transom water leak
Hello,I have a 1996 Crownline with the Bravo One outdrive. The boat is
taking on water when I'm just sitting on the lake. The water is not
coming from the engine. I have been trying to keep an eye on what
conditions the boat takes on the most water and it seems like when the
lake is calm and the boat isn't rocking much, it takes on very little
or no water. However when it gets rougher and the back of the boat
starts rocking more, quite a bit of water comes in. My exhaust
bellows had a hole in it, so I just took the boat to a mechanic and
got all three bellows replaced and I'm still getting a leak. When I'm
cruising and there is no water pressure against the outdrive/transom
area, no water leaks. On this boat, I have the Captains Call exhaust
with the choice of through-hull or through the outdrive for the
exhaust. I also have trim tabs installed as well. I am looking for
suggestions as to what may be leaking, or where specifically to look.
This has been really bothering me and I'd like to get it fixed before
it causes bigger problems. Could it be a leak where the trim tab hoses come through the hull?
Seems like they are at the right level where they are out of the water
when it's calm, but submerged when I have a few people sitting on the
back of the boat in rougher water. Or is this not likely? Any help is appreciated. Thanks,
Jim |
jamesmcniel
May 29
|
| The Y pipe or bullhorn as some call it, is the factory exhaust setup that
collects exhaust from both manifolds and joins it together to send the
exhaust through the transom plate below the waterline on the centerline
under the driveshaft. You don't have any washdown, sink, livewell pickup or
drain, or scupper drains that are near or under the waterline?
Jim |
Jim
May 30
|
| I'm pretty much positive that it's not one of the bellows that is
leaking since I had them all replaced last weekend. What exactly is
the transom drain? Perhaps that is an area that could be my problem. Thanks,
Jim |
Jim
May 30
|
| It's the hole with a plug in it at the bottom of the transom. Usually. If you look at the ass end of your boat from the outside, the bottom
should form a sort of V. There's a drain at the crotch of the v. Sorry
to use such graphic terms, but I think you'll get it this way. |
HK
May 30
|
| Ohh, the drain plug. I didn't realize that was Jim was talking
about. My plug seems to seat tightly which is why I don't think that
is causing the leak. Plus, if the plug were leaking, I would think
since it is always under the water line, it would be a steady leak.
The rate of water coming in changes depending on the conditions. |
Jim
May 30
|
| The transom drain is the plug at the bottom of the transom that is removed
to drain water out of the bilge.
It's not hard to install bellows incorrectly. Another potential leaker that
I forgot to mention is the Y pipe where it attaches to the inner transom
plate. Do you have any thru hull fittings at or very near the waterline
anywhere on the boat?
Jim
Jim |
Jim
May 30
|
| Yeah, but the odds of my old bellows and the new ones both being
installed incorrectly is pretty slim. I'm pretty certain the original
bellows were from the factory. Plus, the old bellows didn't look that
bad. Right at the water line is the through hull exhaust and the trim
tab hoses. Other than that, just the outdrive. What exactly is the Y
pipe? Where would I look for a leak on that? Thanks,
Jim |
Jim
May 30
|
| I've always called it the garboard drain.... |
Gene
May 30
|
|
I would expect nothing less from a past winner of a ZZTop lookalike contest. |
HK
May 30
|
| That was an old picture...... |
Gene
May 30
|
| Just reading quickly through, and I don't have a solution to your leak
but I wanted to suggest you stop in at a local automart type store and
pick up a telescoping mirror as used for working on car engines, they
are great to have around the home and garage anyway and should be less
than 5 bucks. They come in several sizes and length extending handles
kind of like an old radio antenna you used to break off the old radios
and play with as a kid ;) |
justwaitafreki...
May 30
|
| Sounds like you have identified a likely source. Can you get a couple of buddies to stand on the back of your boat, or
add weight in some other manner, while you watch the area around the
tab hoses and see if water begins trickling in? You could also spray
the area around the hoses with a large volume of water from a hose and
see if any finds its way into the bilge. |
Chuck
May 29
|
| I should have mentioned in the original post, the problem is that on
Crownlines, it's a real pain to see around the engine. Unless I wrap
myself into a pretzel, there isn't an easy way to see what's going on
there. That's why it's so frustrating. Somebody I had talked with
suggested taking a mirror to see behind the engine. Any other
possibilities that it could be on the outdrive? Or am I best off
looking elsewhere? Thanks for the response,
Jim |
Jim
May 29
|
| Why not make sure the area around the trim tab hoses is initially dry,
then reach in and place something absorbent around the hoses, do the
spray or immersion test, and then check to see if your tell-tale is
wet? |
Chuck
May 29
|
| Good idea. I will give that a shot this weekend when I head out.
It's leaking enough that I would think I could find out if that's it
pretty quickly. I will give it a try. Thanks! |
Jim
May 29
|
| You need to approach this from a different angle, literally. If water leaks
into the bilge from a specific location, there's a better than average
chance it will leak back out at the same location. The following assumes
you have the ability to put the boat on a trailer or to remove it from lake
by some other means such as a hydro-hoist. With the drain plug installed,
fill the bilge with water from a garden hose. You will need to temporarily
disable any automatic bilge pumps. Fill the bilge as high as possible
without involving the starter or any other electrical components in the
bilge. You should be able to see water trickling down the outside of the
transom. The source of the trickle is your leak. Common leaks include the
drain plug itself (or in its attachment to the transom), any number of
internal outdrive parts, and the transom seal. The transom seal is between
the gimbal housing and the transom. |
RG
May 29
|
| No, don't. This only works when you need to put a small amount of water in a
boat. Boats are expressly designed to keep water out NOT keep water
in. Putting too much water INSIDE of a boat can cause MAJOR structural
damage. |
Gene
May 29
|
|
Bingo. |
HK
May 29
|
| Put some silicone where the hoses go thru the transom. It's impossible to |
Jim
May 29
|
