Transom Leak!

[LuvBoating]

Our boat, a 1992 20' Celebrity CC I/O is now leaking water thru the transom into the bilge area. It was noticed last Friday by the marine mechanic that installed a new (remanufactured) carb on it and was doing a "water test"/adjustment of the carb on the water. As he was adjusting the carb, he noticed quite a bit of water in the bilge area. He brought the boat back into the Dry Storage (where we keep our boat) dock and had it put on a Wash Rack. He then called me. It went down to the Shop and he showed me, on an outdrive that was sitting on the floor of the shop, where he thinks the leaking could be coming from.........the "foam" like gasket that fits into the groove around the outdrive mounting area. However, he also told me that the leak could possibly be from a rotted area on the transom. To find out for sure, he would have to take the engine and the outdrive out and inspect the transom and the outdrive to see where the leak is.

​I went down the Wash Rack, took out the transom plug and quite a bit of water came out. Appeared to me that at least half of the lower bilge area (directly under the engine) had water in it.. I also seen some water dripping from one side of the outdrive mounting area and that area is rusty looking.

​Due to a surgery and other things, our boat hasn't been on the water since Oct. 20, 2012. Don't really know if a transom or outdrive leak would show up when running the engine on the muffs (out of water).

​Obviously, we want our boat to be safe for us, so, gonna have to have this repaired. With a new engine block installed in 2012, along with new plugs, alternator, etc., my wife told me we put to much money into the boat not to have it fixed. Have to agree with her.

​So, what do you guys think this leak could be.......part of a rotted transom and/or outdrive mounting area?

 

[tpenfield]

It would be better if the mechanic/shop could do a little more diagnosis before they start spending your money on a cure. Verifying the transom seal versus transom rot would be a good thing to do.

 

[Rick Stephens]

Almost always, if the leak is between transom and gimbal plate then the transom is rotted. That foam seal doesn't usually degrade by itself. The transom rotting and disappearing out from under the seal is more likely. A transom leak will not show up when running on muffs, has to be in the water.

That said, there are a lot of places that can leak water. One of the best ways to find it is to pull anything you can to get access, back the trailer into the water and stick your head in and look. Use flashlight, a mirror and your camera on your cell phone and look for where it is leaking. If it is around the transom seal then the leak will be a general one coming from the keyhole cutout. If from other sources, then your time will be well spent.

RIck

 

[Bt Doctur]

The foam gasket leak is doubtful unless you have had a very hard bottom strike. Transom rot is possable but I doubt it on that year boat,
My best guess is a hole in the exaust Y pipe. That would show water leaking from the exaust reliefs in the housing
If running on muffs and having water exit the bilge would indicate a Y pipe leak in most cases.,

 

[LuvBoating]

Thanks for the info, guys.
​For Rick: Our boat is in Dry Storage on a rack. Our trailer is stored in a rack there also. To do what you are talking about, we'd have to have the boat put on the trailer and secured, take it across the street to the Landing there and check it out. To much work for us and, not only that, basically I wouldn't know what to look for unless water was actually pouring in thru the transom. Most of our boat problems have to be taken care of by a marine mechanic........not us.

​For Bt Doctur: The mechanic told me that the engine would have to be removed in order to get the outdrive off for inspecting. Once that's done, he will look at both the transom, outdrive and the mounting plate. As far as "transom rot" goes, out boat is 24 years old.

​Since we don't know "much-to-anything" about this, we have to rely on the mechanic's advice. It's going to cost us, but nothing we can do about "cost".

 

[Bt Doctur]

The mechanic told me that the engine would have to be removed in order to get the outdrive off for inspecting

The outdrive must be removed first, then the engine. then the housings removed for transom inspection. You could also do a "sounding test" with a small hammer

 

[LuvBoating]

The mechanic told me that the engine would have to be removed in order to get the outdrive off for inspecting

The outdrive must be removed first, then the engine. then the housings removed for transom inspection. You could also do a "sounding test" with a small hammer

So, the out drive gets removed first??? If this is the case, why is he telling me that the engine would have to be removed???? If the leak is from "transom rot" and/or the out drive connection to the transom, would the engine need removing?
He just told me that both the engine and out drive would need to be removed.
Now I'm confused!!

 

[JASinIL2006]

Sounds like the engine was pulled and replaced in 2012? And it also sounds like the boat hasn't been used much (or at all) since then? I would be surprised a rotten/wet transom would have escaped detection in 2012. I suppose the transom could have been wet and rotted in that time, but you'd think the guys putting in a new motor might have noticed something...

 

[Bt Doctur]

To service a transom or exaust the drive is removed first, then the engine.No other way to do it.
pm me a cell#
Before you do anything, get it dropped back in the water and do some looking . A main bellow leak is obvious, Same with a shift cable bellow. A leak under the engine can be almost anything , even a corroded drain plug ,a Y pipe, to the housing itself from corrosion

 

[Bt Doctur]

 

[Bt Doctur]

 

[Bt Doctur]

The second pic is another way to find a leak, remove the drive, remove the engine, install the drive, drop the boat back in the water

 

[LuvBoating]

Sounds like the engine was pulled and replaced in 2012? And it also sounds like the boat hasn't been used much (or at all) since then? I would be surprised a rotten/wet transom would have escaped detection in 2012. I suppose the transom could have been wet and rotted in that time, but you'd think the guys putting in a new motor might have noticed something...

