Water Leaking Out!?! What Did I Hit!?!

[texanaustinite]

I'm jumping to this forum from another: http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=275272

I'm in the process of installing a swim platform on my rig. While drilling the final two holes in the transom, water started pouring out! What did I hit!?! The water is clear. It is not lake water. The bilge is dry.

I've tried looking in the engine compartment, but cannot find the spot where the hole is. Anyone know!?! Here are some shots of the location.

The boat is a 1997 Regal 1700 LSR with a 3.0L Vovlo Penta.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Water Leaking Out!?! What Did I Hit!?!

A Gusher,huh
You drilled into a water logged transom.

 

[EarlyWood]

Re: Water Leaking Out!?! What Did I Hit!?!

File under "hey, watch this"


don't mind me, i have my own issues

 

[texanaustinite]

Re: Water Leaking Out!?! What Did I Hit!?!

A Gusher,huh
You drilled into a water logged transom.

Should I be worried? Why is the water clear? It got rained on a few weeks ago. 20 minutes in pouring rain while driving to the lake and waiting in the parking lot. Wouldn't the rain water have drained into the bilge?

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Water Leaking Out!?! What Did I Hit!?!

What if anything is behind that area that you drilled thru.Most transoms are about 2 -1/4 thick. if it`s not a hidden cavity then my guess the transom has water in it.

 

[texanaustinite]

Re: Water Leaking Out!?! What Did I Hit!?!

Well... there is no water tank on the boat that I know of. I don't think I hit a hose since I can see the back of the engine compartment and there is nothing there. I'm going to run the engine with the muffs and see what happens.

 

[EarlyWood]

Re: Water Leaking Out!?! What Did I Hit!?!

my bilge has a level surface about where your hole is
wouldn't see water hiding there from the inside, i'm guessing you just tapped that area.

disclaimer
i know ****

 

[wewefirex2x]

Re: Water Leaking Out!?! What Did I Hit!?!

From the picture it looks like the boat is tongue high with the rear of boat being lower. I am going to take a shot at this and wonder if there is water underneath the deck and not draining into the bildge. Since the boat is low in back it's finding the least resistence which is the hole you drilled???? Just a thought

 

[Don S]

Re: Water Leaking Out!?! What Did I Hit!?!

How deep did you drill the hole. It's off to the side enough to miss any engine part, and lower than the steering.
Best thing to do, if you drilled all the way thru is stick a wire thru the hole and look inside at the approximate area and see what is there. If you didn't drill over 2" deep, then you have the beginning of serious transom problems. Especially if it's a foam core ............... or, from the looks of it, a water cored transom.

 

[hard-3]

Re: Water Leaking Out!?! What Did I Hit!?!

if you can see the hole from the inside of the transom and you didn't hit anything, it has to be water in the transom. stick an air blowgun in the hole and see where the air blows out. might have to get a little dutch boy to plug the inside hole to keep it in the between space. you should hear air coming out or blow water out of the crack

 

[texanaustinite]

Re: Water Leaking Out!?! What Did I Hit!?!

I feel better now...

Ran the engine. Everything was fine. I'm leaning towards trapped rain water.

The job is finished. I thank you all.

You can see it here -->>http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?p=1832002&posted=1#post1832002

 

[Don S]

Re: Water Leaking Out!?! What Did I Hit!?!

Ran the engine. Everything was fine. I'm leaning towards trapped rain water.

Of course the engine is fine, but the transom has some serious problems. You just don't seem to understand that yet.
NO WAY IN THE WORLD is that much water supposed to be in the transom. If there is, you have some MAJOR work ahead of you.

 

[lmannyr]

Re: Water Leaking Out!?! What Did I Hit!?!

Of course the engine is fine, but the transom has some serious problems. You just don't seem to understand that yet.
NO WAY IN THE WORLD is that much water supposed to be in the transom. If there is, you have some MAJOR work ahead of you.

AGREE!!! Like KRAMER would say, "sell, sell, sell."

...or fix it!

 

[texanaustinite]

Re: Water Leaking Out!?! What Did I Hit!?!

I understand what your saying, but it will have to be for another time.

I'd be more concerned if the water that drained had an odor or color to it. It was, however, crystal clear. I even tasted it - no taste, no smell, no residue, nothing.

I will have someone give it a look over though. Thanks guys.

 

[achris]

Re: Water Leaking Out!?! What Did I Hit!?!

You really need to find the source of the water... If you can't it's in the transom and that will be a big drama...

Picture this...

You're out with friends and family... You are running in some shallow water... the leg clips a rock... Or you have just accelerated off from the beach...The entire leg, transom housing and engine disappear out the back of the boat!!! You have under 30 seconds to get life-jackets onto everybody before the boat joins the engine on the bottom of the lake!

Stop being an idiot and get it fixed, properly....

Chris

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Water Leaking Out!?! What Did I Hit!?!

Stop being an idiot and get it fixed, properly....

Yeah....no kidding!

You have a transom that is probably either leaking water from the outside or from the inside in the bilge area.

I had a similar problem when I installed my 454/Bravo. Seems Four Winns didn't seal the area near the transom drain (AT ALL!!) When I removed the transom drain water ran out of the transom too....

ALL the water/oil mix in the bilge area would simply run into the bottom of the transom. I used a hole saw to enlarge the drain area (on the inside) and discovered quite a gap between the bottom of the transom (wood) and the actual fiberglass bottom of the boat. There was anywhere from about 1/4 - 3/8" of gap between the wood in the transom and the fiberglass bottom.

I opened it up a little and used a heater and a fan to dry it all out. It took me more than 3 months to dry it all out back there.....luckily for me there was no rot.

I then filled all the voids with MAS marine epoxy mixed with milled fiberglass.

If you leave the moisture in the transom you'll eventually have rot which will cause you to start losing couplers because the gimbal will start moving around during holeshots etc...

in the extreme, (Chris is right) you could lose the entire engine/transom/drive.

You need to get on this ASAP.


Cheers,



Rick

 

[texanaustinite]

Re: Water Leaking Out!?! What Did I Hit!?!

Stop being an idiot and get it fixed, properly....

Chris

Whats' with the name calling? Did you not read my last post?

... I will have someone give it a look over...

 

[achris]

Re: Water Leaking Out!?! What Did I Hit!?!

I read this :

but it will have to be for another time.

and I think everybody else here feels the same, so say something to convince us that you understand the gravity of the situation and the consequences of continuing to use the boat without full knowledge of the condition of that transom....

Chris..........

 

[oops!]

Re: Water Leaking Out!?! What Did I Hit!?!

i think its more serious than water in the transom........i saw the thread in the other forum.....

where you drilled is into the area where the motor cage is....(assuming that you went in over the two inches don was talking about)..that means you have drilled into an area where there is uasually a void before the motor mounts...(hence the clear water and the amount of it) if there is water in there.....that means your shiney new boat has serious issues and wont last too many more seasons with out rotting to peices......if the area that holds the motor mounts gets saturated....the engine can drop and cause you gimbal/alignment problems.

(look in the resto section at the hull extension in progress with pics thread....there is a detailed pick of the motor cage with out the mounts installed....this will give you an idea about the void area and an understanding of the consenquences of inaction)

nice boat btw......but i would really do some more inspections on it before you put it to bed this winter.......you can save a lot of money if you find the problem now.....or if you wait.......your boat will be toast in less than 5 seasons

cheers
oops

 

[texanaustinite]

Re: Water Leaking Out!?! What Did I Hit!?!

Abviously this is more serious than I thought. Having a kid about to go to $college$, I plan on keeping it a while. I will get it looked at as soon as possible.

Thank you all again.