Replace Your Jon Boat Transom Under $100!

[@chrisr4939]

As someone who is always trying to get the best bang for my buck when working on my projects, I love this type of video where you break down cost vs performance. I replaced the small transom board on my 12 foot boat at the beginning of last summer with untreated, unpainted plywood and standard zinc plated steel hardware. It will be interesting to see how long it will hold up. I work in construction so I have access to lots of free scrap material so I make use of it whenever possible. By the way, for me, if you couldn’t guessed, the best line in this video……. “I AM CHEAP” Keep up the good work!

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Thanks!

[@endo9351]

Perfect instructional video on a basic transom replacement. All these common problems are addressed in layman's terms and only require basic homeowner's tools. Nice

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Yeah the rivets could be the hard part - but there are work arounds!

[@buddyrevell6369]

PT Plywood is fine as long as you paint the aluminum that it will be touching, and paint the PT. This prevents the reaction between the offgassing PT and the aluminum. On the outside, for the motor moint, i use a knife cutting board (plastic). Usually, find those at goodwill cheap. Never had any issue with this method, and never had to redo a transom. Will last a very long time. Aluminum brazing rods do work. However there is a very large difference in quality between the brands. Some are terrible and require heat that is so hot, you can end up burning through the boat. For rivets, you use sealed aluminum pop rivets. Much easier than the closed head rivets, and for the average joe they will seal up tighter. You did a great job on your build.

[@NervousNick]

You should have used J-B Weld, on the cracks, it works like a Champ!

[@rayclark8773]

I agree with your choice to use BCX ply instead of marine ply. Marine ply's only advantage is in lack of voids in the plys. Love the video, particularly the two-year update and cost recap. Also thanks for your discussion on rivets. I'm dreading ever having to replace any on my old tinny.

[@marksmanmatthew6322]

Awesome video, love the format of comparing diff price options, also appreciate the forethought to wait 2 years!

[@bigmike3639]

Thanks for the video! I appreciate your time.

[@gillgetter3004]

Nice job Wayne, I think you made the right choices!! That transom will be the last on that boat. Talking about solid rivets, I tightened and replaced a whole hull of rivets on a fourteen foot johnboat. I’m a retired journeyman carpenter at the time I was working. Talked to a tin knocker on a job ( sheetmetal worker) and he said sure I’ll help you and then you can hang a door on my house, we made a deal. I had boat upside down on horses. He was underneath I was above, I would hold a steel tool that fit top end of rivet, he was under with a tool that looked like a drill but fit button of rivet and vibrated , with our pressure from both sides those rivets snugged up nicely!!!!! GREAT TO KNOW SOMEBODY. His door went in in a day, fit to existing jamb👍

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Yeah for most boat rivets - it's a 2 person job!

[@leesmith5419]

Excellent video

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Thank you very much!

[@randyk2904]

Very nice job. Excellent video. Thanks

[@trcass1]

great segment Wayne. anyone buying a used small boat could run into this situation. you nailed it and explained the process very thoroughly. I think this might be your best segment yet. Thanks for sharing. I'll remember if i ever need to replace a transom where to go. thanks again.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Thank you!

[@anthonyganz8223]

Wayne, I really like your videos! You have a terrific balance among analysis, explanations, and getting things done! Yours are so much better than the professional ones that merely show how things are done. I take solace in the weeks and weeks you spent on the project! ......... I cut out and mounted a 2 inch thick white oak engine mount (for a 2.5 hp Suzuki) on my sailboat which sounds simple...but cutting out offset pieces, finding long SS bolts, making templates for the aft deck curvature, oversize drilling through the foam filled fiberglass, filling with epoxy putty, redrilling with tight hole sizes, and smearing it all together with 3M 4200 Adhesive Sealant, took me weeks and weeks too!!

[@mikedrake5738]

Great video Wayne! I will use this when i replace my Jon boat transom this spring.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Good luck!

[@barrywarren4221]

The transom held up really good, the only way you can get that alum. to fuse together is with acetylene & oxygen with those rods.

[@hammer9856]

Another option that would last as long as the boat does is an aluminum transom... Tiny Boat Nation sells them. You just cut it to shape, drop it in and bolt it. Yes, it's up there with Cosa board, but it's a one and done for the lifetime of the boat. If you plan on keeping your boat for your lifetime then I would say the extra cost is worth it. (After all, who wants to go through that hassle of replacing it again.)

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Yeah it really comes down to price and intended years of service.

[@necrokittie2291]

i've seen a ton of videos where people used starboard for their transoms. it really only works well when there is a mechanical bond (bolts, lashings, being entrapped, etc.. and not a chemical one because nothing sticks to starboard. a mechanical bond is the way your hull is designed for because of all the bottle thru action. it will never rot either. it takes compression better then all the other materials listed as well. the corner welds being cracked shows it is a bit of a design flaw going on. the engine is pushing the transom forward and there isn't really any good connection of the transom on the outer edges of the boat past where the cracks are. a better sign would be the transom material on the outside of the boat and maybe a block on the inside for the motor mount and brace. because then the motor would be pushing the starboard against the back of the transom and all the stress would be build up in those welds that broke.

