Self leveling goop for the bilge.
08-27-2016, 07:19 PM
#1
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Self leveling goop for the bilge.
Here in NorCal we have to have our boats bone dry before dropping it into a lake to cull invasive species. The problem that I have is my drain plug is over an inch above the bilge floor and is impossible to completely drain even if you could set it on its transom and shake it out like a dog getting water out of its ear. I don't want to pull the motor and was thinking of getting it as clean and dry as possible and squirt in some sort of material to build up that space through the drain plug. Caulking or silicone is too viscous to settle in smooth so I was wondering if anybody knows of a good material for such a job? It doesn't need to be a forever fix but just enough to ease the next season or two without pulling the motor and glassing it in correctly.
08-27-2016, 08:43 PM
#2
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https://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-...rdless/0880-20
I'd stick this in the back of the truck before I tried to pour some kind of self leveler in the bilge. It's probably small enough you could stash it in the boat.
I'd stick this in the back of the truck before I tried to pour some kind of self leveler in the bilge. It's probably small enough you could stash it in the boat.
08-27-2016, 09:28 PM
#3
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If you could get the bilge super clean you could mix up some polyester resin with some cabasil to a thick but pourable consistency . You would have to do multiple small batches because when it is thick it will get real Hot.
The self leveling resin is good but expensive for what your using.
What I used to do with my parasail boat is take some foam core material and do a buildup of about 3 inches to close the Vee in the bottom.
Than put 2 layers of bi axe over it . All done with Epoxy so it won't peel off even though you have 36 gritted the area your laying up on.
Than Forward of the motor where I could reach a bilge pump I would leave a little squared off portion that was only raised an inch off the Vee So I ended up with a little sump area for the pump to sit in .
Than drill the drain hole from the inside so the bottom lip of the drain is just below the false floor you just installed.
Bilge will be absolutely bone dry if you pull the drain plug, and barely a quarter cup of water will be left in the sump area if you build it like that.
All boats should be have their drains setup like this.
Also attach your bilge pump and float to a piece of aluminuim plate , than mount that plate to another piece of aluminum flat bar.
Now configure the flat bar so the the bar can be attached to the bilge bulkhead or a stringer.and have your wires ran down it with plenty of excess wire to pull it or install disconnects.
Now mount the bar on the forward bulkhead or stringer with some studs and some wing nuts.
That way if you need to service or replace the float and pumps you simply spin the nuts off and pull the bar with the wire harness and hose and pumps right out of the bilge
Easy Peasy
The self leveling resin is good but expensive for what your using.
What I used to do with my parasail boat is take some foam core material and do a buildup of about 3 inches to close the Vee in the bottom.
Than put 2 layers of bi axe over it . All done with Epoxy so it won't peel off even though you have 36 gritted the area your laying up on.
Than Forward of the motor where I could reach a bilge pump I would leave a little squared off portion that was only raised an inch off the Vee So I ended up with a little sump area for the pump to sit in .
Than drill the drain hole from the inside so the bottom lip of the drain is just below the false floor you just installed.
Bilge will be absolutely bone dry if you pull the drain plug, and barely a quarter cup of water will be left in the sump area if you build it like that.
All boats should be have their drains setup like this.
Also attach your bilge pump and float to a piece of aluminuim plate , than mount that plate to another piece of aluminum flat bar.
Now configure the flat bar so the the bar can be attached to the bilge bulkhead or a stringer.and have your wires ran down it with plenty of excess wire to pull it or install disconnects.
Now mount the bar on the forward bulkhead or stringer with some studs and some wing nuts.
That way if you need to service or replace the float and pumps you simply spin the nuts off and pull the bar with the wire harness and hose and pumps right out of the bilge
Easy Peasy
Last edited by tommymonza; 08-27-2016 at 09:40 PM.
08-27-2016, 09:39 PM
#4
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Easy fix would be buy a cheap wringer mop and attach it to a piece of flat bar that you could bend to fit in under the motor and mop it out and wring it.
