Another water in boat/bilge question

[DaveShip55]

Previously to this 255X, I owned an AR230 for 16 years, and yeah the clean out tubes would often be full of water, it was perfectly normal…. Usually from water coming up on the stern platform when coming to a stop… and it would be both tubes filled with water, and of course some water would make it into the bilge….. no biggie!
But with this new 255, I’ve noticed that when cruising along for a decent period of time (never stopping, therefore no water coming up on the stern platform, as well as the clean out platform is much higher on the 255 than my old 230, so water really doesn’t make it up that high when stopping.) But anyways, while cruising I’ll notice the bilge will kick in about every 15 minutes or so, and pump out quite a bit of water….. also when I do eventually stop, only one clean out tube will have water in it.
These new plugs are different than my old style, (which I like better), but is it possible for one of the plugs to be leaking a tad while under way, thus letting water in the tubes, making it into the bilge?…. I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a plug ‘leaking’?…. Just not sure what would be causing this?
Side note, if I’m just floating or beached for a long period of time, the bilge pump never pumps any water out, so I’ve kinda ruled out a regular water type leak….. only seems to happen while under way….
I’ve looked in the engine compartment while under way, and I don’t see an engine leak, at least not that I’ve seen….
Thanks in advance for any insight!
-Dave

 

[Julian]

Based on your description it sounds like you have either:

1. a leak in part of the cooling system - I'd go in the bilge and tighten down all the hose clamps you can lay hands on
2. possibly have blow by from one of the plugs - if you have a gopro, I'd put one in under the hatch as see if you have water pushing up the tubes in significant amount.

 

[DaveShip55]

Based on your description it sounds like you have either:

1. a leak in part of the cooling system - I'd go in the bilge and tighten down all the hose clamps you can lay hands on
2. possibly have blow by from one of the plugs - if you have a gopro, I'd put one in under the hatch as see if you have water pushing up the tubes in significant amount.

Thanks Julian!…. Yeah I’ve heard they’ve been having some ‘Covid’ QC issues at Yamaha, maybe a dang hose clamp is loose…. I haven’t gone thru and tightened everything possible yet…. Maybe it’s something as simple as that….
I’ve never heard of a plug having a blow by issue, have you?…. But the only reason I kind of suspected that was only one of the tubes having water in it. Don’t have a Go-pro…. But maybe a good excuse to buy one?… LOL!….
Or I guess I could tape the safety button down and have the wife drive while I watch for blow by…(being as safe as possible….. hahahaha)..

 

[steveinmd]

On my 195, I felt the seating surface and there was a rough spot I cleaned up with some fine sand paper. Lubed up the seal real good with rubber safe grease and I barely get any water above the plug now. Its dry if keep the speeds down to 30 or so. Prior to it would be full.

 

[DaveShip55]

On my 195, I felt the seating surface and there was a rough spot I cleaned up with some fine sand paper. Lubed up the seal real good with rubber safe grease and I barely get any water above the plug now. Its dry if keep the speeds down to 30 or so. Prior to it would be full.

Thanks!…. Hmmmm, so it is possible that they can ‘leak’. Definitely would be warranty if that’s the case!…. On a side note, sometimes it feels like it cavitates when gunning the throttles, but I just chalked it up to a different boat, but my old 230 never made that noise…. Maybe it’s associated with my leaking issue?

 

[steveinmd]

Thanks!…. Hmmmm, so it is possible that they can ‘leak’. Definitely would be warranty if that’s the case!…. On a side note, sometimes it feels like it cavitates when gunning the throttles, but I just chalked it up to a different boat, but my old 230 never made that noise…. Maybe it’s associated with my leaking issue?

I was hoping my cavitation would stop with that leak fix and it didnt change. Still cavitates with too much throttle. Dont get me wrong, it sh@ts and gets, but I hate that sound. I'll look into sealing the tunnel next.

 

[Julian]

Thanks!…. Hmmmm, so it is possible that they can ‘leak’. Definitely would be warranty if that’s the case!…. On a side note, sometimes it feels like it cavitates when gunning the throttles, but I just chalked it up to a different boat, but my old 230 never made that noise…. Maybe it’s associated with my leaking issue?

Yeah, a leaking plug could hurt you in both directions....at take off - allowing air to be pulled in when the pressure is low, and when the pressure is high, allowing water to be pushed past the plug. Yup....running CAREFULLY with the hatch open and safety switches defeated would let you watch what is happening. Post a video if you do record it on your phone.

 

[NoFla21]

Ever figure out the culprit?

 

[DaveShip55]

Oh dang!…. Almost forgot about this issue!…. Thanks for the reminder!…LoL!.. unfortunately I have used the boat since then, so I haven’t diagnosed the problem yet….. really hoping it’s something simple!….

 

[DaveShip55]

Update!…. I confirmed yesterday that water is in fact getting past the Clean Out plugs. Both leak, but the Port side leaks more.
First I started by putting the boat in the water with both clean out plug ‘tubes’ absolutely dry as a bone….. idled thru the no wake zone (about 15 minute drive)…. Stopped and checked the plug tubes, both still bone dry.
Then too the boat up to about 45mph for about 10 minutes, stopped (oh, and made sure no water came up over the back of the boat)…. Opened up the hatch and the Port clean out tube was full of water to the top (possibly overflowing into the tray)…. And the Starboard side was about half full of water.
So after that, I pulled the plugs to drain ‘most’ of the water out of the tubes. Then I taped down the safety switch, and had my wife drive the boat at about 40 mph, as I watched.Water was definitely being forced around the plugs.
Now a couple questions, is that somewhat ‘normal’?…. And second, the two drain holes in the tray, where do they drain to?…. Im think’n they drain directly into the bilge?…. Or do they drain out of the boat?…. The only drain out of the boat that I’m aware of, is the one from the rear of the cockpit, thru the engine compartment, then out the scupper.
That would explain the water being pumped out the bilge every now and then.
Should I just go ahead replace the rubber gaskets on the clean out plugs, see if that fixes it?….. or is it normal and I shouldn’t worry about it?
Thanks in advance!

