Using the down time to work on my 1996 Champion 186. Been reading a lot about the splash well drain tubes leaking on these mid-90's Champions so I pulled them out, removed the metal transom cap and pulled one of the motor mounting bolts... all were wet. Cannot see the wood but I can run a wire down each of the cap's screw holes and they all come back wet. Looks like some rot inside the drain tube hole. I can run a coat hanger down 6" to 8" in some of the screw holes. Boat is in pretty good shape otherwise so I think I'm interested in getting it repaired if the repair does not exceed the value of the boat. Not sure if it can be dried out. Not sure how to determine how much or how deep the rot goes. Any shops in the DFW area that can diagnose this?

You don't need a diagnosis, you need an estimate. Even if it could be dried out, once wood rots it looses all of it's structural integrity. For a load bearing structure like a transom, I would not be comfortable with anything less than a complete rebuild. If all of the old stuff is not removed, it will affect any new material that you use to rebuild. I think you are looking at a pretty expensive repair unless you can do a lot of it yourself.

put motor up from all the way down abt 2 feet, and climb on the skeg plate and push down hard, bounce on it.. if the transom flex at all, its rotten..

check out SEACAST transom repair system ..

Go see Chris at Classic Fiberglass

Sooner Fiberglass in OKC just did my 1997 Champion transom overhaul. $2,000. That is going to be $1,500-$2,500 cheaper than any place in Texas I found.

We took the motor off ourselves and took the tank out to help save labor costs.

I have the same problem with my 1997 Champion. Was given an estimate of $4500-$5000 for total repair. My boat is still in great condition other than that! Was getting lined up to take it in when my truck got stolen !!! - Sometimes rednecks cant catch a break !

Guys you really need to understand how those transoms were built. They aren't plywood.
They are a sixteen layer laminate of glass and kiln dried fir. Which is highly resistant to rot. Wet doesn't mean gonner.

90% of the time a proper drying brings it back to new. Pull the motor and top trim and put two heat lamps on it for two weeks constant. You'll be amazed at the results.

I would listen to Mr.Goff.He knows alot about these boats.

Pat, I can see a mushy material that i assume is wood around the splash well tube holes and there is a void in that area (just looks like the inter and outer skin and then nothing in between). The part that concerned me most was the fact that I can run a coat hanger down 8-10 inches in the center without much resistance and 6-8 inches near the drain tubes (the hanger comes out damp and with brown residue). However, I can bounce my 200 pounds on the motor and the transom does not flex. Only started looking because I had a couple of brown streaks from around the drain tubes and from under the metal cap. Will the top of the transom firm up when it dries. Do you think the coat hanger is going between the glass layers and there is still a lot of structural integrity in the upper transom.

I've seen them come back from similar, for the cost of two heat lamps and a little time, give it a try.

And for all the others reading this...your boat should be re-sealed every five years. Cheap insurance. Regardless of brand, regardless if it's "composite", water intrusion will do the same damage.

If drying doesn't work out you can should be able to do a seacast transom for round 6-700 hundred. It's gorilla work getting the old wood and glass out though.

Pat what do you think of injecting those thinned out resin products after it's dry? Don't see how it could hurt.

Yep couldn't hurt.

http://www.westmarine.com/buy/boatlife--git-rot-penetrating-epoxy--P004_120_001_009

If you'll dry it like Pat said.....then use this....it'll outlive you.