Removed fiberglass panel over cleanout ports

[GoVols01]

This first season with my '17 boat, I regularly had water spitting out the bilge when it would cycle on and off. I checked the engine compartment and the cleanout port compartments several times to ensure they weren't full of water and I never saw an alarming amount. Still I don't like being rafted up and repeatedly told "your bilge is pissing a bunch of water dude!"

Whenever I first bought the boat, I tried to fix this issue by verifying all hose clamps in the engine compartment and front ski locker were tight, so my culprit must be in the cleanout port compartment! To get into that compartment, I removed the 12 screws securing the panel to the deck and then removed the 3 hose clamps (2 cleanout ports and useless drain). With those removed, it took a little muscle and wiggling to get the panel to work loose from the lousy sealant between the underside of the panel and the decking. This stuff appears more like glue than a sealant and I'm certain water was dripping down past this stuff and into the hull.

With the top off the compartment, I had easy access to all the clamps in the cleanout port area. Surprisingly, most clamps took several turns of my screw driver to get the clamp tight - no, I didn't over-tighten any. Very surprisingly, there's only 1 clamp on either end of both of the cleanout ports, so I'll buy another 4 of those and install them. I also cleaned several screws, washers, and nuts out of the hull that were sitting just inside the drain plug hole.

Question to you guys is, what should I use to reseal the compartment cover to the deck with? Keep in mind, this is a serviceable area, so I can't use anything permanent.

 

[Julian]

Most people either don't seal it, or if they do - use a silicon sealant.

 

[GoVols01]

Every time I open the cleanout ports' compartment lid, they port tubes are full of water on top of the plugs. I'm told this is normal, but I don't think that's acceptable. The water flows around the plugs and up the tubes and dumps into the compartment beneath the lid. I imagine some goes down the drain, but a bunch of it is making its way under the fiberglass panel and into the hull.

Has anyone tried sealing the plugs inside the cleanout ports? Again, not permanently sealing, but something that'll do a better job than factory plug seals are doing. I imagine this is contributing to cavitation as well, so getting a better seal on those plug should improve several things!

 

[Julian]

The water flows around the plugs and up the tubes and dumps into the compartment beneath the lid.

I don't think this is what is happening. The plugs should be sealed. When you open the hatch, then engine can't be running due to the cut offs, so no pressure under the plugs. PERHAPS you are saying that they are leaking under pressure? When there is no pressure they aren't leaking, otherwise the water would drain back down to the water level - which should be at the bottom half of the tube. So if they are full with water, they are sealed and what is happening is water is coming over your swim platform, and filling the clean out tray (and the holes), then draining out the drain, but the water in the tubes sits there because the plugs are sealed.

You could test this by being very careful about how you slow down...check them tubes ensure empty, throttle up and drive around, slow down very slowly without water coming over the stern and check the tray and tubes...should be empty.

 

[gmtech16450yz]

Exactly what Julian said. It's mostly the water coming up over the rear deck on decel. Sealing that cover is vital though, the stock "seal" is worthless. Heck, half the screws in mine were stripped out when I got the boat brand new. I replaced all the screws with stainless nuts and bolts, and also cleaned all the silicone sealer off and replace it with a rubber seal. My rear compartment went from always having water in it to being darn near dry on most times out just by making sure that cleanout panel is sealed properly. I actually also screwed down the little access cover since it falls off half the time anyway. Anyone that's getting too much water in their bilge or rear compartment should make sure that panel and access cover is totally sealed.

You can see the seal in this pic...

 

[Scottintexas]

Still I don't like being rafted up and repeatedly told "your bilge is pissing a bunch of water dude!"

is your bilge coming on repeatedly after you anchor or just one time every time you anchor?

If your rafted up and your bilge pump is repeatedly coming on you might have another issue below the water line,

it might be worth drying it out and leaving the cover off and check it on the water, maybe float it off the trailer and let it sit at the dock for an hour and then run it around being mindful of deceleration and a wave coming over the back.

 

[GoVols01]

I'm certain pressurized water is pushing past the cleanout ports' gaskets while underway. When floating, I can remove the cleanout ports and all water on top of them drains down to the lake again through the bottom of the port to the water level. The back deck is usually dry when I come off plane, so I don't think my wake is coming over the swim deck to cause this condition, but I'll study it more this season.

I was surprised how many of the clamps needed tightening in that compartment. Maybe I did have a slow leak from one of those clamped hoses. My bilge did kick on periodically while sitting at anchor and belch-up several seconds of water from the port. This is what prompted me to start tightening accessible clamps in the engine compartment as I tried to get the low-lying fruit to fix this issue.

GMTECH - where did you get that black seal for your access lid? That's exactly what I'm looking for to seal this compartment.

 

[Julian]

I replaced all the screws with stainless nuts and bolts,

How did you prevent the bolts from falling out of the holes and also spinning when you tighten them? I assume you 5200'd them into place? I love this approach as my last boat had a number of stripped screws too!

 

[Frank Marshall]

Question to you guys is, what should I use to reseal the compartment cover to the deck with? Keep in mind, this is a serviceable area, so I can't use anything permanent.

I have the same issue, with a dog that has to go swimming every time we go out. Water in the back compartment every time.
I added 1/4" thick x 3/4" wide neoprene foam with adhesive one side to the under side of the screwed down access cover. I also added 8 more screws to hold it down. It sure seems like it will work, but I haven't tested it yet.

