www.iFourWinns.com

my boat over the last few months has a bit of a leak in it.
i have excluded the drain plug and swim platform legs as a source, so my fear is it might be throught the leg somewhere. at the end of the season i'll get the leg pulled off etc for the service and get it fixed, but i am curious as to what it could be.

it isnt dependent on the engine running, after a few hours the bilge pumps out about 20seconds of water. maybe 5 -10 ( guessing) litres runn out at the end of the day.

could the depth guage transducer be a source ?

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I'd check the bellows before you go pulling off the SwimPlatform brackets. The Boat US magazine had an article that claimed that most the most common cause for I/O boats to sink at the dock is due to a leak in the bellows!

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'04 FW 268Vista "Andiamo"

It could of course be the transducer, also any of the hoses/ couplings carrying salt to the engine from the transom. Quite easily checked with the boat in the water.

The potential danger and costs if it is the U/J bellows is huge though and they definitely need checking with the boat out of the water; worst case, they have just started to crack giving your slight leak but then fail catastrophically when the drive is tilted and the boat sinks because the standard bilge pump just would not be able to cope. If just leaking where they joins the transom and outdrive because the clamps are slack or have corroded away because the bonding straps are missing (or no sealant was used, not unknown with boats direct from the factory!), the bellows will contain salt water and the input shaft and gimbal bearing are swimming in it and suffering. The cost of U/J bellows is low compared to the cost of damage if they fail. As my boat sits in the water for 6 months each year, I change my U/J bellows every 2 years regardless of how they look so I have a good chance they won't fail mid season ( cheaper than to paying to get it taken out mid season.)

Regards,

Graham

Graham, do you ever change your shift cable bellows? I think that's a part that deserves more attention that most people give it.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Mike,

re shift bellows, from what I can gather, it can be an issue with some Mercruiser drives; a hole in this bellows can let water into the boat.

I believe though the Volvo shift cable on the SX/ DPS enters the metalwork of the inner transom above the waterline so it's unlikely water would find it's way in under normal circumstances ( it does go through a rubber tube attached to the transom, I'd imagine it's there to prevent kinking of the shift cable where it enters the transom plate as much as stopping any water ingress). I'll check it in the Spring!

regards,

Graham

Hi...I hope its not, but could the leak be coming from the transom seal? I had that on my 255 last spring. They had to pull the engine and outdrive to fix it. Cost about $900 to fix a lousy $5.75 part.

Good luck jj

[b]GOOD LUCK IN FINDING THE LEAK

Ours was aroud the captains call exhaust and the fact they did not install a Thru-Hull for the bilge pump

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Jeff

2006 Four Winns Yellow Horizon 30th Anniversary 200 SS
2005 Nissan Titan Crew Cab
2004 Ford F-150 Lariat

http://www.seabrook-services.com