No fun in a leaky boat

[Acidhouse]

I don't know if this is the right forum so I apologize if this post is not in context.

Last summer, I bought my first boat. I had been around them as a kid but hadn't actually owned one as an adult. I found, (what I thought) was a good deal on a 19.5' Sunbird Cuddy with a rebuilt IO 140 Mercruiser. I noticed that whenever I put it on the lake that it takes on water. I also noticed a soft spot in the floor that I am not sure was there when I first got the boat. The bilge pump kicks on to pump the water out. When I have pulled the back plug out, I would say a few gallons of lake water comes out. I don't want to take it out anymore for fear of doing damage but I am at a loss for how to find the leak. I actually have done a little bit of fiberglass repair on my surfboards years ago so I think if I could find the leak on the outside, I could probably repair it.

Also, the rebuilt engine has a hang up. It takes it a little bit to kick in to go forward. The engine idles well and will move in reverse but when you start to go forward it stalls out. You have to simply keep trying until you can get it to go forward. Any thoughts?

Again, sorry if this is not the proper place to post my questions.

[Jango]

I would first check the Rubber hoses etc. on the Out Drive and then ALL internal hoses.

Engine problem could be improper choke/ fast idle adjustment - too lean.

[Acidhouse]

I will do. Thanks for replying.

[cyclops]

Your boat is needed at www.iboats.com---------click on the top right at ,forums. Register and have a ball. They eat older boats with any problem. The foward stalling is probably a loose or misadjusted Interrupter Switch. Enjoy.

[marshmat]

My guess for the source of the leak is the same as Jango's; it's probably one of the connections on the drive. Make sure the clamps are tight and the hoses in good condition. I very much doubt that your leak is through the hull; if it were, that would imply your boat had been wrecked on rocks and badly repaired. Odds are about 90 to 1 that it's a hose or through-hull fitting that's leaking. Or the plug itself, they've been known to break over time. If you can't find an obvious culprit while on land, remove all the engine and bilge hatches/covers and have a friend back slowly down the launch ramp while you watch the engine bay; you'll soon see where your trickle is coming from. Your soft spot in the sole probably means that the boat has a plywood sole that's got a bit of rot; fixing it is time consuming but not too difficult.

[Gilbert]

If the Mercruiser of my experience applies to yours, the idle speed is supposed to be fast enough to handle the shifting into gear without stalling. The reason it doesn't stall in reverse is becaust the exhaust is there preventing the propellor from getting a solid bite. You are supposed to make the shift quickly also (and it makes a louder KLUNK than you would suppose would be good for the unit).
My 2 cents.

[Acidhouse]

Thanks for the replies again. I will take a look next time I am out and slowly backing the boat off of the trailer. As for the idle comment, should I adjust the idle or move it more quickly into gear?

[Jango]

When the motor is first started, it is supposed to idle a little faster than normal - until it warms up. If the motor stalls while putting into gear, the fast Idle adjustment and/or choke enrichment probably needs to be increased. If the motor DOESN'T STALL but just doesn't go into gear, your idle is probably OK.

Check Cyclops comments above.

[Acidhouse]

Goes into gear fine but stalls out.

[dr.j]

Acidhouse, You could check around any through hulls if there are any. The transom plate is also a common area where water can work it's way in. As concerns the soft spot in the sole, you should consider opening it up to see if water has damaged what lies underneath. There could be foam that will hold huge amounts of water if it gets saturated. That could be a real problem if left unaddressed.

[Gilbert]

If you haven't been shifting quickly try that first to see if you have any success and if not then tamper with adjustments. Another comment, which may be unnecessary, is that these units with the through the prop hub exhaust should not be given much throttle in reverse because the prop will cavitate if spinning too fast and you will have less thrust than if it were to spin more slowly and not cavitate. You can tell by experimenting where that limit will be for your boat.

[wdnboatbuilder]

check all thru hull hoses not just he stern drive

[gonzo]

If the transom is soft, the O ring around the transom shield will leak. Also, the two bottom bolts in the transom shield are Zinc, which eventually corrode and leak.
Mercruisers have an ignition switch interrupt to ease shifting. It will stall the engine if it is out of adjustment or if the intermediate shift cable is stiff.