Water intake issue?

[Pjax1983]

Hi All!

Newer boater here. I recently purchased a 1987 Four Winns Sundowner with a Mercruiser I/O. I put the ear muffs on the stern drive (obviously) and I can tell water is getting sucked up, but nothing is coming out of the mufflers. However, water is emptying into the bilge.

What should be the first thing I would want to look into? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[sandkicker]

Drain plugs in cooling system replaced??? as a SWAG given no info on WHICH I/O you have, i.e. engine, drive, cooling system type ( w/wo heat exchanger).

 

[sab]

Pjax - first thing to do - find where the water is coming out, and report back and don't launch the boat until you have this matter resolved

 

[louc]

You mean water isn’t exiting under the transom mount as it should? Check for leaks in both the cooling system hoses & the exhaust system as well. If the engine wasn’t winterized a freeze plug could have popped out of the block…

 

[Dieter]

Either wasn't de winterized - hooking cooling hoses back up and putting in drain plugs back in, or a freeze core plug popped out due to improper winterization.

All your cooling water is going into bilge... with engine off turn on hose to muffs and see where water comes out inside engine compartment. Maybe someone took the hose off the ps cooler or cool fuel unit