09 212x - water in front locker and engine bay

[RXBoost]

I just purchased this boat and have used it for kneeboarding and wakesurfing. On both occasions I have ended up with water in both the front floor locker and in the engine bay. I don't have a plug in the front locker but I have all the plugs in the engine bay.

Is this normal? I end up bilging on the way back to the boat ramp. There's probably 2" of water in the engine bay so it's not like I'm gonna sink or anything, it just seems odd as I never had this with my old glastron.

I will admit that after someone falls off their board, I slow pretty quickly, allowing water to rush over the swim deck but this still shouldn't allow water in the engine bay imo.

 

[zipper]

You have water in the true bilge of the boat, below the ski locker, deepest part of the hull and below the bilge pump mounted in the engine bay, above the actual bilge. If you look closely you will see a hole around the bilge pump that will allow the water from below rise to the pump level depending on the angle of your boat forward and aft, even if the plugs are in the engine bay. Just before the boat gets on plane, the hull angle is the steepest forcing the water below back to the pump. The only way to get it all out is to haul out on a trailer and jack the bow up all the way on a block of wood (6x6) and pull the hull drain plug.

 

[RXBoost]

You have water in the true bilge of the boat, below the ski locker, deepest part of the hull and below the bilge pump mounted in the engine bay, above the actual bilge. If you look closely you will see a hole around the bilge pump that will allow the water from below rise to the pump level depending on the angle of your boat forward and aft, even if the plugs are in the engine bay. Just before the boat gets on plane, the hull angle is the steepest forcing the water below back to the pump. The only way to get it all out is to haul out on a trailer and jack the bow up all the way on a block of wood (6x6) and pull the hull drain plug.

Thanks for the response. I guess my post was more to ask if having water in these 2 places is a problem. The water came out of that front locker no problem. I'm not used to having to bilge sheesh normal use. As I said, I never had to do that on my previous boat, but it also didn't have a swim platform.

 

[suke]

Using the bilge on a 2009 212x is not a normal thing since the bilge is in the engine bay. For water to get up that high/in the engine bay you have a problem. Are you using the stock ballasts? Are they leaking? Are all the hoses attached properly? Water in the front container is also not particularly normal. Unless it's from wet bathing suits, people, or gear. Have you checked the scupper? Even after a full day of wake surfing, tubing, floating, and driving around I barely have any water come out of the bilge. Like maybe a gallon. And at most a cup of water in the engine bay.

 

[RXBoost]

Using the bilge on a 2009 212x is not a normal thing since the bilge is in the engine bay. For water to get up that high/in the engine bay you have a problem. Are you using the stock ballasts? Are they leaking? Are all the hoses attached properly? Water in the front container is also not particularly normal. Unless it's from wet bathing suits, people, or gear. Have you checked the scupper? Even after a full day of wake surfing, tubing, floating, and driving around I barely have any water come out of the bilge. Like maybe a gallon. And at most a cup of water in the engine bay.

Hey Suke -

I am using the stock ballasts, and will say that I only have to bilge when I am using them. I need to watch all the hoses really well when filling/emptying them. I mean, like I said in the OP, it is not like the engine bay is completely full of water, but there's a couple inches worth and I have to bilge it out for a good 10 minutes (on my way back to the dock). Which scupper do you speak of? Im sorry, I am pretty noobish with this as you can see.

 

[suke]

Hey Suke -

I am using the stock ballasts, and will say that I only have to bilge when I am using them. I need to watch all the hoses really well when filling/emptying them. I mean, like I said in the OP, it is not like the engine bay is completely full of water, but there's a couple inches worth and I have to bilge it out for a good 10 minutes (on my way back to the dock). Which scupper do you speak of? Im sorry, I am pretty noobish with this as you can see.

I'd venture to guess your fill valves on your ballast bags are leaking. That seems to be a common problem. I pulled all my hoses and sealed them with 3m 4200 as well as stainless steel clamps. I also took it a step further pulled my fill connectors, popped off that screw piece, shoved the connector further in, and coated it in 3m 4200, as well as used a legit stainless steel clamp. To keep the clamp from rubbing on anything I wrapped it in flex seal tape. To make sure the water didn't back out the stock ballast bag I put a close valve in the fill hose and once filled I shut that off to keep backflow from happening since the fill and drain is the same place.


Sounds like it MAY not be your scupper, but I believe it's listed in the FAQs on this site. Essentially it's a plastic one way valve to let water drain from the deck out the back of the boat. It's above the drain plug. The stock one is plastic and prone to breaking. Mine had it replaced when I bought it but found out it was crazy loose and letting a buttload of water into my bilge.

