Blue Drain Plug Broken Off Underway

[tahoejag]

I was losing power off of mid throttle cruising speed, also engine would bog down when throttling up. The boat had been running aprx 20 min at no wake speed and another 15 min at cruise speed fine before this happened. First reaction...what the hell..., stopped boat then noticed the blue drain plug for the circulating water pump was broke off at the threads and water had filled the bilge area. Of course, manual bilge pump :blue:...since then - auto float switch installed! So now here girlfriend and I sit, no spare plug, bilge pumping out now that I turned it manually on to give me time to think for a quick fix. Second reaction... I'm screwed!...no spare plug. Ahhh....girlfriend says "i mite have something that may work, just don't use these anymore, but here". She hands me a tampon...LOL! To my dismay...it did fit in the threads and swolled up when it got wet and didn't leak. Just too funny! Fired engine back up...seemed all good, normal operating temp, etc. Upon returning home, looked things over all seemed good. I can't say for sure exactly how deep the water got to in the bilge, but when I stopped the bottom half of oil pan was submerged so I changed the oil and didn't notice any water in it

I still to this day wonder what caused the engine to bog down when giving it throttle? Could the circ pump be damaged or something else cooling related? I have since then carry spare drain plugs, and may add..if you don't have spare drain plugs handy...tampons will work! :laugh: I would really like to get a hold of some brass plugs and not plastic (bad design-they break off) but looked everywhere with no luck. Since then, engine seems fine and runs great. Is there ANYTHING I should re-check or have I overlooked something? What caused the engine to bog?

 

[OllieC]

Re: Blue Drain Plug Broken Off Underway

LOL!! Great story...I have nothing to offer other than bring spares.....I have the same plugs and replaced mine this year. They get brittle after a few years......

edit: Brass is nice however, from what I understand anyway, they changed to the blue plastic ones because when the brass ones stripped out or broke off, they were a real pain to drill out or re-fit. (I will probably be corrected on this)

 

[woody66912]

Re: Blue Drain Plug Broken Off Underway

I would say that you had some much water in the bilge that the flywheel was 1/4 submerged, at idle it was not slinging to much water but once throttled up it would fill the bell housing up and cause drag on the flywheel.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Blue Drain Plug Broken Off Underway

.....I have the same plugs and replaced mine this year. They get brittle after a few years......

edit: Brass is nice however, from what I understand anyway, they changed to the blue plastic ones because when the brass ones stripped out or broke off, they were a real pain to drill out or re-fit. (I will probably be corrected on this)

No need to correct what you wrote. Guys complain about the blue (or black) ones breaking, but then everyone else complains about the brass ones getting stuck and not draining at the end of the year. Keep spares, plain and simple. Or tampons.

 

[woody66912]

Re: Blue Drain Plug Broken Off Underway

Just a couple of notes hear. You may have to use pliers to remove the blue/black plugs, but never use pliers to install them, as far as the brass on brass plugs go people tend to over tighten them, if you hear them squeak while installing them THAT'S way to tight, just snug them, If it's brass on cast iron the same applies just snug.

 

[littlebookworm]

Re: Blue Drain Plug Broken Off Underway

The only thing I would add is to check your starter and alternator. If the water was halfway up the oil pan, chances are your starter got a good dunking and your alternator may have gotten a good splashing. Both units do not like water. You could pull them and have them checked; that would give you some peace of mind. In addition, what many people don't do is replace the little O-rings on the blue drain plugs. I suggest you change the O-rings each year and the blue plugs and O-rings every other year. It's cheap insurance against the plug drying out and cracking or the O-ring leaking. Hy

 

[OllieC]

Re: Blue Drain Plug Broken Off Underway

A 5 pack of plugs is under $10 IIRC.

 

[tahoejag]

Re: Blue Drain Plug Broken Off Underway

Spring will replace all 5 with new. These are the originals (2006) so they lasted awhile....+ I'll have ample spares. Thanks guys!

 

[90stingray]

Re: Blue Drain Plug Broken Off Underway

I still to this day wonder what caused the engine to bog down when giving it throttle? .....

What caused the engine to bog?

How about all that extra water ballast you were dragging around?