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Old 05-02-2008, 09:39 PM
Buckhead Buckhead is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Strathcona County
Posts: 1,939
Default leaking rivets

I had the same problem years ago on my old Lund before I got rid of it.

Sealers and/or epoxy on the rivets is only a tempoorary solution at best.
Since the hull flexes and vibrates etc. when you use the boat most of the leaks will unseal themselves.

There is a repair technique that you can try - retightening the rivets, but you need to be very careful. Partly fill the boat with water or float it so that you can identify exactly which rivets are leaking. Identify the leaky rivets both inside and outside on the boat with a marker.

Using a steel hammer and a bucking tool or chunk of steel shaped to fit the head of the rivet (its rounded). You will need a buddy to help you. Strike the flattened end of the rivet inside the hull with steel hammer. Be carefull with hammer or you will put a hole in your hull. This method takes a lot of patience and a good friend.

Barring that the only other way to stop the leakage is to find a good welder and get him to spot weld around each rivet as needed. I finally had to go this method when the leakage got too bad. The reasonsmy boat ended up leaking so much was too many miles on gravel roads that actually thinned the aluminum bottom and caused it to flex too much plus a LOT of pounding in rough water conditions - finally just wore the boat out.
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