Engine Hatch Reinforcements/Repair Ideas

D

Dave4562

Member
Nov 10, 2019
121
Boat Info
86 390 express cruiser
84 360 aft cruiser twin diesels
Engines
454 Crusaders
Perkins Diesels
I have a 390 Express and the engine hatch covers feel like they give a little when you walk on them. no cracks and they look ok but you can feel it when you walk on them.
I was thinking to reinforce the underside somehow and thought it must be a common problem.
 
Yes I would agree only way glass gets soft is when core is rotten. SO you can have the bad wood cut out then lay new fiberglass and blend to original surface. But for a quick fix put some 3/4 marine or regular plywood on the bottom side with kittyhair or duraglass then fiberglass over the top. Or look in junk yard for better ones
Good luck Marty
 
Yeah. Sounds like rotted core. But, if a hatch cover should be relatively easy to fix. Remove the cover, flip it over. Drill some exploratory holes to confirm it's the core. Then remove the fiberglass, clean out the core and replace.
 
Because of the way the hatches are made /and opened on that particular boat , you have to lift one side -then slide the hatch on the divider aluminum strip and then remove the hatch. The sliding action causes the hatch to get a cut in it on the shoebox type lid/edge.

Pay close attention to this area as the deeper that slit gets the easier it is for the hatch to flex, ESPECIALLY since there is no coring for the 3" border around the edges of those hatches.
 
Thanks for the info. I looked and it seemed pretty thin to me so wasn't sure if there is a core. I thought it might just be age and thin material but I know it needs something.
Thanks
 
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