Tiny leak.

[Phish555]

I have had my new to me boat out on the water a couple of times now. I am getting water in my bilge. Not a lot, but I wouldn't want to leave it in a slip overnight if you know what I mean.
I took it out again today, determined to find where the leak is. Yesterday though, I took off the speedo sensor, and siloconed it real good, and same with the drain plug ring.
I found the leak today. It has a tiny dribble coming from with in the hole drilled in the transom for the drain plug. It is not running down the inside of the transom and dripping across the hole. Like I said, it is coming from within the drain plug hole (if that makes sense).
Talked to the marina mech, and he told me to tighten the bolts on the inside of the transom that hold the out drive on. He also said I might need to check my "bellows".

What do you guys think?
88 Fabuglas Jamaican Bowrider.
4.3L Alpha 1

Thanks in advance.

 

[bomar76]

Re: Tiny leak.

1. If it is indeed leaking through the drain plug area you most likely have bigger problems...like a wet/rotten transom.

2. It's February in Colorado and you've had it out a couple times so far this year????

 

[Phish555]

Re: Tiny leak.

Yes, third time was today. Its February, soon to be march all over the world, not just here,,, LOL. Don't worry, Ive drained the water out of it each time. We have had some really nice weekends, upwards of 65degrees.
Transom seems solid, boat came from KY, hasn't been on the water in over 1 1/2 yrs.

 

[Phish555]

Re: Tiny leak.

bomar76,
More info this forum, pg 7, titled Rookie I/O

 

[superpop]

Re: Tiny leak.

If it has not been on the water much and sat on a trailer most of its life that is not good. If it is 20 years old and spent the majority of its life on the hard then it is probably going to be one leak after another be it oil or water. The reason for this is simple, Boats have a lot of rubber gaskets for keeping water and oil were it is supposed to stay. after 20 years be prepared to replace a lot of rubber parts. Are you sure it is not the outdrive seal, the rubber part in between the transom shield and transom. A bead of good quality marine caulk is a good fix temporarly for this type of leak but it could also be the bellows. I would buy the factory manuals for your drive and motor and read them cover to cover if you are comfortable working on your own stuff, you will save a ton of dough. Otherwise get out the checkbook. Boating is like contracting, you can have it fixed "Fast" "Right" or "Cheap" pick two.

 

[superpop]

Re: Tiny leak.

Also look around all through transom fittings including the drain, you are looking for tan or brown staining from any area around any fitting in the transom. Any sign of this is not rust but rotting wood that is wicking out with the water. Sorry, don't mean to sound to negative.

 

[Phish555]

Re: Tiny leak.

Superpop, I think it may indeed be leaking around the outdrive seal, and I think thats why the marina mech ask me to tightn it from the inside. He too told me it might be the bellows. I have a manual, and am reading it.
To my knowledge, the previous owner owner sold it to me because he hadn't the time to use it anymore. It has been on the water, just not in the last year and a half.

It didn't seem to leak as much yesterday as it had the past two times, and I think its because I siliconed the drainplug ring. I am going to find out how to check my bellows, I am going to tighten the nuts/bolts on the inside of the transom to spec, and I will use sealant/marine caulk on the transom shield like you suggest.

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Tiny leak.

Pull the drive & inspect.....
You will know if you have a faulty bellows or sealer ring immediately......
If you did not remove the drive @ winter layup it is time to do so anyway to grease the ujoints & check alignment......
If the bellows is leaking, you will get water through the small hole just above the input shaft on the gimbal housing or will run in on the underside of the input shaft itself.......
You could try adding water to the bilge while on land to see what level it needs to leak, (if at all).....
If it is the plug it should not take much....
Sillycone & tightening the inner transom mount is at best a temp fix.....
If it is leaking there, the liklyhood that you have wood rot/transom issues increases greatly......
Gimbal housings do not just loosen all by themselves, there is an underlying issue that must be addressed.....​

 

[Phish555]

Re: Tiny leak.

