I'll try to keep this short and sweet. About three summers ago I bought an Allison Grand sport it had a 200 merc on it. After some seat time I was running 96.3mph on gps. One afternoon me and three went for a ride. To my surprise the top two bolts on my transom pulled through the hull and nosed dived my hull causing it to hook. One died three lived. I guess I was one of the lucky ones.
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JR
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GS fatalities
I know that there was a factory recall of my Grandsport back in '98 just a short time after I bought it. I heard that some bolts had pulled through the transom in really rough water [one of the Great Lakes I heard]. They installed a heavy aluminum plate on the outside of the transom.
Did you buy the hull new? Is it possible another owner had run it aground and damaged the transom? I have run mine aground many times and done over 50 Bat-turns and it is still in one piece.
I am sorry to hear of your misforture. Could you share some more details with us?
JR
I know that there was a factory recall of my Grandsport back in '98 just a short time after I bought it. I heard that some bolts had pulled through the transom in really rough water [one of the Great Lakes I heard]. They installed a heavy aluminum plate on the outside of the transom.
Did you buy the hull new? Is it possible another owner had run it aground and damaged the transom? I have run mine aground many times and done over 50 Bat-turns and it is still in one piece.
I am sorry to hear of your misforture. Could you share some more details with us?
JR
I bought the hull used it was a 1995. There weren't any visible cracks or weak spots on the hull. I used to look as often as I could. When it went it just went. Maybe if I would have pulled the gas tank out I could have seen something. Your probably on the right track as far as the hull seeing hard times before me. I'm not sure. Darin
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Scott Gilmore
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Re: GS fatalities
That was my 97 Grand Sport (10 months old at the time) that had the first problem that caused the recall. My bolts did completely pull through the transom, although I do live in Michigan it didn't happen on the Great Lakes. I didn't want the boat after that & Allison traded me for a Super Sport. ScottJR said:
ziemer
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How did the bolts pull thru the transom? Were the heads sheared off? Was this part of the reason they now use 9/16" bolts on top instead of 1/2"?
I guess I'm not really understanding what exactly happened. Did the bolts pull from the inside out or vice versa? I would think it would have to be from the inside out, since the outside nuts are backed with both a washer and the flange to the jackplate. I've broken mounting bolts, and they were sheared just inside the gel at the first aluminum plate in the transom. I replaced all four and the new top two were 9/16". When drilling out for the new bolts I seem to remember having to drill through two plates in the transom, which is why I don't understand how they pulled through unles the heads sheared off?
Someone died because of this? How fast were you going?
I guess I'm not really understanding what exactly happened. Did the bolts pull from the inside out or vice versa? I would think it would have to be from the inside out, since the outside nuts are backed with both a washer and the flange to the jackplate. I've broken mounting bolts, and they were sheared just inside the gel at the first aluminum plate in the transom. I replaced all four and the new top two were 9/16". When drilling out for the new bolts I seem to remember having to drill through two plates in the transom, which is why I don't understand how they pulled through unles the heads sheared off?
Someone died because of this? How fast were you going?
froggy
Active Member
Darin,
I'm not sure when Allison started doing this, but the bolt heads on my 2003 appear to be welded to a plate that's inside the boat. One can remove the nuts that secure the engine without using a wrench on the bolt heads.
Early on many people used "transom tuffners" on their bolt heads (a strap of cast aluminum that would span the bolt heads and it would be inside the hull against the transom and in the splash well, as applicable).
I'm very sorry to hear about your loss and am at a loss as to how it could have been prevented, especially since you didn't rig the boat.
Condolences.
PS. What did the transom material look like?
froggy
I'm not sure when Allison started doing this, but the bolt heads on my 2003 appear to be welded to a plate that's inside the boat. One can remove the nuts that secure the engine without using a wrench on the bolt heads.
Early on many people used "transom tuffners" on their bolt heads (a strap of cast aluminum that would span the bolt heads and it would be inside the hull against the transom and in the splash well, as applicable).
