I just got a new boat and it has a brass garboard drain plug. At least I believe it is brass. My old boat has a plastic drain plug with a washer. How tight do I tighten the brass plug. It is a brand new boat and I do not want to damage anything.
Question about install the garboard drain plug
- Thread starter Jbender5
- Start date
Since it's a new boat, I really like Steves' silicone solution. I've done a number of repairs and relating the problems and fixes needed, most owners decided to 'let it ride'.
You see, sooner or later, most people start over tightening the plug. Too much torque tightening means too much torque removing. Sooner or later, it breaks the bond with the fiberglass and that big brass washer starts turning which in turn starts moving those 3 little screws holding the brass washer. This is the start of the water intrusion that eventually destroys the transom.
Actually, I've never bought a new boat but the very first thing I do on my 'new' boat is rework/replace that garboard drain. I drill out the threads of the brass washer to 1" and silver solder a 1" brass drain tube to the washer. There is usually more work to fix rotted wood but in the end, I use a 'bottle stopper' type plug which needs no torque to tighten.
You see, sooner or later, most people start over tightening the plug. Too much torque tightening means too much torque removing. Sooner or later, it breaks the bond with the fiberglass and that big brass washer starts turning which in turn starts moving those 3 little screws holding the brass washer. This is the start of the water intrusion that eventually destroys the transom.
Actually, I've never bought a new boat but the very first thing I do on my 'new' boat is rework/replace that garboard drain. I drill out the threads of the brass washer to 1" and silver solder a 1" brass drain tube to the washer. There is usually more work to fix rotted wood but in the end, I use a 'bottle stopper' type plug which needs no torque to tighten.
Ours isn't in place more than a few days, so I just snug it with a wrench. Just past finger tight. I wouldn't rely on finger tight because there could be a little something in the threads giving it a false tight feeling. I can't stand gook on my hands (yeah, and I still own a Boat!), so I'd do Teflon Tape on a several weeks/all season install.
Shout Out to Charlie! Always comes up with a good idea! Charlie was the first RO to respond to the first post I made on BE, over a dozen years ago. This garboard mod is a great idea! SO SO SO much better than those cheap plastic "loss proof" replacement threaded plugs!
And I gotta stick with Bruce: Friends Don't Let Friends Use Silicone! It'd work on a drain plug, but just having a tube of it around can lead to temptation...
Shout Out to Charlie! Always comes up with a good idea! Charlie was the first RO to respond to the first post I made on BE, over a dozen years ago. This garboard mod is a great idea! SO SO SO much better than those cheap plastic "loss proof" replacement threaded plugs!
And I gotta stick with Bruce: Friends Don't Let Friends Use Silicone! It'd work on a drain plug, but just having a tube of it around can lead to temptation...
Hey John, hope everything is good with the family.
As JD mentioned, debris from draining the bilge can easily get caught in the threads preventing the threads from sealing which would also prevent teflon from sealing. Silicone on the other hand will seal on almost anything(shy of oil/grease) and will seal even around 1/16" size gravel.
On the repair side using a brass tube and 'bottle stopper' type plug, the rubber stopper will just push in any debris in the tube.
As JD mentioned, debris from draining the bilge can easily get caught in the threads preventing the threads from sealing which would also prevent teflon from sealing. Silicone on the other hand will seal on almost anything(shy of oil/grease) and will seal even around 1/16" size gravel.
On the repair side using a brass tube and 'bottle stopper' type plug, the rubber stopper will just push in any debris in the tube.
You mean people intentionally put holes in their transom? Fiberglass over that leak will fix the problem. It doesn't need to be there, why have it? I know... Silicone and an adjustable wrench should keep it leakproof until you can get someone in there to repair the hole. 
Shawn
Shawn