Is There a Way to Support Stringers?

[Fool Throttle]

my buddy's stringers are getting a bit soft on one side where the motor mounts. is there anything he can do for a temporary fix until the season is over? something w/o having to remove the motor?
Thanks

[LAFD]

is it soft cause water is soaked into it? if so replace it. there is a lot of torque on the stringers the motor sits on and they need to be solid and strong.if its just from old age i would think sand it alittle and reglass it for temporary fix. but im sure someone with alot more experiance will chime in.

[FASTRAT]

my buddy's stringers are getting a bit soft on one side where the motor mounts. is there anything he can do for a temporary fix until the season is over? something w/o having to remove the motor?
Thanks
does it have a rail kit?...if not...u can put one in...made out of 3"x3" angle alum that fits over the stringers & the motor sits on top of them...mine is made like that...i used 3"x3" angle that sits on top of the stringer from the inside with a 1/4"x3" flat piece on the outside bolted together thru the stringer & the motor sits on top of it front & back...about 3' long...hopes this might help
fastrat

[Fool Throttle]

yeah the engine bolts are sagging quite a bit. the stringer sounds hollow when i knock on it and it moves inward when i push on it. the passenger's side is fine. i dont have a way to remove the engine.

[Fool Throttle]

does it have a rail kit?...if not...u can put one in...made out of 3"x3" angle alum that fits over the stringers & the motor sits on top of them...mine is made like that...i used 3"x3" angle that sits on top of the stringer from the inside with a 1/4"x3" flat piece on the outside bolted together thru the stringer & the motor sits on top of it front & back...about 3' long...hopes this might help
fastrat
It does have a rail kit. the weight is moving that!

[FASTRAT]

It does have a rail kit. the weight is moving that!
ouch!!...u might try & put a piece of alum angle upside down on the inside of the stringer & bolt it to the rail kit & the floor (if its like the 1 i have)...only a temp fix...they sound like they are old & there gonna have to be replaced soon!!...most eng's torque from the driver's side & it puts alot of strain on that stringer...just trying to help
fastrat

[Fool Throttle]

ouch!!...u might try & put a piece of alum angle upside down on the inside of the stringer & bolt it to the rail kit & the floor (if its like the 1 i have)...only a temp fix...they sound like they are old & there gonna have to be replaced soon!!...most eng's torque from the driver's side & it puts alot of strain on that stringer...just trying to help
fastrat
Cool. where do they sell this aluminum angle at? Home Depot?

[Jet Hydro]

box it with some 1/4" thick aluminum angle iron on one side then flat stock on the other side You will have to replace em soon as this is only a temporary fix but is should work.. I wouldn't bolt anything to the floor as then you`ll have holes to repair later

[Fool Throttle]

box it with some 1/4" thick aluminum angle iron on one side then flat stock on the other side You will have to replace em soon as this is only a temporary fix but is should work.. I wouldn't bolt anything to the floor as then you`ll have holes to repair later
where can i get this aluminum angle iron at? Home Depot? And can this be done w/o removing the engine? So bolt the angle iron on the inside of the stringer and bolt a flat piece on the outside? is this correct?

[flat broke]

Aluminum angle iron doesn't exist. If you want aluminum angle, look up a metal yard in the phone book; if you want angle iron, do the same. Home depot has some metal stock, but nothing for what you need, and even if they did, you'd get bent over on the pricing compared to buying by the pound at a metal yard from the scrap bin.
Personally, if you can push the stringer with your hand, no amount of crap bolted to the stringer is going to make it safe. If the wood is that shot, it and every band aid you bolt it too can still move around. Probably not a popular opinion, but oh well.
Chris

[bighead]

My stringer showed the same symptoms as yours last year and even though only one showed obvious sign of rot both of them were rotted to pulp for 9 feet from the transom, what a bad friggen dream that discovery was. Bite the bullet and yank the motor and cut both stringers and replace them. I knew nothing about performing the repairs last year but with asking questions here on this board and purchasing books and talking to a reputable supplier, I used TAP Plastics, I was able to take my time and replace the stringers and floor myself in a coulple weekends by myself.Total cost was under 600 bucks. Go for it!!!!

