Have a leak!! Help me make a checklist please

[JayZ]

Hey guys,

I have a leak that seems to be getting worse on my '93 King cobra Classic 22.

It looks like it is coming from the inner transom plate when I glanced under the engine while in the water. Everything sure seems solid and the core looks good.

I just pulled the outdrive hoping to find an easy fix but I don't seem to have one that jumped out at me. THe bellows only had grease in them - no water. The boat has through-hull exhaust but there is a Y-Pipe -just capped off and not in use. There is a molded rubber seal around the shift cable and there is of course the hose that feeds the motor.

I really don't want to pull the engine again since I just got everything running again.

Thanks for any guidance.

Jay

[gcarter]

Biggiefl recently had a similar problem w/his Bravo drive.
We came up w/quite a list, but it ended up being the transom seal.
I think the drives are similar enough for the list to be useful.
Just do a search on his screen name.

[gcarter]

Here's the link to his thread:

http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?68541-Riddle-me-this-Leak-Man!!!

[Greg K]

Most likely the transom seal, you can try and check the 8 nuts on the inner transom plate for tightness first. Finding a leak is tough and process of elimination.

[JayZ]

Most likely the transom seal, you can try and check the 8 nuts on the inner transom plate for tightness first. Finding a leak is tough and process of elimination....I'm going to try to find the leak from the outside in and double check everything and if that doesn't work I think I might raise the bow and flood the bilge with food colored water and try to find the leak from the outside. - what do y'all think?

[Jraysray]

...I'm going to try to find the leak from the outside in and double check everything and if that doesn't work I think I might raise the bow and flood the bilge with food colored water and try to find the leak from the outside. - what do y'all think?
That or dunk it on the trailer. Let it sit with power and without power and watch for the leak. Transom or engine you should find it.

Looked good running the other day.

[Just Say N20]

Does food colored water stain?

[biggiefl]

First thing is to dunk it with engine off and see if it leaks. If not then it is the engine or raw water supply. Mine unfortunately was the worst case scenerio(other than cracked block) and EVERYTHING had to come out to fix a friggin $25 seal.

[JayZ]

First thing is to dunk it with engine off and see if it leaks. If not then it is the engine or raw water supply. Mine unfortunately was the worst case scenerio(other than cracked block) and EVERYTHING had to come out to fix a friggin $25 seal.

definitely leaks while not running.

[miike]

My y pipe always leaked even tho I plugged it. If yours isn't plugged it leaking bad. On my repower I pulled the y pipe and installed a block off plate. I had no leaks on my test break in. They have one more at sea way marine in Seattle if you want to buy it. I bet those things are getting rare. They ship all over country.

Other than that, only the bellows and shift cable can leak. Did you replace bellows?

[miike]

There are two holes on the y pipe about an inch and a half from the top. I wrapped hose around them and clamped it but it always leaked.

[biggiefl]

Well now you need to check the y-pipe and any cables, etc coming through the transom. You should try tightening(gently) the bolts to your transom assembly. this did nothing for me because corrosion got between the transom and assembly and it would not tighten down. To rule out the transom seal, run a bead of silicone around the drive....don't worry it comes off pretty easy. Make sure you get it everywhere. If it slows it down or stops it...you know what you have to do next. I don't think you could flood the bildge with engine in without ruining the starter, etc.

[miike]

Part number for the block off plate, o-ring, and bolts is OMC# 3850889, $15.35.

[JayZ]

Thanks guys, more snooping around tomorrow and if I dont see anything suspect I'll put the drive back on and dunk it and look closely once more. ...sure don't feel like pulling engine again.

[JayZ]

That or dunk it on the trailer. Let it sit with power and without power and watch for the leak. Transom or engine you should find it.

Looked good running the other day.

Thanks Scott. I think I will run it again this weekend.

[JayZ]

My y pipe always leaked even tho I plugged it. If yours isn't plugged it leaking bad. On my repower I pulled the y pipe and installed a block off plate. I had no leaks on my test break in. They have one more at sea way marine in Seattle if you want to buy it. I bet those things are getting rare. They ship all over country.

Other than that, only the bellows and shift cable can leak. Did you replace bellows?


Bellows looked good. No water in them.

[JayZ]

Most likely the transom seal, you can try and check the 8 nuts on the inner transom plate for tightness first. Finding a leak is tough and process of elimination.


--I am thinking you may be right about the transom seal. Although I suppose it could be the y-pipe too.

