Rookie/Newbie Question about water in the bilge area

[BossHogg]

So, I bought a used Chaparral 1999 180SE Bow Rider, 4.3L Mercruiser I/O, it had only been used in fresh water before I bought it. I paid a Marine service to come out and check over the boat before I took it out the first day. I had the impeller changed, the manifolds checked, spark plugs replaced, oil changed, and the lower unit oil replaced. The guys gave the boat a clean bill of health. I took it out and it ran great. The only thing that concerned me was there was water in the lower bilge area -- about 2 inches, or barely making it up to the bilge pump. I turned on the bilge pump and the water disappeared -- no sweat.

I did notice that where the bilge pump sits it looks like water would stop there if it got some down there. But when I hosed out that lower bilge in the driveway, the water disappeared so I now know it can move forward and past that lower bulkhead. The driveway slopes forward. When I was backing it down the ramp it slopes, obviously, down hill. I am thinking the water had been sitting further in the boat and then found its way aft after the down hill ride? I had the plug in and tight. Where would water leak into from the outdrive and is there a way to test this? I think I am just going to check it the next time at the launch, verify there is no water, if I get water, it has to be the plug or the outdrive.

 

[Bifflefan]

Re: Rookie/Newbie Question about water in the bilge area

I think I am just going to check it the next time at the launch, verify there is no water, if I get water, it has to be the plug or the outdrive.

How did you figure that?
The first part is right, make sure all the water is out and dry before you launch. Then if you got some in the bilge you can go looking.
It could be a bad exhaust boot, bellows, transom seal and the list goes on.
You will need to lay down and look and see if you can see where the water is coming in.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Rookie/Newbie Question about water in the bilge area

I am thinking the water had been sitting further in the boat and then found its way aft after the down hill ride?

From what you describe, that may be your cause. Raise the bow and drain it good, then put the plug back in and try it out and see if you are still getting water.

You mention you had the impeller changed. Did they take off the outdrive, or just the lower? They should have taken off the entire outdrive, then you can check the alignment and see if there is any evidence of water in the bellows. You might ask the shop that did the work.

 

[BossHogg]

Re: Rookie/Newbie Question about water in the bilge area

Good points, yeah, they only took the lower unit off to get to the impeller. I should have launched it and noted that area as being dry, which I will do for next time. Hopefully, its nothing more than the steep grade on the ramp, no worries, I will know tomorrow or next weekend when I launch it. No, I haven't checked the exhaust boot, bellows, or the transom seal -- which I would have to start breaking out the manual to even figure out where those were. That is a good tip, though, I will put my noggin in there and at least figure out where the water is coming from. I don't think it is a continuous leak because the water went away after I turned the bilge on -- but I will keep you posted for other newbies sake.

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: Rookie/Newbie Question about water in the bilge area

Shoulda had those bellows checked or replaced while it was in the shop... I had a crack on the top of mine.. Didn't even leak into the bilge but got water all in there with the ujoints.. It seems it's common for folks to store their outdrive up.. In doing that it deformed my bellows caused a crack at the top.. leaked in water, that I never woulda noticed if I hadn't done a outdrive removal ... Have em checked or replaced.. The piece of mind is so worth it

 

[BossHogg]

Re: Rookie/Newbie Question about water in the bilge area

Well, I went out again this weekend... I made sure the bilge was dry. I put the plug in. I went out on the water. Sure as the time before I am getting water in the bilge -- about the same, an inch or two. I turn on the bilge pump and it goes away for a while. I am out on the water longer this time. The water keeps coming back... I haven't named this boat yet but right now I am thinking the SS Minnow. Gentlemen, I have a leak, so-to-speak. I tried to put my noggin back there to see if I could tell where the water was coming from. I could not. I am an avid auto mechanic. But I don't relish the idea of pulling that alpha one. I doubt I could even tell a bad part from a good one when it comes to water intrusion. If I do pull the drive I think I will have to find/buy an alignment tool. It may be worth just paying someone to do this one, or are most problems obvious enough, am I over-estimating this "alignment" magic?

 

[LAC_STS]

Re: Rookie/Newbie Question about water in the bilge area

I doubt I could even tell a bad part from a good one when it comes to water intrusion.

You would pressure test the drive to check for water intrusion, and should be able to tell what needs replaced.

I tried to put my noggin back there to see if I could tell where the water was coming from. I could not.

Maybe try using a digital camera's screen or a phone's camera screen or take pics. It helps in tight spots.

But I don't relish the idea of pulling that alpha one.

Not hard at all..... Especially for an avid auto mechanic. You need an OEM service manual.

