Clean out plugs repair kit

[Kofficer]

i Have the dreaded water in the bilge that I have read a lot about and first thought it was ballast leak, however, it is not. I am going to seal the clean out tray as several have mentioned, but wondering if the main issue is the clean out plugs leaking. I am wondering how much water blow -by is normal for most people? My 06 ar230 used to run all day and just have a little water on top of the plugs. I can ran this boat for about 5 minutes and the water is to the top of clean out plug port. I did a slow stop as to not wash water over the back deck. I am going to try a plug repair kit, but just seems a two year old boat in fresh water should not need new seals, My old boat with old style , the plugs were hard to get out, but didn’t leak. This new style cleanout plug doesn’t seem tight at all. Anyone have to replace them with kit?

 

[tdonoughue]

The water on top of the plugs is normal and probably from the drain port (when you stop, the water pressure pushes water up the drain port, and some of it sits in on top of the plugs).

I would focus on the cleanout tray. That thing leaks like crazy. I put a gasket of thin weatherstripping around mine and basically eliminated the water in the bilge... I still have water on top of my plugs usually, but none in the bilge to speak of.

 

[Kofficer]

The water on top of the plugs is normal and probably from the drain port (when you stop, the water pressure pushes water up the drain port, and some of it sits in on top of the plugs).

I would focus on the cleanout tray. That thing leaks like crazy. I put a gasket of thin weatherstripping around mine and basically eliminated the water in the bilge... I still have water on top of my plugs usually, but none in the bilge to speak of.

Before you sealed the tray, about how much were you getting in the bilge, a cup, a gallon, 5 gallons? And how long to have that amount, all day or few hours,etc?

 

[drewkaree]

i Have the dreaded water in the bilge that I have read a lot about and first thought it was ballast leak, however, it is not. I am going to seal the clean out tray as several have mentioned, but wondering if the main issue is the clean out plugs leaking. I am wondering how much water blow -by is normal for most people? My 06 ar230 used to run all day and just have a little water on top of the plugs. I can ran this boat for about 5 minutes and the water is to the top of clean out plug port. I did a slow stop as to not wash water over the back deck. I am going to try a plug repair kit, but just seems a two year old boat in fresh water should not need new seals, My old boat with old style , the plugs were hard to get out, but didn’t leak. This new style cleanout plug doesn’t seem tight at all. Anyone have to replace them with kit?

Not necessarily "dreaded", simply "expected, and annoying" ?

Show us your anchor locker drain fitting also, inside AND outside.

Your cleanout plugs MAY need to be rebuilt, but this almost assuredly isn't the actual reason for the water in your bilge. If the water does come in past the plugs, it should drain out via the fitting, and the tray shouldn't leak WHILE the water is draining out. At best, the plugs are third in line for keeping water out of the bilge, leave them alone until you've tackled at least sealing the tray without a change in the amount of water drained. If you have less water, then REALLY leave the plugs alone, as that's your indicator that there's other areas to address.

A slow stop is another thing that won't really do much, other than frustrate you. Same reason, drain, cleanout tray leaks, etc will be the actual reason, not water washing up that high. @tdonoughue is right water on top of the plugs is normal, and not problematic, it just seems like it is.

The new plugs are a godsend, and no, they aren't as tight as your old plugs, but they don't have to be either. They don't explode and potentially damage your boat, and they work well enough to seal your boat, as evidenced by the water STAYING on top of the plugs, instead of allowing it to drain out the bottom of the cleanout tubes. In the tubes means it can't get to the drain, and that's why you still have water in them. They're working properly. Look elsewhere.

Scupper - plastic? There IS at least one report on the forums here of a bad scupper at 2 years. That's for later, after sealing the cleanout tray, and checking your anchor locker drain.

Bet the tray gets you at least 75% of the way to satisfaction.

5 gallons / 5 minutes is the typical trigger for posts here, which also makes that amount "normal", but can be improved. You'll get this. Don't worry about your plugs for a bit, they're working well enough at this point.

 

[Kofficer]

Not necessarily "dreaded", simply "expected, and annoying" ?

Show us your anchor locker drain fitting also, inside AND outside.

Your cleanout plugs MAY need to be rebuilt, but this almost assuredly isn't the actual reason for the water in your bilge. If the water does come in past the plugs, it should drain out via the fitting, and the tray shouldn't leak WHILE the water is draining out. At best, the plugs are third in line for keeping water out of the bilge, leave them alone until you've tackled at least sealing the tray without a change in the amount of water drained. If you have less water, then REALLY leave the plugs alone, as that's your indicator that there's other areas to address.

A slow stop is another thing that won't really do much, other than frustrate you. Same reason, drain, cleanout tray leaks, etc will be the actual reason, not water washing up that high. @tdonoughue is right water on top of the plugs is normal, and not problematic, it just seems like it is.

