Replacing Transom Plug Brass Tube (Drain Tube)

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Replacing Transom Plug Brass Tube (Drain Tube)

Postby CentralCoastSailor » Fri Apr 02, 2021 12:40 pm

The DSII has two drain plugs on the transom as well as a self bailer. The lower plug drains the space between the hull liner (floor) and the hull, while the upper plug would drain the cockpit. The rubber expansion plug was stuck in the brass tube, so I tapped it out....out came the brass tube with it! I replaced it with a new one and thought I'd post a series of photos of how I did it.

The "readers digest" version is that the tube was in 2 parts pushed in from either side of the transom (BTW, not a great set up anyway - the seam between the two halves would eventually let water migrate into the transom and possibly rot the wood - this did not happen in this case!). One half came out with the stuck rubber plug, the outer half I cut a slot with a hack saw blade and encouraged it out with a punch and some light tapping (you can see the remains). The hole was a bit dirty, so I cleaned it out with sandpaper and a round file. I found that the new tube (see below for part number) didn't seat fully due to the radius on the tube and the squared sides of the hole in the transom. I put a similar radius on the transom with a little round grinding stone on a drill. The replacement tube is cut to 1/4" longer than the hole. Then coated the hole and the tube with bedding compound and used a special tool to compress the tube and form the outside flanges. It's about a 30 minute job (and that's going slow); so not a big deal at all! I suppose if the tube was really stuck in the transom it would be a bit more difficult.

The parts I used were:

Moeller Drain Tubes; MOE-021003-400D -- Brass - 1 x 4 inch (trim to fit) -- about $8 each
Moeller Marine Flanging Tools; MOE-2070000 -- 1 inch O.D. Flanging Tool -- about $41 each (good to borrow one if you have a friend!)
Sikaflex-291 Adhesive and Sealant -- about $18 (caulking gun tube, hopefully you have some around the shop - very little is needed!)

Here's a link to some photos of the removal and installation.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/DkxrjQVfU1wamkdq8
CentralCoastSailor
 
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Re: Replacing Transom Plug Brass Tube (Drain Tube)

Postby zeroready » Tue Jun 15, 2021 6:06 pm

Thanks for posting this, mine is leaking as well, I just ordered all the parts to replace it. Hope it goes as easy as yours!
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Re: Replacing Transom Plug Brass Tube (Drain Tube)

Postby CentralCoastSailor » Thu Jun 24, 2021 6:12 pm

So how did it work out? Any leaks? And, how was the plywood inside the transome?
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Re: Replacing Transom Plug Brass Tube (Drain Tube)

Postby zeroready » Mon Jun 28, 2021 9:00 am

It wasn't too bad. Getting the old plug out wasn't that hard, it was so soft and corroded I just worked out the flange and pulled it out with vice grips. The hardest part was getting the flange on the new tube. I think I cut it just a hair too long. So getting the flange tool to turn the last few rotations was a bear, my hands are still sore. But it looks awesome now. I coated everything in the sealant you recommended. Inside the transom looks pretty rotten, it was soaking wet even though the boat had been dry for a few days at that point, so pretty waterlogged. Here's some pics looking into the hole.

Image
Image

I forced as much sealant into the inside of the hole as I could. Probably would have been more permanent if I'd used epoxy or something but I haven't messed with that stuff yet. As it is now though the leak has stopped and all is well. Thank you again!
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