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'87 E34 rub rail replacement

sailingdeacon

Member III
Anyone know the best replacement for my 87 E34? See photo. I doubt anybody makes the exact rail.
 

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sailingdeacon

Member III
will try cleaning

Thanks for all the tips! Since the price to replace the rails seem a bit high I think i will simply try a cleaner for aluminum. While the rails (solid aluminum, no insert) probably do need replacing, they aren't destroyed yet . I will try first a low cost product Duraglass for Aluminum available at auto supplies, then perhaps one of those pricey West Marine products.. 3M at$26. Anyone have experience with cleaners.
 

Rocinante33

Contributing Partner
Yeah, the pic of your rub rail actually looks pretty good. I would just clean it uo too. Mine has some pitting and will need replacement......but it is not at the top of the list.
 

sailingdeacon

Member III
Thanks Keith, but the photo was one I just happen to have which showe a good part of the rail. In other places, not so good. scraches, dents, pitts in some places. So cleaning will help I hope. I meant the photo to show the type of rail... apparently not available anywhere now. For example the screw holes are around 9" apart, unusual I think . (It would be nice to not to have to make new holes.
 

napleskayak

Junior Member
E 29

This is a new response to an older post. The rubrail issue is addressed in other areas but if you are like me and new to EO then the more info the better. I just replaced my 1976 E29 with one from Wefco after lots of researching and e baying. It is great,perfect and cheap
 

sailingdeacon

Member III
I know I am beating this to death, but I had to post this image here because apparently there is NO replacement for this particular rub rail (Ericsons of the 1987 time frame - at least the E34. . All the appreciated help directed my way leads to either vinyl, vinyl inserts or aluminum that is different. If I have to pay the rather high cost of a new aluminum or an insert,it would be really preferred to use the same 9" apart screw holes. But I dont think it exists. So apparently there is no OEM rubrail for these models.

I tried cleaning with an aluminum cleaner with only marginal success. Lots of really pitted and scarred places. So if I ever replace a vinyl insert would be lots better than dented and scarred aluminum. I dont understand why Ericson used solid aluminum in the first place... considering it was 1987.
 

cawinter

Member III
Taco

Sailingdeacon,

If you look back, there were LOTS of posts on that subject.

My rail was ripped off by a collision with a HUNTER42 (unfair!), and I replaced what was left with a TACO Aluminum rail. Two sections each side with new holes. Looks better than before and not a big deal. The old ones looked horrible in comparison. Cleaning the hull-deck joint, patching with 5200 here and there, drilling and then caulking the new screws was not a big deal...and I did not have a choice. BTW, I used the opportunity to repaint the cove stripe, too. :) I love boating!
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
If you look at the picture in post #1, those are screwed in, thru the sealant that beds the deck and hull flange. Inside the boat there is a band of roving over that joint, effectively permanently joining the deck and hull. The screws may or may not pierce the roving. Maybe some other owners of 80's E boats can comment.

LB
 

cawinter

Member III
Through bolting

I don't think you want to compromise the clean inside per Loren. I believe I have them screwed in with perhaps 1/2-3/4" in the joint, and then all caulked up. Works for me! I try to stay away from things that are harder than this can handle... :egrin: A good fenderboard will go a long way, as will a fearful crew with strong hands.
 

FrankJ

Member I
Which Taco rub rail ?

Sailingdeacon,

If you look back, there were LOTS of posts on that subject.

My rail was ripped off by a collision with a HUNTER42 (unfair!), and I replaced what was left with a TACO Aluminum rail. Two sections each side with new holes. Looks better than before and not a big deal. The old ones looked horrible in comparison. Cleaning the hull-deck joint, patching with 5200 here and there, drilling and then caulking the new screws was not a big deal...and I did not have a choice. BTW, I used the opportunity to repaint the cove stripe, too. :) I love boating!

Sailingdeacon

Which rub rail from Taco did you use? I've checked around and can not find any thats close to mine, for the 38-200 1989.

FrankJ
 

Sailsteve

Member
I did this a few years ago...

Just reading through this thread. I replaced the old rub rail on my 1981 E-36RH with a custom rail from a place in California. I made them a working drawing of the shape of the rail that I wanted and they made a special extrusion die and made me a rail. It fit great but over time I was not happy with the relatively soft rubber that they used to make it. It doesn't stand up to UV very well and leaves white streaks on my dark blue hull after a rainstorm. As a result, now 8 years later I am going to have to do it all over again.

The problem with my boat (I'm not sure how other 80's era Ericsons were made) is that the hull and deck form a lip that sitcks out from the boat at some points as much as 1/2". So, whatever rub rail that I eventually buy needs to have a rear clearance of at least that much. This makes the rub rail itself stick out pretty far from the side of the boat. It becomes a problem when the boat is launched and the crane slings pull up on the rail material and bend it upward and off. It's also a problem at a mooring when a launch takes you alongside and the handrail on the launch bounces up and bashes into the large overhang of the rub rail. To avoid this problem I'm planning to grind down the existing lip in a few places and buy a shallower depth rub rail. I will need to fix any existing holes and re-bed all of the mounting screws, but it will definitely look and work better. I am considering the Taco rail this time. The one I'm looking at is made of a hard vinyl that I think will be a lot better than the rubber.

Any way you look at it it will be a big chore.

Steve Schwartz
E-36RH "Glory Days"
 
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