Annoying water leak in hull!!

[Animal78]

Ok I have been having a issue with water leaking in on the right rear section of the boat. Not enough to sink it but enough to cause the bilge pump to run ALOT! About every ten minutes there is 3-4 inches deep of water in the bilge! At first I thought maybe the seam around the hull but nope. Next I thought maybe some of the parts screwed to the transom nope. I removed the gas tank since I needed to replace the sending unit and wanted to get alittle further into this.

Here's what happens. Near the right rear just below the swim platform bolts come thru the transom there is a small cutout in the floor appears to be sealed but I am starting to think it isn't. The water starts filling there. Then eventually it overflows that area.

My next thought is maybe the box in the middle has a leak? Is there any place other than the lid on top for it to leak? Can is leak into the areas to the left and right of the stringers? I am perplexed to say the least. I have been all over this thing there are no places on the outside for the water to leak in except the inside of that water box the shaft seal which is good and the boat plugs and obviously I have those in. I have removed and resealed everything else.

Oh it's a 97 Malibu Tantrum but IIRC all models that year used the same hull. I will try and get some pics of the places I am talking about. Thanks in advance.

[Malibudude]

The hydra-phonic dampening system Malibu uses for direct drives has known to leak. It's a black rectangular box where the rear drive goes through the hull (see attached picture). You'll see a top plate with several screws, remove and reseal. Otherwise it could very well be the packing nut and just needs to be tightened.

[WakingMeHappy]

Here is a link with instructions on how to repair the leak. I used this same link last year and have had no more problems.

[Animal78]

Ok it's not the shaft leaking. I just replaced that seal. The water comes in quickly.

Waking me Happy. The lid on the box doesn't leak at all. I just pulled the lid off to see how everything looked in there. No cracks and I can't see how the water could possibly fill up the area I am getting the water into. I will have to post a couple pics. It's very strange and I have determined that it has to be someplace on the right side. It only fills up in this one place. It's hard to explain. The pictures will tell a better story.

Although I do like the idea from the link seems like a good idea.

[Animal78]

This area stays dry until the water spills over from where it leaks in.

The spot in the corner below where those bolts are sealed with the white silicon is where it starts to leak in as soon as the boat touches the water.

Here is a close up of the same area.

I just can't see it leaking from the box all the way to this spot I am not saying it's impossible but it sure looks that way LOL.

[nyryan2001]

have you ran a garden hose into the hull while on trailer? Then look for drips on the outside? Jack up the front of the trailer some in your driveway and flood the hull with a hose..let it fill the 3-4 inches you are seeing while out on the water. That'll confirm it's none of your through hulls, drain plugs or other gear.

else, with that much water, any chance you have a water hose leak coming off the engine, pumps, ballast fittings or hoses? Did you put your hand down in that water to see if it's warm/hot?

[Animal78]

Water is cool like the lake and the boat wasn't running when I tested it. All the hoses are new as I just replaced the engine. I have been everywhere looking for this. I let it sit with the water in there after it had filled and nothing comes back out. Although there is much more pressure from the water being forced in while the boat is sitting in the lake than when the little bit of water is just trying to drip back out. I had it pretty full of water and nothing was dripping. I did notice a slight seep from one plug but nothing like this. It fills that little void in seconds!

[nyryan2001]

ok, only other way I know to isolate a hull leak is to back in the boat on the ramp very slowly, 1ft at a time while someone watches in the bilge for the leak to start, on the trailer...at a ramp that isn't busy so you can take your time..

[Animal78]

I am on my way to do just that!

[Animal78]

Well that didn't help. The water was still inside the boat aparently it never all drained. I did notice one thing. It may have shed some light. I noticed in the corner or just ahead of there where the floor meets the side of the hull water was leaking up from it started out just some bubbling noise but as the boat tilted more it was water coming up between there. I am guessing that from the area filling with water that the (between the right stringer and side of the hull) that it's trying to come out. I am going to need some time for it to dry out before I test again. Or I will have to remove the floor. I don't think that would be fun at all. I guess I could make a small hole so I could use the wet vac to suck up the water.

What kinda mess is removing the floor? Is it screwed down under the carpet?

