[Snowaterdude]

I have a 93 Talari 19' with a 5.0L Mercruiser. I noticed there is a fair amount of water entering the boat after 6 hours on the water. One of the bellow has a small crack in it, I assume this is where the water goes in. When I start my bilge pump, I can hear it but nothing comes out. It might be clogged or something because when I pull the boat out of the water, it will pour out for quite a while. Where is the pump located and how hard is it to access? Thanks again for the help...

[WetWilly]

Hi Snowaterdude,

Your bilge pump should be located almost directly under the motor. Access will depend on how low your motor sits, but you should have enough room to get to it. Insure the pump hasn't detached from the floor of the hull and if that checks out but you still can't reach it, take a garden hose and blast the pump to unclog any debris stuck to the intake and let it drain out the back of the transom. After that, check that the drain tube is still connected from the pump to the hull discharge port (I believe it should be on the drivers [starboard] side) and isn't clogged.

Have the bellow replaced and check the outdrive to determine whether the bellow leak has affected any other parts, otherwise your could be looking at an expensive repair job next season.

WetWilly

[Snowaterdude]

Thank you for all the good info Wet Willy....When bellows leak, what can go wrong inside? What components are affected by the water? I owned an outboard and a Sea-Doo Jetboat in the past but this is my first i/o boat. Bellows are totally new to me.....Thanks again ...

[WetWilly]

Hi Snowaterdude,

There are two bellows and if they leak, there is a chance water will enter the boat. The large bellow seals the drive shaft, U-joints and Gimbal bearing (this is the one that typically leaks). Water in this bellow could cause the Gimbal bearing to fail and possibly seize and require a transom replacement, the water could also affect the U-joints. The small bellow is for your shift cable.

I suggest you have your I/O checked out and the bellow replaced by a qualified Mercruiser mechanic and while your at it, see if they'll give you a tour of the I/O, the do's and don'ts and what to look for.

WetWilly

[karmann]

check the discharge hose for blockage, mine had mud hornets built in it.

[Snowaterdude]

Thanks for all your help guys.....I had everything apart. The pump works and I sprayed the water in the hose with my garden hose and it's not clogged. I then filled the back end of the boat with water and the pump works. I guess I didn't have enough water in the boat the other day while sailing for the pump to kick in. I was worried because when I pulled it out the water, I removed the plug and it leaked steady for at least 5 minutes.....That felt like a lot of water to me....The boat is not at the dealer getting the bellows replaced and internal components checked....

[WetWilly]

Hi Snowaterdude, glad the pump checked out OK, hopefully your outdrive will be in good shape too .

WetWilly

[indykoch]

Chances are you had water in some forward sections of the boat as well (like the ski locker). Since the water was dispersed throughout much of the boat, the float switch didn't come on. Once you pulled it out and removed the drain, you were probably on enough incline to cause all the water to come out.

I've been surprised by this myself, but it's perfectly normal. Just make sure you check it once in a while - pull up on the float switch to verify operation and make sure nothing is obstructing it (could cause it to stay on and burn it out, or cause it to not switch on at all).

[Snowaterdude]

Does anyone have a picture of the float switch? I have this black round thing which looks like a hockey puck hooked up to a wire floating under the engine. It's not screwed to anything. It just stays in the well near the drain hole in the back of the boat...Would that be the float switch? Unfortunately, I didn't take a photo.

[karmann]

Hockey Puck.

That should be your depth finder pickup, Mines not glued down anymore either, yet it still works, I'll add it to the winter to do list.