Good News, bad news

[johhnyboat]

The good news is that my second bilge pump is working great... Anyway, I added a new scupper valve so I am certain that is not the issue. Maybe water is getting in through the drain plug, but it seems tight? I know there have been a lot of posts about this. I have changed out the anchor locker thru hull. Not sure where else to look.
I'll do more investigating today.

 

[Beachbummer]

Can you tell if the water is seeping in when the boat is running only? or all the time? I'm having the same issue and it will be hunting time this weekend. I'm hoping bright lights and dry rags will help me locate where the water is coming in. Every hose and clamp is a suspect.

 

[David Martin]

Yes make sure the boat plug o ring is in good shape and a has proper lube. Next I would look at the impeller shaft boots, these 2 rubber hoses (4 clamps) these keep water from the drive shafts from entering the back hull area, also water inside those tubes is making contact with the intermediate bearing seal(this is the bearing inside boat behind engines on the fiberglass hull.

Next the clamps that are sealing the jet plug tubes(4 clamps) your jet plugs on top should be dry(mine are 100% dry after day on water) plug rubber seal/lubrication is holding.......... so clamps on rubber tubes are not being tested. After that I would head over to the exhaust pipe exit it only has silicon caulk as a sealer and is exposed to (heat cycles and vibration) this hot exhaust and cool lake water will take its toll on caulk over time.

hope this helps a little

 

[johhnyboat]

Can you tell if the water is seeping in when the boat is running only? or all the time? I'm having the same issue and it will be hunting time this weekend. I'm hoping bright lights and dry rags will help me locate where the water is coming in. Every hose and clamp is a suspect.

At this point, I don’t know yet. I did take her for a short ride and then when tying up in the slip the bilge came on. When I checked the bilge area after it seemed pretty dry. I’ll check when I get to the marina today and after I take it for a ride.

 

[2kwik4u]

At this point, I don’t know yet. I did take her for a short ride and then when tying up in the slip the bilge came on. When I checked the bilge area after it seemed pretty dry. I’ll check when I get to the marina today and after I take it for a ride.

Check the water coming out of the bilge pump next time with your hand. Hot water means it's coming from the cooling system on the boat. Cold/cool water is from an external fitting leaking. There is a single pressurized cold water line for each engine that runs from the high pressure side of the jet pump through the bulkhead, and to a Y fitting in the engine compartment.

If you have hot water, then run the engine at speed with someone else driving, and stick your head in the engine compartment (with hearing protection) and look around with a bright light. If it's dry in there, then it's coming from the water cooled exhaust system or the thermostat exit line.

 

[Matt Phillips]

Water can also seep in around the rub-rail. My boat is fairly dry until we wake surf and fill the rear sacks and put an additional 400lb on the rear swim step. Once that happens, the run rail easily gets under water and the pump will cycle. Put 3-4 people standing around on the swim platform and it'll have the same effect.

if the boat is positioned so it takes a wave from the stern or water gets up onto the second landing, it's not uncommon to have water on top of the plugs.

 

[Julian]

Be sure you go through the Ultimate Leak Finder thread and post any changes or additions to that if you find a leak - also linked in the FAQ.

https://jetboaters.net/faq/view/general-maintenance.1/#faq-209

 

[Sonic Blue]

I just went through this this past weekend. Was taking on water. Slowly. But have never seen water come in before. The bilge pump would take care of it but I didn’t want to rely on that so I pulled the boat. Drain plug seemed normal. I took the boat home and flushed the bilge with a garden hose. Lots of fibreglass and aluminum spirals and shavings as expected.

when I put the boat in the water, I got a good twist and a half out of the drain plug to set it in. Felt good and solid. Then, at home, I wiped the plug and threads with a cloth…. Made sure it was really clean…took some silicon and with my finger rubbed it on the o-ring.….made sure the plug was nice and square….and got about 2 1/2 to 3 turns out of it. MUCH different feel. I filled the bilge up with the hose to just before the pump came on. No leaks anywhere. Then I backed the drain plug off by a little over a half turn and water started seeping out.
so…from now on… no matter how busy the ramp is….I’m getting right down there with a rag and silicone and making sure that drain plug has the extra twists and feel going in.

my unexplained water was user error. I should be able to feel the o-ring compress a little if I’m doing it properly. I won’t rush that or make that mistake again.

 

[Cambo]

Water can also seep in around the rub-rail. My boat is fairly dry until we wake surf and fill the rear sacks and put an additional 400lb on the rear swim step. Once that happens, the run rail easily gets under water and the pump will cycle. Put 3-4 people standing around on the swim platform and it'll have the same effect.

if the boat is positioned so it takes a wave from the stern or water gets up onto the second landing, it's not uncommon to have water on top of the plugs.

when surfing loaded with ballast water can come in from the cleats , the clean out tray including the inspection hatch and the rub rail. I have sealed all those areas and only get about a 1/2 gallon of water after surfing and the bilge pump does not run at all. The clean out tray has a one way fitting installed on the drain . I was amazed to see no water sitting on top of the clean out plugs And we had the 850 lb bag on the swim platform starboard bag 100% port bag 50% and ski locker bag 50%.