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I have a 16 foot aluminum riveted boat that leaks, after reading up on all post I have come to the conclusion that none of these after market products work. So I have been drilling out the rivets and installing new ones. My question is is there something like a bed liner you can paint the bottom of your boat with. Bed liner says it is water resistant not water proof. Thanks for any help.
There's that guy on TV with the "coated" screen door on the bottom of his boat.:cool:
From what I know of this what you are doing is the proper way, Hey Tyme get Doug to chime in on this but I'm pretty sure thats what he use to do to fix leaks in the Aluminum boats. Long process but maybe a necessary one.
Gluvit really works.
I painted the outside of mine with it where the rivets are.
My boat is 53 yrs old
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[QUOTE=Tyme2fish;533245]There's that guy on TV with the "coated" screen door on the bottom of his boat.:cool:[/QUOTE]I was thinking the same thing before I read your comment.
You could also use JB weld to cover the rivet heads that are loose or missing and that will make a long lasting fix.
But the best thing is what you are doing. As long as you can easily reach the rivets to drill them out and install new one then I think that the best fix in the long run.
I would do that on my boat but I can't reach the rivets without tearing out the floor and the side walls on my boat. And that is a job for the guys at the factory that built the boat not me. That why I either had the missing rivet head holes welded shut by an experienced aluminum welder or put JB weld over the holes and the loose rivet heads.
JB Weld works great as long as you clean the aluminum before you put the JB weld on.
I agree with some here. If you can get to both sides of the rivets, replace the bad ones.
I remember reading about gluvit. Seems like I remember it being used on the inside of the hull? Any kind of "stuff"you might look at putting on the hull you will have to get the aluminum very clean before applying. Riveting may be easier than cleaning. I have done this more times than I would like to remember. If you have questions, i would be glad to tell you what I know. PM me and we could talk on the phone.
Spraying the inside bottom of the boat sounds like a good idea but I don't think I would do it. I have used it on the inside transom wall of my fiberglass boat where water was coming in at the transom bolts Worked great! But the stuff is more like a tar and I would be concerned that if I used it in areas where I would be stepping and laying my gear on that in the heat of summer it might get soft and sticky. On the otherhand, Line-X or Rhino Lining might work for the inside but I would still try to stop the water from coming in at the rivet heads.
I have a 1986 bass tracker with same issue. After extensive internet research and speaking with many boat guys, I am going with a fix of the rivets with a 3m product called 5200. I have to clean the bottom first with acetone then apply the sealant to leaky rivets. After a 24 hour cure, I will scuff the hull with 150 grit sandpaper then wipe with acetone. Next step is to apply an epoxy sealant called Wetlander 3L. (Just google wetlander). Three steps of that with primer, epoxy then top coat and all problems should be solved. Whole process, including cure time should be less than a week with proper temperatures and total cost about $300.
I have a boat with rivets one time. I would have someone hold the end of a broom handle on the outside while I tapped the rivet with a hammer on the inside. That worked pretty well for me.
All good advice for which im grateful for, I have been drilling out the rivets, pumping in some silicone and using a water proof pop rivet, it has no hole in the center then wiping the silicone off around the rivet head. I checked a couple that i replaced by filling the boat with water and they did not leak. I have to use a pop rivet do to the fact it has a floor in it. Did considering getting a old screen door and a 9.9 motor and a can of flex seal and use this for my small lake boat.
Thanks
Bob