Coolant in bilge with no apparent leak?

[Handegard]

Ok, so there is a question with the raw water system, I'll get to that.

This afternoon, went to go prep boat for a trip. Coolant on the ground behind it, and in the bilge. Crap. Check coolant cap- empty.

I stick my head under the motor, and I see a drip/drip from the plug on the bottom of the heat exchanger. Pull it out, and clean water comes out not coolant. I wipe everything with a rag, and sure enough, it drips from there still, I'm 100% positive it's not just running to there from somewhere else, and then dripping.

I filled the coolant tank and let it sit a few minutes, fired it up for a few second, and let it sit some more. No apparent leaks, aside from the raw water.

So I'm scratching my head over the posibility of a heat exchanger going bad (if it works like I think it does in my head) or what? I can't see anything else that looks like it leaks. I honestly half wonder if a disgruntled neighbor unscrewed the petcock or something.

Oh, and like I said, the boat was just sitting fine for 4-5 days, it's been moved once in that time, but only for a few feet. So why did I suddenly come home to find coolant all over?

 

[Handegard]

Re: Coolant in bilge with no apparent leak?

Well, not being able to find any coolant leaks, I refilled the system and we took it for a trip on the lake last night.

Temperatures stayed good, no apparent leaks still. I need to replace a copper washer on the raw water system, but I'm at a loss for how the coolant escaped....

 

[Handegard]

Re: Coolant in bilge with no apparent leak?

Did some more digging, there is no coolant in the bilge today, and it's still in the tank.

I'm truly thinking sabatoge. I have a neighbor that I know just hates my boat. It's always parked on the street right now, while I'm finishing it. Once it's done, it'll be stored at my better halfs workplace when it's not in use. But for now, he hates it


He's the kind of pr**k that just steams over the fact that we have a '85 F250 and a '69 and '70 Mustang in the driveway, he probably thinks we drag down his property value with all this "crap" I wouldn't imediatly suspect him of sabatoge, but I'm out of possible leaks. I think the petcock may have just been cracked open....