1999 Lund ProSport Transom Replacement - Cannot remove livewells

by Jeff
(Madison, WI)

The transom is completely rotted on my Lund ProSport. Lund provided me with a new wood transom (in place of fixing it under warranty).

I cannot get the live-wells/water-well out!

I need to take the live-wells and water-well unit out to access 8 bolts that go through the outside of the aluminum hull through the transom, and then have a bolt on the inside of the boat. I have removed the rivets from inside the live-wells, and where the water-well attaches to the transom, and where it attaches to the boat frame. I also removed screws that were attached to the side panels.

I removed the flotation foam from along side of the live-wells, and have pounded a 1/8" thick piece of flat steel along the live-wells where ever I could get access.

I placed a hoist strap through the water-well access hole and battery compartment, and used a jack where I could access inside the battery compartment to attempt to create pressure to break the hold that the foam insulation has on the metal. A soldered seam at the battery compartment/live-well area broke, and I am still unable to get the live-wells/water-well out.

Does anyone have any experience/ideas on why this area is still stuck? Lund told me that there should be nothing else holding this area in besides the adhesion to the flotation foam.

2 other ideas that I am kicking around are:
1) cut the transom bolts in question, and replaced with a little larger size stainless lag-bolt using 3M 5200 so that I would not need to get access to the inside.
2) Slice the new transom so that it would slide down over top of the existing bolts though the transom, so I would not have to remove them.

I have attached some photos of the work area.

Thanks for any help/ideas.