Golffnutt Posted September 30, 2015 Author Posted September 30, 2015 This for sure. Seal it off and go fishing. If you get water in the boat still then pull the boat out and see if you can spot where it is coming from. It has to be something pretty obvious and big to fill that fast with water... I've had bilge and livewell pumps loose seal and let water by before. How and what do I seal off? Are you talking about the rear live wells, if so how do I seal them off? I also have a front live well (or I think it is a live well), do I need to seal it off? Thanks so much for your time and help gardnerjigman. Quote
Golffnutt Posted September 30, 2015 Author Posted September 30, 2015 I agree with plugging the live wells. Also check the insert the drain plug goes into. I have seen them break lose and leak around the outside edge. How do I plug the live wells Crappiebasser? What happens when I catch fish and need a live well, if they are plugged then I would assume they are not usable, right? Quote
Golffnutt Posted September 30, 2015 Author Posted September 30, 2015 My bilge area was easily accessible, so I put a garden hose in there with the drain plug installed, and the boat level and filled up the bilge area. Anyone else have a 364V like me that can tell me where the bilge area is and if it is easily accessible? Quote
Golffnutt Posted September 30, 2015 Author Posted September 30, 2015 Alot of times it is the top of the transom. Another is the rub rail. Buddy has a 1998 and it was both. All in the rear area. Good luck. You will find it and have a great boat for years to come. How can I tell if it is the transom or the rub rail? Quote
Golffnutt Posted September 30, 2015 Author Posted September 30, 2015 I agree with plugging the live wells. Also check the insert the drain plug goes into. I have seen them break lose and leak around the outside edge. Previous owner has put silicone around the outer edges of the boat plug hole to keep it from letting water in. Quote
Al Wolbach Posted September 30, 2015 Posted September 30, 2015 How do I plug the live wells Crappiebasser? What happens when I catch fish and need a live well, if they are plugged then I would assume they are not usable, right? The water inlet for the live wells should be the hole next to the drain plug. It probably is not threaded so you will need an adjustable drain plug to stick in the hole. On my boat the cooler drain plugs will work, not sure on a Ranger. You can get an adjustable drain plug at Walmart or you can trim a cork stopper. Anything that will stop up the hole that you can remove later. Go fishing, release your fish, then check for water after the trip. If little or no water present, your live well plumbing is the problem. There is almost always a little water in the bilge if the boat was used recently. One other source of water that know one has mentioned is your coolers. If you drain your coolers this water goes to the bilge and is removed by pulling the drain plug or using the bilge pump.... Quote
Crappiebasser Posted September 30, 2015 Posted September 30, 2015 Previous owner has put silicone around the outer edges of the boat plug hole to keep it from letting water in. That sounds suspect that they felt they needed to do that. Put the boat on the trailer open the back hatch where your batteries are and put a water hose in the very bottom. Let it fill until it gets to the battery tray level. I bet you see it start leaking. Quote
Golffnutt Posted October 1, 2015 Author Posted October 1, 2015 That sounds suspect that they felt they needed to do that. Put the boat on the trailer open the back hatch where your batteries are and put a water hose in the very bottom. Let it fill until it gets to the battery tray level. I bet you see it start leaking. I assume I should put the drain plug in? Where do you think the leak will be? Quote
Golffnutt Posted October 1, 2015 Author Posted October 1, 2015 The water inlet for the live wells should be the hole next to the drain plug. It probably is not threaded so you will need an adjustable drain plug to stick in the hole. On my boat the cooler drain plugs will work, not sure on a Ranger. You can get an adjustable drain plug at Walmart or you can trim a cork stopper. Anything that will stop up the hole that you can remove later. Go fishing, release your fish, then check for water after the trip. If little or no water present, your live well plumbing is the problem. There is almost always a little water in the bilge if the boat was used recently. One other source of water that know one has mentioned is your coolers. If you drain your coolers this water goes to the bilge and is removed by pulling the drain plug or using the bilge pump.... I'm confused. You say to plug the live well inlet hole but then you say "if little or no water present, your live well plumbing is the problem". If you plug the live well inlet hole then of course there is not going to be water present so why do you say it is the live well plumbing? Water can't possibly get to the live wells if you plug the live well inlet hole next to the drain plug. My boat has the main drain plug, on both sides of the main drain plug are the 2 live well outlet holes which have plastic screens on them. Next to the live well outlet hole (the one to the right of the main drain plug) is the live well inlet hole. These are the only 4 holes on the bottom of my boat. Quote
