Wakeplate Problems

[burbon]

I recently purchased a used '06 mobius LSV. The other night I noticed red tranny fluid on the wakeplate (boat on trailer). I can see that it leaked from one of the hydraulic cylinders. Anyone else had any issues like this? Everything still works and there is still fluid in the reservior although it is low.

[carsondoc]

Burbon, the actuator cylinder screws into the upper hinge that is attached to the transom. If it comes unscrewed a little, some fluid will leak out. Start by simply tightening the cylinder. It's easily done by just grabbing it and turning it clockwise. This will probably fix it. If not, there is also a gasket inside the upper hinge that is easy to replace if necessary.

I have found the guys at Bennett to be extremely helpful. If you get into problems I would consider calling them. The number is (954) 427-1400. Good luck.

[burbon]

Thanks for the response. I called Bennett and they were extremely nice. They diagnosed it as a problem with the upper or lower gasket in the hydraulic cylinder. They are shipping out the gaskets with instructions free of charge.

[carsondoc]

Those guys at Bennett were very helpful when I installed mine a couple years ago. One thing I learned was that when you are taking off or re-installing a cylinder you should unscrew if from the wakeplate first. Makes it much easier to deal with.

[burbon]

I never really noticed before the problem, but what is the amount of actual travel in the hydraulic arms. Mine only seem to be moving in/out several inches. I wasn't sure how far the actual plate went down.

[carsondoc]

That sounds about right. I think the arm only extends out of the cylinder an inch or two at most. It doesn't take too much to change the wake and the ride quite a bit.

[lowdrag]

Hopefully it's possible for you to replace the gaskets on the cylinders without removing them from the boat. I had to do it on mine to have the lines from the pump to the cylinder replaced and it's a PITA. The sealant that is used where it goes throught the hull sticks like super glue and is rubbery so it's a pain to clean it all out. About the only way to do it is to cut it off. Trying to pull it off only results in breaking off very small pieces. It you do have to remove the cylinders though, make sure you use the same 3M sealant as was on before since the openings through the hull are below the water line. I can't remember the exact number on the sealant but I found some at Walmart. If you need to use some let me know and I can get the number for you.