Stripped deck screws

[stephan]

Hi , I know this has been posted before but I cant seem to find it so Ill ask. I have a 17 foot CC. About 5 deck screws have backed out, when I went to tighten them they were completely stripped out. Is this easy to fix or should I have the dealer repair it. The boat is 3 years old I dont know if its a warranty issue or not

[Jan from Humboldt]

First call your dealer and ask if it is.

Second if it isn't it's a pretty easy fix that you can do yourself.

I had some screws do the same thing on either side of my console, I figgure it was from me hanging onto the console grab rail and steering wheel while literally flying from wave to to wave top. (Read that as pounding the carp out of my 150. Lol) Weighing 280 has nothing to do with it. And for the record my wife says I've had some screws loose for years.

What I ended up doing was first repairing the stripped screws by getting some Roplene powder and then heating the deck screw up quite hot (But not red hot) with a propane torch while holding it with pliers, you then dip it point first into the powdered plastic and then quickly insert it back into the hole and also quickly take a screwdriver and while pushing down give the screw a quarter to 1/3 rd turn and hold in place for a minute or so to cool.

The other thing I did was to add a pair of screws one inch on either side of the one I repaired for additional holding power, for that you will need some new screws a 3/16'' drill and a counter sink and a tube of Rule elastomeric sealant.

Since I added the new screws the backing out problem has ceased.

What you don't want to do is ignore the problem as it provides a path for water to get into the foam between the hulls which is bad, not fatal but it adds a lot of weight to the boat over time. If you pull your rear hatch just in front of the motor and reach down to the side of the middle stringer amost where it meets the hull you should find a plug just like the two in the transom. Pop that out and see if you have any water. It should be on the starboard (Right) side of the stringer.

[stephan]

Thanks for the help. Just one more thing where did you get the plastic powder. thanks again

[Jan from Humboldt]

I got mine direct from Triumph, but that was some time ago, I think they may sell it off the board or you might get in touch with Merrit Marine and get it from them. You won't need a ton of it as it's lite and fluffy, a quarter pound of it would set a bunch of screws.

Here's the link...
http://www.merrittmarine.com/merrittdeal2.htm

[NCangler]

As Jan stated the hot screw with Roplene powder fix is very simple to do. My dealer, Merritt Marine, has the powder and sells it in small bags. Check with your dealer to see if you can purchase it from them. You might also ask if they will fix them for you.

[stephan]

Well Igot some roplene powder from my dealer and when I went to make the fix I found out that 3 of the 5 screwws that were stripped out were'nt even attached anything. When they installed them at the factory the worker must have drilled in the wrong spot [where the deck meets the hull forward of the CC]. Anyway the two other ones I used the powder on and it worked great. For the rest I drilled new holes in the right spot and now thats all squared away. Thanks again

[spearchucker]

Originally Posted by Jan from Humboldt

.... If you pull your rear hatch just in front of the motor and reach down to the side of the middle stringer amost where it meets the hull you should find a plug just like the two in the transom. Pop that out and see if you have any water. It should be on the starboard (Right) side of the stringer.

Jan,
I looked for that plug in the stringer on my 2003 170CC and couldn't find it. Do you know if the plug is a recent addition?

[Jan from Humboldt]

It might be but my neighbor has an '03 170 and his had one.

Yours might be on the other side or just be well hidden.