And yes you need the alignment bar. Its not that hard or big of a deal to align the engine. You should buy the tool I got mine on ebay for $30 or $35 I forget. But you are going to have to pull the drive every year for yearly maintenance. So better to get the tool and go out there and do the darn thing. Then you can do it every year instead of next year saying the same thing.

Plus you will get to first hand see the condition of everything back there. The bellows, transom area, etc. Bet you'll find your leak.

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: Rookie/Newbie Question about water in the bilge area

You would pressure test the drive to check for water intrusion.

Ummmm not the same kinda water intrusion.. Not that it would be a bad idea...


OP if you feel that the job is too much for you then pay a shop to find where the water is coming from and change your Bellows... If it wasn't for folks willing to pay for repair, there would be no marine repair shops... It's not a tough job other than the outdrive is heavy and you need a alignment tool
I would check hose fittings first... Everyone of them... A little drip will add up pretty fast...
Just cause a shop looked at it doesn't mean they didn't miss something

 

[BobMaio]

Re: Rookie/Newbie Question about water in the bilge area

I agree with the recommendation to pull off the drive and check the bellows. But first I would suggest the following: With the boat out of the water, disconnect the battery completly, including the hot wire that leads to the bilge pump. Or pull the fuse to the automatic bilge pump. While in your diveway, replace the drain plug and then fill the hull with enough water to reach the bilge pump. Then look under and around the outside of your boat for leaks. I did this and found that the drain plug fixture itself was leaking (not the plug). This may also point to leaks in the hull. If there is no evidence of a water leak this way, there is a good chance one of your bellows may be leaking. In which case you need to replace them. By the way, this is considered a normal maintenance item any way that is required every few years.

 

[dvandsm64]

Re: Rookie/Newbie Question about water in the bilge area

we took on water all last summer. i did just about everything i could to find where it was coming from, with no luck. finally we had some other issues and took it to a marine mechanic. asked to find where the water was coming from, he had problems finding it too. what he found after is a broken freeze plug( the thumb screw plastic type).

 

[BossHogg]

Re: Rookie/Newbie Question about water in the bilge area



Well, search no more. As they say, "Thare's yeer problem right thar! It was the shift boot. It is hard to see in this picture but it is torn. I have two questions now.

1. I talked to my mechanic and he said that I wouldn't need to align that drive if I pulled it to get to the drive shaft bellows, shift cable bellows, etc...? He said, only real need to do an alignment on the drive is if I move the engine around on the mounts at all?

2. If I am going to have to go through the pain of pull that drive off to get to that 2 dollar shift boot. I might as well replace all the rubber parts back there. Does anyone know of a kit made for the alpha one drive? 99 Chaparral, 4.3L, alpha one...

Thanks for the help.

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: Rookie/Newbie Question about water in the bilge area

UMMMMM replace all that rubber stuff while ur in there..Grease u joints. I would check alignment too.. Would be rough to have to change the coupler in the middle of summer... That involves a engine removal... You gotta do what u think is right.. That alignment tool is cheap.. I don't think I would let that mechanic work on my boat... Gone that far and doesn't check alignment???:facepalm: Job security I guess

 

[Bondo]

Re: Rookie/Newbie Question about water in the bilge area

2. If I am going to have to go through the pain of pull that drive off to get to that 2 dollar shift boot. I might as well replace all the rubber parts back there. Does anyone know of a kit made for the alpha one drive? 99 Chaparral, 4.3L, alpha one...

Ayuh,... Absolutely, 'n the shift cable too....

 

[Don S]

Re: Rookie/Newbie Question about water in the bilge area

1. I talked to my mechanic and he said that I wouldn't need to align that drive if I pulled it to get to the drive shaft bellows, shift cable bellows, etc...? He said, only real need to do an alignment on the drive is if I move the engine around on the mounts at all?

That's like telling someone they don't have to check the oil in their car unless they change it.
You do need to check the alignment at least yearly, usually during winterization when you pull the drive to grease the ujoints and to grease the splined shaft going into the coupler. It also confirms that the mounts have not come loose or failed.

 

[1980Coronado]

Re: Rookie/Newbie Question about water in the bilge area

UMMMMM replace all that rubber stuff while ur in there..Grease u joints. I would check alignment too.. Would be rough to have to change the coupler in the middle of summer... That involves a engine removal... You gotta do what u think is right.. That alignment tool is cheap.. I don't think I would let that mechanic work on my boat... Gone that far and doesn't check alignment???:facepalm: Job security I guess

He didn't say there was no need to check it...he said no need to perform an alignment. Performing an alignment is different than checking it. Seems like semantics but it depends on how the question was asked of the mechanic. He needs to ask the mechanic to check allignment, while the drive is off. You have to be very specific with most of these guys about what you want them to do....they won't do anything extra or preventative.....you'd be lucky if they grease the bearings while it's off.

