NEWBIE 1994 OUTDRIVE LEAK QUESTION

[CENLO]

I have a 1994 Four Winns Sundowner 235........it has the Volvo out drive.

When I first launched it this year (before I removed it from the trailer) I opened the engine compartment to check for water. I could here gurgling noises and eventually saw water coming in under the engine. I then brought it to a repair shop to fix. After 3 weeks they said the boot(s) were ok and that the leak was coming from the linkage tube (they said the linkage runs thru a tube and the tube is cracked).....so they said they had to pull the engine and it would be about 300-400 to repair. I said for them to proceed. After a few more days they said that they are pretty sure its not the tube but its leaking from a rotten transom around the tube?

They said they didn't remove the outdrive or engine but found someone skinny enough to get a better look. The repair shop owner told me that they could probably temporarily fix the problem and that I can use it for the summer and then drop off to them in the fall to repair it. (2000-3000).

Before I bought the boat last fall I had a mechanic and a surveyor look at the boat. They both said it was solid and had no flex (transom)...the surveyor said he had slightly elevated readings in certain areas of the transom but said its unreliable in that area due to all of the metal in the area.

Any advise?.......(it looks like they caulked around the outdrive housing and when I launched it yesterday it had no leaking (or very little) how would caulking the outdrive stop a leak at the linkage tubing?

I am in Northern Michigan and just need someone trustworthy to look and the problem and complete the repair properly

 

[500dollar744ti]

Forget about the linkage tubing or whatever, the rotten transom is allowing water to come in around the outdrive. They patched it by adding some caulk around the drive so it would last the summer and then in the winter they could do the transom rebuild. A transom rebuild for 2000-3000 dollars sounds like a good deal to me. I don't think these guys are trying to rip you off or lying about anything. It looks like they have tried to help you out for the summer, then given you an expectation of what the full repair will cost at the end of the season.

Just from how you explained the situation, I would venture to say you have found a trustworthy shop, but your original survey of the boat was bad or misleading.

 

[CENLO]

when the transom is repaired do they usually install a new outdrive seal-transom?

 

[500dollar744ti]

Rebuilding the transom is an extremely labor intensive job and they would be installing a new transom seal, you can ask them but they would have to be pretty ignorant to not install a new seal.

The current problem isn't the seal, it's the transom flexing under load and allowing water to enter.

 

[CENLO]

Is there any chance it could be something else? Two different professional's looked at the boat and said the transom has no flex and is solid. There is no delamination of the outer skin........sorry for the stupid questions but just want to be sure.

Also is the seacast product worth it?

 

[500dollar744ti]

Well, the best way to check for transom flex in the real world is to tie to a dock at the bow then put it in reverse and give it some gas. Have one person do that, then you can look at the engine compartment in the back and see if water starts to come in or if it's already coming in you can see if the rate increases.

The fact that you said little to no water was leaking in after they sealed around the drive is a direct indicator of a bad transom in my book.

I have no experience with Seacast but I've heard it can work. If it doesn't work though, it will make transom replacement a lot harder if you end up having to fit it the correct way. I got to leave work now but I'll see if you responded by the time I get home.

 

[Scott Danforth]

by the time you are done repairing with seacast, you could have done a complete proper transom rebuild for less money. BTDT. you still have to pull the motor and drive either way.

 

[Sparkinator]

I've got a 95 Four Winns and the lower portion of my transom was rotten. It would leak a little, but would pour in whenever I would beach the boat. The drive would stick to the bottom, and as the boat would flex against the beach and the drive, water would pour in.

My transom seemed extremely strong. I couldn't believe I had a rotten transom until I felt the rotten core by reaching under the engine.

The reason it is so hard for the naked eye to see, is that you have a fiberglass skin on both sides of a wooden core. Once water gets to the wood, it has nowhere to go. The wood wicks the water further and further until you have rot across the entire transom. I ripped out the entire transom and replaced it last year. It was a pretty labor intensive job, but not overwhelming.

If you decide to do it yourself, there is a lot of experienced hands at this, that are on this forum that can give you lots of pointers. If you decide to get someone to do it for you, I would make sure that they seal everything. Seal the keyhole where the drive sticks through, and seal the holes that the studs stick through. Overbore them and paint with resin or epoxy. Don't leave any avenue for water to entire the core of the transom.

I was surprised out how well my Four Winns was built. Everything except for the transom was completely solid for a almost 20 year boat. But it looked like the dropped the ball on sealing the holes bored into the transom. It was painted, but not sealed properly. I'm hoping that mine is sealed to the point that if water gets up to a foot deep inside the boat, that there won't be any water intrusion into the transom core. That's what should be considered when building a new transom.

 

[CENLO]

Thanks..... I thought sea cast was a better transom repair? I spoke with a large marina and the guy said that for 200-400 they could determine the extent of the damage. He said they would measure the density and then drill interior holes and then refill them with expoxy. He said this would let you know for sure?

 

[500dollar744ti]

Drilling the holes and filling them with epoxy is a good way to determine the extent of transom rot, it's really the only accurate way to do it. It will let you know for sure.

 

[further]

+1... You can do it yourself. Drill holes on the inside towards the bottom of the transom and near the bilge drain. If the shavings that come out are dry and light in color then the wood is dry and you're ok. If the shavings are dark and damp/wet, then you know it's been compromised and has been subjected to moisture and once transom wood is subjected to moisture its all down hill from there. Make sure to do it in several locations to get a good sampling and don't drill through the outer skin. You can fill the holes with 4200 or 5200 sealant (easier than dealing with epoxy)....

Good luck