Acquire some (12oz) Sea Goin' Poxy Putty.
Remove the suspect screws
Clean out any rust, dirt, incorrect adhesive/sealer, and anything else the new epoxy won't stick to.
Blow sanding dust out with clean dry air. Any remaining sanding dust will act as a release agent and the fresh epoxy will not adhere properly.
Mix up equal parts of Sea Goin' Poxy Putty so that the total amount is about the volume of a golf ball. Use different sticks to remove each Part A and Part B so that you do not cross-contaminate the remainder of each container.
Note: If cross-contamination occurs, it will ruin the epoxy as the curing process starts.
Have a cup of water handy. Pack the holes full of the mixed epoxy. Make sure that the epoxy squeezes out of the top of the holes, ensuring that there are no voids. Wet your hands so that the epoxy doesn't stick to your fingers. You can sculpt the epoxy to shape. Work quickly so that you finish before the epoxy kicks. You can clean up with a wet rag.
The bottom of the hull should be more or less flush with the surrounding fiberglass. The epoxy should be slightly lower than the top surface of the intake.
Wait 24 hours.
From the top, drill down, all the way through the holes in the intake with a 1/4" drill bit.
You will need at least one 1/4" countersunk screw to measure that you are countersinking to the correct depth. With an 82-degree countersink bit, countersink just deep enoug, so that no part of the screw head is hanging below the fiberglass.
Measure for screw lengths. Most likely, you will need two, maybe three different length screws. The rear of your oil pan sump is probably sitting directly over the front four screws, therefore the length of the front four screws will be the most critical. I prefer stainless nylon locking jam nuts with AN washers. You are probably going to need to cut the screws to fit. You will probably also end up with different length screws for the front four holes. I prefer three full threads protruding past the top of the nut, however one full thread is sufficient. If the screw is flush with the top of the nut, or if the nylon is engaging the chamfer, the nut will come loose.
Note: If the oil pan contacts the screws, the screws will surely wear a hole through the oil pan.
Cut and chamfer the screws to fit.
Note: do not mix up the order in which the screws are to be installed.
Mix up a little more epoxy and form a bead just under the head of each bolt. Be careful not to get epoxy on the threads where the nut will start.
Note: have all of your tools and hardware ready before you mix the epoxy.
Install the screws and have a helper inside the boat ready to torque the nuts. The intake hardware does not need to be gorilla tight.
After all the screws are torqued, fill over the top of all of the screw heads, so they can be sanded flush.
Note: Sanding Sea Goin' Poxy Putty is a miserable experience. It is worth the effort to sculpt the epoxy to near net shape, leaving only enough to sand flush. Do not smear a big glob and expect to sand it smooth. The fiberglass actually sands easier than the epoxy. You need to be careful that you don't make the bottom wavy.
It is very important that the area around the intake be smooth and straight. This area is the interface between the hull and the water. Very minor low spots and imperfections can be filled with Bondo Glass fiberglass filler. Finish sand with 80 grit so that the direction of sanding scratches are all inluine, front to rear.
It would be a good idea to seal the raw glass, epoxy, and Bondo with at least primer. Finish scuff with 80 grit, sanding front to rear.
Final Note: While you are there, make sure the transition from the fiberglass intake into the aluminum intake is seamless.
Cheers,
Joe
