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How much water should be getting into the bilge area?


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Last night we hit the river again and before anyone was even in the water and had a chance to get the inside of the boat wet my boat was pumping out water. We were on full plane for about 7 miles before we hit our water. I had left the bilge pump running when I turned on the blower and had kept it running the whole way when we stopped the boat was still peeing. :unsure::unsure: Is something leaking?

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martinarcher

I know this is a dumb question, but the plug is in right? Whistling.gif

If so I would check your packing nut while in the water to see how much it is dripping. It is kind of a pain on our boats since it is hidden under the floor. I pull the center floor panel out when i check mine. It should be a slow drip about one drop every ten seconds or so. Just enough water to keep the packing lubricated.

If that's not it, I would take her home, put the plug in and chuck a garden hose in the bilge. Fill it up with a few inches of water and watch the outside of the boat for drips or leaking water.

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Sounds like the shaft packing is leaking. Search on here for directions to tighten it..it is a simple procedure.

Or your exhasut tubes could be leaking...that isa lot of water if it is staying on like that. Mine normally comes on once in every 2-3 hours with people constantly getting in and out.

That combined with the small leak in my exhaust hose usually fills it up to where the bilge comes on...but never that much.

Just to be sure...you do have both the plug in the rear tansom in as well as the one in the bilge area.

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My 97 Sunsetter would leak through the bow eye. Being on plane would eliminate that but I would check it anyway.

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Where is the packing nut? Yes both plugs were in. One of my speedo's isn't working right either, I found on here where that could be a problem, are those the things that look like little arms sticking out the back by the transom plug? Does anyone have any picture of the shaft packing area, I don't want to take it to the marina I'll never get her back. Thanks for helping.

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If that's not it, I would take her home, put the plug in and chuck a garden hose in the bilge. Fill it up with a few inches of water and watch the outside of the boat for drips or leaking water.

Oh God please don't let there be a crack somewhere....seriously would that be on the outside of the boat. Wouldn't we have noticed it, we looked it over really good. No water ever ever comes out of the transom plug, wouldn't that be an indication of hull damage?

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martinarcher

Here are a couple pics of mine from when i changed the rear transmission seal after the driveshaft coupling ate the blower hose. It unwrapped all the spiral wire in the hose from the blower to the rear of the boat. It was a real mess to get out! Make sure your blower hose is secured to your exhaust tube while you are in there - it could save a weekend on the lake. We were towed back to the dock with a bilge full of tranny fluid. Ranting.gif

post-7666-1247851611_thumb.jpg

post-7666-1247851614_thumb.jpg

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martinarcher

In the above pictures as you go down the shaft from the transmission towards the packing gland, the first nut (the one on "top") is the adjusting nut. The skinnier one just below it is the lock nut.

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Ok so make sure both of those bolts are tight? And is that crushed piece of black metal tube the exhaust tube the blower hose was suppose to be attached to? My heater doesn't blow very hot or at any real force either.

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Ok so make sure both of those bolts are tight? And is that crushed piece of black metal tube the exhaust tube the blower hose was suppose to be attached to? My heater doesn't blow very hot or at any real force either.

Ther are two nuts. The outer one is the jamb nut and you just need to loosen it enough so the inner nut will turn. You should only need to tighten the inner nut by hand to get to the 1 drop every 5-10 second point, then re-tightne the jamb nut.

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martinarcher

Sorry I guess I didn't provide too much instruction. Baddog is right. You need to loosen the lock nut, then adjust the other nut until you have a drip every 10 seconds. After you have it tweaked to drip once every 10 seconds just tighten up the lock nut and your good to go. Thumbup.gif

Edited by martinarcher
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martinarcher
Should I lift my engine cover while the engine is running to see how much it is dripping first?

The engine does not have to be running to test/adjust the packing nuts. Shut the engine off first.

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I know but I am a paranoid dork that'll probably unscrew it too much or something and then I'll screw it up worse.

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I know but I am a paranoid dork that'll probably unscrew it too much or something and then I'll screw it up worse.

It is OK to be a bit paranoid, but you are likely not a dork, or at least a major one. the only way to set the packing nut correctly is on the water so you can time the normal drips. If the paranoia is too much, and if you have the luxury, back the boat into the water as deep as possible while still on the trailer and make the adjustment. You would have to turn the packing nut a LOT to have it come all the way off and cause a catastrophic leak. When adjusting this baby you will only turn it maybe 10-20 degrees to move a constant stream to the magic 1 drop per 5-10 seconds.

You do need two large wrenches. there are several threads about this but the cheapest optio is to buy two sink wrenches (I think) from Lowes. $15 max.

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Thanks, I tried to get a look at it last night but I think I'll have to take the rear seat out, the engine cover is huge and I had a boatload last night I didn't want to squish any toes. My hubbys says to me just make a list of everything I want to do to the boat and we'll check them off one at a time when the season is done and then it'll be like new next year when she gets ready to go back on the water. Let's see, fix little nicks in the gel coat under the boat, fix the little bubble in the gel coat on the side, reupholster the interior, of course polish and shine her up, add kickbutt stereo with ipod adapter, big big big speakers to get the teens rock on, and I want a slalom ski back, I miss gliding across the wake on the skinny stick. I'm sure I'll enjoy wakeboarding as soon as I get it figured out but I want to ski too. Mechanically everything is so perfect except for that stupid computron, he's always having little hissy fits, I'd like to replace the steering cables and get that leak adjusted. No I am not a dork just still a kid at heart, my body reminds me I'm not a kid however usually the very next day. My hubby wants to have money when we are old I want to have fun while I still can.

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Does the boat need to be on the water to test this or can I do it in my driveway?

On the water only. You can run the engine in the driveway with a fake-lake but don't put it in gear. If you do you might kiss your shaft packing good-bye as you'll be running it dry. On the water with one person driving sit by the drive shaft and watch the drip rate. I need to tighten my own as it actually throws water all over the place. Too much water won't hurt anything, only your bilge pump will have your boat peeing all the time. Of course you could allways poor some yellow food coloring in the bidge before hitting the lake. Then when the boat "pees" you could look around and say, "all right, who did that?". :blush:

Edited by WakingMeHappy
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