removing a Depth Sounder Thru Hull Transducer

[chuck711]

What are your suggestions on removing a Depth Sounder Thru Hull Transducer that has been in for 20 years? Help !!!

[AnchorageGuy]

Chuck, If it is bronze, get a grinder and grind the outside flange off being careful around the fiberglass. Take a large punch and a hammer and drive it back insider the hull.

[Weyalan]

It may depend on several of things: The condition of the thru-hull fitting, the material of the thru-hull fitting, the hull material, whether or not you are fitting a new thru-hull in the same place, etc. Please supply a few more details. Thanks

[chuck711]

Its a plastic depth trandsducer and I'll be replacing it with one of the same Diameter but set up to act as a Fish Finder for my new Garmin 498S

[Weyalan]

If it is plastic, you can probably remove the transducer and then break the thru-hull fitting out using a hammer (assuming, of course, that you have a replacement thru-hull fitting with your new fish finder). You can try to unscrew the thru-hull fitting using mole-grips or similar, but the chances of achieving this are small... hammer will probably be your best bet - , from inside the hull hit the fitting on the side (i.e. parallel with the hull) rather than on top (i.e. perpendicular to the hull) to break it without damaging the hull.

P.S. All the above assumes that you are out of the water for this operation

[AnchorageGuy]

If the thru hull is plastic then it will be easier. Take a chisel and chisel through the retainer nut inside the hull. if you crack it in about three or four places it will come right off. Then take a good hammer and you should be able to drive it out from the inside.

[FrankZ]

Just be sure the boat is out of the water first.

[delmarrey]

On mine I just drilled a big hole down the center then ground the rest out with a wood rotary file/bur. Then the outer skin will just peel out.........._/)

[Steve Kidson]

My dad was an engineer, and his dad before him, and when I started to tinker with engines and things mechanical they gave me the following advice, which I have paraphrased:

"An engine (or such item) is a precision built piece of equipment. If trying to undo, get off etc an item that is stubborn, never, never force it; GET A BIGGER HAMMER!!!!"

By the way, please do ensure boat is out of the water

Fair winds

Steve

[S/V Elusive]

When I removed my old transducer, I used a hole-saw. It is crucial to drill a pilot/center hole first. Size the hole-saw just under the size of the transducer you are removing. The remaining edges of the removed transducer are all plastic and very easy to remove.

[skipperaris]

When I had to remove my through hull of the depth transducer I used a hammer and two chisels. A wide chisel (about 25 mm) and a narrowish chisel, maybe 12 mm.

First I chiselled off the flange under the hull with the wide chisel and then got the narrow chisel to bite into the throughhull wall from the inside (simply more comfortable hammering down than hammering up).

Once I got the chisel between the hull and the wall of the throughhull the battle was decided. The plastic of the throughhull buckled towards the centre of the hole.

This allowed me to chisel along the buckled in wall and cut it all the way.
A few more blows and it came away.

Think of the people who have been mean to you while you are doing it. :-))

[zephyr4]

When I removed my old through hulls last year, I used a method very similar to Skipperaris. Using a wide chisel I removed the outer plastic flange and sliced under the caulk inside the hull. Using a hammer and screw driver I popped it up into the hull from outside.

Mike

[skipperaris]

Originally Posted by zephyr4

When I removed my old through hulls last year, I used a method very similar to Skipperaris.

Mike

Great minds think alike, Mike.
I like your website btw. Looks like you are having a lot of fun.

What do you use to edit your photos?
(Ignore this question if it is a trade secret.)

[zephyr4]

We use Adobe Photoshop Elements to edit the pictures and Microsoft Front Page to administer the site. For the video clips, we use Adobe Premiere Elements.

[skipperaris]

Originally Posted by zephyr4

We use Adobe Photoshop Elements to edit the pictures and Microsoft Front Page to administer the site. For the video clips, we use Adobe Premiere Elements.

Thank you Mike,

I also use Photoshop for the pictures but have given up Frontpage.

I use EditPad and NoteTab instead plus I pick the brains of my son who is a professional web designer. Try www.redhot.gr if you want to get an idea of the clever stuff he does.

I also check my code against W3.

I don't do any video clips although I have some really good ones of dolphins. Maybe I should post one or two.

Sorry everybody I seem to be drifting away from the subject of this thread.