Patching a hole

[paulgw]

I was relocating a depth finder transducer and drilled a couple of holes in the transom that will not work and I need to fill them in. I cannot plug them with a screw and sealant as the head of the screws will interfere with the new transducer bracket. Can an amateur "weld" a plug in these holes? Can I get the repair rod material?

[Genelie]

You can use the clear or white rule sealant. That is what I used when I got a different transducer. Just put the tube to the old hole and squeese.

[NCangler]

You can weld to fill this. Your dealer may have the welding rod material so I'd check with them. If you don't have the welder you might check to see what your dealer would charge to plug them. If your dealer doesn't have the material you can order some online from my dealer Merritt Marine. There may be others that you can order from too that I'm not aware of. Here is a link to the material on Merritt Marine's store site:

https://www.merrittmarine.com/store/...oduct_list&c=8

https://www.merrittmarine.com/store/...duct_list&c=22

BTW the Maintenance and Modifications DVD (due out next week) has a section that covers welding repairs for screw holes, gouges, etc. with great video of the procedure.

[cagrove]

It's really simple to fix. The best thing to use is an electric soldering iron. Get it heated up and just go lightly over the hole...back and forth. Keep it moving quickly and do not slow down. The plastic around the hole will melt and fuze over the hole. When you've got it covered, stop. To trim it up, take a sharp knife or better yet, a sharp wood chisel, and go over the area. That will smooth out any bumps that may have formed.

Piece of cake. I've done it many times on my boat.

I hope this helps.

[paulgw]

Thanks to all. I've got rod on the way from Merritt.