What should I expect to pay to have the drive pulled and inspected?

I have a manual, and am fairly mech inclined, but have never done anything like this, should I undertake it myself?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Tiny leak.

should I undertake it myself?

Sure,.... Why Not.......

It's only the 6, 5/8" nuts,+ the 2, 9/16" nuts on the trim rams....
Make sure it's in Forward gear before you start....
Total weight of the drive is about 80lbs.,.. so be ready to catch it....

 

[Phish555]

Re: Tiny leak.

Sounds like a plan Bond-o.
I will read up on it, get whatever special tools I need, and go for it!

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

 

[Jerico]

Re: Tiny leak.

As they have said, pulling the lower unit is pretty easy, but be sure to follow Bondo's advice, make sure it is in forward. That's the only way the shifter linkage will slip apart without tearing something up. Also, what manual do you have? In my experience the after market ones are junk. Search around here and find a link to the OEM ones.

If you're Jamaican is like my Cayman, getting back to see where the leak is is pretty tough. Mine leaked through the shift cable bellows, but looked like it was somewhere else. I found it by pulling the drive and replacing all of the bellows initially as a preventative maintenance and ended up finding a really small tear in the gimbal bellows too. You can buy a kit that has the 3 bellows, bearing and seals. PM me if you go that route or maybe Don or one of the other guys here can get you the part number for the kit.

 

[watermellonI]

Re: Tiny leak.

Phish just be careful when you start tightening those transom plate bolts, if the transom is not solid and you over tighten one side it can snap that plate on the inside of the transom. It s made of cast aluminum.

 

[Phish555]

Re: Tiny leak.

Well I thought long and hard on doing this myself. I decided to take it to a reputable marine shop instead.
I don't know when the last time the out drive was off. I don't know what to look for. I don't have the special tools needed to do the job. And the 4th reason, my skeg had slight damage to it, and I wanted it repaired.
The shop is going to search for the leak, replace the bellows, repair the skeg, install new water pump, and of course new gaskets ect...
I told them it only leaks when in the water. I have had the muffs on it at home, and ran it for 20-30 minutes a couple of times, and no leak.
Hopefully, they will find it. Ill let you all know.

 

[Phish555]

Re: Tiny leak.

Well, got my boat back today. The shop said the water pump was on its last leg. They replaced it. I had minor skeg damage, they repaired that. They checked the bellows, said all was well, u-joints looked great. They ran the engine with water hooked up to it, nothing, no leak. Could not find any indication of a leak, ,,,,,except where the lower bolts go through the transom. They could not get to the nuts on the inside with out pulling the engine, so they sealed up around where the anod caps (terminology, sorry) are with sealant. He said there was a slight indication of a leak there. I will put it in the water in the next week or so, and keep my fingers crossed.
Anyway, it cost 422$ for the impeller, skeg, gear lube change, check out the bellows, oh, and they put on a new gasket at the location where the hydraulic lines come out of another anod thing near the transom.

 

[DukesFin]

Re: Tiny leak.

Given the age of the boat and the fact that it has been sitting, I wonder why the "reputable marine shop" did not go ahead and replace the bellows while they had it apart?

That's a simple and fairly cheap job/insurance, especially since they had the outdrive off already...

Keep an eye on it! Glad they got all the other stuff fixed for you!

 

[Bondo]

Re: Tiny leak.

Could not find any indication of a leak, ,,,,,except where the lower bolts go through the transom. They could not get to the nuts on the inside with out pulling the engine, so they sealed up around where the anod caps (terminology, sorry) are with sealant. He said there was a slight indication of a leak there. I will put it in the water in the next week or so, and keep my fingers crossed.

Ayuh,....

That Usually means the Transom is Rotten,+ Collasping......

 

[Phish555]

Re: Tiny leak.

Boat in the water today, no leak!

Did have shifting problems where engine dies between gears, see new post!
Thanks to all.