Center Drain Plug Question

[Dtbradly]

OK noob question here. every time i get out of the water i pull my center and transom drain plugs. the transom is normally bone dry but the center has a decent bit of water in (maybe 15-30 seconds of flow). my question is why is the center not draining? does the water level need to be higher to get to the bilge? does the center not connect to where the bilge pump is? If not does it just keep filling up? First boat so im kind of wondering.

[mmandley]

Technically its all one compartment.

The center will always fill first as technically its the lowest part in the boat.

In my Mojo my bilge rarely pumps water as I return to my dock but once the boat is lifted out of the water I drain the center.

You will find it is very difficult to get water to drain from the Stern plug due to the design of the boat.

To answer your questions in short, don't be worried.

You need 3-5 gallons of water in the bilge before the bilge pumps activates, at least in my Mojo I do. If I want to test my bilge I have to dump a 5g pale of water in the bilge, it will then pump 1/2 that out.

[Dtbradly]

Music to my ears. Thanks man.

[zabooda]

The auto switch on the pump is slightly higher than the base so turning the pump on manually will get the rest of the water. Not a significant change.

[Pound]

Man, I was hoping this thread was about how much of a PITA it is to remove the center drain plug. lol I was ready to jump all over that bandwagon. I'm paranoid about it vibrating loose so I crank it (by hand) fairly tight. Which means, it doesn't come back out by hand and there's NO room for tools down there. ha ha. I use an open end wrench vertically off the t-handle and vice grips attached to the wrench...
/rant off/

[Prospersigman]

I never tighten my center plug that much. I go until it starts to snug up and then maybe a 1/4 turn and have never had it vibrate loose. Certainly do not see a need to crank it down so tight that you need an open end wrench and vice grips to break it loose to remove it.

[mmandley]

Man, I was hoping this thread was about how much of a PITA it is to remove the center drain plug. lol I was ready to jump all over that bandwagon. I'm paranoid about it vibrating loose so I crank it (by hand) fairly tight. Which means, it doesn't come back out by hand and there's NO room for tools down there. ha ha. I use an open end wrench vertically off the t-handle and vice grips attached to the wrench...
/rant off/

I only snug mine, and even then it seems to tighten a little more.

Trust me even if it pops out, it will take a while for the boat to sink. If it sinks at all.

True Story:

Last year I took my boat in to get Ceramic Coating done, when even I pull the boat out I remove the center plug and lay it on the floor cover by the hole. So I don't forget or lose it.

At the Ceramic coater, someone put the plug in the V drive, (why I dont know) and put the floor plug in.

I pick up the boat and head to the launch to take it home. (You see where this is going)

We launch it, CLaudia drives off in the truck to the house.
I realize I forgot my cooler first thing (dammit)

Its hot out, so I jump in the lake cooling off, throw the toy for my dog. 5-10m Pass, decide better head home.

Fire up the engine, start heading to the cove, go to speed up, can only go 10mph. I look around, then realize I am making a huge draft behind the boat. I pull the floor cover off, water is almost to the floor, I didn't notice the bilge was running.

I paniced, looking in all the cup holders for this plug, then the glove box.

Mind you I cleaned everything out of the boat before I took it to the coater.

Luckily I found a spare trash bag in the glove box. I wadded it up and stuffed that in the hole.

Called my wife said GET TO THE DOCK ASAP the boat is sinking..
Luckily the engine never stalled from all the water but the belt was screaming from being wet.

I was able to cruise back doing 8mph and got it in the lift.

Lift picked her right up and she drained for a solid 10-15M

Short story is, even a decent trash bag will work in the center drain plug in a pinch LOL

I now have a spare T bar for the plug in my glove box.
Found my T bar plug under a V drive sac.

[kaneboats]

I've been there-- on the Outback. Just got off the trailer-- why the H is the bilge pump running? Oh Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetttttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Pound]

I had a fitting pop off of a bag and drain about half of it's contents in the boat. I also noticed it b/c the bilge pump was running longer than a few seconds (if it ever comes on at all). that's more drama than i need when out on the water w/my family.

[korey]

LOL while we're sharing "plug stories" (hehehe)...

