1998 4.3L Merc 190HP Alpha 1 Gen II leaking water near transom pipes Any ideas~~

[spikedbat]

I had the engine rebuilt two years ago. Only put about 3-4 hours on it and pulled it and stored it properly, anti-freeze etc everything done.

Now I will admit that I did not even touch the boat for over 2 years and put it into the lake last weekend only to find a leak after driving it for 30 min.

I ran it in the driveway on the hose and didn't notice any water leaks. So i'm assuming this is coming in from somewhere between the transom and pipes as I can see water tickling down in that area. I don't believe it's coming from the exhaust as I've already had that problem and replaced it.

Any ideas on where to start looking for this leak? Should I pull the rear drive or is that a waste of time? Any gaskets that could have rotted away?

The boat and engine are 98 and I'd be pretty surprised if the transom is rotted considering how little time this boat has in the water. Always typically stored on store.

Any ideas suggestions welcome.

Thanks

 

[Don S]

Re: 1998 4.3L Merc 190HP Alpha 1 Gen II leaking water near transom pipes Any ideas~~

We could all sit around and guess each and every spot on your boat and transom shield. I suggest you do it like the pros do it.
Put the boat in the water, (leave it on the trailer) and open the engine hatch and start looking and listening. We can help you fix a leak, but we can't find it for you. Everything on the boat that is under water is a possibility.

 

[Bondo]

Re: 1998 4.3L Merc 190HP Alpha 1 Gen II leaking water near transom pipes Any ideas~~

I had the engine rebuilt two years ago. Only put about 3-4 hours on it and pulled it and stored it properly, anti-freeze etc everything done.

Now I will admit that I did not even touch the boat for over 2 years and put it into the lake last weekend only to find a leak after driving it for 30 min.

I ran it in the driveway on the hose and didn't notice any water leaks. So i'm assuming this is coming in from somewhere between the transom and pipes as I can see water tickling down in that area. I don't believe it's coming from the exhaust as I've already had that problem and replaced it.

Any ideas on where to start looking for this leak? Should I pull the rear drive or is that a waste of time? Any gaskets that could have rotted away?

The boat and engine are 98 and I'd be pretty surprised if the transom is rotted considering how little time this boat has in the water. Always typically stored on store.

Any ideas suggestions welcome.

Thanks

Ayuh,.... The expected service life of the rubber bellows is 5 to 8 years,...

If you've never changed 'em,.... That's My guess....

 

[spikedbat]

Re: 1998 4.3L Merc 190HP Alpha 1 Gen II leaking water near transom pipes Any ideas~~

Ayuh,.... The expected service life of the rubber bellows is 5 to 8 years,...

If you've never changed 'em,.... That's My guess....

Nope never changed.

I'm not just throwing this out there hoping to get a million guesses, I was hoping somebody could point me in the right direction.
I ran the boat on land with hose hooked up and no leaks. So I know it's nothing related to my exhaust system (Correct??).
Took the hose and had somebody spray around the transom and drive area hoping to see if something would push past and leak in but nothing. So ya it's only leaking when it's in the water.

I know the area where it's coming in, near the transom kinda above where the y-pipe heads out the back, but obviously it's hard to see the exact spot . So what I was hoping for was a suggestion on how to dig deeper into the problem.

I guess the bellows would be the main thing.
Can I pull just the drive unit to gain access to them or does the entire engine have to be pull too?

Thx guys

 

[spikedbat]

Re: 1998 4.3L Merc 190HP Alpha 1 Gen II leaking water near transom pipes Any ideas~~

http://blog.boattrader.com/2012/08/engine-outdrives-inspect-those-bellows.html

I found this article.. Sounds like it's probably my issue.

Anybody know the best procedure to get at the bellows?

I have no worries in removing the drive, done it before, however I'd like to skip pulling the engine as I don't have access to a high enough spot for my pulley to fit inside the boat these days.

 

[Bondo]

Re: 1998 4.3L Merc 190HP Alpha 1 Gen II leaking water near transom pipes Any ideas~~

http://blog.boattrader.com/2012/08/engine-outdrives-inspect-those-bellows.html

I found this article.. Sounds like it's probably my issue.

Anybody know the best procedure to get at the bellows?

I have no worries in removing the drive, done it before, however I'd like to skip pulling the engine as I don't have access to a high enough spot for my pulley to fit inside the boat these days.

Ayuh,.... The bellows are Outside the hull,... Donno why ya think ya need to pull the motor....

pull the drive, 'n the gimbel ring to change 'em...