its hard to say. Kickout is about 2 sq feet.
Firstly, I may have the wrong product? I think transom pour foam may be different than this which seems to be flotation foam? Apparently flotation foam has no real structural strength?

Top has space to expand if I don't fill to top
Walls of the kickout are:
#1.transom at front
walls #2,#3 and #4 are the kickout sides and back.

Am I about to create a disaster and crack the kickout gelcote with foam expansion even if I pour in 1.5" layers?

 

[boatdude100]

Kickout got water in it, Dug out old and ready to pour in new. Has anyone done this?
Any issues with expansion and cracking of hull or gelcote exterior?
What product did you use?
The foam I dug out seems not overly dense, does anyone know if this is just flotation foam?
Thank you!

 

[jbcurt00]

Don't start multiple topics about the same subject

Merged

 

[boatdude100]

Don't start multiple topics about the same subject

Merged

Thank you, thought you could as I assumed different readers/different forums. Cheers

 

[DeepCMark58A]

Ask yourself did you remove expanding foam? No you didn't and if you did it was waterlogged. So no

 

[redneck joe]

it is floatation foam, not transom material.

What is a 'kickout'

 

[Mc Tool]

I would think you'd need closed cell foam ....otherwise it will soak up water

 

[Mc Tool]

What is a 'kickout'

What !?......you've never made a nuisance of yourself at a pub
I think he's talking about them box things stuck to the transom either side that provide extra buoyancy ( if they dont fill up with water ) and waterline .

 

[redneck joe]

What !?......you've never made a nuisance of yourself at a pub
I think he's talking about them box things stuck to the transom either side that provide extra buoyancy ( if they dont fill up with water ) and waterline .

Actually i have never been asked to leave a bar. My ex did get cut off in Vegas tho. Thought that was impressive.


I was thinking maybe a swim platform on sides of an outboard?

 

[boatdude100]

Ask yourself did you remove expanding foam? No you didn't and if you did it was waterlogged. So no

I think it was flotation foam, lightweight and consistency of "great stuff". I'm not sure what your "no" was in response to?

 

[boatdude100]

A "Kickout" I believe are indeed the two "boxes" on either side of the outdrive under swim platform.

Has anyone tried to pour 2 part (closed cell) foam into a kickout? Tips would be good as 1. I don't want the 30x expansion of this foam to crack the hull??
2. Want to somehow fill but not overfill the cavity.

From the density, I'm thinking it was in fact flotation foam which serves the purpose of buoyancy but also some reinforcement? Comments appreciated.

The photo shows my access hole where I dug out foam and will somehow try to fill with 2 part expanding.

Any suggestions?

 

[flashback]

It would make sense to calculate the volume of the kickour and pour accordingly. But I've only done foam under a deck which had several holes to pour into and which expanding foam could release out of.

 

[Mc Tool]

I have re-foamed ...probly a couple of thousand domestic fridge cabinets and the stuff we used was 2 pack open cell foam which was kinda stupid coz half the time the re-foaming was being done because the foam had become waterlogged and would freeze if it contacted a coolant pipe.
Anyhows measuring the volume of the kicker and measuring foam doesnt really work because its dependant on temp and the mix ratio ,we used to used a disposable container and weigh the components . I would just pour it in stages with the access hole at the highest point. If you get it about right there will be a bit of foam out the top .
The kicker would need to be watertight and something that big would not get a whole lot of structural strength from foaming ....I mean its not going to stop the kicker being damaged if you back into something ,the only real benefit I can see is the it would slow down water ingress in the short term ....like if you poked a hole in the kicker it wouldnt immediately flood . I had a fibreglass spoiler on front of my car that was a bit floppy so I foamed that and it stiffened up nicely but I dont think it would help much if I clouted a kirb while parking . The denser the foam is the more strength but also more weight and less buoyancy. And you gotta mix it really well or you may as well just guess at the component ratio. I used to mix it till it was just starting to expand and then pour it in but I wasnt trying to get an even pour thru a small access hole ,I would have the whole back panel off the fridge with the fridge lying on its front .

 

[Scott Danforth]

Foam is for flotation until you get to the 8# and 16# density foam