Small leaks in boat

Hi. I'm a new member and I'm glad I found this forum. I've never owned a jon boat before (or any boat, except an old wooden row boat). I just bought an '84 Sears Gamefisher and filled some water in it to test for leaks. I've found a few but there isn't a lot of leakage. The worst of them leaks a drop about every 3 seconds or so. It's right at the midpoint of the boat.

I have no experience with aluminum and don't have a rivet gun. Is there something I can use to seal the leaks, preferably from the inside as it's much easier to get to? Are these leaks something that's going to sink me? I'm gonna be fishing in Tampa Bay, mostly in quite shallow water.

Any help will be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks,

Barry

It sounds like coating your rivets and seams with Gluvit or Coat-it will be your best fix. Coat the inside of the seams and rivets and follow the manufacturers directions to the "T", especially the preparation instructions.

Both products can be bought online.

Just looked under the boat and the 3 second leak is coming from the trailer. The inside of the left carpeted bunk is soaking wet and it's running down to the forward end and leaking onto the trailer cross brace. This is more difficult than it seemed!

What do y'all think about J-B Marine Weld?

it will work temporarily jb seems to crack after sometime gluvit will get in to the nooks and crannies/seems

You'd be better off to plug it with bubble gum than JB weld, that stuff is as useless as a set of double D breast implants on a boar hog. First time you hit some chop, it's going to flex, and come apart.

Your best bet would be some 5200, or better yet, have the leaks welded.

I'm leaning toward 5200. Not entirely sure this is the best solution but I don't think I have very many leaking rivets. Has anyone used this to fix leaks from the inside and how effective has it been?

I'm also not sure about the prep. I'm thinking wire wheel then acetone to clean it up then 5200. I guess one 10 oz tube would be enough for the seams below the waterline. Is this the size that fits into a standard caulking gun?

I can't believe how LITTLE I know! :lol:

i have rivets ground off. more than 10 all sealed with 5200 none leak after a few more hits and scrapes. most have been patched over a year and still hold strong. have used silicone before on transducers and that held too

barrynfla said:

I'm leaning toward 5200. Not entirely sure this is the best solution but I don't think I have very many leaking rivets. Has anyone used this to fix leaks from the inside and how effective has it been?

Click to expand...

I've had a couple of areas of corrosion in johnboats that were really bas, couldn't be fixed by welding, due to porosity, so, 5200 was the answer. They also make a product called "Ce-Ram-Grout" which is a ceramic-based 2 part epoxy that you apply to bad areas in boats, this stuff is used in the industry to repair leaking storage tanks, etc. But when you apply the ceram-grout, you better make sure you have it faired down well, because, once it cures, there is no sanding, you have to grind this stuff.

I have also seen people use fiber-reinforced bondo to make repairs to corroded areas, but if you're only doing a thin layer over the top of a leaking rivet, this method isn't the best, because a thin layer will flex and crack. 5200 has enough flex and adhesion, even a thin layer is very tenacious.

I'm also not sure about the prep. I'm thinking wire wheel then acetone to clean it up then 5200.

Click to expand...

Correct. Use acetone, NOT paint thinner or any other solvents, as they leave residues that can interfere with adhesion of paint, adhesives, or sealants. Clean all the paint from the area with the wire wheel, then wipe down with acetone.

I guess one 10 oz tube would be enough for the seams below the waterline. Is this the size that fits into a standard caulking gun?

I can't believe how LITTLE I know! :lol:

Click to expand...

I think 10 oz is the standard size for a caulk gun, but, I'm not sure either, so, don't feel bad....LMAO. :LOL2:

Remember, 5200 takes up to 7 days to fully cure, so, be advised of this before you start. Also, once you open a tube, it's not like caulk, you can't plug it with a nail and use it later, as soon as it's opened, it begins to set.

shallowminedid said:

i have rivets ground off. more than 10 all sealed with 5200 none leak after a few more hits and scrapes. most have been patched over a year and still hold strong. have used silicone before on transducers and that held too

Click to expand...

