taking on water - normal?

[medic181075]

I recently purchased a '89 SunRunner 175. Today I took it out for the first time and after about 3 hours on the water, i decided to click on the bilge pump just to see what happened. I have never owned anything other than small aluminum OB fishing boats and all of these things are new to me. Anyway, the 700 gph pump pumped water out for a what seemed to be a couple of minutes. Is this normal or should I start looking for a leak?

BTW, Volvo Penta 120 hp with a 275 outdrive. (if it matters)

Thanks

 

[Wingnutt]

Re: taking on water - normal?

No water intrusion into a boat is normal. Sounds like you have a bit of a leak somewhere. The first place I would start looking is at the bellows, followed by a close inspection of the cooling system. Lastly, and in a very few cases, water can flow back through the bilge pump outlet if the water submerges it often enough. Now if you really want to know almost every place that water can enter a hull, do a search for leaks, or water intrusion, you should find enough to keep you busily reading for hours! Oh yea, if the boat has ever had a transducer mounted on it and removed, check the old mounting holes very carefully! Ask me how I know

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: taking on water - normal?

Another thing you could do is when you know there is water in the hull, leave the water in it and let the boat sit facing down hill and check for drips coming from the bottom. I have found a leak on my bass boat from finding drips. Some may not suggest this method do to the possibility of weting the foam. Chances are that your foam may be wet already. Chances are that your bellows may be bad on your outdrive otherwise or like Wingnutt said also that you might have a transducer mounting spot that wasn't patched.

Also.... I don't know what type of plugs you have for that hull but if they are weather rotted replace those also.

 

[rebars1]

Re: taking on water - normal?

Do you know if the bilge was dry before you started? Maybe the water was there from rain or from before you got the boat that shifted to the back after the boat was in the water?

Also, check to see if water is coming in while boat is just floating there, or when under way. Try tying it up to the dock for an hour and periodically checking the bilge with a flash light.


Good luck. That water thing will drive you nuts.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: taking on water - normal?

were you just cruising, or were you skiing, tubing? people in the water and getting into the boat? you would be surprise how much water comes in on people and swim suits.

always store your boat bow high, and transom plug out. and covered.

 

[medic181075]

Re: taking on water - normal?

Okay, thanks for the help. A very quick inspection of everything only (not that I know exactly what to look for) yielded nothing. So out on the water we went. Messed around a bit and the pumped water out for about 15 seconds. Then we sat for about 45 minutes and had some lunch and I turned the pump on again - no water. At this point, I was thinking it must be something in the cooling system. Then when I pulled the boat out of the water, I found water squirting from the exhaust bellows. I can't find the hole without water coming from it, but it is there. Could this be my problem? Thanks again.

 

[1976SRV190]

Re: taking on water - normal?

Id be willing to bet it is the boots on the exhaust. My 1976 Sea Ray had never taken on a drop, until I bashed a low spot in the water with the sterndrive and pulled the exhaust bellows or hose off. it took on enough water to fill the bilge enough to make the bilge pump run about 3 minutes! Scared the hell out of me! I took the boat out of the water and found the exhaust bellows to be no longer attached at the motor side. Here's hwo to find out, look between the outdrive and the transom, there should be a couple big hoses clamped to the transom area and the outdrive....if any are unconnected and just sitting there going to nithing, that's your problem.

 

[Maclin]

Re: taking on water - normal?

The exhaust bellows will not be the problem.

The exhaust bellows can be completely non-existent and water will not be brought into the boat. In fact most exhaust bellows actually have draining slots in them by design from the manufacturer. There is even a rigid and shorter exhaust tube available for Mercs that mounts to the drive housing and does not seal around the exhaust exit on the transom, just fits over it when the drive is down.

There are 2 bellows, the drive bellows and the exhaust bellows. The exhaust bellows is the lower one and smaller and easily visible. The drive bellows surrounds the drive shaft and is tucked up under beteeen the transom and the drive and is harder to notice. The drive bellows, if corrupted, can allow water to enter the boat. Also if water enters the drive bellows are it can ruin ujoints and also enter the drive and make short order of the insides.