Oval port glass replacement

[tomcuisine]

I am trying to replace the glass in my oval ports for my 1986 PSC 34. Does anyone have any idea where this can be done. The glass is leaking and frosty.

[richnren]

I will be doing the same job in about 2 weeks (waiting for room in inside storage for the boat to be moved into before removing ports).

I asked the customer service people at PSC, who told me the following:

Pull out the gasket (you will need to replace it). Underneath is a metal plate holding the glass in place. You can unscrew the plate and get the glass out.

The glass is laminated (car windshield type) safety glass, and can be duplicated by a local glass place.

I'm not sure about the gasket. I'll have to get one out to see the profile. However, I'm sure that I'll be able to find something that fits.

[tomcuisine]

i already replaced the gasket, ordered through psc. However, found leak at glass and metal plate holding the glass. Screws holding plate have been in so long can not be removed without stripping. Short of drilling and re taping, which I don't think I want to try, I am looking for someone who has the knowhow and necessary tools to replace the glass. Any suggestions. Thanks

[richnren]

You didn't say you were that far into it ... Have you tried PB Blast? That is about the best penetrating oil on the market and has been known to work wonders if given 24 hours to soak in.

If you can't do that, you can try judicious use of heat, but if it does come to drilling and tapping, any local machine shop can probably do the job for you and it won't cost an arm and a leg. You might have to provide the new larger screws.

[wsmurdoch]

I rebuilt the ten ports in my 1988 PSC 34 last year. The glass was hazing, and I had leaks around the opening frames and around the glass.

The gasket is 1/2" neoprene round foam. I got mine from
mhttp://www.canalrubber.com/FullRoundCord.htm
I cut it to length at 45°, glued the ends together with contact cement, and glued it into the ports with silicone caulking. This is also the gasket material that my three Bomar hatches use. It is glued to the hatch with contact cement.

The little screws are brass 4mm flatheads. Some came out easily, some stuck, and some just fell to pieces. I drilled out the bad actors with a hand drill, tapped the holes back with a 4mm tap using first a plug then a bottoning tap, and replaced the bad screws with 4mm stainless flat heads because I could not find brass.

The glass I removed was triplex safety glass. I replaced it with 6mm impact resistant UV resistant acrylic that I cut myself with a jig saw and sanded to final size with a belt sander to leave expansion room in the frame. I set the glazing in butyl tape (1/4" round rolled by hand to 1/8" before installing) from the NAPA store on both sides of the plastic.

While I had the opening ports off the boat, I covered the openings with 1/2" plywood shutters (two small and two large). I saved them for emergency repairs in case one of the ports breaks.

Bill Murdoch

[richsimpson]

Bill - Does your '88 PS34 have the oval ports? The gasket shape on my oval ports ('86 PS 34) is a rectangular cross section - not round. Was yours originally rectangular? Has the round gasket material worked out well for you?

Thanks
Rich Simpson
S/V Kelly Rae

[wsmurdoch]

The gasket material in my ports was squished round. I found a small amount of round material on the boat when I bought it. I bought more and installed it. It is becomming squished round.

It is convienent as it is the same gasket material as the Bowmar hatches use.

Bill Murdoch

[richnren]

I did mine this spring - new glass from the local glass place and Bomar gasket material. BUT, I notice that the inner lips don't line up well with the gaskets. None of them are leaking, but it doesn't look quite like it should. Are these ports individually matched or interchangeable?

[JohnRPollard]

When I rebuilt the oval portlights on our previous Dana 24, I found the sash was interchangeable witht he portlight frame. We got our replacement gaskets from the OEM, Whitewater Marine.

Do not forget to adjust the set screws (use a very small allen wrench) in the hinges after replacing the gasket. Otherwise the sash will not seat evenly on the lip of the frame.

[richnren]

Thank you. I have done the adjustments ... and it is good to know who the OEM was. PSC couldn't tell me when I called after buying the boat.