The engine was pulled in August 2012 and the lower half/block replaced. Two months later, we took the boat out (Oct 20, 2012). Didn't notice any excess water then, but wasn't looking under the engine area. Got back to the ramp, put on the trailer and pulled into a parking spot near the ramp. Took out the plug and then noticed more water come out than I thought should. Due to finances, couldn't take the boat in to be checked until Jan 4, 2013. That day, took the boat to marine repair that we'd been to before (not the same place/mechanic that done the engine). Drive was checked out and bushing replaced. Was told that that bad bushing caused water to leak into bilge. Boat was also winterized then and has not been on the water since. Did run the boat on the muffs this past April to see how the engine sounded and prepare it for going on the water. Due to weather, couldn't take it out yet. This last May, put it in Dry Storage and change the carb. While waiting for the carb to be changed, didn't put it in the water. Carb finally changed this last Friday and "water tested" by mechanic. This is when this water leak was detected.
That's it,

 

[JaCrispy]

Check the trim pump manifold gasket and lower gimbal housing bolts.

 

[LuvBoating]

The engine was pulled in August 2012 and the lower half/block replaced. Two months later, we took the boat out (Oct 20, 2012). Didn't notice any excess water then, but wasn't looking under the engine area. Got back to the ramp, put on the trailer and pulled into a parking spot near the ramp. Took out the plug and then noticed more water come out than I thought should. Due to finances, couldn't take the boat in to be checked until Jan 4, 2013. That day, took the boat to marine repair that we'd been to before (not the same place/mechanic that done the engine). Drive was checked out and bushing replaced. Was told that that bad bushing caused water to leak into bilge. Boat was also winterized then and has not been on the water since. Did run the boat on the muffs this past April to see how the engine sounded and prepare it for going on the water. Due to weather, couldn't take it out yet. This last May, put it in Dry Storage and change the carb. While waiting for the carb to be changed, didn't put it in the water. Carb finally changed this last Friday and "water tested" by mechanic. This is when this water leak was detected.
That's it,

​I missed this........along with that bushing in the drive replaced, so was the water pump. Guess those things can be replaced with the drive still on the transom b/c we never got charged for taking the drive off and that was never mentioned to us that it had been done.

 

[Rick Stephens]

Comes down to since you won't or can't crawl in there yourself, your only choices are picking which mechanic you take it to. You have to fix a leak. 25 year old boat can certainly have a rotten transom, all it takes is water. It can have pretty much anything. Removal and installation of the drive would not be stated in a repair invoice, it is a normal 10-15 minute part of the job. Don't know of many simple bushings to replace, probably a gimbal bearing. Sounds like previously was normal maintenance, they missed something and should have surveyed it when it leaked during the last water test after repairs.

 

[LuvBoating]

I can do some water leaking checks on my own, but with a hip replacement and rotator cuff surgery on each shoulder, don't do much. Shoot, can "just" get my body down next to the engine. Body just isn't as maneuverable as it was years ago. Any repair would definitely have to be done by the mechanic that just installed the carb last week. I'm much more of a "computer geek" than anything else today I don't get greasy/dirty like I did 20 to 30 years ago.

 

[Rick Stephens]

Gotcha,

Needs a water test. Take some young flexible type with you. Or your camera on a selfie stick.

I get my knee done this coming thursday, so know where you be coming from. Still need eyes on to make a choice, or you turn it over to a mechanic and hope he steps up.

Rick

 

[LuvBoating]

Went to Dry Storage this AM and had the boat put on Wash Rack to check and see if we could see where this "transom leak" is coming from. IOW, see if we could see something without putting the boat in the water. Even with a new/remanufactured carb on, with electric choke, it was somewhat hard to start. When this boat has set for a week or so, it's always hard to start. Anyway, not being EFI, the manual gas pump has to be used to get the gas to the carb. First time it started, it ran somewhat rough and engine sounded somewhat loud, but after a couple of restarts, engine/carb settled down to smooth running.

​Couldn't see anyplace the drive was leaking outside around the gimble plate. While engine running, I used a flashlight to try and see if any water was in the bilge area, but wasn't able to see the deeper bilge area right under the engine, from where I was looking. Shut off the engine, unscrewed the plug under the drive and about a half gallon or so of water came out. I stuck my little finger up inside the hole and pulled out some black looking crude. I'm thinking this black stuff came from a leak from the drive inside the boat. I then go back on the boat and, with the flashlight, was able to look at the bilge area right under the engine and seen that it was wet.. Had already drained all the water that was in there thru the drain plug, but could see a very small amount of water laying in the middle of the bilge.

​So, wife and I are figuring that the Transom leak we have is coming from something leaking where the drive attaches to the transom. We don't believe the engine needs to be pulled, but if the Marine Service Center Tech/Supervisor thinks it should be........... I will talk to him and let him know what I seen this morning.

​Our concern this AM was not only to see if we could see where the leak is, but also to see if our started worked ok. I wasn't sure how high the water had come up inside the bilge. I made the mistake of pulling the plug and draining the bilge before getting on the boat and looking at how high the water was when the mechanic brought the boat back in from the water testing of the new carb, .

 

[Bt Doctur]

If your in a rack running on muffs and water is exiting the drain in the hull its not a leaking transom gasket. Have them remove the drive (inspect for water intrusion)and insert a hose into the water inlet(a washing machine hose cut in half) and retest the same way. If it still leaks from the drain plug:
loose hose clamp, damaged hose
power steering cooler ruptured
core plug in engine
exaust Y pipe