My old supra had an old school rubber plug (not threaded) in the transom. The boat came with a folding style plug, and I used it for seasons with no trouble. The wake plate kept you from getting in trouble with the arm of the folding plug rotating below the running surface of the boat or anything. One afternoon I launched a surfboard under the swim platform somehow. I'll be you know where this is going now... After taking a break after that fall, then draining 2200lbs of manual ballast, and an idle back to the camp site, I realized about the same time that my bilge pump was running as water started coming up through the floor! I beached it at the camp site and used the 3 external tsunami ballast pumps to drain the boat, still expecting to find a hole in the hull or something, when i found water rushing in behind the rudder.. the plug hole!! Had a spare in the glove box and carried on with the weekend, but WHEEEW that was scary!

[Dtbradly]

Feels like there are 2 types of boaters. Those that have had a scary plug situation and those that will have one.

i always hand tighten my t plug. never have needed tools or had any issues coming loose.

now i rarely can get the rear on and off without cutting one of my fingers. starting to think i should just never take it out as it has never shed any water

[mmandley]

now i rarely can get the rear on and off without cutting one of my fingers. starting to think i should just never take it out as it has never shed any water

Ive only removed my rear plug twice, When I towed from OR to AZ and when I towed OR to GA.

[2in2out]

Digging up an old thread here.

Does anyone know of a T-handle wrench for the transom plug on the newer SA’s? I hate keeping the plug and a crescent wrench in my drivers door when crossing the state line (Nv to Ca). Basically every lake I go to I have to transport with the plug out. My last boat had the plug tethered on the inside and a convenient flange for hand tightening.

Is there a different type of plug that is tethered?

[larry_arizona]

Buster Wrench "Boat Drain Plug Wrench https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077F2MH3K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_3vDDFbGMX158J

Boat Plug Holder, Reminder, Installer and Remover Tool, for 1/2" NPT Plugs. Includes Spare Plug. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081S55FC5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_pxDDFb8GA1PGX

https://www.boatoutfitters.com/garboard-drain-male-only?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4fHl_ruT7AIVhODICh0ZZAfcEAU YFCABEgLOEvD_BwE

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[2in2out]

Thanks Larry. I came across this thread while searching the great googly-moogly. Right after I posted I amended the search terms and found everything you offered.

[BigOrange]

A little more money (I think about 20 or $25 at Home Depot) but this summer I got so tired of the run-around trying to pull the center T-plug and I just bought a T-handle water main shut off tool to do the trick if I can't immediately get the plug out by hand. Completely eliminates the pain of trying to get some vise-grip set up on the plug. And to those who don't put it on that tight -- it most certainly can vibrate out because it did to me 3 years ago.

[Jmm137]

Buster Wrench "Boat Drain Plug Wrench https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077F2MH3K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_3vDDFbGMX158J

Boat Plug Holder, Reminder, Installer and Remover Tool, for 1/2" NPT Plugs. Includes Spare Plug. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081S55FC5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_pxDDFb8GA1PGX

https://www.boatoutfitters.com/garboard-drain-male-only?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4fHl_ruT7AIVhODICh0ZZAfcEAU YFCABEgLOEvD_BwE

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Do you by any chance know which wrench is needed for a '16 Supra? Mine is currently at the dealer getting serviced so I can't check the size..

[996scott]

i believe that all of those wrenches are for the standard size drain plug.

[Jmm137]

Looks like you’re right, when I glanced at the orange one I saw 1/2” and thought it was referring to the square head.. thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[z28ke]

Had a hard time getting the center t-handle drain plug out of my Max since I hadn’t removed it all summer and a 5/8 wrench did the job. A stubby wretch would give even more room to maneuver:

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201027/c46d46dcaf8a094574fbfdaded08ebf9.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201027/0f4b82a55a69be7b413a7f3bb6b7271e.jpg

[2in2out]

Boat Plug Holder, Reminder, Installer and Remover Tool, for 1/2" NPT Plugs. Includes Spare Plug. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081S55FC5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_pxDDFb8GA1PGX

Bought this one. Does not fit Supra transom plug and spare plug too small. Do not buy.