99 sabath 202 bilge wired directly to battery? Taking on to much water?
 

So I just bought this boat. As stated its a 99 Sabbath 202 with the 5.0 Alpha one. I know the bilge is on a float, im curious if it needs the battery selector switch in the on position or will it still function in the off position.

My second question is how often should the bilge run, being to often? Ive noticed while anchored at the sandbar it was pumping maybe twice in 4 hours. There was half a dozen hoping on and off the rear of the boat in that time. Everytime ive looked into the engine compartment there is minimal water. And Ive looked for it coming in but haven't seen anything. When the bilge ran these 2 times it pumped out quite a lot of water. I was loading the boat the second time the bilge went off. Then proceded to pull the drain plug, which dumped water for a minuteish. Were is all this water when looking into the engine compartment?

Would it be safe to leave in the water overnight this weekend if the bilge is wired to the battery? or wont the battery last that long

Re: 99 sabath 202 bilge wired directly to battery? Taking on to much water?
 

Can't tell you what to do and some on here will differ in opinion but my opinion of the bilge pump is for preventing a disaster and there for you to get it on the trailer. Like I said, others opinions may be the opposite.
I'd bet your water is coming from the either the gimbal pin seal or the bellows.
With the boat on the trailer, try turning the outdrive from side to side. Is it tight or is it greeing turning right and left by a foot or more ? You can see the gimbal pin, kinda, and look for the slop between it and the gimbal ring.
If it's tight, then the area to look is the bellows.

On the trailer, put the plug in and start filling the boat up with water. Just enough so you can see it in the bootom of the engine compartment. Now, climb under neath and look for leaks out of any scuppers, if you have any.

Try looking inside the outdrive at the bellows. Look for any obvious tears or breaks.

Re: 99 sabath 202 bilge wired directly to battery? Taking on to much water?
 

Upon further review. I have a torn shift linkage boot. I also noticed the bung for the drain plug is leaking. Can the Bung be easily removed and resealed? It's just 3 Philups screws. There is also a couple hairline cracks spreading out from drain plug in hull. This gonna be an issue?

Re: 99 sabath 202 bilge wired directly to battery? Taking on to much water?
 

The drain is absolutely changeable. Easy? Don't know. I would image there is sealant around it and it is set hard.
The glass work is beyond me.

Re: 99 sabath 202 bilge wired directly to battery? Taking on to much water?
 

My drain bung had to be changed out for a new one. I took out the three Phillips Head screws and the old Bing came right out. I cleaned out the hole, ran a seal of 4200 around it, and put the new one right on (brass, of course).... It was the easiest thing that I did on my 202.


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Re: 99 sabath 202 bilge wired directly to battery? Taking on to much water?
 

Good answer, doesn't hurt to do this just as a preventative check once in a while!


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Re: 99 sabath 202 bilge wired directly to battery? Taking on to much water?
 

Good thoughts!

Firestone - 2000 Mariah Z202 5.7L MAG Alpha I Gen II

Re: 99 sabath 202 bilge wired directly to battery? Taking on to much water?
 

Well being able to replace the drain bung is the best news! Im wondering if anyone has any tips on how to dial in where the water leak would be coming from? I saw the tear in the shift bellow, of which none looked to fair. I dunked the back end of the boat at the ramp and crawled in the engine compartment, and cant see sh#$. Gotta love the false wall, but it was a pretty fast trickle and as much as I could tell it seemed to be towards the upper drivers side of the transom. So Is there more that can leak besides bellows and cable boots? How do you know forsure your fixing the right part. I obviously plan on replacing all the bellows, gimbal, and shift cables/boots while im in there. But is there more farther in that can cause a leak? Is it trial and error at this point, fix that stuff and hope it doesn't leak again?

Re: 99 sabath 202 bilge wired directly to battery? Taking on to much water?
 

Had a shifter cable bellows tear sink a boat overnite. Moving the out drive up to trailer will make it worse

Re: 99 sabath 202 bilge wired directly to battery? Taking on to much water?
 

Not sure of it is applicable in this case but I have heard people fill the boat up with water while on the trailer to locate leaks as well. I did it this year to also make sure the bilge pump was working at peak performance.