Water getting in engine compartment. Please help!

[jwharan]

I have a 1997 Sea Ray 185, and I keep the boat on a lift. I have noticed that whenever I drop the boat into the water, after a few minutes, there is enough water in the engine compartment area to trigger the bilge pump. Any ideas how the water is getting into the boat? I am thinking either the bellows are going bad, or there is a leak around where the drain plug is. Any ideas? or where I should begin to try and solve this problem? Thanks!

 

[bjcsc]

Re: Water getting in engine compartment. Please help!

Could be a lot of things...you need to get back there with a flashlight and find out where it's coming from - ASAP. When whatever it is fails completely, your pump may not keep up...

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Water getting in engine compartment. Please help!

if you 've never changed the bellows, i vote bellows. especially if you store with the OD trimmed up.

 

[flashback]

Re: Water getting in engine compartment. Please help!

bellows get my vote too, but check all your thru hull fittings also..

 

[tmh]

Re: Water getting in engine compartment. Please help!

It very well may be bellows or thru-hulls, but I'd also check something else. Maybe it's just water that was in the boat draining to the back when it sets down with the stern lower in the water. After pumping it out does it come right back? If not, it may not be a water leak in the stern area at all.

My boat would get some water in the bilge when I got going for the day. Turns out it was just draining back there when my bow lifted as i got on plane. it was from a leaky cover, not a leaky stern.

 

[Frugal Floater]

Re: Water getting in engine compartment. Please help!

My money is also on the bellows...I had this happen more than once on my old i/o...My issue was due to running outdrive trimmed up in shallow water...This puts ujoints at steep angle and caused bellows to leak.

 

[jwharan]

Re: Water getting in engine compartment. Please help!

Thanks for the responses. I will look over everything very good this weekend and get back to you. I am thinking of doing the following: Putting the outdrive down, and lowering the boat on the lift enough that the water intake on the lower outdrive is in the water. I will let it run for a few min to see if the leak is water coming in that route? If there is not water, than I will shut down the engine, and lower the entire boat into the water and look for a leak while the boat is sitting. Does this sound like a reasonable plan? Thanks! I will also check the bellows, although I am not very savvy, when it comes to working on outdrives, so I am guessing I may run it over to the shop and see if they can look at it. thanks again.

James