Water Leak, I need help !!

[MidnightMantra]

Just baught my first jet boat and took it out for the first time. Seems that when I let off of the gas and am coming to a stop, there is water leaking into the boat, When I look back, it seems it is streaming from up under the driveshaft bell housing area pretty hard until the pressure from the backwave stops.. Then when at idle in the water, after an hour the rear of the boat is getting full. Seems like maybe 2"s an hour or so. My question is, is there a seal around the intake grate area or where the pump seals up to the boat that can be letting water in? I need some suggestions. I do have a loader grate on the way !

[Hallett19]

have someone go back there while you are driving or vice versa, and keep an eye on it, make sure its dry when you put it in the water and check where the first leak springs. In my boat I get water in through the front of the pump at higher rpm's and about a drip every 10 seconds from where the steering cable comes in through the transome adapter. In a jet there are a few places it can leak from, jets typically leak it seems like, the seal where the pump intake meets the hull, the transom adapter, the steering and reverse holes, the front of the pump or the hand hole if its inside the boat. Other than that you could have a hole or a crack in the bottom, I had 2 little holes from where someone drilled the bilge pump to the transom, I JB welded them up and no more leaks. For now put an automatic pump and let the good times roll !!

[Snorider]

Yea, when if first put my pump together, handhole leaked like crazy - but only when you were on the gas... almost sunk the boat! (Full up to the plug wires). Didnt notice it until we slowed down and all the water came rushing up to the front of the boat...
Oh, and also your exhaust is another place to check - had an exhaust connector gasket go bad and would pour water in to the back of the boat, even at idle.
Where the bowl goes through the transom plate is another place for leaks. Most of the time, when the pump was rebuilt, the o-ring wasn't put back, and they just siliconed it in place.

[JetBoatRich]

How about the water hoses? I just replaced all mine this summer. The one right from the jet was blown out jawdrop

[BrendellaJet]

Lesson #1. Test drive the boat before you buy. That should give you a good idea of the hull/seal condition.
First major trip out with mine and I had mine fill up quite a bit-way too much for my liking. Turns out there were 7 half inch holes in the bottom that were contributing to the leakage, among other places im sure. Now the boat is completely disassembled and is getting ready for a complete resto. Point is, you can try to patch things, but if the boat is showing its age, you'd be better off doing things right the first time, or else there will be a second time too.
[ August 15, 2003, 11:32 PM: Message edited by: BrendellaJet ]

[Rexone]

Good way to find where it's leaking...
Get a couple buddys. Back the boat into the water when it's dry inside having them watch closely under the engine area, pump etc.
Or... put the hose in it in your driveway and see where it comes out.

[Ray Hamel]

Check your freeze plugs also. I had three rusted through and thought the hull or pump was leaking until I winterized it and saw the antifreeze in the bottom.

[Back Forty]

One of my exhaust hose connections from the manifolds to the transom was doing that on my boat a couple of years ago. It didn't leak until it was warm and appeared to be coming from the bellhousing like there was a crack in the back of the block. I happened to need to replace the manifold gaskets and found the exhaust hoses were cut to short and water was getting through at the bottom of the hose connection on the manifold. Sounds just like the problem. I happened to go back and do a typical bilge check as we were idling into a cove. Glad I did.

[rivertard]

leave the boat on trailer put plug in pump left up bow fill back of boat with water not a lot of water but enough to cover intake on the bottom look for leaks.i have jet boat i was taking on water found leak were transom and bottom come together the boat was riding to far back on trailer.so the bunks were more under the boat not on transom . caused it to crack at 90degree at transom and bottom of boat.