2 or 3 swipes should get it bone dry.
2 or 3 swipes should get it bone dry.
08-28-2016, 12:44 AM
#5
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Thread Starter
https://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-...rdless/0880-20
I'd stick this in the back of the truck before I tried to pour some kind of self leveler in the bilge. It's probably small enough you could stash it in the boat.
I'd stick this in the back of the truck before I tried to pour some kind of self leveler in the bilge. It's probably small enough you could stash it in the boat.
If you could get the bilge super clean you could mix up some polyester resin with some cabasil to a thick but pourable consistency . You would have to do multiple small batches because when it is thick it will get real Hot.
The self leveling resin is good but expensive for what your using.
What I used to do with my parasail boat is take some foam core material and do a buildup of about 3 inches to close the Vee in the bottom.
Than put 2 layers of bi axe over it . All done with Epoxy so it won't peel off even though you have 36 gritted the area your laying up on.
Than Forward of the motor where I could reach a bilge pump I would leave a little squared off portion that was only raised an inch off the Vee So I ended up with a little sump area for the pump to sit in .
Than drill the drain hole from the inside so the bottom lip of the drain is just below the false floor you just installed.
Bilge will be absolutely bone dry if you pull the drain plug, and barely a quarter cup of water will be left in the sump area if you build it like that.
All boats should be have their drains setup like this.
Also attach your bilge pump and float to a piece of aluminuim plate , than mount that plate to another piece of aluminum flat bar.
Now configure the flat bar so the the bar can be attached to the bilge bulkhead or a stringer.and have your wires ran down it with plenty of excess wire to pull it or install disconnects.
Now mount the bar on the forward bulkhead or stringer with some studs and some wing nuts.
That way if you need to service or replace the float and pumps you simply spin the nuts off and pull the bar with the wire harness and hose and pumps right out of the bilge
Easy Peasy
The self leveling resin is good but expensive for what your using.
What I used to do with my parasail boat is take some foam core material and do a buildup of about 3 inches to close the Vee in the bottom.
Than put 2 layers of bi axe over it . All done with Epoxy so it won't peel off even though you have 36 gritted the area your laying up on.
Than Forward of the motor where I could reach a bilge pump I would leave a little squared off portion that was only raised an inch off the Vee So I ended up with a little sump area for the pump to sit in .
Than drill the drain hole from the inside so the bottom lip of the drain is just below the false floor you just installed.
Bilge will be absolutely bone dry if you pull the drain plug, and barely a quarter cup of water will be left in the sump area if you build it like that.
All boats should be have their drains setup like this.
Also attach your bilge pump and float to a piece of aluminuim plate , than mount that plate to another piece of aluminum flat bar.
Now configure the flat bar so the the bar can be attached to the bilge bulkhead or a stringer.and have your wires ran down it with plenty of excess wire to pull it or install disconnects.
Now mount the bar on the forward bulkhead or stringer with some studs and some wing nuts.
That way if you need to service or replace the float and pumps you simply spin the nuts off and pull the bar with the wire harness and hose and pumps right out of the bilge
Easy Peasy
It looks like Home Depot sells some self leveling sikaflex. I'll test a tube and let you know how it works.
08-28-2016, 08:08 AM
#6
Registered
I don't believe there are any waters in which we are not all concerned about the invasive species invasion. We occasionally boat in Lake Michigan and then to our inland lake. I really try to clean off everything possible before we put it in our inland lake- our bilge is bone dry- I use Teflon tape on the drain plug to avoid any leaks.
I'm just throwing this out as a suggestion - instead of leveling compounds, pumps etc. I would try to get the bilge areas as dry as possible and then simply pour in a cup or two of household bleach in the badge -- bleach kills everyting and be done with it. The residual amount of bleach left over after a few days will be minimal and if any is left it will continue to kill off anything and if more water gets in - it is almost pre-treated or if you wish simply add another cup after a day of boating.
Not sure if bleach will harm any of the fiberglass, gel coat- I personally can't see how since we wash our boat with acid.