I just did some crazy cotortionist moves in the engine bay to see if I could get to the transom nuts. It looks like I may be able to get to four of them with the engine and y-pipe installed. :mad: Any thoughts on this Greg?

Also, Upon close inspection it seemed like there was a small gap at the bottom of the outer transom against the hull. I think I might be able to slide a business card betweent the transom mount and hull at the bottom.

Everything looked tight from what I can see from inside the engine bay.

I am seriously considering smeering some 3m 4200 or something similar between the outer transom bracket and the transom, putting the drive back on and running the boat for the spring/summer if it keeps the water out.

-thoughts?

Thanks,
Jay

[Conquistador_del_mar]

--I am thinking you may be right about the transom seal. Although I suppose it could be the y-pipe too.

I just did some crazy cotortionist moves in the engine bay to see if I could get to the transom nuts. It looks like I may be able to get to four of them with the engine and y-pipe installed. :mad: Any thoughts on this Greg?

Also, Upon close inspection it seemed like there was a small gap at the bottom of the outer transom against the hull. I think I might be able to slide a business card betweent the transom mount and hull at the bottom.

Everything looked tight from what I can see from inside the engine bay.

I am seriously considering smeering some 3m 4200 or something similar between the outer transom bracket and the transom, putting the drive back on and running the boat for the spring/summer if it keeps the water out.

-thoughts?

Thanks,
Jay

Jay,
Most likely your transom is getting soft. Since the most force is applied to the bottom of the transom assembly and most water intrusion problems in transoms start at the lower end, it sure sounds like your boat has the telltale signs of a soft transom since you can detect a gap. Many times there will be spider cracks in the gelcoat at the bottom corners of the outside transom assembly due to outdrive's force pressing primarily at the bottom of the transom assembly. My two cents, Bill

[miike]

All of the transom cut out on my boat was unsealed plywood. Even the garboard plug hole was unsealed. My wood seemed decent so I pour epoxy all over and brushed it in. I wouldn't be surprised by a wet transom in a boat this age but I would still look at the holes in the y pipe.

[miike]

I think you're better off heating up epoxy and sucking it into a disposable plastic syringe to squirt into cracks than you are spreading 4200 into a gap. 4200 isn't runny. 5200 is a bit runnier though.

[knots2u]

I think there should be a cruel and unusual punishment for people who cut holes in boats and don't seal any wood they cut through.


That's my $.02


Have you ever seen how fast people move when they realise they forgot the drain plug?

[joseph m. hahnl]

:yes:http://www.stayafloatmarine.com/usa/ (http://www.stayafloatmarine.com/usa/)http://nauticplace.giornaledellavela.com/image/cache/data/nuovi%20prodotti/robship/stay%20afloat-500x500.jpg

[JayZ]

Agreed! I always either over drill and fill with epoxy and the drill again or at a bare minimum coat exposed core with epoxy. Anywhere a fastener goes through I do a small countersink hole so the sealent forms an o-ring type seal.



I think there should be a cruel and unusual punishment for people who cut holes in boats and don't seal any wood they cut through.


That's my $.02


Have you ever seen how fast people move when they realise they forgot the drain plug?

[JayZ]

Good News Bad News. I dont have a leak anymore but I am pretty sure I Am due for a transom seal. I pukied up the outer transom with some lifeseal and tightened the transom nuts i could reach. ...going to run it as is for a bit

[gcarter]

When you do get it opened up, use System Three Clear Coat epoxy to seal the transom wood with. It's very thin, and 100% of it will be absorbed. So much so, that after it's cured, it doesn't even look like it was sealed. I've never tried to use two coats, but it wouldn't hurt to experiment.
Use a PVC glue brush like one of these, the smaller, the better. But they hold a lot of epoxy;

http://www.donzi.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=75776&d=1367865008

[chip w]

Thanks to everyone that contributed to this thread. I had the same kind of problem and with the advice of everyone here I was quickly able to determine that it was the transom seal. After pulling the motor and getting everything apart I found that the seal had gone and the corrosion from salt water had pushed the gimbal out. The damage include a rotten core and there was more corrosion to some of the steering components and the back of the oil pan has a bubble in it. Today we are checking the water jackets in the block to see what kind of shape that is in and we're doing a compression check too. After today we'll make some decisions on keeping the 350 or putting a 383 in. Risers and manifolds are still OK, but marginal so those are getting replaced too.

I'm OK with everything that we're doing but I wished we had done it last winter and not in our prime boating season hear in FL. Hope to have it all back together by the end of the month.
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