 

[Cambo]

There are so many places water can enter

some info in this thread

https://jetboaters.net/threads/need-help-lots-of-water-draining-from-plug-on-17-212x.23345/page-3#post-403491

 

[Scottintexas]

Are you surfing on Lake Kiowa? I didn't think they allowed that there ??

anyways, water can enter any number of ways but it shouldn't be 2' worth in your engine compartment,
I'd do some testing, let it float at the dock and see if it takes on water, then do some no wake with the engine hatch open to monitor, then some high speed runs,

I'd even open the cleanout hatch and remove the man hole cover (hold the safety button down) to look inside at the exhaust hoses to see if they are leaking (be very cautious and don't lean over a cleanout plug on a running engine, if you had a plug blow it will come out like a rocket and you don't want to be in the way)

let me know if you need help,
my 07 ar230 runs the bilge for a minute every time we stop and change surfers,

 

[RXBoost]

Are you surfing on Lake Kiowa? I didn't think they allowed that there ??

anyways, water can enter any number of ways but it shouldn't be 2' worth in your engine compartment,
I'd do some testing, let it float at the dock and see if it takes on water, then do some no wake with the engine hatch open to monitor, then some high speed runs,

I'd even open the cleanout hatch and remove the man hole cover (hold the safety button down) to look inside at the exhaust hoses to see if they are leaking (be very cautious and don't lean over a cleanout plug on a running engine, if you had a plug blow it will come out like a rocket and you don't want to be in the way)

let me know if you need help,
my 07 ar230 runs the bilge for a minute every time we stop and change surfers,

Nah, we live in Kiowa, but we have decided to just go to Ray Roberts to surf. Kiowa is way too small with too many people.

I am about 90% sure I only have to bilge after using the ballasts - but we have only had the boat out like 3 times since we got it. Man i wanna go stick it in the water right now and run it, but now that I am back home Kiowa locks the boat to my trailer since I took it to a different lake - their way of keeping zebra mussels out. So we are going back to Ray Roberts tomorrow I think. Do you hang out on Lake Lewisville most of the time?

 

[RXBoost]

I'd venture to guess your fill valves on your ballast bags are leaking. That seems to be a common problem. I pulled all my hoses and sealed them with 3m 4200 as well as stainless steel clamps. I also took it a step further pulled my fill connectors, popped off that screw piece, shoved the connector further in, and coated it in 3m 4200, as well as used a legit stainless steel clamp. To keep the clamp from rubbing on anything I wrapped it in flex seal tape. To make sure the water didn't back out the stock ballast bag I put a close valve in the fill hose and once filled I shut that off to keep backflow from happening since the fill and drain is the same place.
View attachment 106313

Sounds like it MAY not be your scupper, but I believe it's listed in the FAQs on this site. Essentially it's a plastic one way valve to let water drain from the deck out the back of the boat. It's above the drain plug. The stock one is plastic and prone to breaking. Mine had it replaced when I bought it but found out it was crazy loose and letting a buttload of water into my bilge.

I am now familiar with the plastic scupper you mentioned - mine appears to be in great shape and is not loose. I need to check the ballast hoses/etc and possibly do what you did.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Cambo]

I can assure you a decent amount of water is getting in from the cleat while surfing they are designed with a drain system I put a rubber hose with a plug over the ends. At wake surf speeds the cleat is completely under water with positive water pressure

 

[Julian]

This thread tries to capture all the possible points of leaks in these boats:

https://jetboaters.net/threads/the-ultimate-leak-finding-thread-your-opinions-are-needed.6684/

@RXBoost You clearly have a leak.

 

[ZippyBoater]

I am now familiar with the plastic scupper you mentioned - mine appears to be in great shape and is not loose. I need to check the ballast hoses/etc and possibly do what you did.

Thanks for the help!

The plastic scupper could be cracked and leaking. This sounds exactly like what happened to me and my 2009 SX210.

 

[suke]

The plastic scupper could be cracked and leaking. This sounds exactly like what happened to me and my 2009 SX210.

Yup, they can look ok upon inspection, but definitely not. You'll want to replace ASAP. Mine looked perfectly fine, since it was already the stainless steel one. However, once I started to take a closer look found the clamp wasn't even that tight, and the sealant used to seal it was clear RTV(found the tube still in the boat).

 

[RXBoost]

The plastic scupper could be cracked and leaking. This sounds exactly like what happened to me and my 2009 SX210.

IIRC, when I took the boat out the other day but didnt mess with the ballast tanks, I did not have this problem with water in the engine bay. I will definitely get down there closer and look though. This requires removing the cover over the cleanout plugs, correct?

 

[suke]

IIRC, when I took the boat out the other day but didnt mess with the ballast tanks, I did not have this problem with water in the engine bay. I will definitely get down there closer and look though. This requires removing the cover over the cleanout plugs, correct?

Yup, that's the cover.

 

[ZippyBoater]

IIRC, when I took the boat out the other day but didnt mess with the ballast tanks, I did not have this problem with water in the engine bay. I will definitely get down there closer and look though. This requires removing the cover over the cleanout plugs, correct?

Another test is to put water into the bilge to a level above the scupper and see if it leaks out of the scupper. Unfortunately, that take a lot of water.

 

[buckbuck]

@RXBoost Remove ALL the plugs in your engine bay so any water can make it to the bilge and get pumped out. There are differing opinions on plugs but I am in the camp that says no plugs inside the boat. You have to get that trailer tongue high in the air and get that skunk water to drain out. Your engine bay plugs are not allowing it right now.

 

[RXBoost]

@RXBoost Remove ALL the plugs in your engine bay so any water can make it to the bilge and get pumped out. There are differing opinions on plugs but I am in the camp that says no plugs inside the boat. You have to get that trailer tongue high in the air and get that skunk water to drain out. Your engine bay plugs are not allowing it right now.

That's actually what I did last night when we took the boat out to surf. I had no water to bilge out either.... So the ballasts aren't leaking and the scupper isn't either. I must have just been doing something wrong before.

 

[buckbuck]

Well keep an eye on the ballast fittings. I replaced mine years ago.