Got A Leak - Help!

[Four Suns]

So it's your position this was a bad design from day 1, still is, and rather than make it better Sea Ray holds onto it's by design for marketing reasons? You really think Sea Ray wants to accept the risk of a boat sinking because of marketing?

I didn't say that. Go read what I said.

This may be a shocker... but I bet Sea Ray put those things on there knowing they would hold under normal use but wanted to keep costs to a minimum. That would be my guess.

When I got my 480, the dealer told me that the reason Sea Ray went with Cummins and was dropping Cat was because they were having so many problems with Cat blah blah blah. My gut tells me the reason they went with Cummins is that Cummins worked some sweetheart deal with Sea Ray on a exclusive multi-year contract and saved Sea Ray a butt load of money. But I'm guessing...

If they really did think that 4 self-tapping screws into fiberglass with lots of silicon was a good sheer off/breakaway design, I have less respect for the engineers than if they were just trying to save production costs and betting most people wouldn't whack the bottom.

As far as sources, did you read where the dude at Sea Ray told me the fuel line on my hydraulic system was ok? Am I supposed to take that at face value?! That's a good source I guess....

Point is... would you expect someone to say "They were just trying to save production costs?"

 

[Woody]

I don't even have these on my boat but now I'm wondering. "Because of their design they can easily break off on impact" could be confused with "they are designed to easily break off upon impact". Wingless says his are thru bolted, a couple others say theirs are held on with screws. Is this a case of workers using whatever happens to be within their reach?

 

[Four Suns]

I don't even have these on my boat but now I'm wondering. "Because of their design they can easily break off on impact" could be confused with "they are designed to easily break off upon impact".

Exactly!

 

[AndersonAcres]

I had a dealer tell me that those underwater exhaust pods were originally designed as outboard motor lower units and adapted to exhaust duty by Sea Ray. Anyone else heard of this?

 

[mrsrobinson]

"This may be a shocker"

Nope, it's not a shocker to me that a manufacturer is trying to reduce costs where they can. It would be a shocker to me, in Sea Rays case at least, to have designed this knowing it was a bad design, to reduce costs, and to market it as by design as a way to tell an owner an impact will not rip the bottom of your boat off. In my opinion, breaking off in this case is a good thing versus not breaking off and pulling who knows what with it if it does break off.

I simply do not buy your argument here, but understand your point.

 

[wingless]

My expectation is that the hull suffers the brunt of this "breakaway" design.

The two forward nuts and backing washers would exert a severe concentrated outward force on imact and the rear of the bronze venturi exhaust would extert a more distributed inward force.

That is until the front broke free and the dangling part exerted an outward force on the two remaining rear fasteners.

My take is I expect the glass around the four bolts to be suspect. At the least I would attach the replacement w/ BIG fender washers to distribute the force.

It doesn't look like ¼" bolts, washers and nuts would be appropriate for a breakaway design. Those are reasonably strong.

On my boat the hull is solid, not cored, at the underwater exhaust.

BTW, what the heck are you guys hitting anyways? Why not jump in the water and check it out after whacking something? Maybe it's just me, but I always swim under when I'm concerned about something. (I breathe extra heavy before jumping in when the water temp is below 60 °F, 'cause it's not fun.)

 

[Nehalennia]

So if the rudders and props are lower in the water, why aren't they designed to be "break away"? Maybe the thing is just a flimsy mount? ........

My take on these exhaust fittings are that they are pretty stout. They are not as thin or plyable as the prop shaft or rudder struts. They also aren't angled aft to deflect any force applied to them directly. If they were designed to be through bolted and were to hit a rock or something very solid(large deadhead) imagine the potential damage in or around that fitting or internal back plate. It could raise, crack or really damage the surrounding hull, more so than the mangled external running gear and rudder.

I can see that if the screws and ample amounts of sealant were designed to embed into the inside fitting(I haven't seen one up close, so I'm just surmising) if it were to have a blow shearing the exhaust external fitting off, your symptoms would be a manageable leak v. a catastrophic breach in the hull.

Again all my conjecture is based on my opinion that I think these things are so stout and if solidly bolted on the hull I can only imagine how much more damage they'd cause than if they were designed to break away.

 

[Woody]

Is this style exhaust on all the large SR or do some exit the transom? Do any of them have mufflers?

 

[Four Suns]

Is this style exhaust on all the large SR or do some exit the transom? Do any of them have mufflers?

The bigger diesels don't have them... I have 8 or 10 inch tubes going out the back end of the boat (after they pass through a water lift muffler).

The newer pod designs (like IPS) exhaust under water.... and those are true breakaway designs. Let's all hope that Mercury's version of their pod design did not do their "breakaway" based on screws in fiberglass.

I also don't buy the underwater exhaust housings are more "stout" than the running gear. Look at how the strut is mounted on a boat... and yes... if you run aground and rip off the rudder or strut, you'll likely sink.

 

[mrsrobinson]

It's my understanding this design serves as a muffler, or an additional muffler. The 92 Sea Ray 330 next to us does not have them, and the boat is much louder than ours.

 

[Four Suns]

Now, I guess I need to say as the flame is on it's way, I have no idea if they are authorities in Gary's book of authorities. I am just sharing info passed along to me from what "I" considered a reputable source, which I thought we all did here. Looks like we now need to qualify our sources.

I think we should all start calling you "Nancy".

 

[Nehalennia]

The bigger diesels don't have them... I have 8 or 10 inch tubes going out the back end of the boat (after they pass through a water lift muffler).

The newer pod designs (like IPS) exhaust under water.... and those are true breakaway designs. Let's all hope that Mercury's version of their pod design did not do their "breakaway" based on screws in fiberglass.

I also don't buy the underwater exhaust housings are more "stout" than the running gear. Look at how the strut is mounted on a boat... and yes... if you run aground and rip off the rudder or strut, you'll likely sink.

Well "blunt" may be a better way to put it, but maybe less apt by it's shape to deflect any blow or strike than the rudder, shaft or struts

 

[tobnpr]

Is this style exhaust on all the large SR or do some exit the transom? Do any of them have mufflers?

I was wondering "why?" myself.
Is it just to muffle exhaust noise? Wouldn't the additional drag created by two of these under the hull amount to something ?

 

[mrsrobinson]

I think we should all start calling you "Nancy".

Pelosi or Drew?

 

[ImpulseIII]

Sinatra

 

[mrsrobinson]

I was wondering "why?" myself.
Is it just to muffle exhaust noise? Wouldn't the additional drag created by two of these under the hull amount to something ?

Comparing our boat to the 92 330DA next to us, the noise level reduction is noticeable and appreciated. Not sure about the drag...it is shaped like a bullet...maybe that helps.

 

[dane507]

Thanks to everyone for the discussion. The boat is now out of the water and it appears to me that indeed the fact that the exhaust port sheering off probably saved my boat from further damage. The part is coming from Sea Ray (wow $389.00!) and it is held in place by sealant and 4 screws.

BTW the reason I didn't get under the boat immediately is that the Nuese river is brackish and the visibility is maybe 6 inches.

 

[The Bill Collector]

Thanks to everyone for the discussion. The boat is now out of the water and it appears to me that indeed the fact that the exhaust port sheering off probably saved my boat from further damage. The part is coming from Sea Ray (wow $389.00!) and it is held in place by sealant and 4 screws.

BTW the reason I didn't get under the boat immediately is that the Nuese river is brackish and the visibility is maybe 6 inches.

Thank you !!!!!!!!!!!