Water in bilge

[JohnKorte]

Help!! I am a first time boat owner. I bought a 1999 Tracker fish & ski boat. It has a 3.0L mercruiser engine. I bought it in the winter of last year and used it all summer(love to fish!). From day one I always drain about 5-10 gallons of water when I pull the plug after a day of fishing. I have looked numerous times while on the lake and cannot find a leak. Now that it is winter again I am determined to find the problem. Today I put the lower unit in a tub of water so I could run it safe. I observed a couple things. One after the engine warmed up which it was getting close to 200 degrees. white vapor smoke was coming out of the exhaust, water was coming out of the exhaust and I could see I have a hole in the large top boot cover where the lower unit connects to the boat. There water was coming out of the hole in the boot. Any advice of what needs to be done would be greatly appreciated. I have done a fair amount of mechanicing on vehicle's and tractors but not on boats/lower units. Thanks for the help in advance.

 

[alldodge]

Re: Water in bilge

Help!! I am a first time boat owner. I bought a 1999 Tracker fish & ski boat. It has a 3.0L mercruiser engine. I bought it in the winter of last year and used it all summer(love to fish!). From day one I always drain about 5-10 gallons of water when I pull the plug after a day of fishing. I have looked numerous times while on the lake and cannot find a leak. Now that it is winter again I am determined to find the problem. Today I put the lower unit in a tub of water so I could run it safe. I observed a couple things. One after the engine warmed up which it was getting close to 200 degrees. white vapor smoke was coming out of the exhaust, water was coming out of the exhaust and I could see I have a hole in the large top boot cover where the lower unit connects to the boat. There water was coming out of the hole in the boot. Any advice of what needs to be done would be greatly appreciated. I have done a fair amount of mechanicing on vehicle's and tractors but not on boats/lower units. Thanks for the help in advance.

:welcome: to iboats

Sounds like you need to pull the drive off and replace the boots. While the drive is off need to check engine alignment, replace water pump impeller with kit, and change the drive lube. Also check and probably replace the gimbal bearing due to water coming in. Also check/change and lube u-joints

 

[Bifflefan]

Re: Water in bilge

One after the engine warmed up which it was getting close to 200 degrees. white vapor smoke was coming out of the exhaust,

200 is hot. Might have been because you are running it in a tub instead of on the hose like you should. Probably not enough water to keep it cool. Buy some flush muffs so you can run it on them.
The vapor is the exhaust, from being hot.

 

[JohnKorte]

Re: Water in bilge

Thanks for the speedy response. Hard to believe all that water came in from the top bellow's which I don't think it gets submerged. I know it need replacement because of the hole, but do you think that is the source of the leak? Also is it normal for water to come out of the exhaust?

 

[JohnKorte]

Re: Water in bilge

OK I will use muffs. I thought submersed in a tub would be better.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Water in bilge

Thanks for the speedy response. Hard to believe all that water came in from the top bellow's which I don't think it gets submerged. I know it need replacement because of the hole, but do you think that is the source of the leak? Also is it normal for water to come out of the exhaust?

Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard,.... A holed bellows will for Sure put water in the bilge,...

It'll also cause alota bearin' damage,... Ya gotta pull the drive off, 'n get the water outa there,...

'n, yes, the water is exhausted through the exhaust,...

 

[thumpar]

Re: Water in bilge

The "boot" you speak of is the bellows. I know first hand it will leak in the bilge. Plan on a gimbal bearing also. Check the drive lube sooner rather than later. The seal at the shaft is made to keep lube in but not water out. Get to work before things rust and more damage is caused.

 

[ktbarrentine]

Re: Water in bilge

Welcome to iboats forum! You've got alot of work ahead of you. Do you have a locally available experienced boating friend to help you put eyes on these things? This forum is great, but with limited boat knowledge, you may not be adequately prepared for what you think you are looking at.
If you can take some good close-up photos for us to look at, that would help a bit and get you headed in the right direction, too.

Yes...the bellows are submerged when the boat is in the water.

Running the drive in a tub only works for a very very short time, then the water heats up too much to keep the engine cool. Need the muffs.
I also strongly recommend you visit the "adults only" sticky at the top of the mercruiser forum to get a great deal of information to help you out in you operation and maintenance of the drive train of this boat. It will also help you in relating the correct terminology, which goes a long way at helping figure out what you are referring to when you post. Example...when you are referring to the "lower unit" I am assuming you are referring to the entire "outdrive" which has both a lower unit and an upper unit bolted together.

It also helps greatly if you post the serial number of your engine and your outdrive (the posts in the adults only sticky will tell you where these are). Some folks put this info in their signature line so it is always there.

Good luck!