The new plugs are a godsend, and no, they aren't as tight as your old plugs, but they don't have to be either. They don't explode and potentially damage your boat, and they work well enough to seal your boat, as evidenced by the water STAYING on top of the plugs, instead of allowing it to drain out the bottom of the cleanout tubes. In the tubes means it can't get to the drain, and that's why you still have water in them. They're working properly. Look elsewhere.

Scupper - plastic? There IS at least one report on the forums here of a bad scupper at 2 years. That's for later, after sealing the cleanout tray, and checking your anchor locker drain.

Bet the tray gets you at least 75% of the way to satisfaction.

5 gallons / 5 minutes is the typical trigger for posts here, which also makes that amount "normal", but can be improved. You'll get this. Don't worry about your plugs for a bit, they're working well enough at this point.

thanks for taking time to reply, will get pic of anchor locker drain and thinking of plugging it for just testing purposes. The slow stop was just for testing if water was coming by the plugs and not over the back. Will do clean out tray seal for sure next. Do you think it’s necessary to completely remove the tray to seal or just prep and put a bead down around it with it on? Also , where is scupper drain?

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

You do not have to remove the tray to seal it nor should you, you don’t want to glue the tray to the base, the sealant needs to be on the interface between the tray and the base. Just clean the area well with some denatured alcohol and apply a bead caulking or silicone seal to the L shaped area.

I used one of these bait well plugs on my anchor drain after I replaced it and sealed it.



I don’t use my anchor very often, and I didn’t see the need for water to be flowing in and out of the anchor via the drain. When I do use my anchor I just pull that plug out when I get home.

As @drewkaree and @tdonoughue have said, get the tray sealed up first and most of the water will probably go away.

The scupper drain is in the stern under your swim deck and may be between the jet pumps. Pull the mechanical inspection hatch in the clean out tray and look for a 1.5” plastic hose that is your deck drain line going to the scupper. You can get a replacement stainless steel one from GemLux or Attwood. I had two on my boat from the factory, one for the deck drain and one for the live well drain, I replaced them both as a preventative measure.

 

[Kofficer]

You do not have to remove the tray to seal it nor should you, you don’t want to glue the tray to the base, the sealant needs to be on the interface between the tray and the base. Just clean the area well with some denatured alcohol and apply a bead caulking or silicone seal to the L shaped area.

I used one of these bait well plugs on my anchor drain after I replaced it and sealed it.

View attachment 186757

I don’t use my anchor very often, and I didn’t see the need for water to be flowing in and out of the anchor via the drain. When I do use my anchor I just pull that plug out when I get home.

As @drewkaree and @tdonoughue have said, get the tray sealed up first and most of the water will probably go away.

The scupper drain is in the stern under your swim deck and may be between the jet pumps. Pull the mechanical inspection hatch in the clean out tray and look for a 1.5” plastic hose that is your deck drain line going to the scupper. You can get a replacement stainless steel one from GemLux or Attwood. I had two on my boat from the factory, one for the deck drain and one for the live well drain, I replaced them both as a preventative measure.

Does the inspection panel on the tray ( the one that simply pops out)also need sealed or does the rubber ring seal it sufficiently?

 

[tdonoughue]

Does the inspection panel on the tray ( the one that simply pops out)also need sealed or does the rubber ring seal it sufficiently?

A matter of degree. I don't think anyone would say it really seals.... Mine has about a 3/8" gap in the gasket, so it certainly is not water-tight. And it only kinda loosely snaps in there.

That said, how much water does it let in? If you want bone dry, you are going to need to deal with the inspection hatch. If a cup of water an outing is ok, then what is there is probably enough. As @FSH 210 Sport says, there are much bigger areas letting water in on most boats. Personally, I have left my hatch as stock (plugs and wet storage drain, too) and focused on the cleanout tray. That took care of my water issues enough for me. If I still had issues, I would be looking to the rub rail, etc. (and the anchor port drain if I had one) way before I would look to the hatch. IMHO, etc.

 

[tdonoughue]

Before you sealed the tray, about how much were you getting in the bilge, a cup, a gallon, 5 gallons? And how long to have that amount, all day or few hours,etc?

Probably on the order of 3-5 gallons. Never really measured it. But each time I would pull the boat (after being on the water for, say, 1/2-3/4 of a day), it would drain for a good 5 min or so. Now, I pull the plug and nothing comes out, usually. There is water in there, but not enough to reach the bilge drain...

 

[Kofficer]

Thanks for all the help! Have sealed around the tray and see how that works. Will at JBP sells a raised adapter for the inspection lid that will get it an inch or so higher. That seems like a good solution if there is still some water coming in.

 

[dan144k]

The clean out plugs are just plastic and the screws strip out easy. Yes even on a new plug. I was getting some cavities past the plug at 20mph, was weird.
I cut some small sized zip ties to fill in the plug thread holes and put the screws back in. Was able to get them tight and it solved my problem. Diferemtnones are different lengths and the screws are pretty short.