3pointstar
I'm just throwing this out as a suggestion - instead of leveling compounds, pumps etc. I would try to get the bilge areas as dry as possible and then simply pour in a cup or two of household bleach in the badge -- bleach kills everyting and be done with it. The residual amount of bleach left over after a few days will be minimal and if any is left it will continue to kill off anything and if more water gets in - it is almost pre-treated or if you wish simply add another cup after a day of boating.
Not sure if bleach will harm any of the fiberglass, gel coat- I personally can't see how since we wash our boat with acid.
3pointstar
08-28-2016, 09:40 AM
#7
Gold Member
Gold Member
How about.....
[ATTACH=CONFIG]558729[/ATTACH]
Not trying to be funny, I used to keep a big bag of them on my Sea Ray 410 and after a day out, I'd pull the old ones out of the bilge with a boat hook and put down two new ones under each engine and a couple in the centre beside the bilge pumps.
The boat did not have water entry problems but people swimming, getting in and out and a good wash down after a day out, the bottom of the bilge was wet and it annoyed me. Initially I'd just squirt in some bilge cleaner and household detergent to keep the residual water clean but as I became more OCD, I thought about drying the bilge completely. The boat was moored in the water so with a dry stored boat, it would be even easier.
Dirt cheap, real easy and the only lasting effect is a clean bilge!
RR
[ATTACH=CONFIG]558729[/ATTACH]
Not trying to be funny, I used to keep a big bag of them on my Sea Ray 410 and after a day out, I'd pull the old ones out of the bilge with a boat hook and put down two new ones under each engine and a couple in the centre beside the bilge pumps.
The boat did not have water entry problems but people swimming, getting in and out and a good wash down after a day out, the bottom of the bilge was wet and it annoyed me. Initially I'd just squirt in some bilge cleaner and household detergent to keep the residual water clean but as I became more OCD, I thought about drying the bilge completely. The boat was moored in the water so with a dry stored boat, it would be even easier.
Dirt cheap, real easy and the only lasting effect is a clean bilge!
RR
08-28-2016, 09:57 AM
#8
Registered
How about.....
[ATTACH=CONFIG]558729[/ATTACH]
Not trying to be funny, I used to keep a big bag of them on my Sea Ray 410 and after a day out, I'd pull the old ones out of the bilge with a boat hook and put down two new ones under each engine and a couple in the centre beside the bilge pumps.
The boat did not have water entry problems but people swimming, getting in and out and a good wash down after a day out, the bottom of the bilge was wet and it annoyed me. Initially I'd just squirt in some bilge cleaner and household detergent to keep the residual water clean but as I became more OCD, I thought about drying the bilge completely. The boat was moored in the water so with a dry stored boat, it would be even easier.
Dirt cheap, real easy and the only lasting effect is a clean bilge!
RR
[ATTACH=CONFIG]558729[/ATTACH]
Not trying to be funny, I used to keep a big bag of them on my Sea Ray 410 and after a day out, I'd pull the old ones out of the bilge with a boat hook and put down two new ones under each engine and a couple in the centre beside the bilge pumps.
The boat did not have water entry problems but people swimming, getting in and out and a good wash down after a day out, the bottom of the bilge was wet and it annoyed me. Initially I'd just squirt in some bilge cleaner and household detergent to keep the residual water clean but as I became more OCD, I thought about drying the bilge completely. The boat was moored in the water so with a dry stored boat, it would be even easier.
Dirt cheap, real easy and the only lasting effect is a clean bilge!
RR
3pointstar
08-28-2016, 10:05 AM
#9
Gold Member
Gold Member
You could leave them on the baby and stick him in the bilge too and he will cry, like an alarm, to let you know if they've blown out!
RR
08-28-2016, 11:22 AM
#10
Charter Member#568
Charter Member
There is a small bilge pump that has a hose on it that can suck that area clean. It's been mentioned somewhere on the site before. I think one of the manufacturers even used them from the factory iirc.
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