Mud and Oil In Engine Compartment

[danolindo]

Hi Everyone! This is my first time posting so apologies if I posted in the wrong section. I am a first time boat buyer (and ignorant) so bare with me. I purchased a 1990 maxum 17ft bow rider. It has a mercruiser 3.0L with an Alpha one outdrive. Im told this is a fairly common and rugged combination so I went with it. I have replaced the shift cable bellows, shift cable, raw water pump, gear oil made carb adjustments. I get it to turn over no problem and it cruises at roughly 44mph.

the problem I have is I am getting water in from somewhere. The hull looks sound, but after taking it out on the water for 5-6 hours yesterday, i found the engine bay and center storage area full of water when I pulled the drain plug. To make matters worse, it is a mud and oil mixture. I just am not sure where it is coming from. I took it out a few days earlier on a river to check my bellows work, and did not see anything get in. It was pushed to full stress as it was water skiing all day. Anybody have an idea?

Thanks so much!

 

[LAC_STS]

Re: Mud and Oil In Engine Compartment

Well could be lots of things.

I had an oil leak once and somehow it made its way all the way out of the engine comp all the way to the bow of the boat. So it took forver to clean out. Every time some water would get into the bilge it would run towards the bow out of the engine comp and pick up some oil and then drain back into the engine comp and I would find it like damn is the engine leaking oil again.

How much water are you talking about? Could be the bellows leaking or a leak around the transom seal where the gimbal connects to the transom.

Maybe try with the boat on trailer put water in the bilge (drain plug closed). Then look from outside the boat and try to see if you can see where it is leaking from.

 

[danolindo]

Re: Mud and Oil In Engine Compartment

the boat is on the trailer now, and no water is leaking out of it. My confusion is the oil. If it were bellows or the seal, why would oil be getting in. It runs the whole way up to the bow (really frustrating).

 

[LAC_STS]

Re: Mud and Oil In Engine Compartment

the bellows and seal would make water leak in. But for the oil you must have a leak somewhere in your engine. It is engine oil right?

Gotta wipe the bottom of the engine real clean and then run engine and look for where it is leaking. Sometimes is a PITA to find but gotta be done.

 

[Grub54891]

Re: Mud and Oil In Engine Compartment

Mud? Could it be possible that it was a sinker,and the fwd areas got mud in them and now it's washing back when the water goes forward? As far as the oil I'd clean up the motor well and look for a leak. Or did the oil get in there if it was swamped same as the mud?
Not trying to scare ya but it's just a thought I had.
Grub