Will this cause water to leak into my boat?

[millertime23]

I just bought a 2011 Challenger 180 SE, and noticed this by the impeller intake. I tried to get some decent photos but the angle was difficult to work with. The flange isn't making a solid connection with the hull, and I was wondering if this was something that can possibly leak water into the hull?

 

[Jcamaro]

I think that is just the driveshaft cover. The carbon seal that keeps the water out is behind it. as is the actual driveshaft.

 

[kernal]

Do you have a leak you are trying to find? That is the shaft cover and it is flush on my 210 challenger. If you have a leak, I'd pull the pump, and the shaft cover to inspect, then reinstall ensuring to use sealant on the mounting screws.

If you don't have a leak, I'd remove the grate, and put a bead of sealant around the flange bottom just to ensure nothing gets in there.

 

[go_panthers]

My shaft covers are flush, as well. There's not a ton of room between the shaft and the shaft cover, so there could be some kind of engine alignment issue causing the shaft to force the lifting of the lower portion of the cover. Are your engine mounts in good shape?

 

[millertime23]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Yes, I'm trying to find a leak. First time I put the boat in the water I drained about 2 gallons out of the hull. And the water was warm. So I followed the suggestions I found on this forum and strapped the boat to the trailer, backed into the water, and ran the engine. Looking around with a flashlight I was unable to find a single leak inside the engine compartment. This shaft cover was the only thing I found that was suspect.. but I'm not convinced this is the sole source due to the water in the hull being so warm when I drained it.

The engine mounts look good, from a visual inspection anyway. When this crummy northeast weather finally clears up I'll crawl under the boat and see about getting it sealed and flush mounted.

 

[JPass]

I also had quite a bit of water come out of the drain plug when pulling the boat out of the water after a long day. I was worried it was the carbon seals, but I noticed a few things and have since addressed them which greatly reduced the amount of water coming into the hull.

There are several globs of sealant on the inside of hull near the pump tunnels and on the transom where the pump bracket mounts to the hull (also where steering and reverse cables exit the hull).

I noticed several of these globs had water near them. I thought it was coming from above and never suspected they were the actual cause of the leak. I removed the old sealant and added new, which has greatly reduced the amount of water I am finding in my hull after a day out on the water.

Also check all of the hose clamps in the engine compartment. You may have a loose one that allows for water to escape when under throttle.

 

[devonte007]

You could also fill the hull with water (up to a reasonable level) and watch for leaks on the outside. If water is getting in, it will usually find a way out too. If you got gallons of water the last time you put the boat in the water, the leak is somewhat substantial so this method may work.

Have you checked the o-rings on drain plugs? Another common place water gets into these boats is is around the joint where the top hull meets the bottom hull, this is covered by the rear rub rail. These were not sealed well from the factory and if the back of the boat is underwater it can take in gulps of water each time. Lots of info on the forum about this.

Do you have any cavitation issues? Usually if you are experiencing water intrusion through any of the drive system components (i.e. carbon seal) you will also have air leaks which would cause noticeable cavitation.

 

[millertime23]

Thanks again guys. I'm going nuts waiting for this weather to clear up so I can troubleshoot these problems a little more. I haven't noticed any cavitation issues, the motor and pump sound like they're running well. I'll check the drain plug O-rings, hull seam, and any other sealed penetrations. I'm going to try the "garden hose in the hull" trick to see if there's any obvious leaks that can be eliminated before putting it in the water again.

Have a great holiday weekend everyone.