[WakingMeHappy]

OK, remove the cover again to expose the shaft running through the HDS. Next, put all your plugs in. Put a garden hose in the bilge and watch for water come inside the HDS from the rear. Finely, follow the instructions in post #3.

[Animal78]

I see what your saying but how does the water in there (the HDS) get into the boat on the far right rear corner between the stringer and that side of the hull? I have looked all over and while I am not say I won't try your suggestion, I just don't see how the water can get from that point to the other side. The section between there and all around the hds stays dry until the water level rises over the floor.

I am off to take your advice and try that I will look closely to see what your talking about.

[glasslake]

WakingMeHappy has it nailed down. He's thinking what most of us are thinking and our money's still on the dreaded HDS leak. My family's RLX had it after the stainless CVP prop threw a blade. There won't be any water leaking out of the top of the HDS box itself. That box is always full of water when the boat is immersed. The HDS box is sandwiched to the inner hull with an amazingly effective marine adhesive. When that fails, there ends up being an escape route at the bottom of the HDS box for the water to move to other areas in the hull. Where it heads first and how fast it comes in depends on how bad the crack in the adhesive is and where exactly the crack is.

The thing that's tough to understand at first is that the water is leaking from the inside of the HDS box under the floor of your boat and through any openings that are supposed to be there to allow water that might come into the boat from the topside of your deck to make its way back to the bilge.

Edited April 22, 2011 by glasslake

[WakingMeHappy]

I see what your saying but how does the water in there (the HDS) get into the boat on the far right rear corner between the stringer and that side of the hull? I have looked all over and while I am not say I won't try your suggestion, I just don't see how the water can get from that point to the other side. The section between there and all around the hds stays dry until the water level rises over the floor.

I am off to take your advice and try that I will look closely to see what your talking about.

When you're filling the bilge with the garden hose the water is running down under the floor and is coming up into the HDS through a crack separating the two. Now, lets take that with the boat in the water. As soon as you drop the boat in the water the HDS fills with water through the hole where the drive shaft goes through the haul. Since there is a cover on top of the HDS no water should enter the boat. But since there is a crack in the very rear of the HDS water can escape. It escapes to the under floor and hence the bilge. It is very doubtful you will be able to see the crack. But if you go back to the garden hose and use a flashlight you will see the water coming in. When you see the water coming in you will say, "well crap, (or some other colorful metaphor) would ya looky there".

[Animal78]

Wierd ok I watched I am amazed cause while I see no leaking up from around the seams of the box. Some of the six bolts have water welling up around them when I filled the bilge with water.

Is there any other way I can repair this without using the method linked above in post 3? I really don't like fiberglass. Could I resin the whole inside of the box?

[WakingMeHappy]

Wierd ok I watched I am amazed cause while I see no leaking up from around the seams of the box. Some of the six bolts have water welling up around them when I filled the bilge with water.

Is there any other way I can repair this without using the method linked above in post 3? I really don't like fiberglass. Could I resin the whole inside of the box?

Yes, you could smear Liquid Nail, Contact Cement or E6000 all over the place but it is hard to say how long it would last. I had never worked with fiber glass before so it was a first for me. I bought a small kit from Auto Zone and read the directions. The first few pieces I put down looked pretty bad. As a matter of fact ALL the strips or fiber glass I put down looked pretty bad. None of the strips were very straight and the fiber glass resin was all over the place. Then I sealed the cover back on and no one ever has to look at my pathetic looking fiber glass work again. And as long as I don't ever tell anyone they will think I do great fiber glass work. But, most importantly, my bilge pump has yet to come back on.

[glasslake]

Yes, you could smear Liquid Nail, Contact Cement or E6000 all over the place but it is hard to say how long it would last. I had never worked with fiber glass before so it was a first for me. I bought a small kit from Auto Zone and read the directions. The first few pieces I put down looked pretty bad. As a matter of fact ALL the strips or fiber glass I put down looked pretty bad. None of the strips were very straight and the fiber glass resin was all over the place. Then I sealed the cover back on and no one ever has to look at my pathetic looking fiber glass work again. And as long as I don't ever tell anyone they will think I do great fiber glass work. But, most importantly, my bilge pump has yet to come back on.

