Crazy port blow-out today...any thoughts?

[pres2028]

Took my 252SD back on the water today for the first time this season and had a crazy incident. I was going around 15 MPH and the engine suddenly cut off, the port hatch popped open, and water was pouring everywhere.

I went to check the cleanout ports and they were out. What's more, the latching mechanisms for the hatch on both sides were completely broken. The metal latches were cleanly snapped.

I called our dealer - Mike from Beacon Light marina, always very helpful - and the likely diagnosis is that the clean-out ports weren't in all the way, a ton of pressure built up in the ports, they shot up and forced the hatch open. The amount of pressure for that to happen must have been absolutely insane.

Has anyone experienced anything like this before?

 

[Neutron]

The engine wont run if the hatch is open or not secured correctly. The clean out ports wont affect the engines running

I am not familiar with the new style ports. I have the old style with ez locks on them.

And yes they can have enough force to slam into the hatch and possibly bust something. That's why it is so important to make sure they are always inserted properly.

The pump has enough pressure to move your boat so that pressure will find its way towards the least resistance which it through that large clean out port

 

[HangOutdoors]

@pres2028 Sounds like they both weren't locked in all the way. The boat will start with the cleanout plugs out. The kill switch on the hatch not on the plugs.

 

[HangOutdoors]

Also I was thinking more about this, it seems awful odd that you didn't lock both in? I could see maybe 1 of them, but both? Did someone else put your plugs in? Where they just sitting in there from the Winter loose? A lot of people do that, and maybe you forgot to just turn them in?

Hopefully, it is just a latch to fix and you boating again.!!!

 

[pres2028]

Also I was thinking more about this, it seems awful odd that you didn't lock both in? I could see maybe 1 of them, but both? Did someone else put your plugs in? Where they just sitting in there from the Winter loose? A lot of people do that, and maybe you forgot to just turn them in?

Hopefully, it is just a latch to fix and you boating again.!!!

Yeah, I literally just got the boat out of the shop today and assumed they had re-installed them (honestly didn't think much about it - was focused on drain plug and a bunch of other stuff, this should have been on my checklist). Not upset with them, it's a great shop and I should've checked.

 

[212s]

I tend to agree they were not installed properly - the turn to lock is pretty strong so I'm guessing not secured and they came out?

 

[drewkaree]

Were your plugs SUPER easy to turn, when locking them in? If not, then more than likely they were turned just enough to not cause problems on startup and takeoff, but they vibrated loose, and the pressure shot them up into the hatch, which is what snapped the locking bars. Seems like those could always be a crappy casting, but the latches aren't your real issue. Determining why your plugs came out, especially on the new style plugs, is where the actual problem lies. I highly doubt that if they were fully seated and locked in, that they would pop out. There's two metal ears and plastic to back them up, and they require at least some effort to turn fully into place.

It's possible you had crap castings on the ears of your plug, but more likely that they weren't fully seated, leading to your failure.

Do you have pics? ALWAYS helpful to have pics, both for the service tech if you take it in, and for us amateur service techs - and it helps others who follow, that may experience the same issue.

In these two pics of my plugs, which are likely the same as yours, you can see the substantial metal ears, and the black plastic handles also add additional plastic backing. There's metal castings in your cleanout plug tubes, where the ears turn and mate into, and you can even see in my pics how the ears are nice and shiny from the metal-to-metal rubbing as they're turned in. There's quite a lot of material keeping those plugs in place, which is why I lean strongly toward the plugs not being fully seated as the cause of your problem. Post up any dealer info and pics, we can walk you through this. A shot of your tubes and that area where the plugs screw into will also help us greatly, there may be some damage there that gives an indicator as to what might have happened.

 

[drewkaree]

Not sure if the offset is right for your boat, but it's likely that this will work, as this is what I bought to fix the same issue with my boat. These newer design plugs don't really require the footballs for the same reason as the older EZ Lock style of plugs, but it can save you from having to buy new latches, and you've got something to throw around when you get to the sandbar, so.... YMMV, I haven't put footballs back in my port tubes after the first time I had to remove them to clear out some weeds, and I also haven't had an issue with them EVER after that point. The dealer was the one who snapped my latches, and I was worried I'd do it myself, which hasn't ever happened.

Latch: Amazon.com: Whitecap S-0226LO Zinc Replacement Offset Cam Bar - 2-7/8" : Industrial & Scientific

De foosball: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005BT5V/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[lazergeek]

The current pumps cleanout port are on the low presure side of the pump so any pressure would have been from the boats movement forcing water into the pump. I agree whey probably were not installed correctly.

 

[Weeb]

My wife did that on one side of my boat by not putting it in tight enough.

 

[Wicked92]

i had one do the same, i musta not have locked it in. Broke the latch clear off. I got replacements online. They are like 7 bucks each.

 

[unknownghosted]

Took my 252SD back on the water today for the first time this season and had a crazy incident. I was going around 15 MPH and the engine suddenly cut off, the port hatch popped open, and water was pouring everywhere.

I went to check the cleanout ports and they were out. What's more, the latching mechanisms for the hatch on both sides were completely broken. The metal latches were cleanly snapped.

I called our dealer - Mike from Beacon Light marina, always very helpful - and the likely diagnosis is that the clean-out ports weren't in all the way, a ton of pressure built up in the ports, they shot up and forced the hatch open. The amount of pressure for that to happen must have been absolutely insane.

Has anyone experienced anything like this before?

Had exactly the same yesterday, now looking for replacement cam latch arms !

 

[Coult45]

Yeah, I literally just got the boat out of the shop today and assumed they had re-installed them (honestly didn't think much about it - was focused on drain plug and a bunch of other stuff, this should have been on my checklist). Not upset with them, it's a great shop and I should've checked.

Easy mistake to make. Hopefully you can get your hands on replacement parts quickly and can get back on the water!

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Had exactly the same yesterday, now looking for replacement cam latch arms !

Did you see @drewkaree post above with the latch arm parts?

 

[unknownghosted]

Did you see @drewkaree post above with the latch arm parts?

thanks - I’ve got a 2022 AR220 , the cam arms look like 5/16” and 2 1/4 “ alittle smaller to the ones above …

 

[ahenderson432]

Sorry to hijack you post. Take a look at the Clean Out Ports on my 2024 255xd. I spent some time with a razor blade and fine edge flat head screwdriver to remove the RTV and other Silicone from the Ports. Not sure how much it affected the fitment and seal but they do slide and twist in better now. Thoughts?

 

[1WetBoat]

thanks - I’ve got a 2022 AR220 , the cam arms look like 5/16” and 2 1/4 “ alittle smaller to the ones above …

Latch/Cam Bar

I purchased these as spares for my AR, i think they should be the same model for your latch.

 

[unknownghosted]

thankyou, just ordered them !!

 

[unknownghosted]

thankyou, just ordered them !!

perfect fit for my 2022 AR220 , 1 7/8 inch short bar, anything longer won’t fit.