Hobie 18 Gudgeon Tapped Hole Replacement

I live in a small town. No one carries 2-inch #12x24 machine screws...I was thinking of drilling out and using 1/4-inch with nuts, as easier to locate and cheap.
Anyone done it? Any down side...? Have rear deck inspection port, so install should be a snap. I know there is a metal plate in stern.
Thanks.

That would be OK if you thru-bolt the gudgeons with nuts and washers they aren't going to go anywhere. That is actually how the gudgeons are installed on the Hobie 20. You're also less likely to have issues with the screws seizing in the transom over time.
The other option would be to buy the correct #12 machine screws from a place like McMaster Carr online. You can certainly get the correct screws there. The only down side is that you will have to buy a lot more screws than you need but it's still relatively inexpensive.
sm
Steve M.

I've tapped the transom plate to 1/4 inch on a Hobie 16 with stripped holes and no access from the inside.....worked like a charm. You're going to use SS screws, right? On the Hobie 16, the transom plate is Al, so I recommend using some Tefgel, Lanocote, or at least antiseize on the threads.
Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16
Clinton, Mississippi



- 19 Forums
- 8,517 Topics
- 75.8 K Posts
- 0 Online
- 37.7 K Members