Aluminum boat leak repair

The first step in repairing an aluminum boat leak is pinpointing the source of the leak. If the boat is convenient to the water it is possible that the location may be spotted by merely placing the boat , with the interior dry, into the water and having several people stationed at the bow, mid ships,. Repair leaking rivets, cracks, and seams on aluminum boats.

Aluminum Boat Leak Sealer. This 2-part epoxy adhesive sealer comes in a convenient cartridge with a mixing tip that dispenses the exact 1:ratio with no measuring, mixing, or mess. Cured resin flexes to prevent recurring leaks.

Works on properly prepared aluminum surfaces. Then fill the seams and rivets in this area while the aluminum is still warm. Using a propane torch you heat the aluminum and melt the stick over the rivet or crack in a circular rubbing movement.

Take away the stick and the heat and you are done. This seals it for good and will not leak or come off. Epoxy and fiberglass do not require heat for sealing.

It comes in a handy cartridge that fits in a standard caulk gun. If you can light a torch and use a pencil you can fix your boat. Quick Fix for Leaky Boats. A common problem affecting aluminum boats are leaks.

Collisions with underwater obstructions, beaching boats , and years of pounding waves are the likely causes of loose or missing rivets, widening of seams, and hairline cracks and tears. Generally regarded as simply a nuisance, the hard facts are. Just pop the cartridge into the gun, attach the included mixing tip to the cartridge, point, pull the handle, and discard the first 3-inches of bead. Rivets are used on aluminum boats because there is a head on each end of the installed rivet and they establish a very tight fit, allowing the boat to remain water-tight. Over time (and use) the aluminum flexes and springs back repeatedly to accommodate loads and impact, eventually causing rivets to fail and leak.

I repair a lot of aluminum boats, riveted seams should be sealed with seals-all its kind of a elastic sealer wile the sealer is wet hammer and dolly the rivets beond the leak area. Marine-Goop also works well that can be bought in Wal-Mart. Use a propane torch to heat up the crack area thoroughly. Scrape a wire brush over the area, using crosshatch strokes to rough up the aluminum surface.

Let the brazen melt and flow into the crack or hole,. They will tolerate being dragged out of lakes on the keel repeatedly and carried on the back of a pickup truck or gently pulled out of the water on a boat trailer. Split seams on aluminum boats is a common problem.

In this video, an aluminum boat with a separated seam is repaired quickly and easily, using Super Alloy and an oxyacetylene torch. Flip the boat over, sand down the area around the leaky rivet and apply the patch by heating up the area with a blow torch. The patch will melt right onto the metal and cover the leaky rivet.

For a small crack or hole, use a drill and conical bit to grind a bevel in the crack, or open up the hole to produce new metal on the sides of the hole.

Use 400-grit sandpaper to sand over the crack area or hole, overlapping the area on all sides by inches. I had a vague memory of a leak somewhere near the back seat during the last use so I put a little water in the boat today and found two leaks. These two leaks are along the same seam and maybe apart or so. Neither leak is from the rivets, but from holes in the sealer at the seam just above the rivets.

This is a very thin coating with seeps into tiny leaks. It also provides a fresh aluminum paint surface that makes old boats or repaired boats look like new. I was quite surprised to find that every aluminum boat owner I talked to said they had some sort of leak.

Galvanic corrosion in aluminum boats requires two things. First, there must be two dissimilar metals and second they must be close to each other in the saltwater. On each boat I repaire I found many rivets that merely seeped water. However, I also found at least one that poured a constant stream.

These bigger leaks were the main cause of water inside the craft during normal use. One boat actually carried a bilge pump to help keep up with the bailing. DIY Repair for Leaky Rivets on old Starcraft. With my boat on its trailer on a level street spot I began filling up the bilge with water from my garden hose.

In minutes or so water was dripping from rivets. Some very slowly, some quite fast. Now a fast, inexpensive method to repair leaking rivets, cracks, and small holes in aluminum boats. All you need is a propane torch.

Kit includes easy to follow instructions, two sticks of epoxy (enough for repairs) and a stainless steel brush for surface preparation. This repair involves applying adhesive material to the aluminum pontoon. The adhesive will not stick if the pontoon is wet. Clean the area around the source of the leak with a rag. Sand the area using a coarse-grit sandpaper.

This will flatten any surface inconsistencies and help the adhesive bond to the aluminum. I have owned different aluminum boats, two rivete and the curent one is welded. None of them have leaked as a result of a hull defect. The one that did leak had a livewell hose that wore through due to contact with the gas tank.

That boat was years old at the time. Once I replaced the hose, she stayed bone dry. I have used it to repair leaks in a big outdoor pool I used to take care of, and as a sealant when I rebuilt the transom on a small aluminum boat I have. Repair aluminum cracks in engine blocks, wheels, and aluminum heads.

Repair holes in bell housings, oil pans, and radiators. Thread repair is easy in transmission housings, alternators, and generators. A Jon boat is a type of aluminum boat. These boats are durable and rarely need maintenance, but sometimes leaks will occur in the rivets of the boat. While these leaks rarely accumulate much water in the boat , it is best to repair them as soon as possible.

One way to repair leaking ( aluminum ) fuel tanks. Each tank is held to the mount with two steel straps using some sort of synthetic fabric between the painted steel bracket and the tank. This fabric has a feel similar to that stuff that goes under carpets an not surprisingly, seems to have held some moisture. Re: Fixing a hole in an aluminum boat.

Oh yea, if you do try epoxy or putty or the aluminum welding stuff I got - just carry a backup leak stop method. Chewing gum, duct tape, that stuff used to temporarily fix leaks in various car parts, or anything you can think of. If the leak should reappear - you will not have to grab the stuff out of the boat and walk to shore.