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beginning of the season blues


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I put mt 1998 VLX Sunsetter in the water today. 10 minutes of engine run time , I took on 8" of water in engine compartment and in bilge. Water was coming out

of the heated air vent in the pass thru to the bow seating. I'm not a boating virgin, I've had cracked heater cores before and seen water coming into the boat

(cooling water that circulates thru the core and then exits back to the block and out of the boat) not exiting the boat. However this situation is different , water

coming in from somewhere big time. I ran the engine at idle and stuck my head in the engine compartment, I didnt see anything obvious.

The boat was winterized, I can only assume that the mechanic left a a line disconnected or a hull plug out or something--

ANYONE GOT ANY GOOD IDEAS ON WHERE TO START LOOKING?

Last time I had a cracked heater core, ( mechaninc did not winterize properly and it froze) I took a 3' section of hose and disconnected the heat core by bypassing it back to engine block for the season. End of season I trailed to a Mailbu dealer for repair and winterization.

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I am of little help in that regard.

However, when Dennis filled his bilge with water because he left the center drain plug out it was the beginning of the dead battery fiasco. His starter solenoid developed an low amperage draw all of the time because of the mineral deposits in the water, or corrosion, or who knows why. Because we rotate boats his might sit for a couple of weeks and we would go to start it and the battery was dead. The fix was to replace the starter or solenoid, I forget which.

So take your jumper cables with you for a while, just in case.

Edited by DONTW8
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funny- center drain plugs for dummies please :) is it accessible from the inside or under the boat, it's presently on a lift.

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open the engine box and look straight down in front of it between the engine and the ski pylon. I am assuming this is a direct drive being a 98.

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There are a few plugs to check - here is what I have on my LSV -

One in the in floor ski locker.

One in the rear hull.

One in the engine compartment. Mine is on the port side, about a 1-1/2" plug, and mine has a t-handle bolt.

(I assume this would be for a pick-up if I had ballast.)

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Mine is located on the left side if you are facing the rear of the boat in front of the motor. It is a 3/4" t-handle plug. Hope that is all that is wrong.

CB

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OK, looks like another mis winterized heater core! Water streaming in only with engine running in the vicinity of the air heat vent just below where heater core sits.

I've bypassed heater water lines before with 5/8" hose, but it's been a few years , anyone got a pic of how to do it so I don't screw it up? thanks,

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  • 2 weeks later...

I put mt 1998 VLX Sunsetter in the water today. 10 minutes of engine run time , I took on 8" of water in engine compartment and in bilge. Water was coming out

of the heated air vent in the pass thru to the bow seating. I'm not a boating virgin, I've had cracked heater cores before and seen water coming into the boat

(cooling water that circulates thru the core and then exits back to the block and out of the boat) not exiting the boat. However this situation is different , water

coming in from somewhere big time. I ran the engine at idle and stuck my head in the engine compartment, I didnt see anything obvious.

The boat was winterized, I can only assume that the mechanic left a a line disconnected or a hull plug out or something--

ANYONE GOT ANY GOOD IDEAS ON WHERE TO START LOOKING?

Last time I had a cracked heater core, ( mechaninc did not winterize properly and it froze) I took a 3' section of hose and disconnected the heat core by bypassing it back to engine block for the season. End of season I trailed to a Mailbu dealer for repair and winterization.

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The same thing happened to mine. I never use the heater. Is there any downside to bypassing permanantly?

I would just bypass the heater core itself. That way there is no mistake. You have to take it out anyway.

Good luck.

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The same thing happened to mine. I never use the heater. Is there any downside to bypassing the heater permanantly? Do you put the splice tube inside or outside the tubes?

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The same thing happened to mine. I never use the heater. Is there any downside to bypassing the heater permanantly? Do you put the splice tube inside or outside the tubes?

I was just out with my friend's Nautique a few days ago and was getting some really hot water bathing our feet while driving. Definitely the heater core. He will be looping some hose to bypass the heater. You could also screw some plugs into the engine to skip the heater. There is no downside to bypassing the heater, except that you won't have any heat. If you are splicing the hoses together, then you want to fit the connector to the inside of the hoses.

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I bypassed my heater last year and found it easier to do at the back of the boat, I just cut a small section of hose and ran it from the water pump to by the thermostat.

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