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Tracking Fin & How to Install


Myron

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My boat is the Malibu 2000 Escape 23 LSV, Hull #  MB2G6213J900, Malibu Fin # 3419005,

I have the above tracking fin and Malibu recommended sealant (BoatLife's Life Seal 10.5 fl.oz tube).

Install per Bake's Marine: The tracking fin is blind bolted from the inside of the boat into the tracking fin. It is common that the fuel tank needs to be removed from the boat, to install fin.

Any advice would be helpful: 

     1) Specifics on the two bronze bolts (3/8-16 thread) to install the fin.

     2) Best way to access repair area on inside of boat. Any possibility of not having to remove the fuel tank.

     3) What is required to property repair the two holes in the hull.

Thanks, MyronBruns

 

 

 

 

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You've got your work cut out for you.  You need to lift the center panel of the floor, which likely means removing seats, which means hunting around for buried screws.  And yes, you will likely need to lift/move the fuel tank so hopefully it's close to empty.

You don't need to repair the holes in the hull unless they took out a large chunk of glass when the fin came off.  As long as you seal the fin to the hull well, those holes are sealed too.  You can put some sealant into the bolt holes as you tighten them up too if you want to.

We did this on my dad's '01 VLX a couple years ago.  It was kindof a pain.

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Tank will need to come out.  Been there, done that.  After losing my 2nd front tracking fin in a month, I went to the lag bolt style used on the direct drives then I didn't have to take the fuel tank out.

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  • 10 months later...

@Nitrousbird Have you had any issues with the lag bolt fin that you used for the replacement...I plan on going this route but am wondering if they made the hulls thicker to accept the lag bolts rather than the through bolts?

 

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On 3/15/2023 at 8:42 PM, barch said:

@Nitrousbird Have you had any issues with the lag bolt fin that you used for the replacement...I plan on going this route but am wondering if they made the hulls thicker to accept the lag bolts rather than the through bolts?

 

Nope - they have been in there for hundreds of hours and probably 10 years at this point.

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