So, we had a couple of guests staying on our boat for a few days while in town for Christmas (the boat makes a great guest room, after all). So, Christmas morning, while opening stockings at the house, one of the guests said, "Hey - why does your bilge pump kick on a few minutes after we flush the toilet?
Uhm... Well, sh*t... I skipped breakfast to step aboard the boat to the smell of, well - yeah... (How they didn't bring THAT SMELL up was the amazing thing....)
So, I came to find that:
1. The holding tank was full (after two days, with two people aboard)
2. The seal on the tank level monitor had failed. So, every time the flushed, about twenty ounces of (unmentionable nastiness) would leave out of the top seal, down the sides, and into the bilge...
(Since the leak was lower than the vent pipe, it drained at the leak, rather than up and out the vent...)
4 hours later, the tank was pumped and the bilge was sterilized and I was back at the house, making Christmas dinner.
So, long story to get to [B]a simple question[/B]: I'm obviously going to re-seal the level-monitoring plate, but was wondering what would be the best sealant to use between the black plastic plate and the stainless fitting. Any reason NOT to use 5200?
__________________
Steve Ramsey - Puget Sound
S/V Manonash - '96 C36 mkII (#1586) - M35B
[QUOTE=manonash;11327]Any reason NOT to use 5200?[/QUOTE]
Sorry to hear about the incident.
Answer: YES, do NOT use 5200.
The issue of 5200 comes up regularly.
A few of us are of the opinion that it shouldn't be sold to boaters at all.
The only place I can think of to use it is the hull to deck joint.
Unknowing boaters continue to use adhesives where sealants are recommended.
Find a sealant or a gasket material.
Stu Jackson, C34IA Secretary, C34 #224, 1986, SR/FK, M25 engine, Rocna 10 (22#)
Steve,
I agree with every word that Stu wrote.
Tom Sokoloski
C36/375IA Past Commodore
Noank, CT
But Stu, how is a poor innocent boater to know better when 3M insists on calling 5200 "adhesive/sealant"? Maybe they should say "90% adhesive/10% sealant" or similar? Truth in advertising, what a concept~!
From co.com:
Originally Posted by Steve Dion
Someone mentioned using 5200 to bed deck hardware. This is probably one of the worst products to use for such an application. I wish that the marine stores would put this stuff behind the counter so most sailors could not purchase it without a prescription from Maine Sail before they are allowed to buy it (ie: Pseudoephedrine). Some of you are hooked on that stuff.
by Maine Sail:
Ha ha! A class 2 controlled substance requiring a prescription for use. Brilliant!
[B][COLOR="Red"][SIZE="6"]5200 = Satan's Glue.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/B]
Stu Jackson, C34IA Secretary, C34 #224, 1986, SR/FK, M25 engine, Rocna 10 (22#)
Disagree.
5200 is an appropriate 'sealant' to use in some applications, the best example I can offer is the access ports on the Mk II plastic water tanks. On this plastic 5200 won't adhere sufficiently to prevent the access lid from being twisted open when you want in there, but it does seal this damn hard-to-seal item so that the water doesn't overflow to the bilge.
Now whether it is equally functional on the holding tank plastic I cannot say. Seems to me a simple experiment would answer that.
Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
Steve,
Your Christmas day experience makes me appreciate the coal in my stocking all the more.
Cepheus dream
C36 MK I # 825
MK I Tech Editor No Mas
Just the title of the post had me feeling sorry for you already.:(
Mike
Deja Vu
1991 MK I # 1106
Marina del Rey, CA