 

[Weeb]

How did you prevent the bolts from falling out of the holes and also spinning when you tighten them? I assume you 5200'd them into place? I love this approach as my last boat had a number of stripped screws too!

I was also wondering this as it seems like a better solution than stripping screw holes.

 

[gmtech16450yz]

I had originally just used 1/4-20 nuts and bolts, putting the bolt with a washer in from the top, then putting a washer and locknut on the inside by reaching in through the smaller access door. It was kinda hard reaching a few of them. The last time I had that panel off, I bought a bunch of speed nuts. I put the bolts with a washer in from inside and then put a speednut on top to hold the bolt in place. Kinda like having studs. I used speednuts because you can't actually have full size nuts holding the bolts in place because then the gasket wouldn't seal. I simply put the gasket/seal right over the speednuts, poking a hole in the center of the seal where the bolts would stick through. I drilled out the holes in the cover panel a little bit so it was easier to put it onto the "studs". Then put a washer and locknut on top. I only had to reach in and keep a couple of the bolts from turning, most held tight on their own as I tightened the locknuts. Make sense? lol.

Here's more pics...

 

[gmtech16450yz]

How did you prevent the bolts from falling out of the holes and also spinning when you tighten them? I assume you 5200'd them into place? I love this approach as my last boat had a number of stripped screws too!

Might even be a better, easier approach than what I did. Go for it!

 

[GoVols01]

Was able to finally finish this project over the weekend. I bought a roll of rubber window seal material and 12 #12 X 1.25 stainless steel screws at Lowes. Cleaned the heck out of the sealing surfaces with acetone, applied the seal with adhesive backing, and then carefully screwed the whole thing back down. The screws I used were the same diameter, but twice the length than the 3/4" factory screws.

I heavily considered changing the screws over to bolts, but I couldn't figure out how the heck I'd be able to reach all of the bolts inside the hull to prevent it from just spinning when I would tighten down the nuts. In the end, everything looks good to go, but the true test will be when I drop her in the water in a few more weeks.

Thanks for the advice guys!

 

[Eric Ballard]

I don't think this is what is happening. The plugs should be sealed. When you open the hatch, then engine can't be running due to the cut offs, so no pressure under the plugs. PERHAPS you are saying that they are leaking under pressure? When there is no pressure they aren't leaking, otherwise the water would drain back down to the water level - which should be at the bottom half of the tube. So if they are full with water, they are sealed and what is happening is water is coming over your swim platform, and filling the clean out tray (and the holes), then draining out the drain, but the water in the tubes sits there because the plugs are sealed.

You could test this by being very careful about how you slow down...check them tubes ensure empty, throttle up and drive around, slow down very slowly without water coming over the stern and check the tray and tubes...should be empty.

On my SX190 there is a drain for the wet storage area that drain out the back, but its not a 1 way scupper style. I know for certain the water on top of my clean out port is due to water coming back up the drain when I come off plane and stop.

 

[Julian]

On my SX190 there is a drain for the wet storage area that drain out the back, but its not a 1 way scupper style. I know for certain the water on top of my clean out port is due to water coming back up the drain when I come off plane and stop.

I'd never thought about water coming back up the drain! Great point!

 

[GoVols01]

Water coming up the drain tube.......crap. That makes sense too.

Is it possible to buy a 1-way valve for that drain? Any time I've seen 1-way valves, there's been power to push/pull the water through the valve. Not sure if gravity can push water through a 1-way valve.

 

[Beachbummer]

Check valves are tricky. In my experience
They always introduce resistance in the allowed direction and seal less than optimally on the opposite direction.

It's better to rely on gravity. If it reverses sometimes, and you can live with it, so be it. Better than blocking the drain, or having seepage anyway when the valve gives.

 

[props2you]

Where you've mentioned water is located on your boat is normal. Based on your boating activities, i.e kids in an out, wake boarders in and out, pets in and out etc. bringing water in the boat does happen and more than you think. Eventually it drains to your bilge area, thus resulting in kicking your bilge on, doing it's job. Unless your boat sits in water without activity, it's likely not going to be dry, after all it is a boat. I haven't read anything in this thread that would suggest your accumulating water in unusual locations or volume. (unless your bilge is pumping water nonstop, then as someone mentioned, you'd have larger problems under your waterline.)

Also, from an engineering perspective, if you're sealing things off that were not designed to be, you may solve one issue but create another (possible standing/stagnant water/air circulation). I actually have a separate drain in my clean-out compartment that drains any excess water from the compartment. So regardless if water gets in there it will drain out.

 

[Eric Ballard]

All this being said, I like water getting 'stuck' above the clean out plug. If/when you ever experience a blowout the water above the clean out plug will soften the blow and possibly stop damage (or at least minimize it). I remove the clean out plug after each trip to remove the water.

 

[sysinu]

All this being said, I like water getting 'stuck' above the clean out plug. If/when you ever experience a blowout the water above the clean out plug will soften the blow and possibly stop damage (or at least minimize it). I remove the clean out plug after each trip to remove the water.

Nerf football works better ;-). Other than them getting stinky (in which case I just throw them away), these ones work great: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K91ZO42/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1