Silicone tends to peel, it does not have the tenacious bonding properties of 5200, so, I wouldn't trust it. Anytime you are sealing a hole or fastener below the waterline, you should use 5200 for peace of mind.

Try re-bucking the rivets.

When you've tried everything but the Gluvit and/or Coat-it, you can clean all that junk off and then use the Gluvit to fix you problem.

Gluvit has a good reputation but it comes with hefty price tag just to stop a little seeping. I'd try rebucking or installing new rivets as mentioned above. It's the least expensive permanent repair. I rebucked about 10 rivets that were seeping on my boat and it stopped my leaks.

Took the boat out today with a buddy. We only fished for three hours and had way too much water in the boat. I have no idea where it's coming from. The bow was pretty dry but, then again, most of the weight is toward the stern. I do have the TM battery and 2-1/2 gal. gas tank in front of the middle seat, though. I reckon I'll use the 5200. Can I use it on the outside seams of the hull? That's a heck of a lot easier to get to than the inside especially with the seats in the way. Anyone have any idea how many tubes I'll need for a 12' boat?

Put the 5200 on the outside... and when that doesn't work put it on the inside... and when that doesn't work...

... you'll see what I mean.

jigngrub said:

Put the 5200 on the outside... and when that doesn't work put it on the inside... and when that doesn't work...

... you'll see what I mean.

Click to expand...

LOL. I get the drift. What do you recommend?

Edit: Saw your post above and I know you like Gluvit.

Well, here's the noob with the latest on the leaks. There are two rivets near the center of the boat that are leaking. I've circled them with a marker on the bottom. HOWEVER........I tilted the boat back to check on the integrity of the drain plug. It seems to be okay but I'm gonna replace it anyway. There are lots and lots of leaks right on the back seam of the boat. I can't get to the top of the rivets because the 3/4" plywood board for mounting the motor goes right down to the seam. So that leaves me the option of sealing the whole rear transom seam from the bottom. I don't think I need gluvit or steelflex as these are the only problem areas.

My only idea is 5200. Does this stuff work just putting it on the bottom? I MAY be able to squeeze some in between the plywood and the metal. As you can tell I'm looking to save a few bucks as I really don't need to seal the whole hull.

Edit: A friend of mine with an aluminum jon boat suggested I may be better off getting the rear seam welded. He feels that it may be a question of structural integrity.

Again, I ask for your help!

Many thanks,

Barry

PSG-1 said:

You'd be better off to plug it with bubble gum than JB weld, that stuff is as useless as a set of double D breast implants on a boar hog. First time you hit some chop, it's going to flex, and come apart.

Your best bet would be some 5200, or better yet, have the leaks welded.

Click to expand...

i removed 2 flotation boxes in the back of my boat by removing the rivets to make more room, couple nights later i decided i couldnt wait till the weekend to put new rivets in so i used jb weld for a tempory fix so i could go fishing. they didnt leak that day so when i got my rivets i sat them aside just to see how long the jb would hold. now i dont know much about double d's, hogs and bubble gum but that was about 18 months ago and not one drop of water has ever came in my boat from the temp. jb fix. and ive been in all kinds of chop. my boats pretty damm solid so maybe that has something to do with it not leaking but i dont know, i just know that its worked for me for a year and a half. oh and the rivets are going in as soon as the lakes freeze up......

With that many rivets, I think I'd go with the welded option. But even if you do go with having it welded, you may still need to remove the wood in order for the welder to get access to the area where he wants to weld it.

Found a welder that can do aluminum. Took off the motor and the plywood on the transom and bringing it in to them next week. Hope this works. I wanna fish!!!!!

I used Gluvit on my 14' Valco. Had about 6 leaky rivets and a leaky seam. Used it on the inside and now the boat is bone dry.