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DIY work on my 93 271 502 B1

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02603sec

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I ran out of time to fix this, and haven't had the boat out because the weather in NJ has sucked for almost 6 weeks. Rain, floods, trees down, hurricane Irene, and even a minor earthquake. In any respect, I have a lot of maintenance to do on the Formula, and still have it at home. Anyone ever deal with the mercathode electrode wire passage, it's located on the bottom of the B1 and the passage goes through the transom?

02603sec said:
I still have a leak at the bottom of the transom. Not much of a leak, but it needs to be fixed. Looks like it's coming in from the mercathode electrode wire passage. ON the INSIDE of the boat, the water is coming in from the lower passage shared by the hydraulic lines and wires for the electrode. OK easy enough, just pull the two electrode bolts, provide some slack to the wires (orange and brown), and it will drop down, and I can inspect the situation. NOPE. I can pull the 2 screws BUT plastic housing for the electrode loosens, will not drop and is steadfast. Used a little force, but afraid I will crack the plastic housing. There was a mercruiser service bulletin out (88-6) http://www.boatfix.com/merc/bullet/88/88_06.PDF this says to fill the voided space with an approved sealant. Is it possible that the previous owner had serviced this and now the sealant is ROCK HARD, therefore giving no play in the wires so I can take a look without demolishing and buying new parts? How would the experts approach this?
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Yes

On a non mercathode transom there is a sacrificial cathode there. When a Mercathode is installed the sacrificial cathode is discarded and the mercatode is installed in its place. There are wires and a gasket and new SS bolts to mount it.

It can be easily removed and replaced. If you do this you will need a new gasket. The wires pass through the same area as the power trim lines.

Does this answer your question??
 
Thanks. Even though the mercathode works, you're saying I have to replace it, because of the leak. I Didn't really want to hear that. I was hoping to get it out in one piece and reseal it. Fact; I went to a Mercruiser Dealer to buy the new part, and the counter guy gave me the zinc to replace. (wrong part). PS; crawling upside down to reach the inner lower transom is a better than crawling into my farmhouse crawl space to reset the well pump.
 
No

I meant the gasket will have to be replaced only if that is what is leaking. I reread my post and I was not clear on speaking to the gasket........

I would also think that this could/would be a place that if one wanted to use a good rtv or other sealer than that would be ok also!!

The mercathode works on a electrical discharge thru its wiring and is not "electrically/grounded " to the transom, only mounted there.
 
thanks were singing the same song. My original point; Once the bolts and the wires are loose, I can't get the plastic housing to drop. I used leverage and the plastic housing started to flex. It doesn't drop. It can be gently twisted on the center point. That's why I was thinking there was a previous attempt at the fix, and the sealant hardened and failed. This makes the next fix a pain in the butt, and the original fix of just sealing it (temporary), demolishing the wires, cutting them, chiseling and emory cloth. There has to be a better way then destroying a functional part and buying a new (mercathode electrode) for + - $100. There is no way to seal from the inside, due to not only the electrical lines, but also hydraulic lines making their way through the passage.
 
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