Removing old hatches and plates....

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96TL

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Hey guys. I plan on replacing the bilge slam hatch and 2 8" deck plates with Armstrongs. What's the best way to pry off the old hatches and plates without damaging the deck though? I get my Armstrongs today and want to get started on this project ASAP. Thanks.

Dom
 
I would highly doubt that they were put on there with 3M 5200 and I'd bet they'd come right up ... but "go slow" just in case ...

Or, you can always run a sharp edge or paint scraper under the edge to break the seal. If 5200'd in place, you'll need to spray "Anti-Bond 2105" solvent onto the edge of the 5200 seal and slowly work it uner the plate, using a knife and more spray. It will cut through any polyurethane-based sealant, regardles of how teneacious it is.

Cheers from overseas .. !
 
Have to say, Dom, for a new owner you waste no time in getting her right. I wish I had more time. Would love to see your photos of your lighting, hatches, etc....

Way to go.
 
I replaced my 8" pry up deck hatches with screw down one's a few years ago and they came right up easily. I used rubbing alcohol (careful not to get it anywhere else) to clean up the residual caulk and got a nice clean surface to caulk to new one's down to. Havent leaked since..

Tim
 
I got them out tonight. Much easier than I thought it would be. No wonder they leak. Once I got the screws out they popped right off with my fingers.

Dom
 
Dom - one of my hatches came loose. I thought the holes for the screws had enlarged over the last 9 seasons. My plan was to fill in the holes with marine tex and then redrill. Last week when I went to begin my project, I found that person at the factory who installed the hatches missed when he drilled. Half of the screws missed the deck. I filled in everything and started over. The old caulk cleaned up very easily.

Brad
 
A 2006 model boat and the deck plates leaked? I pop the covers on mine a couple times a year to see if there is any moisture under them or on top of the tank. Have never detected any. Mine is 4 years old...but what you found I would not expect on such a new boat.
 
I'm not sure why they leak. The bilge hatch leaks only if it gets hit with water from the side (ie: throwing a bucket of water or spraying with hose). The plates seem to leak from any water. Like I mentioned earlier, I think the weak bedding has a lot to do with it. The hatches are probably fine.

Dom
 
Those deck hatches that you pry up with a screw driver leaked from the day I bought my boat new even after replacing the rubber o-ring. I replaced them after 3 seasons with the type that screw down onto threads and they havent leaked since. I was always finding a bit of water sitting on top of the fuel tank directly below those two deck hatches.
 
Hey guys.

I e-mailed Robin Parker with my concerns about water in the bilge and this was her response below. She said it was okay to post it on the message board. This is just one reason why I love Parker. They stand behind their product. I’m sure a lot of other companies would’ve just deleted my e-mail or given me a BS response.

Dominick:

Thank you for choosing Parker.

The amount of water draining to the bilge is so insignificant that the current method is preferred. The anchor locker hatch is formed with a gutter that allows rain water to drain from the deck overboard therefore not allowing water into the locker. The water which appears in the bilge is simply the water that drains out of the anchor rope when stored after use or from the hose when you wash out your locker and anchor. Due to this minimal amount of water, the need for a drain through the hull is simply not necessary. The water in the bilge has absolutely no affect on the stringers due to our encapsulation process. We completely encapsulate the wood with glass and hand-roll to insure they are completely protected. The wood we use also has a lifetime warranty against rot so this should not even be an issue for you to worry over. I hope this answers your concerns.

Thank you again for choosing Parker.

Sincerely,

Robin Parker



Based on her response, I decided to abandon my project to replace the rectangular Tempress hatch with an Armstrong hatch. I was going to have an aluminum trim ring fabricated out of 316 Stainless in order for the Armstrong hatch to fit over the cutout. The trim ring was $180.00 and the hatch was $60.00. I wasn’t too crazy about spending $240.00 just for a hatch. What really bothered me most though was the extra time it takes to open an Armstrong hatch compared to the current Tempress hatch. I'm still going to replace the small 6" round hatches above the gas tank though.

Dom
 
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