I'm very sorry to hear about your loss and am at a loss as to how it could have been prevented, especially since you didn't rig the boat.
Condolences.
PS. What did the transom material look like?
froggy
The bolts were attached to the transom in the fashion that you described. They didn't spin or move when the nuts were removed. I remember seeing fiberglass and a thin steel plate in the transom. The steel plate just ripped right out when the bolts came through.
fishnfireman
Well-Known Member
Darin,
My condolence also. that is tough..
I don't guess you have any pictures of the transom after the incident :?:
Not trying to dig up any bad memories.. but would like to know the reasons how this could happen. We sure don't ever want it to happen again..
Some of us put these boats thru some bad tough water at times.
I know I have slammed some waves that you think, man that has got to tear something up.
Just going off memory here but I believe both of my Allisons had the bolts welded to the plate and washers on the inside. and the only way for one to pull thru as yours did would be to break or tear the whole transom out as big as the inside plate,... But they were 2000 model and a 2006 prosports.
My condolence also. that is tough..
I don't guess you have any pictures of the transom after the incident :?:
Not trying to dig up any bad memories.. but would like to know the reasons how this could happen. We sure don't ever want it to happen again..
Some of us put these boats thru some bad tough water at times.
I know I have slammed some waves that you think, man that has got to tear something up.
Just going off memory here but I believe both of my Allisons had the bolts welded to the plate and washers on the inside. and the only way for one to pull thru as yours did would be to break or tear the whole transom out as big as the inside plate,... But they were 2000 model and a 2006 prosports.
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Scott Gilmore
Guest
Mine did the exact same thing, thus the recall . I'm just wondering why if this happened after 6/98 why the recall hadn't been done to your boat ? Scott :cry:darin said:
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Scott Gilmore
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Call Allison , talk to Nancy or Darris they know ALL about it ! Scottfishnfireman said:
I have talked to Darris about everything. I guess we beleive the boat has seen hard times in its past. That's part of buying used equipment that gets you sometimes. Darris actually fixed my hull and was as helpful as he could be. The thing that bothers me most is that it could happen again. I guess with any boat. The only reason I'm bringing up the past is because I never have and I want all of you to be safe and aware of what your hull is doing or can do. My Allison was actually one of my favorite past times. I miss it.
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Scott Gilmore
Guest
Hard times in the past MAYBE the boat you had BUT my Grand Sport had less than 30hrs of running time on it when it happened to me. To all who read this........ MAKE SURE your boat has had the recall done !!!! Scott :shock:darin said:
GFinch
Well-Known Member
Just so we all know. Exactly which hulls were involved? Was it only the Grand Sports?
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Scott Gilmore
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As far as I know the recall was just on the XS2003 (Grand Sport) mine was a new 97. I have no idea why just that hull only............AGAIN call Allison !! ScottGFinch said:
JR
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Darin,
Thanks for sharing the information with us. I had heard rumors of what happened to Scott's boat, but had heard nothing of yours or a fatality.
I hope the recall fixed the problem.
It's hard to believe that they did not have the fix included in the construction by May of '98 [when I got mine].
I hate that stupid sticker. Allison should either put a rating on the hull and sell it like a Bayliner or remove the sticker and sell it like an "Ultra Performance Boat".
I think that sticker hurts Allison sales more than any of their competition does. Most purchasers need financing or, like me, just want insurance.
JR
Thanks for sharing the information with us. I had heard rumors of what happened to Scott's boat, but had heard nothing of yours or a fatality.
I hope the recall fixed the problem.
It's hard to believe that they did not have the fix included in the construction by May of '98 [when I got mine].
I hate that stupid sticker. Allison should either put a rating on the hull and sell it like a Bayliner or remove the sticker and sell it like an "Ultra Performance Boat".
I think that sticker hurts Allison sales more than any of their competition does. Most purchasers need financing or, like me, just want insurance.
JR