www.iFourWinns.com

I have a 2005 298 Vista and the screws for the supports on the extended swim platform rusted and the screw heads popped off.

Has anyone else had this problem?

Yes, they suck. Try to get them all out now and replace them if you can. The corrosion will only continue and they aren't bonded.

I take it you boat in salt?

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2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

Not necessarily. My low hour 220 sits on the trailer and some screws were a little pitted in 07 and it's an 02. Fresh / brackish water. They are tough to extract too since they're stainless.

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V475
Chris Craft Catalina 23 w/ 300 G2
Previously-V338, 248 Vista, H210

I noticed the same thing after removing our boat last season; we are in salt water. This season I added drive shaft Zincs to the supports; this should provided the same protection that the zincs do on the S/S trim tabs.

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“Growing Older, But Not Up”
[

2008 Four Winns V248
2004 Stingray 220CS

We have been adding shaft anodes for the past 3 seasons on the swim platform supports after noticing customers complaining of "spongey" swim platforms. The screws are not bonded so corrossion attacks them.. bond them if you can (I think the 378 is the only one you can get to them all) but adding anodes will help your problem...

FW's fix..... redesigns on all the vistas by adding molded in swimplatforms.....

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Bryan Mutter

http://www.twincitymarine.com
http://www.facebook.com/twincitymarineinc
http://www.youtube.com/user/twincitymarine
http://www.twitter.com/twincitymarine

I haven't noticed this problem yet but I am all about prevention! I guess I will order some zincs to put on the platform supports. Does anyone know the size off hand? I am still in storage and it will save me a trip!

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2005 Vista 268 "ALTEAN"

I'm curious to as to what size zincs are needed.

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2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

Interesting. No corrosion at all on our support screws. Now over 10 years old. Must be lucky I guess. Or only in the water 6 months per year, and always stored inside , heated maybe ?

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

the two outer ones are 1" and the inner is 1 1/4"

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Bryan Mutter

http://www.twincitymarine.com
http://www.facebook.com/twincitymarineinc
http://www.youtube.com/user/twincitymarine
http://www.twitter.com/twincitymarine

I used #3 shaft anodes on our 248

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“Growing Older, But Not Up”
[

2008 Four Winns V248
2004 Stingray 220CS

Very interesting; my '04 Sundowner has a standard ESP. The supports at the ESP end used nuts and bolts and 1/4" thick zinc or aluminum washers !! I found severe corrosion of the washers after 1 season in salt water, a few were virtually gone. I did post about it asking if the washers were designed to act as anodes a few years ago, but I think there were no responses; might have been on here or on "Boating ABC". For some reason they used the same thick washers on the screws holding the fresh water tank in place; bizarre!


Graham
Correction; Blame it on my age; it was actually the boarding ladder that had the thick washers that had corroded away, the ESP supports uses stainless washers and locknuts ( and there is no corrosion after 5 years use in salt water.

Any ideas on how to get the screws out. The heads are off and I tried an easy out, but it was creating too much damage to the fiberglass. I am thinking of moving the supports over or drilling new holes in the support posts. Any ideas?

Now I understand; it's the screws on the transom, not the nuts and bolts on the ESP itself.

Stainless can be difficult to drill, especially if it's gets hot. If there's any of the thread showing, a pair of vise grips is probably the best way to remove the remains. Otherwise, the only option would be to grind off the old screws flush and reposition the whole support slightly to one side; using a PU sealant on the back of the plate to seal off the old screws. FW probably used A2 (304) grade stainless screws, A2 is not suitable for use under water; A4 (316L) are much better in that respect.

I might have gotten away with it in with mine because they were painted with 2 coats of a 2 component epoxy primer from when I first got it.

I think I will be adding anodes to my ESP support legs: better safe than sorry !

Graham