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View Full Version : Blanking Plate for Thru-Hub Exhaust



James Adcock
07-28-2003, 01:19 PM
Sorry,I'm mostly venting. Anybody out there ever had the pleasure of repairing/replacing the blank plate that covers the thru-hub port for the exhaust in the bottom of the bilge? WOW!!! What fun! :( I learned that a fat man can't get into the engine bay. Talk about a bitch. The parts dealer hadn't seen one go bad in years. Great. I/we finally got it together sat. I hope to test it tomorrow. It started out that I had a leak in the bilge and couldn't stop it. Tried RTV around the gimbel housing. No luck. Got to investigating it and some drawing details, took an educated(?) guess and found a SMALL person to get the plate out only to find it made of aluminum. There are two small ports outside of and below the exhaust port. The salt water rotted the plate around the bottom bolt holes and tpart of the o-ring seal and weeped in. Took to trips to the river WITH a good bilge pump, thank you. Damn fun, If I do say so myself. Now I gotta put it back together.
Thanks for Listening, Jamie

mikev
07-28-2003, 03:42 PM
you did it the hard way your supposed to pull the engine then its realy easy to get to.
:D :D :D :D

MOP
07-28-2003, 06:38 PM
I posted this trick quite awhile back but here goes again! Now that you have the exhaust fixed, tilt the drive up and get the water side of the plate and exit tube real clean. Paint it with zinc chromate, then tape from the bottom up leaving a small opening at the top pickup a can of expanding foam shot it in and in slap a small piece of plywood over it to help to contain it a little. After it cooks off trim excess it will stop any corrosion from starting again. Also if need be it can be cleaned to return to Y pipe. This is a good move for anyone with a blocker plate you will avoid the hassle down the road.

James Adcock
07-29-2003, 08:01 AM
MikeV,
I did start by breaking down the outdrive, engine elec. system and hoses to pull the motor. My buddy Frank got there Sunday morning and laughed. Told me "This is a drill". He climbed his little butt in the hole and about an hour later climbed out and instructed me to put the boat back together.
M.O.P., Thanks for the tip. Frank was saying the same thing. I will do that.
Thanks for you help, Jamie

mikev
07-30-2003, 11:55 AM
i guess its one of those shop tricks to charge you for 7 hrs labor when it only takes them an hour. I never have had to replace one but if i do i will be trying this out.

MOP
08-06-2003, 07:06 AM
Don't wait till it rots through, tilt drive up clean it paint it and foam it. Damn cheap insurance.

James Adcock
08-06-2003, 07:19 AM
M.O.P., Once again, Thanks for the info. We just got back from a long weekend at Deep Creek Lake (in Western Maryland). I was scared :confused: at first but, I was able to leave the boat in the water all weekend! YEEHHAA! biggrin. (redneck coming out, sorry). Man, What a blast! I took a lot of pics and will post some of them as soon as I figure out how. Back to the blanking plate.... I will take the time now that I have a handle on the leak to clean,prime(zinc chromate, right?) and paint(Mercruser Spray Paint,right?).
Thanks a Million!, Jamie

MOP
08-06-2003, 08:01 AM
I usually foam right on the chromate, when done trim foam flush touch with chromate then paint it damn it near disappears. I have one Gross buddy that left the foam hanging out like a terd and painted it brown gets alot of laughs at the ramp.

James Adcock
08-06-2003, 08:17 AM
I will do that. Thanks :D . Sounds like we have the same circle of friends. Good,good. I'm happy to know that other people have a good crew to hang with wink . (Sometimes they make the best company even if they ain't quite right!) eek!
Jamie

MOP
08-06-2003, 08:21 AM
I used to be Sicker than that but only come out now and then lately, but if the party gets crazy I am not a bystander!