 

[zipper]

The drains direct water overboard. Drain thru hulls should be at the stern, around the pumps. Your leak to the bilge is the tray seal or a loose/missing clamp on the top of the clean out tube where it seals with the tray. Accessible thru the inspection port in the tray.

 

[Babin Farms]

I’m with @zipper, you more than likely need to seal the clean out tray. I use removable caulk from the hardware store to seal my tray and it works great.

 

[DaveShip55]

The drains direct water overboard. Drain thru hulls should be at the stern, around the pumps. Your leak to the bilge is the tray seal or a loose/missing clamp on the top of the clean out tube where it seals with the tray. Accessible thru the inspection port in the tray.

Oh cool, that’s nice to know. On my old AR230, the Scupper drain thru hull was only connected to the cockpit drain, went thru that white hose straight theu the engine compartment, to the stern of the boat…. Nothing else connected to the scupper/drain. So I figured the newer boats were the same.
All the other ‘drains’, like from ski locker, and the drains from the clean out port tray just drained into bilge, then the bilge pump would pump it out….. (or drain out the drain plug when I removed that at the end of the day)

 

[zipper]

Oh cool, that’s nice to know. On my old AR230, the Scupper drain thru hull was only connected to the cockpit drain, went thru that white hose straight theu the engine compartment, to the stern of the boat…. Nothing else connected to the scupper/drain. So I figured the newer boats were the same.
All the other ‘drains’, like from ski locker, and the drains from the clean out port tray just drained into bilge, then the bilge pump would pump it out….. (or drain out the drain plug when I removed that at the end of the day)

It is not connected to the scupper. There is a separate thru hull, much smaller than the scupper on the transom. On my AR230, it was up under the horizontal surface where the jet pumps are under the swim platform. I don't remember which side. Pour some water in the tray while on the trailer...you will find it.



On the parts breakdown the yellow circle is the hardware for the cleanout tray drain. The red circle is the scupper.

 

[Thermobrett]

Glad this came up. I opened my ski locker hatch on my boat yesterday to grab the tube and found about 10+ gallons of water in the ski locker. Now, I do have both plugs open to drain the water from the ski locker to the engine bilge, but am wondering where all this water is coming from? When anchored, my scupper is above the water line and the waves were not large enough to back fill the engine bilge forward. Kind of a wired aid point to be collecting that much water. When I got home I washed drained and dried the ski locker and closed off the drain plug. Next outing, I wonder if it will collect again?

 

[zipper]

Glad this came up. I opened my ski locker hatch on my boat yesterday to grab the tube and found about 10+ gallons of water in the ski locker. Now, I do have both plugs open to drain the water from the ski locker to the engine bilge, but am wondering where all this water is coming from? When anchored, my scupper is above the water line and the waves were not large enough to back fill the engine bilge forward. Kind of a wired aid point to be collecting that much water. When I got home I washed drained and dried the ski locker and closed off the drain plug. Next outing, I wonder if it will collect again?

How much drained out of the bilge when you opened the bilge drain? The area under the ski locker is the deepest part of the hull from a bilge standpoint. Water will collect there and not make it back to the bilge pump, especially if the crew are sitting forward, until you get the bow up to it's highest point, like just before you reach plane. If you had 10 gallons in the locker with the plug open, you had more in the bilge below. Crank that trailer jack all the way up and see if more comes out.

 

[Thermobrett]

How much drained out of the bilge when you opened the bilge drain? The area under the ski locker is the deepest part of the hull from a bilge standpoint. Water will collect there and not make it back to the bilge pump, especially if the crew are sitting forward, until you get the bow up to it's highest point, like just before you reach plane. If you had 10 gallons in the locker with the plug open, you had more in the bilge below. Crank that trailer jack all the way up and see if more comes out.

It was empty on my way out and when I pulled the drain plugs after we pulled out of the ramp it was empty. When I got home I filled about 30gal of water in the ski locker and it drained out of the drain plugs. Maybe bad seals on the transom drain plugs?

 

[zipper]

It was empty on my way out and when I pulled the drain plugs after we pulled out of the ramp it was empty. When I got home I filled about 30gal of water in the ski locker and it drained out of the drain plugs. Maybe bad seals on the transom drain plugs?

That, or anchor locker drain.

 

[Steve73]

I have this same issue on my 2018 AR190. Clean out ports full of water, and bilge pump coming on after running for 15 mins or so at speed. I have done the GoPro test in the stern of the boat under the tray. Water is raining into the stern of the boat via the tray is not sealed. Going to seal my tray this week and that should fix it.

Also, regarding the ski locker water, I plugged my ski locker, because water would back flush from the stern into the ski locker when I come to a stop, I plugged it this way it keeps the water in the stern and can get pumped out via the bilge.

 

[Thermobrett]

I have this same issue on my 2018 AR190. Clean out ports full of water, and bilge pump coming on after running for 15 mins or so at speed. I have done the GoPro test in the stern of the boat under the tray. Water is raining into the stern of the boat via the tray is not sealed. Going to seal my tray this week and that should fix it.

Also, regarding the ski locker water, I plugged my ski locker, because water would back flush from the stern into the ski locker when I come to a stop, I plugged it this way it keeps the water in the stern and can get pumped out via the bilge.

Do you have a photo or can provide info on what you used to seal the ski locker?