desmobob Posted October 1, 2015 Posted October 1, 2015 I'm confused. You say to plug the live well inlet hole but then you say "if little or no water present, your live well plumbing is the problem". If you plug the live well inlet hole then of course there is not going to be water present so why do you say it is the live well plumbing? Water can't possibly get to the live wells if you plug the live well inlet hole next to the drain plug. My boat has the main drain plug, on both sides of the main drain plug are the 2 live well outlet holes which have plastic screens on them. Next to the live well outlet hole (the one to the right of the main drain plug) is the live well inlet hole. These are the only 4 holes on the bottom of my boat. You're using the process of elimination to find the leak. If you plug off the live well inlets and outlets, then put the boat in the water and it doesn't leak, then you know it's not the hull that's leaking; it's the live well plumbing. If it still takes on water with the inlets/outlets plugged, you know you have a leak in the hull. Tight lines, Bob Quote
Golffnutt Posted October 1, 2015 Author Posted October 1, 2015 You're using the process of elimination to find the leak. If you plug off the live well inlets and outlets, then put the boat in the water and it doesn't leak, then you know it's not the hull that's leaking; it's the live well plumbing. If it still takes on water with the inlets/outlets plugged, you know you have a leak in the hull. Tight lines, Bob Thanks Bob for the explanation. I know how to plug the live well inlet on the bottom outside of boat but how do I plug the outlets? If they are where I think they are (right next to the main boat drain plug) then I can't plug them on the outside of the boat because they have a plastic screen on them which does not look to be removeable. Where else besides here can I plug the outlet plugs? Are there not other areas that could cause the leak besides just the hull and live wells/live well plumbing, ie rub rail and some of the other areas as mentioned by some of the fellows within this post? Thanks again for your help. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted October 1, 2015 Super User Posted October 1, 2015 The pump out "outlet" would be above the water line, to prevent siphoning. If what you see near the plug has a screen, it is undoubtably an intake for the pump or gravity feed, both for filling the live well. Screens are almost always removable for cleaning. Sounds to me you need someone experienced to help you onsite. Anyone close by to give the man a helping hand? 1 Quote
noway Posted October 3, 2015 Posted October 3, 2015 Golffnutt. Sell your boat and start fishing from shore. Less headaches, for everybody. Quote
Super User Ratherbfishing Posted October 3, 2015 Super User Posted October 3, 2015 Check the livewell intake pumps/connection s. I don't know how yours work but I've seen ones where a pump housing was cracked and constantly leaks water into the bilge area whenever it was in the water Agreed. Definitely check this. In "my" case, it was a rusted out hose clamp ona livewell hose. We came REAL close to sinking. Quote
Super User Lund Explorer Posted October 3, 2015 Super User Posted October 3, 2015 Thanks Bob for the explanation. I know how to plug the live well inlet on the bottom outside of boat but how do I plug the outlets? If they are where I think they are (right next to the main boat drain plug) then I can't plug them on the outside of the boat because they have a plastic screen on them which does not look to be removeable. Where else besides here can I plug the outlet plugs? Are there not other areas that could cause the leak besides just the hull and live wells/live well plumbing, ie rub rail and some of the other areas as mentioned by some of the fellows within this post? Thanks again for your help. The live wells on a 300 series Ranger drained back out of the intakes only. One thing I didn't see mentioned here is the chance that the leak is coming from around the intake fixture that is going through the hull. It is fairly easy to unscrew these fixtures on the inside of the hull, clean off the old caulking, and put a new silicone bead on both sides of the hull before tightening the fixtures back down. You may also want to look at the drain line connections on the bottom of the live wells themselves. They're harder to get at, but it could be another source of leakage. Quote
Super User Fishing Rhino Posted October 3, 2015 Super User Posted October 3, 2015 Here's a hint for all through hull fittings. To make an absolute, lasting seal with silicone, put a quarter inch bead on the inside of the hull around the hole, and a quarter inch bead on the flange of the through hull fitting. Snug it down by hand until it starts to ooze out around the fitting. Do not tighten it more. Allow it to sit a day or two for the silicone to set up. Then you can tighten it to your heart's content. It will not/cannot ooze out. If you tighten it down with fresh silicone you'll squeeze it out and may not have a good seal. I learned that trick from a tech at a boat yard. I installed new lexan windows in my lobster boat. I put a good bead of silicone around the opening and screwed the windows tight, squeezing out most of the lexan. A year later the windows started to seep water when taking heavy spray running into the waves. I mentioned it to the tech and he told me the trick of not doing the final tightening until the silicone had set up. I ended up with a one sixteenth inch thick silicone gasket that could only be compressed, not force out around the edges. I kept the boat another ten years and never had a drop get past the silicone gasket. 1 Quote
