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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    Memphis, TN
    Posts
    81

    Default Center Drain Plug Question

    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.
    2016 Moomba Helix
    Brittany Blue and Gunmetal Flake
    Full Wetsounds Upgrade
    1100 FatSacs

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    North End Lake Lanier GA
    Posts
    8,155

    Default

    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.
    Malo <--- Means--Evil or Mean One. This explains a lot.
    2013 Mojo 2.5 Skylon Tower. Bestia < Beast >
    [COLOR="#696969"]

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    Memphis, TN
    Posts
    81

    Default

    Music to my ears. Thanks man.
    2016 Moomba Helix
    Brittany Blue and Gunmetal Flake
    Full Wetsounds Upgrade
    1100 FatSacs

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Springfield Missouri
    Posts
    3,391

    Default

    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.
    1998 Mobius
    310 HP PCM
    SOLD

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Posts
    223

    Default

    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/
    2016 Craz

  6. #6

    Default

    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.
    2018 Supra SL550 with 850lbs of lead wake
    2017 Supra SA400 (Sold)
    2016 Moomba Mojo Surf Edition (Sold)
    2017 Ford F250 Super Duty (Sold)
    2019 Ford F250 Super Duty (Sold)
    2021 GMC Denali 2500
    Soulcraft Vodoo
    Soulcraft Jordi Pro
    Soulcraft Super AV
    Phase Five Matrix

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    North End Lake Lanier GA
    Posts
    8,155

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Po
    und;329488
    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.
    Malo <--- Means--Evil or Mean One. This explains a lot.
    2013 Mojo 2.5 Skylon Tower. Bestia < Beast >
    [COLOR="#696969"]

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Tallahassee, FL
    Posts
    14,071

    Default

    I've been there-- on the Outback. Just got off the trailer-- why the H is the bilge pump running? Oh Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetttttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    My Mom said I'm not allowed to get wet!
    2008 LSV (sold)
    2000 Outback LS (sold)
    LLTR!!!!!!!!



  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Posts
    223

    Default

    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.
    2016 Craz

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Lexington, KY
    Posts
    369

    Default

    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!
    2018 Moomba Craz | Autowake 2.0, Zero-Off, G6 Pumps | Captain Blue/Dark Graphite/Silver Flake | Enzos + Lead

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