Replacing Original Cockpit Drain

Lightnsail

Lightnsail

New Member
Recently picked up a '79 Laser and I'm moving along on updates to rig, etc... I'm going to replace the original plastic cockpit drain fitting as it's leaking. I've picked up the brass replacement and the new bailer. To install the brass piece is it just a matter of drilling out the old part and bedding and installing the new part? Any tips on drill bit size?
 
I just used a screwdriver and dremel to break apart the old plastic drain fitting. Came out easily.
 
Hi,
The plastic drain fitting is threaded, sort of like the new brass one, and the "nut" should be on the inside of the cockpit. So, try unscrewing first. The first couple threads may be stripped, thus the leak? I have stuck a straight blade screwdriver in to jam the fitting, while i unscrew the nut.

I installed one on 66458 a few weeks ago. I bought an "o" ring the right size and used that on the bailer side. It's working well, no leaks so far. It seems to me that the "o" ring allows for some flex in use, or temperature change, etc.

BTW 66451 still has the original, and doesn't leak.

Al Russell 66451
 
I also have a 1979 boat which i am putting a lot of work into, and I need to purchase the brass fitting for the autobailer. Where's the best place to order on in North America?
 
:confused: The '74 Laser I recently purchased doesn't appear to ever have had a drain plug assembly. It just has the hole through the glass and a plug on a string. Did they make some boats that way?

Thanks for any help,
Doug
 
[email protected] said:
:confused: The '74 Laser I recently purchased doesn't appear to ever have had a drain plug assembly. It just has the hole through the glass and a plug on a string. Did they make some boats that way?

Thanks for any help,
Doug
Click to expand...

Yes, the early boats were made that way. If it's not leaking at that area I don't think I would go to the trouble to put in the new cockpit drain assembly. (it would require enlarging the hole thru the coockpit and hull)

If you decide to fit an autobailer, it would work just fine with the existing setup.
 
My advice, forget the brass fitting.

- Remove your plastic drain
- Sand the hole with sand paper
- Block the cockpit side of the hole with masking tape
- Mix epoxy with a Aerosil or other silica until you reach a putty like mixture
- Fill the hole (from the outside) making sure you reach between the cockpit and the outside layers
- Let it cure
- Now drill a hole 1/4" smaller than the previous one

Voila, you're done. No plastic, no brass. Just a strong epoxy bond !
 
Ti-Rex said:
My advice, forget the brass fitting.

- Remove your plastic drain
- Sand the hole with sand paper
- Block the cockpit side of the hole with masking tape
- Mix epoxy with a Aerosil or other silica until you reach a putty like mixture
- Fill the hole (from the outside) making sure you reach between the cockpit and the outside layers
- Let it cure
- Now drill a hole 1/4" smaller than the previous one

Voila, you're done. No plastic, no brass. Just a strong epoxy bond !
Click to expand...

I'm curious if anyone has done this. I'm trying to make the copper cockpit drain assembly seat properly against the back of the cockpit and can't seem to get a good fit. The odd-shaped washer does not want to lie flat against the cockpit wall. I've cleaned off any of the old sealant and old plastic assembly and sanded the area, so there shouldn't be any obstructions.

I have to reinforce the area where the cockpit floor meets the hull anyways, and the above approach seems to be a lot simpler, requiring no additional parts. Has anyone done this?

(My boat is old - 88030- and I just want to get it out on the water without having the cockpit drain leaking water into the hull).

Cheers,
 
The odd shaped washer goes on the hull side not the cockpit side of the drain hole. I had 75265 which I did thos on 9replacing the plastic fitting) with not real issues.

The brass fitting was slightly larger than the plastic one so you may need to fair out the hole slightly. Also ensure you use plently of flexible sealant as the cockpit moulding and hull moulding can move slightly indepenatly of each other as you moce round the boat.
 
jeffers said:
The odd shaped washer goes on the hull side not the cockpit side of the drain hole. I had 75265 which I did thos on 9replacing the plastic fitting) with not real issues.

The brass fitting was slightly larger than the plastic one so you may need to fair out the hole slightly. Also ensure you use plently of flexible sealant as the cockpit moulding and hull moulding can move slightly indepenatly of each other as you moce round the boat.
Click to expand...

Ohhhhh. That makes more sense. I read through several threads and I must have missed that...seems like something so simple. Thanks for that!

On my boat, the hole is plenty large enough to accommodate the brass fitting. The issue for me is that it seems the hole is located so close to the cockpit floor that the curvature of where the cockpit wall and the floor meet prevents the fitting from fitting flush against the cockpit wall. In other words, I can slide the fitting into the hole (in the correct order of parts, which you've corrected me on), but I can't seem to get it sit flush against the cockpit wall and I'm worried that if I start to tighten everything up, that I'll crack the glass around the hole because I'm not spreading the contact between the fitting and wall (not sure if I'm describing this clearly).

In your opinion, do you think that the option described by Ti-Rex above would work? To me it seems that by eliminating the fitting altogether and just sealing the drain hole with thickened epoxy and then drilling a smaller hole through that epoxy, you would achieve the same result, but with no additional parts. I guess you would be sacrificing some flexibility in the joint, but I have to reinforce the spots inside the hull where the cockpit is attached to the hull anyways. By doing this, I might end up eliminating a lot of that cockpit flexibility. Do you think this approach would work?
 
The problem is (I recall) that the cockpit is not actually attached to the hull it is supended from the deck (hence why you get movement and why the c0ockpit floor tends to break away on older boats).

Persoanlly I would always get the drain fitting in place. it did take a bit of fiddling to get the brass fitting to sit right (and a large spanner on the underside to tighten it up). It means you wont end up with a cockpit full of water which can cause the mainsheet to float around and tangle on everything (only a problem if you are racing probably).

Just my preference of course....
 
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