Leaking Live Well

[Jon Layton]

I am a new owner of a 1996 Pro-Line 18 Tracker, with a 60 hp Merc. Fun boat and seems to be sturdy. Last Thursday I ran the live well with the water level pipe in place. After a few casts I noticed that the rear of the boat was at water level. I had to bilge out fifteen or twenty gallons of water. Quite an experience to look back from the front chair and see that. There is an after market bubblerinstalled in the live well. The question is how do I get to the pumps and the drain lines including the throuh hull connect to check for leaks? I am the perfect adult male, short, fat, and bald so I won't be standing on my head, upside down to look for these things. I do not even know where the pumps might be to begin with. Do I have to pull the live well out to even see them, and how would do that? There is no paper work or specs. on the boat so any advise is welcome.



Jon

 

[cq]

You can start by filling the live well at the house with water and see if you can see where it might be leaking.

 

[Jon Layton]

Thanks, but I can't see anything. The rear hatch is full of tank and batteries. I can feel the infeed line but no others.



Jon

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

You need to remove the batts first, the pumps are on the back of the livewell. I think the livewells are designed not to fill above themselves unless the water is pumped into the tank , kinda like a gravity feed. I know my PT185 will not fill more than an inch when I have the tank plug out. The only way to get water in is to pump it in. Sounds like the tank itself is cracked or the water is coming in from elsewhere.



Chris

 

[Bruce Freeman]

Fill the bilge with water and see where it leaks out?

BF

 

[Jon Layton]

Thank you all for the advise. Since it has been raining in Seattle every day for the last month I will just take the cover off. That will fill the bilge and let me know if the leak is the hull. If not, then I will pull the batteries and look at the connections now that I know where they are.



Thanks again.



Jon