Season ending injury, or just a "flesh wound?" (PICS ADDED)

[badmoonrising]

if you put anything in the holes your welder will cuss you. just put some ducked
tap on it till you hall it out and you and the welder will be happy

Yep...he'll remove epoxy or JB Weld and charge you for his time. Don't rig it, get it welded by a good welder who has experience with aluminum.

[TSip85]

As much as I hate to do this, even a newb like me knows the rules. Here's a few pics I shot yesterday as I re-inspected the damage. Any ideas how to pull the tie down eyelit back out where it should be? Seems that would need to be done first before I could weld up the holes.

[Bryden24shp]

I'm thinkin thats a good insurance claim, too. Its buckled in there pretty good. Aluminum is awefully forgiving, may be able to secure the back of the trailer to a pole or something, heat the area and use a come along hooked up to your trucks hitch to pull it out, it won't look the best, but it would allow for a better 'repair weld'. To keep you from loosing it for the rest of the season. its an idea, anyway...
Don't let it beat you up! Thats why they are called accidents! I've added a few battlescars to all my boats.

[Bamby]

I'm thinking that unless you're willing to put it in as an insurance claim I'd have a competent welder run a bead around it an fill it as is. Their is no way that it can be straightened to like new as it is , pulling and attempting to straiten would actually work the metal and actually weaken the area and the repair. IMHO the only invisible repair would be the instillation of a complete new nosecone which is both a costly and a significant loss of the boating season.

[TSip85]

Bamby, that's kinda my thoughts as well. I don't think I want to turn this into an insurance claim. I don't really care so much that it's bent and doesn't look perfect. I just want the holes filled so that the toon doesn't get water in it. That'll just become one of many memories the boat has and I know there will be more bumps and bruises along the way. I don't know if it needs to be pulled out first before welding in the holes, or if a bead can just be run around it as is. And if I do just run a weld on it, can I later have more air put back in the pontoon, or will the dealer not mess with it since they didn't do the actual repair? And as far as that goes, do I need to have air put back in it?

[evinrude2stroke]

That is a pretty significant dent that will impact resale or trade in value if you ever choose to do one or the other in the future. Is there anyway you can ride out the season then get it fixed in the Fall? You may want to re-think an insurance claim.

[curtiscapk]

I would run a bead and forget it...IMHO. You really don't need to put any air in it. There is air in it already (from the hole) and you'll just seal it in. Normally there is less than 3 #'s anyhow.

[Bamby]

Any good welder could fill the area and fix the leaks at the same time. I'd have them run or build a generous bead from the bottom and up around the eyelet and back down to the bottom on the other side effectively re-welding the eyelet securely in the position it is in now. By looking at the photo's it this repair would also cover and fix the holes as seen in the process plus any not visible on the back side of the eyelet. And no you really don't haft to have the air in the tubes but the air pressure as designed does help in preventing brush bumps from impacts on the tubes, the air helps make them resist denting.

[sunnyside]

If it were me, I'd take it to a good welding shop and see what they can do to repair it. You may be pleasantly surprised. Just my $0.02.

[badmoonrising]

If it were me, I'd take it to a good welding shop and see what they can do to repair it. You may be pleasantly surprised. Just my $0.02.

Yep...and it would most likely end up being a lot stronger than OEM.