1989 bayliner ski challenger

[Challenger89]

Hi,
I'm new to inboard boats and I just purchased the 89 ski challenger. The boat is in immaculate condition which is why I bought it. Original owner trade in. I have an issue with this boat though, it takes on water.... I found that the gas vent leaks out and goes against the rub rail and eats the epoxy/silicone and looks like water is coming in from there. So I siliconed the rub rail again and it's still leaking somewhere. When I let the drain plug loose it comes out like 3/8 garden hose. When I open the engine cover you can see the water when I let the boat back to neutral. (Water moves to front) but it's near the engine oil pan. But about 2" in hull.... I checked the hull for cracks, and the strainer lid, but nothing leaking there. I'm going to replace rub rail this fall and see if that does it... But for the rest of year any temporary fixes? Anybody have any experience with these boats? I heard they only made them 2 years. My buddies tell me it wasn't the boat to buy.... But hard to pass up in the condition it's in.. I mean literally not a mark or fading anywhere... Just leaking. Bought it as is also... Wasn't smart I guess. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[oldjeep]

Check the drip rate on the shaft packing and the rudder packing. Boat will need to be in the water and you'll need to pull the floor panel that should be behind the motor box.

 

[oldjeep]

Also, figure out why your bilge pump isn't working. You don't want that much water in the boat, if your steering cable is sitting in it then you'll be replacing that soon.

 

[oldjeep]

This is a Malibu Response, but yours should be similar. This is a picture under the floor panel behind the motor box. The large brass nut is the packing nut and there will typically be a drip per 5-10 seconds while idling. The large box in the middle with all the screws is the HDS box - yours probably has one - it can also leak all around the cover - do not take that cover off with the boat in the water. In this picture the steering cable is disconnected - so ignore that, it was in the middle of a steering cable replacement I was doing for my father inlaw

 

[Challenger89]

Ok, thank you oldjeep. The boat has a manual switch bilge pump. And it works, I will check the packing. What is a HDS box? I'll post pics of my back end. I don't see any boxes, just two exhausts and a strainer pot, and fuel tank in rear.

 

[oldjeep]

Ok, thank you oldjeep. The boat has a manual switch bilge pump. And it works, I will check the packing. What is a HDS box? I'll post pics of my back end. I don't see any boxes, just two exhausts and a strainer pot, and fuel tank in rear.

HDS is something that your boat may or may not have. Not even sure what HDS stands for, just know that in older Malibus they leak

 

[smokeonthewater]

Hydrophonic dampening system...

 

[gddavid]

hydrophonic dampening system. I had no idea either but it made me curious enough to look it up.

 

[Challenger89]

Hey thanks for the help guys. I found the leak on this boat... It was on the back rub rail.. I pulled it off and all the original silicone holding the top and bottom of boat together was gone. So it was flooding in there. I did the best I could and bought some 3M 5200 and packed it up in the space void and put some in old rivet holes, also I put seal all epoxy gas resistant sealant on aluminum trim piece, and gas resistant gasket maker over top all rivets and packed it in where the black trim piece covers rivets. I then proceeded to put the 5200 marine silicone on top of rub rail nice and clean looking and on bottom of rub rail as well. That stuff takes 5days to cure... Maiden Voyage will be on Thursday! Wish me luck I don't sink! Lol

 

[oldjeep]

Why is the rub rail low enough in the water to be leaking anything?

 

[Challenger89]

I'm not really sure, if you look up pictures of the 89 ski challenger you'll see how low these boats sit in the water... Also when you slow up the wake comes up in the built in swim platform and the rubrail is under that. That's where it was filling the boat. And the gas vent is just above rubrail, so with that I found that gas was coming out of vent hole running down rubrail and eating the silicone out of the two part boat. Bad design I guess. Definitely check images and videos of that boat and you'll see what I'm talking about.