Drain plug 2021 AR250

[MikeT29]

I noticed my bilge running more frequently this year and believe that the drain plug isn't seating properly and leaking. Boat is on a lift in my slip - I ran the bilge dry while out of the water and dropped boat back in. After about an hour the bilge kicked on, and pretty much ran again about every half hour thereafter. I raised the boat back up, pulled the plug and tried to reseat it, and then dropped it back into the water with the same results.

We're taking the boat on vacation to a lake where it will be wet slipped for 6 days so I want to make sure I address this before we depart. That frequency over several days would concern me both for the batteries but also just because that's too much.

I will go pull the back panel by the clean out ports so I can get a better look back there and see if there's another issue - but has anybody found a better plug than the stock plastic one with the o-ring?

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

I have not. Just be sure you lubricate the O ring with silicone spray or pool pump line regularly.

Use a strong light and look down through the mechanical hatch and you should be able to tell if the drain plug is the issue. You are not running the boat correct when this happens?

Be sure and check the deck drain scupper. The oem plastic one can break so check that as well. Whilst on the water grab the hose and move it around gently to see if that fitting is cracked or broken.

 

[MikeT29]

I have not. Just be sure you lubricate the O ring with silicone spray or pool pump line regularly.

Use a strong light and look down through the mechanical hatch and you should be able to tell if the drain plug is the issue. You are not running the boat correct when this happens?

Be sure and check the deck drain scupper. The oem plastic one can break so check that as well. Whilst on the water grab the hose and move it around gently to see if that fitting is cracked or broken.

Thanks! And it's taking on water while sitting still in the slip.

I pulled the smaller panel between the clean out plugs and honestly couldn't see much. So i lifted the boat again and went out on the kayak to have a closer look at plug. I could see water slowly coming out around the plug so I'm pretty confident that's the issue.

I've usually sprayed that o-ring with yamalube, and did so both this morning when I pulled it/replaced and again just now. I have to say the plug seems to be acting a bit different than i remember, like it isn't taking much in the way of turns before it gets hand tight. I was careful to start it backwards and maybe got it to go in a bit further this time so I've dropped the boat into the water again to see if that helped. But I'm going to get hands on a new plug since that's a pretty inexpensive part.

 

[drewkaree]

Check the o-ring on that plug. If it's split, or even cracked, when you tighten that plug, it's going to open up that gap.

It's possible that age and/or the elements made it brittle, or screwing it in cocked may have started a cut that opened over time, or a few other things.

Take a small nylon brush, and if you can get out there on the kayak again, pull it, and brush out the threads. That'll compromise the o-ring seal as well. If you can get a bucket (or some other water source), open the hatch, pull the plug, and flush out the drain well, and try to see if anything is coming out that may have caused a failure to seat the o-ring

 

[drewkaree]

While you're waiting for a new plug, pull the drain plug from any of the other drain fittings.

MY BOAT - NOT necessarily the same as yours - uses the exact same plug for all the drains. If yours is the same, I'd pull the engine compartment drain first, since the bilge is right there to evacuate any water until you get that replacement plug

 

[drewkaree]

I pulled the smaller panel between the clean out plugs and honestly couldn't see much. So i lifted the boat again and went out on the kayak to have a closer look at plug. I could see water slowly coming out around the plug so I'm pretty confident that's the issue

Strong light?

Pulling the whole cleanout tray may be necessary to see, this is the plug for mine, sorry to brag about being filthy rich with drain plugs

Identical, and I also verifies that they fit the transom drain. Just bend one of those ears and you should be able to get it to go in. The one that has an ear cut off was the ski locker drain, and came cut like that from Yamaha.