 

[littlebookworm]

Re: Rookie/Newbie Question about water in the bilge area

First of all, welcome and congratulations on your new ride. Next, you need to get a Mercruiser manual for your drive and another one for your engine. You're an auto mechanic; maintaining a marine engine and drive should be relatively easy for you. To pull the drive, Alpha I, put the boat in forward gear, disconnect the two lift cylinders, and remove the six nuts around the drive. Give it a tug and it should come right off. It weighs about 70 ponds, so keep that in mind. There have been plans for outdrive stands here, on BoaterEd, and on Chaparral owners forums. Aligning the engine is also easy. You can buy an alignment tool on eBay for anywhere between $35-$50. They're all the same, so get the cheapest one. You can also download free service manuals fron the Chaparaal Owners site. Swing over there and join. There's a bunch of information and other Chaparral owners there, including me as professor48.

 

[kewlkatdady]

Re: Rookie/Newbie Question about water in the bilge area

I'll tell ya...if you can work on cars...and you know about this site... you can learn to work on boats.

I did an alignment last weekend...(first time ever for me.) took about 30 minutes and glides in smooth as butter.

Get the alignment tool off ebay...I did. I also got the bellow tool that comes in another package. Confidence grows once you remove the outdrive and realize its just a water proof drive shaft hooked directly to a differential.

You'll be fine.

Get the service manual.

 

[BossHogg]

Re: Rookie/Newbie Question about water in the bilge area


Thanks for all the good words, yeah, I chose to do it myself and get the stuff off of Ebay. I decided to go with the big tex meal deal and get the alignment thingamabob, the hinge pin socketmatosis, and the gimbal bearing slide hammer and seal transducer!

All kidding aside, I have been drinking beer since I got home from work. Nothing makes a project go better than a 6-pack of ice cold Bud Light. Speaking of projects! Allow me to give something back to the rookie/newbie society on the forum. For those of you that have asked this question. Wouldn't it be great if I could fit my boat into my garage? I have that answer! Yes, it would, you don't have to worry about upholstery rot, mildew, or that weird smell that happens after a boat with carpet has been rained in repeatedly. So, you ask, how do I fit the boat in the garage? Well, bear in mind, I have been drinking since about 2100, but I will tell you what I have learned. If your boat at the bow end to the end of the propeller won't fit in the garage straight in, forget about it, let that ***** sit out in the elements and rot. If the boat does fit from the bow end to the propeller then you might be able to install a swing-away trailer hitch. The "might" comes in the form of just how the trailer is designed. If the trailer has a single piece of box tubing that runs past that bow -- then, yes, you qualify! If it does not, then, let that ***** rot out in the weather, or find a trailer that does have a single box tube.

Now that your boat qualifies, and if it doesn't, stop reading. You have two options, the welded option, and the bolt-on option. The welded option will run you around 69 bucks and the bolt-on option runs around 69 bucks plus one Alexander Hamilton. I threw the instructions out and deemed them worthless for installation, most of it was in French, which by itself, without even the printed words I deemed as unfit as literature. Fulton makes this thing and I found it on the web at a boat shop. I will stop typing now. I have to pee and I need another beer. In the mean time if you are deciding on which model. Go with the welded one. The bolt-on model that I opted for sounds simple until you are torquing down and drilling out no less than 8 bolts and fasteners. Holy ****, I may need a Sherpa to climb this obstacle.

At any rate, I am sure that at some point, I will look over to my left or right and see my boat passing me on the highway as a result of this strange desire to be able to park my boat straight into my garage. If you are passing me or behind me on the highway I would recommend getting the F@&K out of my way. My torque wrench is stamped made in China and you may get owned by my boat -- I mean China owns everything else in this country nowadays right?

As a side note: If you live in my local area, Pensacola FL, and you already own all of these alignment tools. Send me an email or reply before I click buy it now on Ebay tomorrow. I will supply all of the beer that you can drink and provide non-stop entertainment, like the stuff above, if I can borrow this stuff. Enjoy a few pictures of my boat in the garage and this new contraption that I am installing!

 

[kewlkatdady]

Re: Rookie/Newbie Question about water in the bilge area

I love drunk post...

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: Rookie/Newbie Question about water in the bilge area

Yep thats a drunk post... My boat doesn't fit in the garage tongue to prop, but i push it in sideways I can squeeze her in there...

Be surprised if that post above survives a mod