[Animal78]

So I could just coat the whole inside of the box with glass and resin and not make the shaft sealed in that little compartment as in the link? Just as long as I cover all the seams and, what seems pretty important in my case would be to remove the strut bolts and cover those holes as well and then re drill the holes once finished and cured?

[Animal78]

Oh and thanks very very much for your help!! Now I understand it all.

[WakingMeHappy]

That is correct. The only thing you have to seal is in the rear area where the water is leaking. You really don't have to make the cap the fits over the drive shaft. With that you also would not have to cut away the area where the cover fits on. If you do it like this then your HDS still works as the HDS...which means it does nothing for vibration reduction. Just don't forget to seal the cover and put it back on. By the way, this is how I did mine. The link I provided is the long version. I did the short version that works just as good.

[Animal78]

Ok my thoughts are this, Use fiberglass resin to reseal the box at the rear and sides of the box as well as remove the bolts that hold the shaft strut to the bottom of the boat. I know that the previous owner hit something and the shaft and strut had to be removed from the boat. He had the shaft and the prop repaired. So I guess thats what started this. He mentioned something about the water coming in on the back corner and said that it had been going on for awhile.

So as much as I hate fiberglass I will pull out my resporator and go after it. I will apply resin and glass to the back and sides of the box as well as the the area where the strut is mounted. Then spread resin up around the front of the bolts I am thinking it would be hard to get the glass mat in there due to the shaft being in the way. I will take lots of pics and post them up when finished. I hope to have this done by Saturday.

[shawndoggy]

Ok my thoughts are this, Use fiberglass resin to reseal the box at the rear and sides of the box as well as remove the bolts that hold the shaft strut to the bottom of the boat. I know that the previous owner hit something and the shaft and strut had to be removed from the boat. He had the shaft and the prop repaired. So I guess thats what started this. He mentioned something about the water coming in on the back corner and said that it had been going on for awhile.

So as much as I hate fiberglass I will pull out my resporator and go after it. I will apply resin and glass to the back and sides of the box as well as the the area where the strut is mounted. Then spread resin up around the front of the bolts I am thinking it would be hard to get the glass mat in there due to the shaft being in the way. I will take lots of pics and post them up when finished. I hope to have this done by Saturday.

If you rip the mat up and then push it into the resin with a paintbrush it's easier to get the glass to conform to corners and edges.

[Steve B.]

Ok my thoughts are this, Use fiberglass resin to reseal the box at the rear and sides of the box as well as remove the bolts that hold the shaft strut to the bottom of the boat. I know that the previous owner hit something and the shaft and strut had to be removed from the boat. He had the shaft and the prop repaired. So I guess thats what started this. He mentioned something about the water coming in on the back corner and said that it had been going on for awhile.

So as much as I hate fiberglass I will pull out my resporator and go after it. I will apply resin and glass to the back and sides of the box as well as the the area where the strut is mounted. Then spread resin up around the front of the bolts I am thinking it would be hard to get the glass mat in there due to the shaft being in the way. I will take lots of pics and post them up when finished. I hope to have this done by Saturday.

Can someone else chime in on this : "Then spread resin up around the front of the bolts "

Does he have to do this? And then re-drill the holes ?

Steve B.

[jk13]

Rather than trying to seal that entire box with resin and risk this all happening again, why not just follow the instructions in that link using the same materials? It's a lot easier to seal a small area like that than the large area of the whole HDS box........hence the reason for all the trouble to begin with.

Do it once and be done forever.

[Animal78]

Well I think I can seal it just where the leak is originating. I rather not build that little box over the shaft. It's alot more work and it's not very hard to seal the inside of the box up. It will still work like it does now(although it probably does little at all to start with) and Also it will make accessing the shaft easier in the future.

I think this was a typo "Then spread resin up around the front of the bolts". Supposed to to say up from the back around the bolts. Here is a picture to show how it's leaking. It's still leaking now even though the bilge area is completely empty of water. So wherever the crack leads to still has some water in there. About the remove those bolts and see if it leaks faster.

You can see rust stains around the washers on the bolts that have been leaking. The only thingthat sux is that it has to be completely dry before I can start the fiberglass work. Otherwise I will still have "pockets" where the water will stay.

Edited April 22, 2011 by Animal78