OMC Cobra 1987 Leak through transom area??

[Baylinercapri1987]

Ever since I have got my boat (1987 Bayliner capri Ford 2.3L/OMC Cobra), It has has a small trickle leak through the mid transom area, pretty sure its coming from the mid stern area, but not sure. Any clues on what could be leaking? I am thinking the shifter sleeve hose??

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: OMC Cobra 1987 Leak through transom area??

The shifter bellows I believe is towards the starboard side not middle, if the leak is center of the transom behind the engine somewhere it could be your seawater intake hose, my power steering cooler is behind the engine too, if the driveshaft bellows leak, water will fill the bellhousing and leak out through a weep hole, mine has a nipple with a tube on it that just lays in the bilge. Hopefully your not leaking through the transom somewhere where a mounting bolt goes through cause that would mean you have rot. Check your exhaust hose clamps too.

How's that guys, did I leave anything out?

 

[jdshort98]

Re: OMC Cobra 1987 Leak through transom area??

If you have a 1987 Cobra powered boat, and the transom is original, you may have a rotten transom. You may be lucky, and just have loose hardware. At the very bottom of the opening, on the inside, there should be a SS plate that went between the bottom two studs. With a 4 cylinder engine it is not too hard to get to these nuts. See if they are loose, that was common with this design. Work your way around all of the nuts on the inside and try to tighten them. While you are in there, see if you can push a screwdriver or knife into the raw wood, hopefully you can't.

If the transom is tight, and not rotten, the following are possibilties:

The shift cable hose, it is off to the starboard side. The ujoint bellows is in the center. The exhaust Y-Pipe is in the center at the very bottom, and has an o-ring that can leak, or the pipe will somethings errode away and cause a leak. There is also a passage where the trim sender wires go through, not often an source of a water leak.

Good luck!