Leaking Hydrolic Fluid around wakeplate arm

[DManLSV]

My wake plate was not working properly so I took it into the dealership and they said it was very low on hydrolic fluid. I just bought this boat used. They filled the reservoir and it works great, however when I took it to the lake this weekend and had the plate in the full down position I notice it leaking hydrolic fluid from around the right arm where it bolts to the hull of the boat. Can I simply loosen the 3 phillips head screws and apply some water proof silicone sealant/chalk around the edge and then tighten down the screws to fix the problem or is there some type of gasket seal that I need to buy? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks guys in advance.

[Psmartell]

I hate to tell you this but you are probably going to need a rebuild job on your hydraulic ram. When you have fluid exiting any where outside the cylinder that is not good. It could be just a re-seal orneed total overhaul. Silicone will not keep from leaking due to high pressure inside your ram.Sorry for the bad news but any hydraulic repair faciclity can do it . I DO NOT RECOMMEND ANY WITH NO EXPERIENCE to try to rebuild or reseal due to the injury or system failure that can and will happen if not assembled the right way. Remember that hydraulic fluid will pierce the skin no problem with the smallest of leaks under high pressure

[lowdrag]

I wouldn't say that you need a rebuild or new ram yet. There is a connection on the back side of the the ram where it goes through the hull and it is a common point for leaks in this system. You can get to it but it won't be quite as easy as just loosening the 3 screws. The sealant that is used there is a 3M product made specifically for use below the water line on a boat. You can get it at Walmart. I'd give you the number off the tube but I can't remember it off the top of my head. I took mine apart and that stuff is not fun to work with. It sticks to everything like superglue but is very rubbery and pliant. Needless to say it's a real pain to remove. I ended up have to cut it out a little bit at a time. The hose from the pump with connect to the back of the ram with a compression fitting that you can try to tighten and see if that solves the problem. Put some pressure on the system and see if you can find the source of the leak.

Just a question for anyone who may know. How much pressure does this system generate? I've worked with heavy equipment before where the systems are under a lot of pressure and I don't get the feeling that this system is like that. From the looks of the hydraulic lines and that fact that they're using plastic cylinders I don't see how it could be under that much pressure.

[Buttafewcoe]

With what little I know, it's prolly around 300 - 600 psi. I can't really see it needing to be any lower or higher.
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[DManLSV]

Thanks guys for all your replys and suggestions. I put some waterproof silicone sealant around where it bolts to the hull and tightened up the screws yesterday. I'm going to test it tomorrow morning and put the wake plate in the down position to see if that solved the problem. It wasn't a real bad leak just a slow ooze so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. If that didn't do the trick then I will go to Walmart and try to find that 3M marine bonding compound to see if I can seal the leak using that product. Thanks again y'all. :)

[Nafplio]

I run into this early last season. I didn't realize I had a problem though untill I found tranny fluid in the ski locker. That stuff will coat your entire bilge. I second Lowdrag's advice; leaks always get worse. I don't recall having too much trouble with the sealant.

[lowdrag]

Putting sealant around it won't do anything to solve your problem. At best it will just cover it up or push the leak somewhere else. I could see the worse case scenario being that the leak continues and gets pushed into the hull where they cut the hole through. Over time you may see they hull get soft in that area. I'd still pull it apart and make sure you've got the leak fixed.

[DManLSV]

I put LocTite marine sealant around the ram arm and the leak has stopped. I checked inside the engine compartment where the hydraulic lines are plumbed out of the hull and there are no leaks there either. The hull in the engine compartment show no signs of a hydraulic leak. I believe that the white sealant that was initially put between the ram arm and the hull had dry rotted away in places (at least that's how it looked). I do need to top off my hydraulic reservoir now. What type of hydraulic fluid do I buy and where can I buy it? Thanks.

[Mestisoboy]

The manual says to just use tranny fluid.