Taking on water

[MontreAl]

My '08 Sig 270 takes on water via the stern around the B3 outdrive.  One can lay atop the fresh water tank and see the water seeping inside below the transom plate.  My mechanic says water is not leaking in via the drive or shift bellows. He also says it is not the Y-pipe because when the engine is started he does not hear water gurgling. Next step is to fill the bilge with water and hopefully see where is seeps out.

Any other suggestions? 

[soldier4402]

could possibly be your swivel pin/shaft leaking water.  In order to find out, look where your steering arm comes out of the transom bracket, look in that hole to see if looks like corrosion, next get some people on back of the boat to weigh it down , and look by the steering arm to see if water is coming in.  If it is your swivel pin is corrorded and tore the seal.  Have to google the JR marine fix and get the parts for the fix.  Or the traditional way to fix it is to remove the engine.

[Chap243]

I`d be very careful filling the bilge with water to find the leak. I think that method is best used for small riveted aluminum boats.

[Mi3sons]

2 hours ago, soldier4402 said:

could possibly be your swivel pin/shaft leaking water.  In order to find out, look where your steering arm comes out of the transom bracket, look in that hole to see if looks like corrosion, next get some people on back of the boat to weigh it down , and look by the steering arm to see if water is coming in.  If it is your swivel pin is corrorded and tore the seal.  Have to google the JR marine fix and get the parts for the fix.  Or the traditional way to fix it is to remove the engine.

+1

[MontreAl]

Update.

Mechanic came to the boat and we filled the bilge with water.  The leak was easy to spot. It is leaking from the bottom of the outdrive transom shield. Mechanic says he can seal that from the outside with a bead of 5200 at the seam of the transom and the outdrive shield.

How does that sound?

 

[TexasPilot71]

38 minutes ago, MontreAl said:

Update.

Mechanic came to the boat and we filled the bilge with water.  The leak was easy to spot. It is leaking from the bottom of the outdrive transom shield. Mechanic says he can seal that from the outside with a bead of 5200 at the seam of the transom and the outdrive shield.

How does that sound?

 

Wow!  Sounds like a cheap fix.  Good for you!  I hate hearing that, though...I have a 2008 model too.  Hmmmmm.....

[Chap243]

2 hours ago, MontreAl said:

Update.

Mechanic came to the boat and we filled the bilge with water.  The leak was easy to spot. It is leaking from the bottom of the outdrive transom shield. Mechanic says he can seal that from the outside with a bead of 5200 at the seam of the transom and the outdrive shield.

How does that sound?

 

It sounds like a temporary fix to me and might get you through the season. I would want the rubber seal replaced for a proper repair, but that will take some shop time and $$$$.

[MontreAl]

On 4/16/2018 at 4:35 PM, Chap243 said:

It sounds like a temporary fix to me and might get you through the season. I would want the rubber seal replaced for a proper repair, but that will take some shop time and $$$$.

Interesting point Chap243. I will quiz my mechanic to get comfortable with his recommended repair. I suspect that re-seating the transom shield is tres expensive. I also want to know if he has executed this caulking procedure successfully before.

[cyclops2]

The 5200 should seal forever. with water pressure on it.  Common fix for saving a buck.  would want to get all the water out to prevent any water freezing /  EXPANDING next winter.

[Richard W]

2 hours ago, cyclops2 said:

would want to get all the water out to prevent any water freezing /  EXPANDING next winter.

Very good point ... if not now, this should be addressed before winter, or store the boat in heated storage as a precaution.

Chap does not seal or tunnel the hull penetrations and cutouts. Would be wise to open things up, examin the hull for water intrusion, let the fiberglass dry and repair it if necessary, and put it all back together before winter.

[bbwhitejr@yahoo.com]

Just my $0.02...

I would not use 5200, but 4200 or LifeSeal caulk. If you ever want to remove the 5200. Ie, to replace the rubber flange, 5200 is as much adhesive as it is caulk. It has been know to pull off gelcoat when removing.

Bennett

[The Great Escape II]

Has the mechanic tried to tighten the transom assembly?  They will get loose over time.

[cyclops2]

bbwhite is correct on the difficulty of removing FULLY CURED calks. after a year or so ??  Good luck .

We stopped using it decades ago.. 

Never pull a plate or flange apart & smear it on the 2 surfaces to make a better seal. Fatal mistake to try and  pull them apart. A flame or big enough heat gun is needed.

[brick]

To me it sounds like a backyard fix. I think a better, long term solution is to pull it, make sure everything is OK with the transom cutout, and replace as needed.

I am always cautious with something that could sink a boat...

brick

[Bt Doctur]

Mechanic says he can seal that from the outside with a bead of 5200 at the seam of the transom and the outdrive shield.

How does that sound?

 

Sounds like you need to find a different mechanic, on that know boats. If the leak is at the transom shield you have had a very hard botton strike breaking the gasket seal or you have a rotted transom

[MontreAl]

Before the mechanic made the caulking repair, I asked a few questions.

1. Do the transom shield halves need to be tightened?  No, they are not loose and there is no visible gap at the bottom where it is leaking.

2. What is the alternative to caulking?  Haul boat, remove drive and engine. Re-seal the transom shield which probably has corrosion damage and will need to be replaced. This is a big money alternative.

3. Have you successfully performed the caulking repair before? Yes, several times and it always has worked out fine.

4. Has the transom become wet from water passing through?  Not sure. If the edges of the transom cutout have been sealed, i.e. with gel coat, then no. If not, then perhaps yes.

So, the caulking repair was performed and I am waiting for the 5200 to cure before getting the boat wet. I am looking forward to a dry bilge.

[TexasPilot71]

Thanks for the update!  Hope it works out well for you.

[Richard W]

Thanks for the detailed followup ... always interesting to learn on somebody else's case. You did your due diligence, evaluated the risks and value proposition, made the decision and took the particular course of actions that works for you.

I suppose you know that this is a short term fix. The transom might be spongy and flex more with boat use and deteriorate more due to existing and further water intrusion. The repair is a temporary fix, and it will not pass even the most rudimentary survey if you decide to sell the boat. At that time you will be required to disclose the potential problem and either fix it then, or adjust the price for a buyer to fix it if they decide to take on this unknown risk.

You can get lucky and get a buyer whose buyer's agent does not recommend a survey nor a sea trial ... but that is another topic.