When it rains, it pours

[GotMyAlly]

As long as I've had this boat, it's always had a little water in the bilge at the end of the day. In a normal fishing day, it's hard to isolate a tiny leak from a roller or two over the transom, livewell splashes, soft-side cooler leaks, etc. But at the rally last week, I could definitely tell there was more water in there than there should be. No rollers, no dripping fish, etc. So when I got home, I poured some gatorade in the bilge, expecting to see it run out one of the livewell fittings. I was surprised to see it come out the plug. No big deal I thought. ....old plug has been around a while. So I picked up a new one and for chits and giggles repeated the test. Still a trickle down the transom, but this time I looked closer and could see it was coming from between the flanged sleeve and the glass, not the plug itself. I'm not sure if the factory seals that flanged tube with 5200 or o-rings or what, but water has been making it's way behind there. And it's flanged on either side, so it's not a simple remove/replace/reseal.

 

[catfish123]

I feel your pain Neal..................although my XB2003 is much older than your boat, just got done replacing hydraulic transom jack, throttle and shift cables, hydraulic steering cylinder with U-Flex (and LOVE IT),and leaking through hull livewell fitting. I still need to do some more shimming or something with my trailer.

 

[Allyfishing]

No Neal, no sealant or epoxy or silicone or anything. Mine had water run out from behind the brass sleeve when I removed it to install the remote drain valve from flo rite.

 

[Allyfishing]

B.O.A.T.

Break Out Another Thousand!!!!

 

[GotMyAlly]

Good to know a little water in there won't hurt anything. Mine's going to get sealed up though. Might not cost much other than elbow grease, but it's sure a pain moving the battery and oil tank to get to it.

 

[Allyfishing]

todd told me at the factory they use a brass sleeve and a special tool to create the flange on each side that holds the sleeve in place. He said no adhesive or sealant was used nor necessary. Like I told ya, I removed mine and installed a flo rite remote drain and love it.

I admit I did have one issue with the first cable at the valve end where ya open and close the remote plug. The threads were bad on the end that hold the cable in the metal bracket and the nut would not stay tight preventing the valve to push and pull the cable thru the sheathing. I called flo rite and they did say they had a newer version of the threaded cable and sent me a new one.

 

[GotMyAlly]

Interesting. I'd think they all would leak a little with no sealant in there.......

 

[Allyfishing]

yeah it's possible. it's just in there with the inside and outside flange compressing it.

 

[FloridaGS]

The cable on the remote plug looks like a risk if it breaks while out, thanks for sharing it, a handy invention for sure.

For the double flange I would take a punch and crush the outside flange inward and pull out from the inside...and upgrade to brass threaded unit with silicon instead of cementing in with 5200, maybe 3200 or 4200.
http://www.chmarine.com/acatalog/Brass-Boat-Drain-Plug.html#SID=79

I guess I need to go check on mine now...good catch..

 

[GotMyAlly]

For the double flange I would take a punch and crush the outside flange inward and pull out from the inside...and upgrade to brass threaded unit with silicon instead of cementing in with 5200, maybe 3200 or 4200.
http://www.chmarine.com/acatalog/Brass-Boat-Drain-Plug.html#SID=79
.

Agree that's the best method, but a lot of work if none of them are sealed from the factory and the coring material will not soak it up or rot, as was stated above (otherwise there'd be a lot of waterlogged Allison's running around).

 

[Allyfishing]

If I had not gone with the remote drain plug I would have installed this one. Still have to crawl under but the plug is always there. The other choice is the kind that looks like a flapper which is self draining while on plane but its rubber and I would be concerned with it either dry rotting or tearing off.

I do hear what you are saying about the cable breaking etc. but I figured it's the same exact setup as the valves in bass boats for many years to operate livewells and I've never had one of those fail. But again, I get it and that is a concern of mine as well. I don't use it every time I get off the water nor did I remove the drain plug every time either.

 

[Allyfishing]

this is the type of plug that is in ranger and skeeter boats that do not come factory with the flo rite remote drain plug. At least that's what they used to come with now all factory boats have the remote drain installed

http://www.basspro.com/TH-Marine-Drain-Plug/product/101654/