Brass Drain Tube Installation

[Danno]

My 2015 SC had a broken drain tube. I don't know who, when or how  it broke but after 40 years in the plastics industry doing everything from engineering to sales, I know when not to use plastic. Unless it was damaged by an unusual run in with a real klutz, it should hold up fine for more than 4 years. Long term, it's an uncolored plastic and that means that UV will eventually make it brittle and result in deterioration. Lastly, typical thru-hole adhesives will not bond to it. If you thru-hole is properly sealed independent of the drain tube, that's not a problem.

Here's an R&R procedure that I used:

Here's the existing drain tube on my SC before and after extraction. Note that it was sealed in, likely by the factory, with a elastomer based sealant. It felt like silicone but may have been 4200. With the outer ring broken off before I purchased this boat, the tube pushed out by hand without the need of any tools. The sealant came right off the tube. No adhesion to the tube and no adhesion to the thru-hole.






Here's what the thru-hole looked like after extraction. I used a drum sander on a Dremel to clean up the thru-hole.






Masked off before applying epoxy:





I applied an epoxy resin to the inner surface. West Marine had convenient small packets of epoxy/hardener that were very easy to use. The epoxy was still tacky after about four hours on a 65°F day so I used a heat gun to blow hot air through the thru-hole for about 5 minutes and that hardened it right up. The thru-hole was sanded after the epoxy hardened just so that the new drain tube would fit in it well.





Here's the dry fitting of the new drain tube. I left about 1/4" beyond the hull surface for forming over.







I used 5200 to seal and install the brass drain tube. It will last a long time so I wasn't worried about using 5200 over 4200. I donned nitrile gloves and did my best proctologist imitation and made sure the 5200 was well coated along the inner diameter of the thru-hole. I also applied some to the last inch of the drain tube so that the outer flange would have adequate sealant.

The flaring tool was about $25 on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/520290-1-Drain-Tube-Flaring-Tool/dp/B0082ANA0C/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=DRAIN+TUBE+FLARING+TOOL&qid=1578084271&sr=8-4

Here's some design and assembly specifics: http://www.moellermarine.com/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/flanging-tool.pdf

Here's a YouTube video that helped me:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU-0JYvCqME


And here's the finished job:

[GregE]

Super Job!!  Great pics and tutorial.   

I drilled out a water pick up thru hull  for my SL 22 bait tank pickup and found a similar adhesive 'tube'. 
On SL 22s the sump drain hole has brass outer fitting but it doesn't extend into the sump area.

You should sticky this thread

[Fisherdv]

Very nice work! This will surely help others that are thinking about doing the same.

[Chief of the Boat]

Danno,
Very nice!!

[croaker stroker]

You have been busy.   

Whales should be coming past Dana Point about now.

[mustang65fbk]

That's a very important spot on Arima's, or at least it is on the 21' SR's.  I'm sure all of you are familiar with the issues my boat had trying to sink on me while on our buoy.  After having it try and sink on me three different times I finally drove it over to Defiance and they looked at it.  Come to find out it was that exact issue.  The motorwell drain tubes on my boat were cracked, broken or missing and I put some epoxy on the inside of the hole but I guess I didn't do it good enough.  Supposedly when the boat is missing the motorwell drain tubes there's a gap in there that will allow the water to spill down into the bilge area.  In my case with my boat being on the buoy for weeks/months at a time, I'm assuming with a full tank of gas and some waves coming over the motorwell area that it dropped the rear end of the boat down just enough so that the holes were at water level.  When that happens water can flow in freely, which is a pretty scary thought, especially if you're not able to watch your boat 24/7.  Anyway, I took it over to Defiance, they put duct tape over the holes one night before closing, filled up the motorwell area with water and then came back out the next morning to find that the water in the motorwell was no longer there and had all gone down into the bilge area.  Definitely something to think about, especially if you leave your boat out on a buoy for weeks or months at a time.  I got the boat back from Defiance last March and haven't had an issue with it since. 

[Ko Ho]

Beautiful repair job! It makes me wonder though what Arima was thinking putting such a cheap part on an otherwise excellent boat.

[Danno]

You have been busy.   

Whales should be coming past Dana Point about now.

I tore out the R&P steering today. Baystar helm will be installed tomorrow and the SeaStar tubing arrives early next week along with two more Burnewiin rod holders for the starboard gunwale. In another $10k, my SC will be as nice as Streamfixers. I should just sell mine and buy his. I'd save a lot! Why hasn't anybody bought that Sea Chaser?

Croaker, want to help me purge the steering hydraulics?

[croaker stroker]

Yes. Beer  yes beer I will. Beer

[Danno]

If anyone else wants to install a 1" brass drain tube, I'd be willing to share or sell the flaring tool as I don't expect to need it again.

