Eliminator Eagle 280 Gel crack/ Water leak

[Smokiinram55]

About a week ago today I Bought a 97 Eliminator Eagle 280Xp. Took it out a few times during the week after work and was in love with the boat, It wasn't until parking it in my driveway cleaning it out I opened the ski hatch in the middle of the floor to notice some water puddled on the carpet.my stomach immediately knotted.I tore the carpet out to find the fiberglass on one of the stringers peeling and cracking off. There seems to be 2 spots were its cracked on the gel where the steps are in the hull.this is my first boat of this caliber and I think I really bit the dust this time

So my question is, how deep am I really in this thing I haven't noticed any rot (yet) I tapped around sounds pretty solid.
Do eliminators have flotation foam ?

I'll try and upload some pictures

 

[Sea18Horse]

Yeah once you`ve made three posts then you can post pics. I think they need to be 2 megs or less. Good luck with it! Prepare for the worst, hope for the best. You`ve certainly come to the right place.

Cheers................Todd

 

[Smokiinram55]

I think I have to make a few posts unit I can post pictures. I've been following this forum for a while and have read alot of helpful info.

I'm going to try and dry out the water that is sitting. It's not a lot of water maybe 3 quarts worth after a 15 minute run across the lake out the bildge.but I'm not sure if there is supposed to be any water under the hull before the bildge .

Any point in the direction would be really appreciated

 

[zool]

Welcome to Iboats Smoki

until you can post pics ( I think you need 3 or 4 posts), it's hard to tell what you have going on, but..

Most ski lockers are formed between the stringers below the deck...and water in the bilge can and will find its way forward, even thru a bulkhead if its been compromised, so its not uncommon for bilge water to get forward.

Theres only a few reasons for water being below deck, a hole or crack in the hull (unlikely), a soft transom the lets water in thru the shield under load, or a failed bellows or two.

The cracks on your hull steps may just be stress cracks in the gel and not structural, but if they are from heavy pounding, they can be fixed fairly easily.

The delamination of the stringer encapsulation can be from water expansion if they are foam filled, or just rotted wood stringers deteriorating under the glass lams...

Regardless, you will need to access the stringers to core sample them in suspected areas, as well as the transom near the hull bottom and around the shield(s)

Bellows would be the best outcome, but many arent so lucky....The good news is, if you luv the boat, it can be fixed...wiht some money and alot of effort.

 

[Smokiinram55]

Thank you Sea horse and Zool

I was inspecting the bellows earlier and the cable Bellow looks a little old and brittle but no visible damage, the exhaust Bellow has a cut in it but heard that that won't let water in. I have through transom exhaust though , can I block that off so there is no exhaust Bellow?

​​​​​Would I have to contact a surveyor for core sample?

 

[zool]

We really need to know what you have..Merc/Bravo?....Volvo?...

You dont need a surveyer, the time for that was before you purchased it.

You just need access, a drill and a 3/8+- drill bit...and some filler to fill in the drill holes if all is ok.....all work is done from the INSIDE of the transom.

After you get some pics up, we can try to assess whats going on..

be sure to post some closeups of the hull step cracking, and the delaminated stringer.

 

[tpenfield]

:welcome:

Tell us a bit more about how you inspected the boat prior to purchase. Was the water and cracks not present then?

Have you inspected the outside of the hull for signs of cracking.

Pictures of the damaged areas will help. Yes, there is probably foam in the hull chambers.

 

[Scott Danforth]

on your 4th post you can upload pics. they have to be reduced in size to under 700kb.

 

[Smokiinram55]

I have a Bravo one Drive

Took the boat out to see how it ran and when I opened the compartment then,it was dry. I Didn't pull up the carpet

And there was a little beach rash but didn't notice any cracks other than some hairline cracks around the glovebox console.

I must have just missed the cracks on the hull steps because the trailer blocks the view .I was tapping around the transom last night and although I don't have an ear for it ,I didn't hear and
any dull thuds and there isnt any gel cracks in that area from flex

 

[Smokiinram55]

The third photo is under the rear seat in front of bildge. The piece of plywood looks like it's bare. And almost looks like someone added it in there I'm wondering if this has been "band aided" before..

 

[tpenfield]

Looks original - does not look like good construction though. I would clean things up so you can have a better look.

 

[Smokiinram55]

I will try cleaning the bildge out and scrape/ sand the carpet glue off the glass in the compartment.

I don't know how it looks under the floor outside the compartment though is cutting the floor the only way to find out? I'm assuming that's the next step really. I'm sorry if I'm asking dumb questions I'm a mechanic for a living,but working on a hull is new to me

 

[tpenfield]

Keep the sawzall in the toolbox for now. Next would be some core samples once it is cleaned up.

 

[JASinIL2006]

The knock test really means very little, even if you have an experienced ear. Drilling some core samples into the wood structure is really the only way to know what you're looking at.

 

[Smokiinram55]

Alright so far the stringers seem ok all shavings dry.

Im about to poke the transom , but where on transom am I wanting to drill? Right next to drive ? Or just around the bottom ? I don't want to drill more holes that I need to.

I've been grinding down the spots where the fiberglass kind of had a loose "flap" around the stringer.woukd I just continue cleaning that out and re mat it since that wood is dry?

 

[Dennischaves]

About an inch from the bottom of the hull I would say
the wood will start to rot at the bottom more than likely

 

[Smokiinram55]

So I feel a little relieved my transom is looking dry. Going to epoxy the wholes up what epoxy do you use to seal up hardware holes in the boat? I think I want to drill out everything and epoxy seal the holes around everything bolted to transom.

I just have to figure out where this water is coming in at I'll just pull the drive and replace bellows , could I still have a bad seal where stern drive bolts to transom?

 

[tpenfield]

So I feel a little relieved my transom is looking dry. Going to epoxy the wholes up what epoxy do you use to seal up hardware holes in the boat? I think I want to drill out everything and epoxy seal the holes around everything bolted to transom.

I just have to figure out where this water is coming in at I'll just pull the drive and replace bellows , could I still have a bad seal where stern drive bolts to transom?

You could . . . . :noidea:

 

[JASinIL2006]

3M 5200 sealant works great for filling the holes drilled to check for moisture.

 

[Smokiinram55]

So trying to juggle working on the boat and work, I've discovered some things that I wish I hadn't...

I found the port side of the bildge looks like it had some type of oil spill and soaked the floor with used motor oil..

I removed engine and ripped up the carpet.Started cutting out the floor just up to the bilge and the floor had a lot of oil in the core,the core is the type that resembles cardboard sandwiched with fiberglass.

What really concerns me is the hull looks to have soaked in some of the oil and at the transom looks like the oil delaminated the glass on the bottom of hull and around a stringer. Is that repairable? How do I clean the oil? I've tried k2r already