Need opinions, pics inside

This is a 97 Chris Craft 17 Concept. 4.3L Vortec Volvo Penta SX Cobra outdrive. When purchased new by my parents, we were told the boat is all fiberglass/plastic, ie no wood in the boat, so nothing to rot.

The boat is taking some water in around the motor. When on the water, the bilge pump is on every 5 minutes pumping out water. Runs for a short time then shuts back off. Don't kill me, but the way I figured out it was buy filling up the bottom of the boat with water (hey, there's no wood in it, so what could it hurt?). I only filled it up enough to see where it was coming from, it didn't even get up to the floor level before I found it, probably still 6-8 inches from the floor. Just saw lots of water coming out around the drive.

I had a friend help me look today and as you lift on the outdrive, you can see the outdrive move away from the fiberglass, but we cannot visually see any fiberglass moving with the drive, just the drive itself. Then look at the inside as one person lifts on the out drive and we can see the inner plate that the outdrive is attached to move with the outdrive, again we don't see any fiberglass moving when we move the drive.

So do you think just part of the drive unit is loose and needs some bolts tightened up?

My background, well I'm a computer tech, but I've been working on my mustang that I drag race for 12-13 years and pretty much do my own automotive repairs. I've already replaced the seawater pump (external on the motor with a pulley), the main engine water pump, and given it some basic tune up stuff. My parents bought the boat new in 97.

Either way, here are the pics, give me your opinions...

Re: Need opinions, pics inside

Nice first post for me I know. Thanks for any advice. It could just be stress cracks in the gel coat, hopefully thats all it is and I just need to tighten up the motor/trans bolts. I can say looking at the motor area, I'm hoping I don't have to pull the motor. Its tight in there with this little boat.

I have read a lot of posts today. Read most of oops rebuild/extension. Read some of Frisco's thread and looked at a lot of pics. I haven't seen/found any pics of a boat similar to this with a similar problem.

Re: Need opinions, pics inside

......welcome to iboats!

i have seen this before from vp's

check to see if bilge drain plug is correctly installed.

take a straight edge to the exterior wall of the transom and check flatness...if flat go to next step.
if not flat....you need your transom rebuilt.

you could also check the bellows.
but if the transom plate is moving away from the exterior of the hull.....the bolts that hold the inner plate and the outer plate are loose or streched.

if the bolts are loose check to see if you can reach them....there is 8 i think.
chances are you have to pull the motor so you can get at the lower bolts on the inner transom plate.
the motor does not have to come right out of the boat.....just moved forward.
yes the drive has to come off.
(when removing the drive......make sure you get the shift cable detached from the outer drive side, under the cover)
after the motor and drive are removed......
tighten bolts and see if this will suck the drive up tight.......if it does...
then loosen the bolts......give your self space to add 3m 5200 between the outer drive gasket and the hull of the boat.....then tighten bolts. the 5200 should gish out of the interface between the hull and the outer t plate.

if tightening the bolts does not allow the outer t plate to suck up to the hull......re check flatness of the transom.
if the transom is still flat.......then you have streched bolts and they need to be replaced.....the inner t plate will need to come out....the same with the outer.....replace the studs.....and re assemble.

any backyard guy can do this in a few hours......dont panic.......keep posting...let us help you.

Re: Need opinions, pics inside

I agree oops, but doesnt the discoloration at the bottom of the transom, considering his issue, mean something? I realize he said "no wood" is this also accurate? Im not trying to oppose you, just wanna learn as much as possible, whenever possible

Re: Need opinions, pics inside

I think most of the discoloration is due to the exhaust. Carb could probably use a good cleaning and tune.

Re: Need opinions, pics inside

White90GT said:

I think most of the discoloration is due to the exhaust. Carb could probably use a good cleaning and tune.

Click to expand...

Eh, maybe, im talking about the first picture of first post, above and around the drain hole... Im no expert and using what youve posted, just looks a bit suspicious to me, im sure an expert will chime in again...

Re: Need opinions, pics inside

you need to be there to inspect the discoleration......it is possibly black rot or mold......but i doubt it.

Re: Need opinions, pics inside

A little more background on the boat is that it has never sat in the water overnight and is used mostly in fresh/brackish water. Anytime its evern been in salt water we've flushed the motor when we got back and washed the boat.

We have hit a few things submerged in the past, but nothing in the last couple years since I've been running it. I pretty much know the river and what to stay away from by now LOL.

I haven't had time to look more at it since I posted. Will keep you guys updated as I do get the time to work on it.

I have 3 kids at home and get next week off while my 2 girls are at camp and my son is with a cousin. But I'm sure my wife will have something to say about me working on the boat during that time LOL.

Re: Need opinions, pics inside

Today I finished off installing the new impellar in the seawater pump and getting it on. Had some issues getting the spark plug wires back on in the right places, but finally got that figured out and fired her back up. Good news is she's pumping water again and there doesn't appear to be any issues motor-wise from the overheat a few weeks back.

Bad news is I still haven't decided whether I want to tackle trying to pull the motor and get to those bolts on the transom plate/outdrive. I took a few pictures to give you guys an idea of what I'm dealing with space-wise around the motor to work with.

Re: Need opinions, pics inside

Any idea what that frayed cable is supposed to be for? I assume it was connected to something and broke. A steering lock of some sort to keep from turning the motor too hard in one direction?

Here's a bit better picture of the outside of the boat.

Re: Need opinions, pics inside

I dropped the boat off with a buddy who is going to fix the leaking area around the outdrive for me. He started into it Friday evening and pulled the startboard exhaust manifold off so he could gain some access. He found the lower bolts on the inside mount for the outdrive were loose enough that he was able to put two full rotations on them. He checked with water and it still leaks around the middle a little bit, so he's going to look more at it.

Re: Need opinions, pics inside

It's really sounding like a rotted transom to me.

Re: Need opinions, pics inside

ezmobee said:

It's really sounding like a rotted transom to me.

Click to expand...

The late 90s Chris Craft Concept smaller boat line is advertised as being an all fiberglass hull including the stringers and transom. I'm really hoping the transom isn't encased wood because if it is, the salesman lied to my dad in 97 when he bought this boat.

Re: Need opinions, pics inside

never heard of a salesman that has told a lie.

chad