Water In Bottom Of Engine Compartment

[Cadence]

Caspar,

Why don't you get a hand pump with tube and get the water out from underneath your engine. Pump it into a bucket. Sop out the last little bit with towels. If it has gotten anywhere near your sump I would be concerned about the bottom of your oil pan. You may want to wipe the pan down with sodium Phosphate I think. Having a brain far and can't remember the commercial product. Last thing you want is the oil pan to fail as the result of salt water exposure.

[Terra Nova]

TSP--Trisodiumphosphate?

[zeehag]

might want to peruse your packing gland and see what kind an dhow much and alladat, as that is most common, other than toilet leaking cause of sinking our boats.
also check your rudder post packing gland if you have one.
AND EVERY THRU HULL FITTING
if you leave open your engine water intake, check your engine salt water pump for leakage.
check all hoses for integrity

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by Weyalan

Is the water fresh or salt?

Originally Posted by caspar

salt water

Is it bubbly???

Possibly inferior champagne???

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by caspar

Hi there
I've just returned to my yacht to find the bottom of the engine compartment full of water. It's not from the header tank as this is still full.
Any ideas on the most likely source / places to investigate?
thank you
caspar

I once found the bilge of my boat six inches deep in water. A hose had come off a fitting of the potable water system and the tanks were emptying into the bilge.

Really though, you are the one with the opportunity to examine the boat and find the source of the water. Others can only speculate.

[Vasco]

If there is a vented loop for the cooling water, that is where the water might be coming from. Especially if it's a Vetus vented loop. They get clogged up with crystals and the water bypasses. The valve can be cleaned but a new vented loop is the best solution. Is this the culprit?

[MarkJ]

The vented loop is pretty easy to clean. Coupla screws, and a bit of a scrub.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

The vented loop is pretty easy to clean. Coupla screws, and a bit of a scrub.

I got tired of cleaning it, never quite worked but the new loop solved the problem.

[Doublewammy]

HI There, I have had this very same problem and it may lead to the easy repair of your starting solenoid. I found salt water below my engine in the box section, it had overflowed and a bilge alarm sounded. I also at the same time had problems with starting and stopping my engine, Once every ten times I would have shut the engine down manually with the fuel solenoid. Same with the start key. Once the bilge alarm went it threw me into action and within an hour I had found a salt water system leak, this just happened to be dripping on the stop slave relay and the starter motor slave. The terminals were all corroded and the plastic relay and base had to be replaced. The leak was through a loose hose clamp and when the engine was running the pressure in the system caused a small dribble, I tightened the hose clamp and check all the others, surprisingly a lot were quite loose and alls good, It was on a Yanmah, 3JH3E with close to 3000 hours.

[cal40john]

I had a mystery leak that seemed to come and go. It didn't make sense to me until it got worse. Turned out my raw water pump seal had gone bad and for awhile only leaked while the engine was running. I didn't see the relationship until after finding the leak.

[caspar]

Hi all

I'm blown away by how helpful and constructive your comments have been. Thank you all - its very reassuring to get so much advice in middle of the night from all around the world.

So, to finish the story, here's what I did and what the problem was.

I sponged out the bilge and emptied it out - there was a good 5-6 gallons of salty water in there.

I tightened the stern gland greaser and inspected all the pipework for obvious signs of leakage.

I started the engine and the problem became apparent in an instant. The elbow mixer for the sea water coolant was leaking. It was a steady drip. The jubilee clips had for some unknown reason loosened and tightening up these fixed it.

Thank you all again and have an awesome day

Caspar

[fjwiley1]

No need to end now, what would have caused them to. "Loosen up"..? Would you not worry about a them doing the same again?




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[JPA Cate]

fjwiley's right on this. Good one, mate!

"Jubilee clips", known to Yanks as "hose clamps" can sometimes unscrew themselves just from engine vibration. Ann's suggestion: double up on them where possible, and make sure it's easy to check them from time to time.

Ann

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

fjwiley's right on this. Good one, mate!

"Jubilee clips", known to Yanks as "hose clamps" can sometimes unscrew themselves just from engine vibration. Ann's suggestion: double up on them where possible, and make sure it's easy to check them from time to time.

Ann

Thanks for letting me know what a jubilee clip is. I thought double hose clamp where a norm..

[fjwiley1]

Thanks Ann... I, being aSouthern Yank, didn't want to assume so Googled it... I thought that his message implied 2 clamps but just wanted to create more thought as to why they may have loosened. Many engine compartments can hold a lot of eat and cause expansion/contraction issues. My " routine" is to check all clamps at the last day of each month. Never know. It can be easy to over look a clamp that someone sold you as having been Stainless Steel. I carry a magnet to verify.

Remember, Life is Good if you Keepa Smilin.....




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