Leaky Drain Plug Fix/Advice

[Bigmouthbasshole]

Bought this little boat to bass fish my local SoCal lakes. Took it out on 7/16 to test it out and the boat handled very well and even managed to land a couple decent size LMB. As with most used boats this one is not perfect and I have a few improvement projects lined up. The first thing I want to take care of is a leaky drain plug. I bought a new plug as the old one was worn and weathered. The plug I bought seems to be the correct size and fit snug in the plug hole. When I got her in the water I could see a very small stream of water coming into the bilge area from the plug. It was very small slow leak that my bilge pump handled with no problems. However I would like to fix or repair the leak if possible. Being brand new to the boat ownership world I did an internet search for a starting point, and to my surprise I couldn't find what I was looking for. Does anyone know any easy fixes for this or if there are kits available that don't require a major restoration? Any info would help. Thanks

 

[java230]

is it one of the plugs that the tightness can be adjusted by turning the handle that lock it in? you car flipping the handle up right?

What variety of boat is that? Looks very similar to mine!

 

[Scott Danforth]

do you have a rubber plug or threaded plug?

 

[Woodonglass]

First off Welcome to iBoats!! 2nd I LOVE your Member Name!!!!

You have a nice looking Rig! Are you certain the leak was coming from the interior of the drain tube around the rubber plug or from the exterior of the acutal tube itself where it's supposed to be sealed to the transom of the boat? Have you noticed any discoloration around the tube. Are there any soft spots or any noticeable Flexing in the Transom? Can you pull up or push down on the leg of the motor and see any flexing in the transom? All of these would be indications of a weakened transom that could need repair. Let us know what you find. It could be as simple as tightening the plug as java230 described but then again maybe not.

 

[Bigmouthbasshole]

Thanks for your help. I will try and answer all questions in one post. The boat is a 1986 but registered Special Construction. The guy I bought it from said it might be a Boston Whaler but he was never able to figure it out for sure. There does not seem to be any visible signs of damage to the transom. To tell you the truth the drain hole doesn't seem to be worn, dinged or in any other way damaged. From what I could see of the leak, it looked to be coming form between the plug and drain hole. Like the seal was not tight enough. Here is a pic of the plug I am using:

 

[Woodonglass]

Ok like java230 said, hold onto the rubber portion and spin the handle clockwise. This will expand the rubber and make it fit tighter in the tube. A couple of turns is all it should take. If not try a couple of more. Also as noted. Make sure once its in to always flip the handle UP not down so the water want flip it open and pull it out. This expands the plug a bit more and locks it in place. Try that and see what happens. Report back and let us know.

By the way you have 2 other posts on the same subject. You might want to PM a moderator and have them removed. Or I can ask them for you if you want.

 

[GT1000000]

Once you insert the plug, you should be able to straighten the handle and give it a few turns, that should expand the rubber plug for a snug fit, then just flip the handle down to lock it...

 

[Fastatv]

I have had a couple of boats with that style plug. Mine wouldn't hold even after turning the handle....felt like it would but would then start slipping out/leaking while underway. I found that the drain hole and plug had an oily residue on them. I scrubbed the drain hole out ( and bilge ) and installed a new plug...problem went away.

 

[Bigmouthbasshole]

Thanks all for the advice. I will try some of those fixes this afternoon and let you know how it goes. A moderator has been contacted about the duplicates