[79TahitiCBB]

I used 2x4 steel tubing and cut the bottom of one side and slid it over like a c-clamp. Quick fix definatly not the right way to do it but I was a broke college student and it has lasted 3 seasons.
--Mike

[Fool Throttle]

I used 2x4 steel tubing and cut the bottom of one side and slid it over like a c-clamp. Quick fix definatly not the right way to do it but I was a broke college student and it has lasted 3 seasons.
--Mike
No shit?! do you have any pics of this? did you have to take the motor out?

[FASTRAT]

where can i get this aluminum angle iron at? Home Depot? And can this be done w/o removing the engine? So bolt the angle iron on the inside of the stringer and bolt a flat piece on the outside? is this correct?
i agree with FB...call a medal yard & get what u need...i think either one will work (alum or iron)...mount it the way i suggested ( _I ) on the inside of the stringer & just use lag bolts to bolt it to the floor...get it as long as u need...maybe 3'...enough to cover/support the bad place...dont worry about the holes from bolting it thru the floor...its just a temp fix & when u re-do the stringers, u can cover the holes with cloth & glass...u can do this without removeing the motor...u might have to put a small floor jack under the front of the motor to take some tension off the existing rail kit...IMO, if u do it another way, its not gonna do anything...motor torque's to the left!...its easy & shouldnt take u that long...just trying to help...i know what its like to have a boat & have 1 prob after another!
fastrat

[snake321]

get the rotten wood out before it works it's way into the transom.

[Fool Throttle]

thanks guys. i called a metal yard and will be going by to look at it. a floor jack under the motor on the bottom of the boat??? seems this might push a hole through the hull? i dont see why id need to bolt holes through the floor? the "L" from the brace should be a good foot for it to stand on it seems. would it be be better to put a L bracket on both sides of the stringer? or just a flat piece on the other side?

[FASTRAT]

thanks guys. i called a metal yard and will be going by to look at it. a floor jack under the motor on the bottom of the boat??? seems this might push a hole through the hull? i dont see why id need to bolt holes through the floor? the "L" from the brace should be a good foot for it to stand on it seems. would it be be better to put a L bracket on both sides of the stringer? or just a flat piece on the other side?
okkkk...after re-reading ur posts...u dont have a true rail kit...ur mtr must have feet mounted to the block with the botom of the feet sitting on the stringers???...if this is the case...u need to make a full rail kit that the feet sit on top of!...also...the bell houseing mounts/tabs in the back, so the motor is level...just measure foreward a little of the front feet & rear tabs & get some angle & mount the whole set-up on them...u can use another L piece on the inside of the bad side for support...ur makeing it harder than it is!!...i'm "really" trying to help u...use a bottle jack to take some of the weight off of the motor, so u can slip the angle over the stringers
fastrat

[Aluminum Squirt]

Just weld in some 3" X 3" aluminum angle iron on top of your stringers! Oh sorry, I'm in the wrong forum! I thought I was over in the Eagle Racing forum :boxed:. I couldn't help myself. Fix it one time and do it right with some new stringers. Buy beer, your friends will come and help and you can all get the itchies together-Aluminum Squirt

[Jet Hydro]

Or you could just make the 6 hour drive and bring it to my shop and get it fixed right. I may be going to race in Waco in 2 weeks and I could drop it off on my way down.

[garret]

No shit?! do you have any pics of this? did you have to take the motor out?
WHy are you so worried about pulling your motor? Why dont you just fix the problem right! If you band aid it and it doesnt work it will cost you way more money to pull your boat off the bottom of the river! What happens if you do rip your motor mounts out of the stringers and your motor hits somebody in the boat??
Maybe a little exaturated but bottom line is take your time and fix it right will save you headaches in the future!

[atxwrangler]

i wouldn't want a run away big block in the boat with me! :D :D :D

[snake321]

i wouldn't want a run away big block in the boat with me! :D :D :D
that there's a good point

[Fool Throttle]

WHy are you so worried about pulling your motor? Why dont you just fix the problem right! If you band aid it and it doesnt work it will cost you way more money to pull your boat off the bottom of the river! What happens if you do rip your motor mounts out of the stringers and your motor hits somebody in the boat??
Maybe a little exaturated but bottom line is take your time and fix it right will save you headaches in the future!
Worried? Im not worried. I just dont want to jerk the motor out and read a post from one of you guys saying "why the hell did you do all that for". Just wanting to get an idea of what all is involved. Looking to do this myself and just spent a lot of money for business purposes and looking for ideas.