Leaks water

[BrendellaJet]

My boat leaks a little bit of water, not too much, but enough to make me want to fix it. Do I have to pull the pump out to fix this? or can i just pull the transom adapter and grate housing? Any recomendations as to what sealant I should use? I know Ive seen some water proof stuff by 3M at the hardware store. If I pull the transom adapter, is there a seal that mates it to the bowl? Thanks for the help.

[Jungle Boy]

BrendellaJet:
My boat leaks a little bit of water, not too much, but enough to make me want to fix it. Do I have to pull the pump out to fix this? or can i just pull the transom adapter and grate housing? Any recomendations as to what sealant I should use? I know Ive seen some water proof stuff by 3M at the hardware store. If I pull the transom adapter, is there a seal that mates it to the bowl? Thanks for the help.Sikaflex (Spelling??) is what we use and it's real good stuff. Messy but effective.

[Mohavekid]

Good marine silicone will do the job. The transom adapter has a gasket which you don't really need if you use enough silicone. The suction to intake piece also has a gasket, you need this one with no silicone. I recommend you not take the intake out, unless you know it's leaking a lot there. Removing the intake is a serious pain in the ass. If you do take the intake out, get ready to cut, chisel, hammer, cuss, moan and cry. Good luck.

[mud duck]

What if you don't know where it is leaking? I get a few inches of water under the engine while the boat sits tied to the dock over night. And I can not identify where it is coming from. I've even filled the boat with several inches of water while it is on the trailer to try and see any water leaking "out", without any success.
It has now become a routine while I start drinking my morning coffee, I walk out on the dock and hit the bilge on for about 90 seconds. Where is this water coming from?

[Mohavekid]

Mud Duck, check your packing gland for too much play. It should drip one every 30-60 seconds. If it drips more than that, tighten it up. If that doesn't help, try filling it with water some dye,then just trace the dye to the outside. If all else fails, an auto bilge pump is just the ticket.

[mud duck]

Thanks, I'll take a look at it. I have already thought about the auto bilge. In fact I thought I would install it in addition to the existing bilge. I have had reliable service from the existing bilge thus far, but you never know when it might get temperamental or just die.
Thanks.

[Wet Dream]

I get a leak where the steering tube comes through the transom. It drips noticably but if yours has a way to travel down the tube, that might be it. Or on the transom cover, the 2 screws on the bottom are just screws that tap into the hull. I noticed on mine that they aren't held on very well due to swelling and the screws protrude into the inside. I siliconed mine like crazy to avoid any leaks. These 2 bottom screws are in a location on my hull that you can't even see hem from inside the boat, the pump hides it.

[Lake Lifeguard]

Our boat mechanic uses some kind of aviation grade silicon sealant. I dont know what it is called but I can find out on Monday if you are interested. The stuff holds better than anything I have ever seen. A little of this stuff and a good thru-hull fitting and I doubt you will ever have a leak again.

[burning cole]

I used to have a water leak that came from the gas tanks. The tanks were bolted all the way through the whole, and the bracket got crushed. So after looking for a while I replaced the bracket and have not had a leak since. In the mean time, I used a silicon from EWest marine that seemed to stop the problem while I fixed the boat.

[jet496]

I have two auto bilge pumps in mine. I've never owned a boat that didn't leak alittle. Not worth the hassle to fix for a couple inches of water over night. Spend 50 bucks and put an auto pump in. I leave mine in the water for weeks at a time.
With two auto pumps & two good marine batteries you're set. They don't draw shit for amps. Let it drip & enjoy.