 

[JohnKorte]

Re: Water in bilge

Ok Thanks for all the responses. Found a transom kit for $80.00 that includes all gaskets, bellows, gimbal ring... Not to bad, though looks like a couple special tools I need are kind of pricey. Thanks again for all the help.

 

[thumpar]

Re: Water in bilge

Call a shop for the gimbal ring. I removed mine with a loan-a-tool. A local shop installed a new one for $65 including the new part. I made my own tool for the exhaust bellows. Make sure you use adhesive on the bellows. While you are in there you might as well replace the lower shift cable.

 

[ktbarrentine]

Re: Water in bilge

And recommended to get an alignment tool.... (can get one on ebay or amazon for 50 bucks shipped). You'll need it, too.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Water in bilge

... water was coming out of the exhaust and I could see I have a hole in the large top boot cover where the lower unit connects to the boat. There water was coming out of the hole in the boot. Any advice of what needs to be done would be greatly appreciated....

It sounds like you are describing the exhaust bellows. If it was the drive bellows, you would not have water coming out of it when running with the outdrive in a tub - or on a hose. Are you sure you are looking at the top bellows? If so, then yes, you likely found the problem with water getting into the boat. BUT... there certainly should not be any water coming out of it when running the engine as you describe.

Something's not right, and I wonder if you have found the source of water yet. Pull the outdrive and see if there is water inside the bellows.

 

[JohnKorte]

Re: Water in bilge

Thanks Fishermark, I thought I had this figured out, now you have me worried. A earlier post said that water coming out of the exhaust was normal. I am sure that the hole I seen is the exhaust bellows. I am not sure how water would get into the bilge from the exhaust bellows on the outside of the boat? I may have two separate problems. No doubt I am going to have to pull the outdrive. Right now I am trying to find the special tools needed by loan a tool, used or home made. I am really thankful for this forum! There is massive amounts of advice, manuals and do it yourself videos. Thanks! I am pretty sure I can do this.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Water in bilge

There are not many special tools you need. If you are referring to the special tool to remove the bell housing, then a 1/2" allen wrench will work.

And yes, water coming out of the exhaust is normal. But that is not how water is getting in the bilge. You could remove the exhaust bellows completely and it would not cause water to get into the boat.

The confusion lies in your description of water coming out of the "top boot cover." There are two bellows, (or three if you count the shfit cable). The top bellows is the drive bellows. It is the largest one. That's the one where water can enter the boat if there is a hole. The bellows below that is the exhaust bellows.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Water in bilge

Thanks Fishermark, I thought I had this figured out, now you have me worried. A earlier post said that water coming out of the exhaust was normal. I am sure that the hole I seen is the exhaust bellows. I am not sure how water would get into the bilge from the exhaust bellows on the outside of the boat? I may have two separate problems. No doubt I am going to have to pull the outdrive. Right now I am trying to find the special tools needed by loan a tool, used or home made. I am really thankful for this forum! There is massive amounts of advice, manuals and do it yourself videos. Thanks! I am pretty sure I can do this.

Ayuh,.... There's No special tools needed to pull the drive,...

All ya need is a ratchet, extension, 'n a 5/8" socket,....
Shift to forward,...
Remove the 6 nuts, 'n the trim ram pin,...
Then Pull,....

 

[JohnKorte]

Re: Water in bilge

Ok, thanks for clearing up water coming out of the exhaust is normal. Now the drive bellows does have a hole in it, that is how water gets into the bilge when out on the lake. Got it. I did observe water being sprayed out of the drive bellows when running it in my garage. Maybe it is full of water from the lake? Sorry for stating hole was in the exhaust bellows it is not.

 

[JohnKorte]

Re: Water in bilge

Yeah but special tools are needed for bellows, gimbal bearing and seal R&R? Alignment tool?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Water in bilge

Yeah but special tools are needed for bellows, gimbal bearing and seal R&R? Alignment tool?

Ayuh,.... That's correct, but pullin' the drive will answer the question of whether ya need all those parts, or more parts, or none at all,...

1 step at a time,...

Pull the drive, 'n Inspect everything to see what's wrong,...

 

[JohnKorte]

Re: Water in bilge

yeap your right!! Just a little anxious to tear into it. Is that good or bad??:joyous:

 

[Bondo]

Re: Water in bilge

yeap your right!! Just a little anxious to tear into it. Is that good or bad??:joyous:

Ayuh,.... Pullin' the drive is a 10 minute, or less operation,....

It weighs 'bout 80 lbs,...
I use the wagon tongue jack to bring the skeg into contact with the ground, or a block of wood,...
That way, I just rock it back, 'n then lift it when it's free,...
Same goin' back on,... No liftin', 'n stabbin' it,...
Just line it up, 'n slide it in,...