Need help with replacing the wood in the transom

Hello all ! I picked up a Lowe 1440M and trailer for $525 a few years ago and aree trying to make some improvements on my own. The wood in the transom is quite rotted and I'm in process of removing. I have removed all of the rivets and screws that passed through the wood, but for the life of me can't figure out how to proceed from here. Do I just start cutting and digging it out ? If anyone has some advice I'd appreciate it.

Pics would help but I am almost certain you will need to cut the corner caps off and either bend or cut off the top rail also. There are quite a few builds on here including mine that can give you pictures on how its done. Good luck

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=300630#p300630
Here is a link to my build. Might give you an idea of what your against.

As already stated, pics would help us help you with the best method to accomplish your project. All boats are not the same. IE Replacing the wood in mine, it was much easier to remove the knee brace and have complete access than it would have been to cut the top off and have to have all of that welded back up.

OK guys Im gonna give this a try.

With that style, it looks like taking the corner gussets and the transom top off would be easiest. Can you get a pic from behind the boat that shows the entire width and one closeup of the corner.

Here is another. Hope you can see that the top piece is integral with the end caps which are welded to the sides of the boat. At the bottom of the wood piece is a piece of aluminum holding the wood. The far end of this piece is hidden behind seat pieces. I may have to remove those seat pieces on either side and possibly be able to remove the bottom piece of aluminum which would allow me to slide the wood out and replace with another. But removing those seat pieces will require drilling out alot of rivets below the water line which I wanted to avoid. Thanks for the help.

Here is the backside of the stern. As you can see to top piece which the top of the wood fits into is integral with the backside of the stern.

Pic of backside corner.

With that style transom and seat arrangement, I think you'll be better off to do the repair like hoosier78 mentioned in his first post. Lots of guys have done it on that style, so look around at their mods and you'll see enough pics to give you a good idea of what it takes and how best to do it. Good luck with it.

Remove the knee brace and side pods. The wood in transoms of that style generally is undersized enough to allow it to drop down and clear the return bend on the transom top.

Then, go back in with an aluminum transom...

Bassboy1,
I agree with your assessment. Removing the side pods is probably the best way to go. Looks like Im going to get some experience setting solid rivets.
Thanks 1

Ok took out the wood and decided to remove the seat pods and foam. Good thing the lower portion of the foam was soaked with water. probably 30 lbs of extra weight back there. Now need to find someone to put in an aluminum transom. Thanks for all the help?

Any suggestions on how to patch all of the holes I have ?