[Danno]

Yes. Beer  yes beer I will. Beer

Based on the YouTubevideo that you posted in the Hydraulic Steering thread, it looks like a one man job. Thoughts?

[croaker stroker]

There was a subliminal message in my post.  🍺

[Danno]

There was a subliminal message in my post.  🍺

I'm too old to see such small print. 

I installed the helm and cylinder today. As soon as I receive the hoses and get them installed, I'll call to figure out a day.

[croaker stroker]

You don't have to see it. Just close your eyes and chant Ooohm. Ooohm. 

You'll have to consult Yat, but I think you are also supposed to sit crosslegged and touch your thumbs and index fingers ??

[Yachter Yat]

    Croaker;  Thank you so much for the referral.  I must ask, however, that you please inform Danno that all requests for consultations must be accompanied by a financial statement and promissory note, guaranteeing prompt payment following services rendered.   You see, I'm not just one of your run-of-the-mill Gurus.  I'm sure you must understand that my unique, invaluable and life-changing form of Spiritual Guidance is quite precious, and therefore, must be adequately compensated.  I'm what is known as a "Capitalist Guru".  That's right!  Lest you forget:  I was but one, among a very distinguished group, who acquired their Divine Powers over a several day period in upstate N.Y., back in the Year of Our Lord.......1969.  These "credentials" should speak for themselves. 


Yat

[MillwrightMike]

Great post. I just ordered everything to replace the broken drain tube on my 1987 Sea Explorer copying what you did...

[Scottjohnson59]

The tubes look brandi new on my 94 but I'm board so I ordered two tubes a flare tool and tube of 5200 this lock down is killing me

[Danno]

If anyone wants to use the forming tool I purchased, I'll offer it up for shipping costs plus a promise to offer it up to the next person in need on our forum with the same "pay it forward" offer.

[SoCalAngler]

Danno...very kind and generous offer!

[SoCalAngler]

Danno.
Not being familiar with Arima models other than my SS.....

Is that drain tube you replaced the main bilge drain located at lowest point on transom or is the drain tube in the splash well?

I ask because both of mine are plastic and 32 years old!

[Danno]

It is the splashwell drain plug.

The sealing exercise is probably good for both but you'd want to use a different through hole fitting for a bilge drain.

[SoCalAngler]

Danno--

My splash well OEM plastic drain has bitten the dust after 33 years.  The outside edge (exterior side of transom) came off just like your pics as I was washing the boat!  It was installed using silicone.  A job to clean the hole up with all that silicone!

NOTE:  The silicone and plastic drain tube sealed very well, as the core transom plywood is bone dry....even after 33 years!


As brass does corrode, especially in a salt water environment, and would be more work to remove one that has been installed (if the need arises), especially using 3M 5200.....

I am also concerned about the flaring tool not "fully" creating a tight fit onto transom, considering the amount of material beyond the transom edge is crucial for tool to perform properly and also to produce a tight form fit.

Having knowledge of plastics, would you consider installing a Moeller plastic drain tube (just like the OEM one) if the inner hole core transom wood was first sealed with epoxy?  I believe the OEM one I have may be a Moeller, as my bilge drain is a plastic Moeller with screw in (with o-ring) plug. 

I am considering the Moeller plastic drain tube for my splash well, as the OEM one lasted 33 years!  It also does not allow for a possible gap when it is compressed together...I believe the flaring tool is also used for the plastic version to compress pieces together.
I was also considering using Boatlife Life Calk as a sealant. 

Thoughts on the plastic drain tube and Life Calk as described above?

Thanks!

[Danno]

 Believe the Moellendick drain tube is either a polyolefin (polypropylene) or nylon. Neither bond to anything very well. Neither are UV resistant and both will get brittle over time. If they offered it in a black ABS, I would be more in favor of using it. Keep in mind that mine lasted less than three years.

The brass tube will oxidize on the surface but the oxidation also improves its bond strength. If the tube is cut to the right length, it will seal up against the bulkhead but the real seal is with the epoxy on the ID of the hole in the transom.

I don't know enough about Boatlife caulk to comment on it. If you're going to stick with plastic, Boatlife, 5200 or silicone should work to keep the drain in lace while the epoxy does its job.

[SoCalAngler]

Thanks Danno!

I'm thinking.....brass or plastic?

If I can get a tight seal on the brass tube, I'll go that route.  Form what I've read, 1/4" is the amount of tube (beyond transom edge) that is needed for a correct tight flare compression.  Did you use a pipe cutter or ?

Since the epoxy coating on the exposed transom plywood is the most important seal..... perhaps the 4200/5200/lifecalk/etc. is not that important????

[disposable]

When I bought my boat it was 4 years old and the plastic welldrain was shot. Second one lasted about five years but it's looking doomed. I will go brass next time.

Danno- thanks for posting this project. Bookmarked until I'm ready to follow suit.