 

[drewkaree]

@dan144k you have the older plugs, not the same as the OP

May be helpful though, for those with the older style of plugs, nice tip

 

[Kofficer]

A matter of degree. I don't think anyone would say it really seals.... Mine has about a 3/8" gap in the gasket, so it certainly is not water-tight. And it only kinda loosely snaps in there.

That said, how much water does it let in? If you want bone dry, you are going to need to deal with the inspection hatch. If a cup of water an outing is ok, then what is there is probably enough. As @FSH 210 Sport says, there are much bigger areas letting water in on most boats. Personally, I have left my hatch as stock (plugs and wet storage drain, too) and focused on the cleanout tray. That took care of my water issues enough for me. If I still had issues, I would be looking to the rub rail, etc. (and the anchor port drain if I had one) way before I would look to the hatch. IMHO, etc.

How does water leak around rub rail and if so I am guessing mainly the back area since most is above water line? Is the boat two parts a top and bottom and the rub rail is where they meet? How do you seal?

 

[tdonoughue]

Yes, during original manufacture, the top half of the hull was married to the bottom half of the hull at the rub rail. There is a sealant they put between the two halves at the joint, but sometimes they either don't put enough or put it in the wrong place and it doesn't seal the joint. Several people have reported that the aft of the joint, under the rub rail around the swim platform, leaks. Pull the rub rail, add 5200 (or 4200 or probably even silicone would do in that location), reinstall the rail...

 

[Gump1976]

Fwiw, I recently did the plug rebuild on my 2019 242. I felt like I had an issue before the rebuild as one plug always ended up with a full pool of water on top of it at the end of the day, and followed when I moved the plug from engine to engine. Also seemed to be sluggish getting up to speed. Finally the clincher was my son telling me while we were at speed, water was gushing out of the clean out cover. Bought the kit from partzilla. Upon disassembly found the culprit. Two mounting posts had broken off at the tops. Attached.
Also, bilge was turning on and pumping out frequently at speed, which rarely happened in the past.

 

[Kofficer]

Fwiw, I recently did the plug rebuild on my 2019 242. I felt like I had an issue before the rebuild as one plug always ended up with a full pool of water on top of it at the end of the day, and followed when I moved the plug from engine to engine. Also seemed to be sluggish getting up to speed. Finally the clincher was my son telling me while we were at speed, water was gushing out of the clean out cover. Bought the kit from partzilla. Upon disassembly found the culprit. Two mounting posts had broken off at the tops. Attached.

Thanks gump1976, this is kinda what I was expecting to hear. I had not thought about switching plugs but that makes a lot of sense. I can have zero water on top of plug, drive 300 yards and then one will be full on top. Not coming in from back. I have not seen any instructions on a rebuild kit, but guessing I could take apart to inspect , right? Also, how many hours did your boat have at this point? Assume this fixed any water in bilge issue…..

 

[Gump1976]

Thanks gump1976, this is kinda what I was expecting to hear. I had not thought about switching plugs but that makes a lot of sense. I can have zero water on top of plug, drive 300 yards and then one will be full on top. Not coming in from back. I have not seen any instructions on a rebuild kit, but guessing I could take apart to inspect , right? Also, how many hours did your boat have at this point? Assume this fixed any water in bilge issue…..

Yeah I’m with you there. I am always taking a glance back at my swim deck and when decelerating it’s always gradual and never see water coming up on to the swim seat level. I had 90-95hrs. Rebuild kit was easy, Phillips head screws. Can be inspected for similar condition (broken plastic posts) now that I’ve seen it. There are two spring loaded white caps you’ll see if you take it a part. Be careful with those, they are free floating and can easily be lost. Not part of rebuild kit.

 

[drewkaree]

I have not seen any instructions on a rebuild kit, but guessing I could take apart to inspect , right?

https://jetboaters.net/threads/clean-out-plug-my-turn-grrrr.32327/page-2#post-524693

For reference, there was no issue with my plug whatsoever. I had removed mine, mainly for curiosity, but I was trying to see if I needed to get all the water out for winter storage, and also concern about the storage facility and possible theft or swapping with someone else's bad plugs

 

[drewkaree]

Assume this fixed any water in bilge issue…..

This would have only lessened any water in the bilge. Bad cleanout plugs will allow water into the tray area, but not the bilge, without OTHER things also being bad.

1. Water comes back up the drain fitting, and possibly past the plugs
2. Water drains - somewhere
3. All back out the drain (best case)
4. Under cleanout tray (likeliest issue, seal it)
5. Under inspection hatch (add riser)
6. Under drain fitting or any other screw hole (less likely, but possible)
7. In/around silicone at base of cleanout tubes (unlikely, but possible)

If there's any item after #2 that is a problem, that's the main issue you're having. If your plugs are bad, that's actually helping to alert you to the main issue that needs to be resolved.

Water on top of your plugs is common - search for the video done by someone here. It comes up through the drain fitting when you slow down and come off plane. The drain itself allows water INTO your boat, which fills the wet storage area, and fills the cleanout tubes when it doesn't drain fast enough back out the drain fitting.