How to figure out if I have a bad transom

[trihull59]

This is my first boat its a 1959 MFG gypsy tri hull and it is good condition , but it use to have a blown 50hp on it and i just recently put a 85hp mercury on it a lot heavier and the max size allowed for this boat and when I first put the motor on the boat going down the road and hitting a bump it would pretty much look like the motor was going to fall off it would go back and forth today I bought a transom saver and that fixed the problem but it looks like the motor is pulling the transom outward im not sure if is normal or if the transom should not have any flex at all, when the motor was off the boat i could not move the transom at all with my hand, here are some pictures. let me know what you guys think! Thanks

 

[sxmerc]

Re: How to figure out if I have a bad transom

With the outboard timmed up and in the lock position, grab the motor above the lower unit, and bounce some weight up and down on it. If there is more than 1/4" of movement at the top of your transom, it needs repair. By the sound of your description, your transom should have roughly the strength of a wet sheet of cardboard. Seriously though... I would have a fiberglass shop take a look at it. It really doesn't sound safe at all.

 

[trihull59]

Re: How to figure out if I have a bad transom

oh well I am not sure of any fiberglass shops around me but is there anyway to strengthen it up ? like with a reinforced piece of wood bolted to the transom from inside ?

 

[j_martin]

Re: How to figure out if I have a bad transom

I don't think you grasp the fact that the transom on your boat is a huge safety liability. It is about to catastrophically fail.

The transom is the one part of the boat that takes all the strain from the motor, both the driving force, and the impact of the weight of the motor as the boat interacts with the water. A tri-hull rides rough, and those forces are pretty amazing.

To drive that thing, now, or with a Mickey Mouse patch job, is a threat to human life......yours, and any passengers.

Go over to the boat restoration forum and learn how to properly repair it.

hope it helps
John

 

[starcraft1982]

Re: How to figure out if I have a bad transom

+1 on J Martins comments.If you want,tilt motor up,stand on the cav. plate and lightly hop up and down.1/4" of play is bad.With that transom bowing like that just from weight of the motor,i figure youd better brace yourself for impact w/the ground!Seriously,thats completely unsafe and it needs repaired before that boat even touches water.

 

[trihull59]

Re: How to figure out if I have a bad transom

Yup you guys were correct , I actually think that it had less strength then cardboard . I took it all apart gutted all the old transom and part of the floor and sanded it all down and got rid of it. One problem I am not sure how to conquer is all these carpenter ants that were all threw my transom the new transom is in and all fiberglassed but still need to finish the floor

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: How to figure out if I have a bad transom

Plastic drop cloth and bug bomb!

I'm just sayin...

 

[westexasrepublic]

Re: How to figure out if I have a bad transom