Mercruiser 3.o stern drive water hose leak

[goingup]

I have a 1989 Searay 20' bowrider with a mercruiser 3.0.
I am getting a lot of water in the bilge. After some investigation there seems to be a leak in the water hose where it connects to the stern drive. I can see the water leaking above the exhaust bellows when I have it hooked up to the hose in the yard.
Is there an easy fix for this or do you have to take the bellhousing off?

 

[Grub54891]

You can get to it from the inside. It may be a tight spot, but is do-able.

 

[Bt Doctur]

a water leak outside the boat will not let water inside the boat.. You may have another type of leak .Does water enter on land or only in the water?

 

[goingup]

Only in the water. When on land on the hose there is no water coming into the boat

 

[achris]

Only in the water. When on land on the hose there is no water coming into the boat

Then it's not the water inlet hose....

Pull the drive, check the uni bellows, and the shift cable bellows...

 

[goingup]

Thanks

 

[Grub54891]

Only in the water. When on land on the hose there is no water coming into the boat

Oh. I misunderstood. I thought it was leaking inside off the water pick up.

 

[goingup]

Thanks for the help guys. I found the leak last night. One of the bolts that bolt the bellhousing to the transom was loose.
It was interesting. When the boat was floating flat in the water there was no water coming into the boat. But when I was launching the boat water would leak in because the bottom of the bellhousing was slighting pulling away from the boat. I am guess the same thing was happening when the boat was in reverse.

 

[Grub54891]

Thanks for the help guys. I found the leak last night. One of the bolts that bolt the bellhousing to the transom was loose.
It was interesting. When the boat was floating flat in the water there was no water coming into the boat. But when I was launching the boat water would leak in because the bottom of the bellhousing was slighting pulling away from the boat. I am guess the same thing was happening when the boat was in reverse.

Well to me, that raises the question, is the transom soft? The transom should not flex to the point of causing the leak inside. Loose bolt or not.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Thanks for the help guys. I found the leak last night. One of the bolts that bolt the bellhousing to the transom was loose.
It was interesting. When the boat was floating flat in the water there was no water coming into the boat. But when I was launching the boat water would leak in because the bottom of the bellhousing was slighting pulling away from the boat. I am guess the same thing was happening when the boat was in reverse.

your transom is soft if there is any flex being a 30 year old boat, almost guaranteed it needs a transom.