[@mattbec]

Not all brazing rods are created equal. Spend on a reliable performer and which is flux covered and you'd have been able to do it with the propane. Also the upgraded torch head you bought is not just for MAAP, it's also for propane and you'll get a hotter burn from the remaining propane you have out of it. (EDIT - Also is this video a re-upload? It looks pretty familiar ... )

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Yes, many of the segments in this video are from earlier videos. I decided to put it all together as one to make it easier for people considering this project.

[@1201chesapeake]

Another great video. I did something similar on my 50 year old 10' jon boat this fall. 3 differences were that I painted the BCX with a Minwax product called Helmsman which is listed as good for moisture and sunlight protection as a urethane. It seemed to soak into the plywood really well. I used 4 coats for overkill. Then sprayed it with rattle can rustoleum. Where you used JB Weld I used 3M 4200. I think both products are good. I just had the 4200 on hand. Where I had bolts going through the aluminum stern I used nylon washers from Amazon to give an extra barrier between stainless and the aluminum. Again probably over kill with the 4200. I hope mine holds up as well as yours has done so far.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Sounds like yours is going to be alright!

[@Chalz108]

I just finished my transom last week for my 1436 jon

[@leadreviewer3257]

Good job

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

I wonder if a decking material such as Trex or Deck Pro (plastic composite, rot-proof, etc.), would work. It's available in boards 6" W x 1" T, so it would need two pieces mounted one above the other. It's not considered 'structural' but for a small boat like that it would probably work great...and it's not expensive. May even be free as waste material from a deck contractor.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Those materials are intriguing - it’s why I was considering PVC board.

[@FrankLadd]

I'd use exterior ply would like you did. But I have glass and epoxy already so I might glass it a bit as well

[@grandtheftundead6634]

Starboard is plenty of strong for transom, ive used a pvc board to support a 9.9hp tohatssu on a 12 ft v hull. Handled up to about 22 mph and torque was fine.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

That's great to hear!

[@marks146]

I like the way you think...

[@NervousNick]

Can I run a 60hp outboard, on a Jon boat only rated to a 50hp max ?

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

There are people who do, but there’s reasons why they are rated for a max hp.

[@ohiofishing4289]

I used 3/4 starboard the good stuff with no air pockets on a 14 foot with a 9.9 works great. In my opinion better than cusa for these applications due to price. Plenty tough for small jobs.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing.

[@shannonboatright4894]

I pretty much did the same thing as you but I used a oil based paint

[@poepflater]

Most people go wrong with drilling tiny holes by using a thin drillbit... rather get a center drill. It has two sharp pints on either side on a fat shaft so it doesn't flex.

[@randystone4903]

If I could find big enough cutting boards would that work? My first worry would is that plastic be too stiff?

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

That's what I wonder as well. We don't want it to be too flexible, but if it's very stiff, could it crack someday? But even if it did, as long as the engine isn't terribly heavy, it seems like it would probably hold up to get you home.

[@jacquespoirier9071]

riveting solid rivets is in fact the easiest part of that project, the advantage of a solid rivet is that il fills completely the hole, even if it is not perfect. To what I see, your rivets are a bit short for the thickness you have to clamp together. usually, a solid rivet does not need sealer to be water tight. If you make an electric bridge between the stainless fasteners and the aluminum hull, you automatically make a corrosion cell so, the best way to confirm that the JB weld have done an effective insulation is to use a multimeter and check the continuity between the fastener and the hull aluminum. very good job on that transom, much better than the original.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

I love the continuity test - that’s genius!

[@dclawnmaintenanceandsnowre4099]

Great job 👍👍👍👍👍👊

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Thanks 👍

[@daleley7645]

I used the cheapest plywood to replace my transom last year. Half inch doubled up, painted each half then glued and screwed the pieces together.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

I should have screwed mine when I glued them!

[@mikelundrigan2285]

I went to a welder to have a rib with a crack in in on my aluminum boat. He refused because he told me Aluminum boats are glued between all the rivets to ensue there will be no leaks and welding the boat would heat this glue and destroy it and my boat would then leak!! I would advise caution if you intend to try welding your boat! Perhaps you can investigate and confirm if the welder I contacted is correct!

[@mikelundrigan2285]

to have it repaired….missing…my error!

[@billcooke4413]

Nice hat wayne

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

I think I’m wearing a few different ones in this video!

[@paulpuglia8480]

Wayne, how much did you sell the boat for did you make money? Did you break out even?

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

I am fortunate enough to not need to make a good profit from the boats and motors I part with, and I honestly hope the people I sell things to are happy with their purchase for a long time.

[@iphone3gsdivine]

Link for the bolts plz

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Just measure your needed depths and get stainless hardware at your local hardware store.

[@iphone3gsdivine]

@@WayneTheBoatGuy thanks

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

"It's rotting right here at the motor motor mounts...it's had some ant intrusion..." My doctor told me the same thing when I got my last physical 😳

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Lol