Ski213 Posted October 3, 2015 Posted October 3, 2015 ^ that's a good tip. I'm gonna try that for sure. Probably not as bad to deal with down the road as using the 3m 5200 either. Quote
Super User WRB Posted October 3, 2015 Super User Posted October 3, 2015 The transom of the boat could be glassed over wood, don't remember what year Ranger went to all glass transoms, I believe it was late 80's? Anyway the previous owner has tried to seal the intake or drain port for a reason. You need to take it to the dealer who suggested that you buy it and have them check the pumping system, livewells and bilge, including all the hose connections and the engine mount bolts. The older Ranger's are difficult to work in the rear compartment, the batteries need to be removes to get to some of the pump connectors etc. This boat has a major leak that needs to be fixed before it's back on the water. You know the bilge pump works! The screens usually screw off like a jar lid for cleaning. It sounds like a broken connection hose fitting to me, either the thru hull fitting or one of the livewell fill fittings. Good luck! Tom Quote
Skeeter Dan Posted October 3, 2015 Posted October 3, 2015 When buying a used boat your taking a gamble. Your buying some bodies head ache . If your not mechanically incline your going to spend a lot of money. Since the late seventies I've own Three Ski boats, One Jet boat and Two Bass boats. All used! I 've had to work on all of them. My 1993 Skeeter takes on water too. I have two intake line for front and back live wells and two drain lines. In order to fix mine I'm going to have to pull the top half off. if not I will just keep plugging the drain lines because that's where its leaking. Quote
Golffnutt Posted October 3, 2015 Author Posted October 3, 2015 The transom of the boat could be glassed over wood, don't remember what year Ranger went to all glass transoms, I believe it was late 80's? Anyway the previous owner has tried to seal the intake or drain port for a reason. You need to take it to the dealer who suggested that you buy it and have them check the pumping system, livewells and bilge, including all the hose connections and the engine mount bolts. The older Ranger's are difficult to work in the rear compartment, the batteries need to be removes to get to some of the pump connectors etc. This boat has a major leak that needs to be fixed before it's back on the water. You know the bilge pump works! The screens usually screw off like a jar lid for cleaning. It sounds like a broken connection hose fitting to me, either the thru hull fitting or one of the livewell fill fittings. Good luck! Tom Quote
Golffnutt Posted October 3, 2015 Author Posted October 3, 2015 Thanks Tom. I'm having dealer install all new live well parts including all new hoses, pvc elbow fittings, new valves, new aerators. Hopefully this will stop the water from coming in. Gonna cost me about $450. Quote
Golffnutt Posted October 3, 2015 Author Posted October 3, 2015 When buying a used boat your taking a gamble. Your buying some bodies head ache . If your not mechanically incline your going to spend a lot of money. Since the late seventies I've own Three Ski boats, One Jet boat and Two Bass boats. All used! I 've had to work on all of them. My 1993 Skeeter takes on water too. I have two intake line for front and back live wells and two drain lines. In order to fix mine I'm going to have to pull the top half off. if not I will just keep plugging the drain lines because that's where its leaking. Quote
Golffnutt Posted October 3, 2015 Author Posted October 3, 2015 Thanks Dan. Please see my comments just above this post to Tom. Quote
Golffnutt Posted October 4, 2015 Author Posted October 4, 2015 The live wells on a 300 series Ranger drained back out of the intakes only. One thing I didn't see mentioned here is the chance that the leak is coming from around the intake fixture that is going through the hull. It is fairly easy to unscrew these fixtures on the inside of the hull, clean off the old caulking, and put a new silicone bead on both sides of the hull before tightening the fixtures back down. You may also want to look at the drain line connections on the bottom of the live wells themselves. They're harder to get at, but it could be another source of leakage. Quote
Golffnutt Posted October 4, 2015 Author Posted October 4, 2015 Mine definitely has specific Inlet lines for live wells and specific outlet lines for the live wells. Good idea on resealing the inlet and outlet fixtures I will do that. What kind of silicone should I use, something like GE Bathroom? Thanks for the suggestions. Quote
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