Out drive leaking.

[Im Lon 2]

I’m guessing this leak is from bellows. We’ve looked at them and don’t see any damage they, actually look great. Maybe we are missing something. Could this leak be come from something else? Sorry for the bad video could barely reach back there. This is about 4” above drain plug in bilge.

Tahoe Q8i 2008 merc 5.0 MPI lpha one Gen 2

 

[Im Lon 2]

I posted a video guess it didn’t work.

 

[Stinnett21]

I don't see a link.

 

[Im Lon 2]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1422374663104106501

maybe this will work.

 

[Paintman1960]

It works, Looks like a alot of water

 

[Rick Stephens]

Your leak can be from almost anything at all. Pull the outdrive and look at the inside of the bellows - that's an annual maintenance requirement anyway and only takes minutes. If the bellows has water in it, there you go.

Can be shift cable bellow as well. Or water inlet seal, or tilt hose gasket. Other things are possible, just gotta start somewhere.

 

[Im Lon 2]

Your leak can be from almost anything at all. Pull the outdrive and look at the inside of the bellows - that's an annual maintenance requirement anyway and only takes minutes. If the bellows has water in it, there you go.

Can be shift cable bellow as well. Or water inlet seal, or tilt hose gasket. Other things are possible, just gotta start somewhere.

How hard is it to pull the out drive? Can two of us do this pretty easily? I took it to a shop they didn’t have to fix it but did try and look for a hole and couldn’t find anything.
I had another question. When I took this video the boat was on the trailer. I left the back straps on the boat to hold the boat down into the water more would that have caused leakage submerging it more?

 

[Grub54891]

^^ No it would have not caused it to leak more. You have an issue to address. Hope it's not a rotten transom.

 

[Im Lon 2]

I’ve had the boat since 2014 and had it in the water less than 60 times, spread over 7 years. It has been in the water 3 different times for 14 days each time in 2014, 2016 and 2019. Boat has been stored in the garage since I owned it and interior when I got it looks like it was well maintained as well not left outside/water. Lot better than some of the 2010 I was looking at. Boat had 109 hours when I got it so it wasn’t used a lot. Had no issues with water in the past till now. Is it really possible to have a rotten transom with that little use?

 

[Scott06]

I’ve had the boat since 2014 and had it in the water less than 60 times, spread over 7 years. It has been in the water 3 different times for 14 days each time in 2014, 2016 and 2019. Boat has been stored in the garage since I owned it and interior when I got it looks like it was well maintained as well not left outside/water. Lot better than some of the 2010 I was looking at. Boat had 109 hours when I got it so it wasn’t used a lot. Had no issues with water in the past till now. Is it really possible to have a rotten transom with that little use?

Yes if it sat uncovered orhad water in it yes is possible can tell much from the video need to get in there with a camera mirror etc and see exactly where water is coming in

other possibilities from shift bellows and exhaust pipe

 

[Paintman1960]

I’ve had the boat since 2014 and had it in the water less than 60 times, spread over 7 years. It has been in the water 3 different times for 14 days each time in 2014, 2016 and 2019. Boat has been stored in the garage since I owned it and interior when I got it looks like it was well maintained as well not left outside/water. Lot better than some of the 2010 I was looking at. Boat had 109 hours when I got it so it wasn’t used a lot. Had no issues with water in the past till now. Is it really possible to have a rotten transom with that little use?

IMO, Doubtful

 

[Scott06]

How hard is it to pull the out drive? Can two of us do this pretty easily? I took it to a shop they didn’t have to fix it but did try and look for a hole and couldn’t find anything.
I had another question. When I took this video the boat was on the trailer. I left the back straps on the boat to hold the boat down into the water more would that have caused leakage submerging it more?

15 minutes to pull the drive one can do it easily, two people may take longer…

shouldn't leak at all on the trailer unless water is coming over the gunnel.

 

[Paintman1960]

15 minutes to pull the drive one can do it easily, two people may take longer…

shouldn't leak at all on the trailer unless water is coming over the gunnel.

lol, too funny !!

 

[Im Lon 2]

Yes if it sat uncovered orhad water in it yes is possible can tell much from the video need to get in there with a camera mirror etc and see exactly where water is coming in

other possibilities from shift bellows and exhaust pipe

If it sat with water in it other than the little maybe 1” under the motor that I couldn’t get to drain when I winterized it plug out. It was 7 years ago before I bought it. I would think if it was going to have issues it would have 5+ years ago. Maybe I’m wrong. Hope not.

 

[nola mike]

15 minutes to pull the drive one can do it easily, two people may take longer…

That's if you stop for a beer in the middle

 

[Im Lon 2]

It was leaking around the transom plate. Put marine silicone around it and it stopped. Hoping it gets me by while on vacation what should I be looking at to get this fixed?

 

[Im Lon 2]

Boat shop said transom is solid doesn’t appear to have any type of rot.

 

[JASinIL2006]

If the transom is solid, why did it start leaking around the transom plate? By transom plate, I assume you mean you put the silicone around gimbal housing where it attaches to the outside of the transom. Why would that just start leaking? That very often is the first sign of a bad transom.

 

[Grub54891]

Did the shop drill and check the inner wood? Normally when it's leaking at the seal, the wood is soft breaking the seal. Silicone might get you through but if the transom cracks from the major torque put on it constantly, You will sink fairly quickly!