Blew a plug for first time today, almost flooded me engine compartment.

[JDSCHMOO]

Out on the water less than 10 minutes this morning, bost running fine, stopped to talk to my buddy in another boat. As I gassed it from there, felt something was wrong, thought I may have sucked something up. Stepped onto the rear to open the hatch, noticed stern was riding low. Port side plug was unseated, Tru locks did their job, put it back in, checked engine compartment, water half way up engines! Bilge was pumping, back to dock we go. Checked again, water dropped dramatically, no sign of any other issues. Great rest of the day, no water in engine compartment, all good. Then about 15 miles from home, I lose a bearing on the rear driver side axle! Luckily looks ok, should be fixed before I leave for Lake Anna on Saturday! Top it off, my buddy broke a bunk board on his trailer, just bought the boat/trailer last week!

 

[Trevor Shipman]

Sorry to hear about the boat day, but sometimes you just gotta accept that you're going to have an off boat day, bound to happen. Question, where do you buy the trulocks? Never had an issue with my plugs but sounds like an issue id like to avoid.

 

[Julian]

@JDSCHMOO I thought the point of truelocks was to prevent a blow out?

 

[ACRDSPORT14]

How did they do there job when your plug blew out?

 

[JDSCHMOO]

Got em from jetboatpilot. They didn't really "blow out" just came unseated, but remained in the hole, still engaged. Had to have been me locking them without them being seated properly. In other words, they didn't fly out of the engine hatch and cause damage like others have had from a plug blowout.

 

[ACRDSPORT14]

That's good it didn't do damage.

 

[Volffas]

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong but it almost sounds like the truelocks did more damage than good. The only time that I didn't lock one of my plugs correctly before launch I realized it as soon as I tried to get moving on the water. It took you 10 minutes to figure out that there was an issue because the truelocks kept the plug in place just well enough for you not to notice immediately, but still unseated enough for water to almost flood your engine compartment.

 

[dansshin]

When I took my boat out for the first time, I didn't know that both of my cleanout plugs weren't locked in place but only side effect of this I noticed was even when I applied throttle, boat wouldn't go fast at all even with RPM going up. I didn't have any water flood the engine bay or plugs pop off. Did I get lucky?

 

[Scottintexas]

no, that's standard, I did the same thing a few weeks ago,

if you forget to install them you just loose thrust as there's no real pressure build up, the problem is when they are partially installed or just break free because of the built up pressure, then it can blow through the hatch or knock the tubing out causing the stern to flood,

 

[Julian]

Got em from jetboatpilot. They didn't really "blow out" just came unseated, but remained in the hole, still engaged. Had to have been me locking them without them being seated properly. In other words, they didn't fly out of the engine hatch and cause damage like others have had from a plug blowout.

I guess my concern here is that the after market "locks" are supposed to solve for the problem of:

1. plugs blowing out and either wedging in the tube and blowing the hose off and filling your boat with water
2. plugs blowing out and shooting through your hatch, breaking the latch and sinking (the plug sinking)

Since you experienced #1, it sure didn't help prevent it.

So you think it was user error in the install of the plug?

I have no "counter measures" and have never had a blow out. But I am really really anal about ensuring my plugs are

1. inserted all the way into the pump housing
2. locked
3. Locked hard....IE...I pull on them with ALL my strength

Then I put a nerf ball on top in case they do blow out, AND I have a bilge alarm so I know if the water is rising faster than my bilge pump can handle.

 

[Scottintexas]

no, that's standard, I did the same thing a few weeks ago,

if you forget to install them you just loose thrust as there's no real pressure build up, the problem is when they are partially installed or just break free because of the built up pressure, then it can blow through the hatch or knock the tubing out causing the stern to flood,

@dansshin that response was directed at you,

@JDSCHMOO sorry for the confustion, I didn't read your initial email,
I agree with the others that the locks should have prevented any problems, you may check with Will at Jetboatpilot as I think they had some initial issues with their locking mechanism and not sure if you have an old set or new ones.

 

[dansshin]

@Scottintexas I knew that. Thanks for the info and that matches my experience.

 

[JDSCHMOO]

Again, I think the whole thing started with an improper seating of the plug. It was still locked, and actually wedged in the hole, just letting water through. I do have nerf balls in each just in case of a blowout. Once it was seated properly, it was perfect, ran all day, no issues. This is the first time in 4 years it's ever happened.

 

[GiddYupJoe]

I had my first plug blow today. It must have happened after I was doing some "spins" for the kids and when I went to throttle up I immediately notice the rams shooting up. Can anyone explain to me how the water gets into the engine bay when this happens? I am confused because when I am on the water and use the clean out plugs water doesn't start filling in the engine bay. I guess I'm just confused on why the flooding with the blowing?

 

[Bruce]

If a plug blows out and the rubber tube it is inside remains attached to the jet and the clean out port cover and the clean out port cover is sealed to the hull then the water should come up and run off of the stern.

This is a lot of water with a lot of force. If the plug is lodged in the rubber tube then the water will look for an alternate path to escape. That would most likely be where the rubber tube attaches to the jet. Which would fill the bilge which also fills the engine compartment.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Not sure if the newer boats are the same but in my 2005 the water is forced through the adjoining engine hatch hinge.

 

[Bruce]

Not sure if the newer boats are the same but in my 2005 the water is forced through the adjoining engine hatch hinge.

Through the bilge or directly from the clean out plug area?

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Directly from the hatch area. This is by memory of it happening to others. I could be wrong as I have never had a blowout.

 

[Bruce]

On my late model 230 the only path for water from a blowout to get to the engines is through the bilge.

 

[GiddYupJoe]

Thanks fellas. Confusion averted.