Leaking boat!!!

[newowner09]

I have an 88' Four Winns 200 Horizion with a 4.3 OMC Cobra. The engine was replaced last year prior to my purchaseing it. I have had the u-joints, bellows,shift cable, and impellar replaced. I noticed this past weekened while at the lake the bilge was pumping non-stop while we were out of the boat. I filled the bilge area up with water tonight to see the culprit. It appears water is leaking out around the bottom of the lower unit. Is there a seal there? The shop was supposed to check it and said all was good. It's leaking though. Am i safe to take it out this weekend? Any idea what I might expect to pay a shop to repair it?

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Leaking boat!!!

the bilge was pumping non-stop........... Am i safe to take it out this weekend?

Howdy,


The bilge pump running "non-stop" is NOT a small leak! no. It's not very safe to "take it out" unless you confine yourself to a small lake and you ensure that you have life jackets for everyone (which you should anyway!)

You're going to have to identify where it's leaking. It's possible that the drive bellows is torn. Look for water coming in at the "drive" shaft" where it goes through the inner transom plate.

You also may have a rotten transom.

You just have to get in there with a flashlight and look.


Regards,


Rick

 

[sea wolf]

Re: Leaking boat!!!

Sounds like u-joint bellows. Take it back to the shop that did the work & have them look at it. A new bellows should not leak, unless they did something wrong. Have them back it into the water & check to see where the water is coming in from. I would run it until u find out what's going on.

 

[Don S]

Re: Leaking boat!!!

A leaky bellows will not cause the bilge pump to run non stop. Besides he would have to fill the boat with water over the starter to see water coming out. I doubt that happened.
I would be checking the transom for rot or possibly and exhaust Y leak at the connection. Try backing the boat into the water and look for the leak coming in, not going out.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Leaking boat!!!

Try backing the boat into the water and look for the leak coming in, not going out.

Mirror and a flashlight...

 

[AZSeville]

Re: Leaking boat!!!

If the bilge pump runs non stop you are taking in water faster then you can pump it out. You need to repair the leak.