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* UPDATE - STILL LEAKING* Sea chest is leaking


justfish

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Been on here for 12 years and read 100's of water in bilge threads never heard of this... long story short, while scalloping and leaving boat in overnight bilge kept cycling. Could see all through hulls and nothing was leaking around them. Plug was tight. Finallly pulled it and filled it with water and it starts pouring out of cheese grater. All six screws are leaking/letting water in bilge.

You can see the previous owner had tried to make a couple repairs as I can see 3 different type of sealers. A new metal one was on my to-do list, but I still for the life of me can't see how these screws are letting water in hull. I can't see them from inside hull so where do they go into?!?

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I had the same problem with my 2000 year model 2400v....I thought it was my live well bait pump lines leaking for the longest times. One day with boat on trailer and had the hose running in bilge cleaning it, and I saw the water leaking out the screws in cheese grater from underneath. Someone at factory or previous owner had put very long screws in it and skimped on the sealant. It practically fell off when I took the screws out. I replaced the factory plastic with a stainless one I got from HOBO and sealed screw holes with 5200. Problem solved and it never leaked again. 

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Thanks. That's what I was figuring. Get the stainless one...Clean it up, good bead of 5200 and screw it back.   

 

I'm most curious about where the screw holes go into. I can see all around the through hull inside the hull and obviously don't see six screws poking through so cant understand how they are letting water in. Doesn't seem right to just screw something all the way through the hull. 

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I have seen a post or two here about same thing. Didn't study them as I don't have sea chest but similar issue so maybe they will chime in. As for 52 vs 42...nothing is as permanent as I would like to think...course I have had brackets go bad on power poles etc so have become a fan of marine sealants as opposed to marine adhesives.  

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12 hours ago, justfish said:

I think when I swap the cheese grater out I want it as permanent as can be so this isn't an issue again. These screws were leaking ALOT. 

Something you should def check fin since you leave yours in water and it's same vintage 

thanks fish, do check, dry bilge and switched to the ss grater two years ago. hi to the family, :) fin

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6 hours ago, justfish said:

Is life caulk a sealant rather than adhesive? Heard about it but never tried it

Yes, "Boat Life" is a sealer with some adhesive qualities. I use it on everything. It seals very well, but you can remove it if you have to make repairs years later.

It's puzzling that you have water leaking from the screws, but they don't penetrate the inside of the hull. Is it possible that the thru-hull fitting is leaking?

I can't tell from the pic, what shaped the sea-chest is. If the top is domed shaped and the thru-hull was leaking, the water would run to the sides, then drip thru the screws.  

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2 hours ago, SCFD rtrd. said:

Yes, "Boat Life" is a sealer with some adhesive qualities. I use it on everything. It seals very well, but you can remove it if you have to make repairs years later.

It's puzzling that you have water leaking from the screws, but they don't penetrate the inside of the hull. Is it possible that the thru-hull fitting is leaking?

I can't tell from the pic, what shaped the sea-chest is. If the top is domed shaped and the thru-hull was leaking, the water would run to the sides, then drip thru the screws.  

That was my first thought as well but once I Got under and looked it's def the screws.  Zoom in on pic you can see it.

Im beyond puzzled 

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how about putting some red food coloring in bilge around through hulls or screws to see if it is being sucked out anywhere. like finding pool leaks. I am stumped as to how the grater screws are leaking. from the look of the screws only long enough to go into glass but not into bilge.

same question as CAPTPN.

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Was hard to tell really as boat was on a slope but it really looked like it was comin  outta the screw holes. Guess maybe it could have been coming out of through hull and tricking down, but doesn't seem likely. Sealant around through hull looked good on both inside and out...I'll try the dye too

Now that boat is good and dry maybe it will look different  But based on the 3 layers of sealant gooo'ed on there, the previous owner had ran into this issue in past.  Plus fishmanj says he had same issue so maybe I'm not crazy

 

 

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I just called Mav to order a stainless cover for my sea chest, and I asked them about water coming out of the screw holes.

He said: if screw holes were drilled to deep (by someone or the factory) they would exit into the bilge and leak if not sealed. From your photo it looks like the prev owner put sealant everywhere its not needed, and maybe not in the holes, where it is needed. (ever try poking something like a paperclip up the holes to see how far they go?)

its either the thru hull or the screws that need 5200/4200.

...good luck, I hate leaks!

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Very good info. 

Hard to believe those  screws would poke through. They are likely 1" maybe even less...  And I still can't envision the construction that would allow them to leak but not be able to see them. 

My plan is to get the stainless cheese grater, clean it up, seal them correctly and give it a good dry time. Sure wish I could through bolt them knowing what I know now tho

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Can you get any glass/resin on the bilge side of the cheese grater, like a patch? It would be nice if you could locate the screw holes somewhere other than where the factory ones were. I guess you could go up in screw diameter to get into "new" material. Holler if you need a hand, I'll drink all your beer while you work. 

Ive got some 1" Coosa board you could glass into place (bilge side) and the screws could catch that. Just a thought.  

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I had a good buddy buy a brand new 2016 2400 Pathy last year.  His boat started leaking pretty good earlier this year.  Turns out that all the through hulls had to be pulled out, and reinstalled with new sealant (either 4200 or 5200).  Fortunately, MBG paid the bill under warranty. 

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Frustration solved.  I have a 2014 2400TRS and had bilge cycling every twenty minutes.  Stuck my head in as far as possible and saw water coming out of the baitwell pump area overflow hole which empties into bilge.  Problem was there was no water in pump/jackplate reservoir area to drain into bilge.  Jammed a towell in drain hole in bilge and water started collecting in bait pump area.  Stuck finger in drain hole next to bait pumps and felt water pouring in.  Backed boat off trailer enough to get in sea chest and stuck weed eater string in back screw hole for grate cover.  Sure enough string went all the way through into little drain hole.  Whoever installed grate when building the boat pre drilled to far.  Letting dry out then will fill holes with 5200 and install screws properly with new grate. 

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breakdown in the Quality Dept at Pathfinder....... this is about the forth boat recently that we have heard of with the same problem. I'll bet the assembler is still there today drilling holes with no drill stops on the bit. Unless someone from Pathfinder gets the message back to factory..........the bilge pumps  will run.

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