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Water in boat between front and mid MLS tanks 08 LSV HELP!


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We just got to Lake Tahoe and put the boat in the water at lunch time today. I have been noticing lately that at the end of a day of boating we have a decent amount of water in the floor near the front plug. Well I have been watching today and the water keeps increasing. I have already drained it once with my fatsack pump, but it keeps slowly leaking in. I have shut off the valves on the two fill pumps in this compartment and made sure all plugs are seated correctly. Does anyone have an idea of where this water could be coming from? It hasn't got enough to hit the bilge pump yet but I am going to have to keep pumping water out several times a day all week unless I want to pull the boat out and take a look at it. I am hoping some of you knowledgable mechanic types might now what leaks typically show up in this area.

I also looked at the engine area and noticed that it was dry until there became enough water to drip down there so I don't think the leak is coming form the back half of the boat.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

Brian

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We just got to Lake Tahoe and put the boat in the water at lunch time today. I have been noticing lately that at the end of a day of boating we have a decent amount of water in the floor near the front plug. Well I have been watching today and the water keeps increasing. I have already drained it once with my fatsack pump, but it keeps slowly leaking in. I have shut off the valves on the two fill pumps in this compartment and made sure all plugs are seated correctly. Does anyone have an idea of where this water could be coming from? It hasn't got enough to hit the bilge pump yet but I am going to have to keep pumping water out several times a day all week unless I want to pull the boat out and take a look at it. I am hoping some of you knowledgable mechanic types might now what leaks typically show up in this area.

I also looked at the engine area and noticed that it was dry until there became enough water to drip down there so I don't think the leak is coming form the back half of the boat.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

Brian

Do you have the dripless packing gland? Could be that. Check all your hose connections coming from your water intake and heater.

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I seem to always have a little water in the center of the boat,I think its the lowest point of the boat so the water always ends up there.I dont have a dripless gland so i know where the water is coming from at least.Since its not enough to trip the bilge i wouldnt worry about it.I just drive bow up for a short time and send the water back to the bilge pump. :biggrin:

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When the boat is sitting in the water, all the water that collects in the bilge will appear in the middle of the boat by the driver access panel between the middle tank and the gas tank. If you closed all the valves to the ballast tank and you are still taking on water I would say to look at the packing nut, which is on the shaft directly behind the tranny. Should be a very slight drip when moving. Not sure where else to look, there are only a few areas that penetrate water, the ballast inlets, the main engine inlet and the shaft. You might even check where the exhaust goes out through the back of the transom. If it's not a crap load of water I don't know if I would worry about it. One other thing I have had to replace one of the hoses gong to the center tank before on my 06 VLX because the original hose had a three inch gash in it, I had water pouring over the top of the center tank when that happened. Good luck

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Thanks for the replies. I have no idea what a dripless packing bladder is... any hints on where to look? I could check the heater and water pump but don't have a clue where they are. Any tips on finding these things?

The leak has seemed to slow if not completely stop. I checked recently and over the last few hours the water level appears the same.

Thanks

Brian

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Thanks for the replies. I have no idea what a dripless packing bladder is... any hints on where to look? I could check the heater and water pump but don't have a clue where they are. Any tips on finding these things?

The leak has seemed to slow if not completely stop. I checked recently and over the last few hours the water level appears the same.

Thanks

Brian

If you remove the center rear seat cushion and storage tray, you should be able to see the tranny and shaft. Most likely the water is coming from the shaft packing nut. It is supposed to drip once every 10 seconds, but will drip more frequently if it needs adjustment. You need two large wrenches to tighten it. You should be okay during your trip...just keep an eye on it and try to drain it by using the bilge and leave your battery turned on over night so the auto-bilge will turn on if needed.

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If you remove the center rear seat cushion and storage tray, you should be able to see the tranny and shaft. Most likely the water is coming from the shaft packing nut. It is supposed to drip once every 10 seconds, but will drip more frequently if it needs adjustment. You need two large wrenches to tighten it. You should be okay during your trip...just keep an eye on it and try to drain it by using the bilge and leave your battery turned on over night so the auto-bilge will turn on if needed.

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If the packing gland is fine, check your fittings off of your ballast tanks up front and middle.

I always seem to hav a little water there on my 247, but i wwill be installing a second bildge there just to keep things a little dryer.

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You've gotta determine whether it's coming from the front or the back of the boat first. It could be a number of things: intake hose, engine/impeller hoses, ballast hoses, shaft seal, maybe even ice melting out of your cooler if you use the one built into the boat (where most of my water comes from).

It is normal to get a little bit of water at the front drain plug as that is usually the lowest part of the boat and an inch or two there shouldn't be a big deal (the bilge will actually get it when you're on plane then). I actually have a friend who had a second bilge pump installed near that front plug on his LSV because it's the lowest part of the boat and he always kept his boat in the water. I've also seen the fill hose fitting on one of the rear ballast tanks snap off. I know it can be hard to deterimine where the water is coming from, but you have to try to locate the source first and it's easiest to do when the boat is in the water.

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Oh, and to check ballast: With the engine off try filling and draining each tank one at a time with the center and rear hatch open, see if you have any water running from anywhere.

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The water is definitely coming from the front half of the boat because the rear (under the center rear cushion) is dry until the front fills up enough that it spills to the back. It isnt a ton of water but it is definitely an active leak, not incidential water. I have ruled out the two forward pumps and the forward plug. I will be able to get through the week and have it checked at the dealer at the end of the season.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Just a little frustrating to finally be on my one week boating vacation and find boat leaks!

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