Please don't laugh

[insearch]

When I got this boat the bilge plug was plugged in from the outside, shouldn't it be inside of the bilge?

It seems that it would be easy to knock the lever and make it fall out if it were on the outside

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: Please don't laugh

If it's easy to get to, you can put it in from the inside.
You can also get a drain plug that has the T-handle, screw type mechanism and ditch the lever plug.

 

[insearch]

Re: Please don't laugh

Thank you, I will get the other type of plug. The boat has a door over the bilge area, although the builge pumps are close I can get the plug in and locked from there

 

[seabob4]

Re: Please don't laugh

It's meant to be installed from the outside...

 

[insearch]

Re: Please don't laugh

??

 

[bouttime007]

Re: Please don't laugh

My plug cant be accessed from the inside, so it goes in from the outside.

Havent had a problem so far.

 

[DaNinja]

Re: Please don't laugh

Since you said please....I won't.

 

[bondomerchant]

Re: Please don't laugh

ive never had the urge ta lay on my belly ta stuff a plug in under the motor i just stick mine in from the outside an pull it when i leave the boatrampjust dont forget ta put it back in next time ya launch ive only done that a couple times

 

[NYBo]

Re: Please don't laugh

Is the inside of the drain smooth or threaded?

 

[insearch]

Re: Please don't laugh

The sleeve goes all the way through and is smooth on both sides, the plug has a large solid brass lever that expands the plug.

A boat that I had years ago had a threaded plug that required a wrench and was inserted from the inside

Go ahead a laugh, I am just concerned about the plug coming out, which would not be so funny to me

 

[GatorMike]

Re: Please don't laugh

Mine screws in from the outside, I have never used a wrench to tighten it, just put it in finger tight. Been boating over 40 years and never had a problem with it. Oh except for the one time I forgot to put it in.

 

[Rocky_Road]

Re: Please don't laugh

He has the expanding rubber style w/lever...and it is usualy done from the outside.

He is right to be concerned about the lever catching flotsam and being flipped...I have seen this happen. His solution is to get one of the expanding ones with the "T" handle.

Happy boating!

 

[seabob4]

Re: Please don't laugh

Now Rocky's suggestion will work. Although I had a "lever" type on a 14' V-hull with a 40 Evinrude that would get every bit of 35-40MPH, used to fish the chains in Central Florida, lots of lilly pads and hydrilla, never had a problem...

 

[alwims]

Re: Please don't laugh

I've used the lever type on the outside of all my boats, even my 60+mph Ranger BassBoat I now have, I fish some gnarly areas and have never lost a bilge plug. Don't worry about it. Just put it in from the outside and flip the lever up.

 

[ovrrdrive]

Re: Please don't laugh

If you choose to put it in from the outside be sure to have a spare in the boat. Personally I like the brass screw in type.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Please don't laugh

Yup, on most I/O boats, there not a way you could put in a bilge plug from the inside. We've had the level type, and never had an issue with it. Just make sure the lever is flipper "up" towards the outdrive to keep it out of the path of the water from the botttom of the hull. We've never had one come out.

 

[NBE]

Re: Please don't laugh

All good points here!

I've used both and currently using the "T" type. As far as the lever type, they work fine too. Just make sure that the lever points up after putting it in and tightening it.

Also keep in mind that, like the "T" type, the lever type can be made to fit tighter if needed by simply turning the lever to the right some before you flip it up. This will help if you think it is not fitting as tight as it should. With a good tight seal and the lever pointing up you should not have any problems.

 

[clockwatcher]

Re: Please don't laugh

My brother-in-law bought a used Mastercraft v-drive that had spent most of it's life on a hoist in a slip. It had a T-handle plug installed from the inside. I'd do the same in that situation just to make sure Vandals couldn't pull it out.

 

[QC]

Re: Please don't laugh

Like many threads the poor OP, who has a legitimate question, gets a bunch of contradictory info for a variety of reasons. Many of the "I've never had a problem" type, which with a statistical sample of one doesn't mean much . . . I could totally imagine the lever type getting knocked out, especially with the handle down. Likely? No, but possible.

Based on reading threads with the same question for years my very unstatistically viable conclusion is:

Inside if you can, outside if you can't. For the rubber expansion type, a threaded T-handle is probably best for outside if you don't have a "Garboard" plug (threaded brass type).

 

[Rocky_Road]

Re: Please don't laugh

Like many threads the poor OP, who has a legitimate question, gets a bunch of contradictory info for a variety of reasons. Many of the "I've never had a problem" type, which with a statistical sample of one doesn't mean much . . . I could totally imagine the lever type getting knocked out, especially with the handle down. Likely? No, but possible.

Based on reading threads with the same question for years my very unstatistically viable conclusion is:

Inside if you can, outside if you can't. For the rubber expansion type, a threaded T-handle is probably best for outside if you don't have a "Garboard" plug (threaded brass type).

Good job of Cliff's Notes!

The one incident that I personally know of where a lever style plug was lost happened to my friend that was hauling across the St. George Island Bay, when he ran over something larger than a 'stick'. He felt the outdrive take the impact, and immediatlely killed the engine to investigate. After spending a few seconds to look at his outdrive and prop, he realized that his automatic bilge pump kicked on...pulled the engine cover to see the water pouring in where he just had his bilge plug. He swears that he had the lever out of harm's way....

There isn't any logical reason to have an expanding plug that only takes a 'flip' to remove.

Happy boating!