how much water do you take on when riding on the boat?

[moombag]

I have owned a bass boat my whole life and just used friends ski boats when we wanted to go wakeboarding. I sold my boat a few months ago and just purchased a Mobius v-drive and love it! I know boats always take on a little water... but how much is too much? How often do you have to bilge?

This is a dumb question, but the only plug i need to worry about on a moomba is the metal pipe-fitted plug in the rear, right?

Anything else I should know? The other day I just drove around the lake for 2 hours (choppy water) and I when we pulled out I swear water drianed for a full minute! Should I bilge every hour or something? I never worried about it on the bass boat.

Any help or advice or comments would be great! thanks

[04OUTBACK]

First,
Check the packing nut on the shaft where it comes in from the hull. You want it to drip a drop every 15 seconds or so, but no more. that is the usual first culprit.
Next, check the water pump to make sure there is no leakage there.

Third, do you use ballast? is there any leakage related to that.

My money is on the packing nut. (there is a packing rope that goes in there to seal that) most likely the nut is loose..

[ian ashton]

It depends on who is driving! Usually I can keep our boat pretty dry, but my dad is famous for bringing rollers over the bow, haha.

[moombag]

thank you for the help. I am new to inboards, so forgive me for any dumbass comments. haha.

Is the packing nut located inside or outside of the hull?

I opened the engine compartment the other day while it was running on our first trip out just to see how everything works and I did not see any water coming out of any pumps. I know the engine is water cooled, but there did not seem to be any water in the engine compartment.

[04OUTBACK]

between your transmission or v drive and the hull.. see attached.

[moombag]

thanks for the information and pic... very helpful.

should the packing nut be screwed as tight as it will go? Or do you just basically make it "snug" but without putting a death grip on it?

[04OUTBACK]

First, while in the water, you will want to loosen the jam nut on the back.. probably need channel lock pliers..
Then you'll want to hand tighten the shaft log packing nut until it is generally snug tight with your hands.. if it is still dripping too much, you might need pliers to tighten further.. but don't overtighten as there needs to be some drip for lubrication.. then tighten the jam nut back tight.

How old/ how many hours on your boat? It is recommended that the packing be replaced every 250 hrs. I replace mine more often.. it's pretty easy..

[moombag]

hmmm...good advice. It is an '01 Mobius with 450 hours on it. I know the person that owned it before me took good care of it, I can tell since it was garage kept and still looks excellent.

However, I do have my doubts about proper maintenance. I am a stickler for doing things right and I get the feeling that mechanically, he did just enough to get by.

Does anyone know if Dealerships do tune-ups? Maybe I should just have the whole boat checked out... but my fear is them SCREWING me, and because they are dealerships they will overcharge like crazy.

Any other suggestions or things to watch for at this point?

I will run out to the lake on Thursday and check out that shaft and see if it is leaking

[mcdye]

We just purchased our first boat, 02 OB LSV TBI, and have some of the same concerns. My first plan is to double check for leaks from all possible entry points (shaft, rudder, etc..) and the ballast plumbing setup. Mechinically I did change the plugs, inspect the rotor and dist cap. It has fresh fluids, impreller, steering cable, and shaft packing.

Point is I feel a person with a little mechinical experience can do alot that most would not do out of fear and take to a dealer. I have learned from our motorcycle days that forums of this natural is a valuable tool to work on these boats. As for a tune-up, I am not what sure what a dealer tune up would consist of but I would suspect not more much of what I mentioned above.

[Sled491]

G, to put things in perspective an oil change is over 200 bucks for our boats. Stay on the forums ask the quesions get some pics and dodn't give up, plenty of smart guys here to help out.