Water Tank on a 1988 300da any problems

AH that explains the need to pull the tank, must have missed that in my reading, thanks.
 
Thank you guys

I will have a look over the winter, the back is not fully healed, still going for treatment but I can work. Trouble is my doctor has removed me from school because of my ongoing battle with my lungs and the damage done by breathing isocyanates at school. It's a messy situation. I will be off for a very long time maybe years but I have the boat to keep me occupied and we are headed to Florida in January for 3 or 4 weeks. I picked up a new netbook a week ago and I am still getting use to the key board.
I will pop the teak trim off and remove the panel to gain access to the water tank (thank you). I have an ultrasonic leak detector that I can use to make sure it is the tank and where before I pull it out. I also have a tank monitoring system that I want to install the factory full, 2/3, 1/2, 1/3 does not seem to be that accurate. I did pull the swim platform off in October, well my soon to be son-in law and the marina did. It is home in the trailer now I just need to make some room in the garage and start taking it apart.
I will take lots of pictures of both projects.

Ken
 
Ken if you have any questions while doing the platform...dont hessitate to ask. Dave
 
I know this is an older thread. Glad you found the problem. Reading through it, I was going to tell you that the tea colored water is what happens when water makes its way through the boat from where ever it enters the boat into the bottom of the bilge. I had a leaking water tank on my 390, and I removed about 60 gallons of tea water from the foam which was between the bottom of the hull and the floor that supported the water tank (along with all the foam and some seriously rotted wood). I believe that it soaks through wood, carpet, etc, and you end up with tea colored water. I now dread seeing water that color because it means i have a big project in store!

Is your tank aluminum or plastic? If it's aluminum, and it is sitting directly on a floor of some kind, it will end up getting pinhole leaks in it. It's not a question of if, but when.
 
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Well I haven't pulled it apart yet, I just got back from 3 1/2 weeks in Florida. We have 3' of snow on the ground and it is in the 20's. The water that looks like weak tea gets into the aft cabin and into the storage area under the seat on the port side. There is a small hole that allows water that gets into the locker at the top of the stairs to drain into this area. I will let every body know what I find when I tear it apart and remove the tank.
I will be starting the swim platform in another 2 weeks, I can turn some heat on in the garage to start that repair.
Dave I do have all the pictures that you sent me and they will be a big help. I was disappointed to see the way the holes are sealed or should I say not sealed on the bolts that hold the platform on and the bars. I have a soft spot on the transom that I will fix in early April.

Ken
 
What are you going to do to your swim platform? I'm right in the middle of totally recoring and reglassing my platform. I just finished fiberglassing the outer skin back on today. I still need to sand it and paint it and then figure out how to put it back on. I think it will be about 25lbs heavier now that I rebuilt it with more glass than before. I don't like the way they just screwed the support braces to the transom either. Thru bolts would be stronger but more prone to leak and either rot the transom or flood the boat. I think I'm going to overdrill the old holes, fill with thickened epoxy and put a small glass patch over that. Then redrill the holes and use new screws and 4200. The upper mount holes I'm just going to use a lot of 4200 and new blots and locknuts and fender washers. My transom is dry where the platform attaches so I think they used enough sealer up there.
 
I am going to widen it by 24", I will keep the length the same. I want to be able to put 2 chairs on it when at anchor or at the dock. The width now is way to small, it should have been at least a 1' wider when originally built. I'm not the first to do this there is a thread with a few pictures in it that one of the fellows did. I believe he made his 18" wider and increased the length to the full width of the boat.
It's an easy very economical fix.

Ken
 
I've got the same issues with the tea colored water in the aft cabin. In addition, at the very end of last season the pump would not shut off. I didn't know if the pump was bad or not but after reading through this thread you've given me s lot of good info so I can check it out. Definitely want to fix that before starting on the cabin remodel.
 
Thanks for reminding me. I have so many things on the go I forgot about pulling that panel out to have a look at the water tank. I did winterize the boat water system and if it is the water tank that is leaking then that compartment will have pink antifreeze in it. I will have a look this week but even if there is no pink stuff in that area I am still going to pull that panel and have a look inside.

Ken
 
That tea colored water is unfortunately usually signs of rotting wood. When I was doing my swim platform remodel, I removed one of the support tubes from the transom and had some weeping tea colored water coming out. I wasn't enough to even fill a thimble. I cut out an area the size of a playing card to get into the transom, and found some localized wet deteriorated wood. I cleaned it out, installed some new resin soaked plywood, and reglassed it.
 
Ken, I have that aft cabin wall removed on mine. Im inspecting the tank and cleaning up the area. I also constucted a new floor piece that sits over the water tank. My water heater sits in there, and that floor section rotted due to 23 years of draining the water heater onto that carpeted floor. I can shoot you a couple of pics if you need. Oh, to remove this wall, you need to carefully pry off the teak trim on the top edge, and you will find 3 stainless screws holding it on. Searay likes to hide the fasteners!
Iprof said:
Thanks for reminding me. I have so many things on the go I forgot about pulling that panel out to have a look at the water tank. I did winterize the boat water system and if it is the water tank that is leaking then that compartment will have pink antifreeze in it. I will have a look this week but even if there is no pink stuff in that area I am still going to pull that panel and have a look inside.

Ken
Click to expand...
 
88dancer300 said:
That tea colored water is unfortunately usually signs of rotting wood. When I was doing my swim platform remodel, I removed one of the support tubes from the transom and had some weeping tea colored water coming out. I wasn't enough to even fill a thimble. I cut out an area the size of a playing card to get into the transom, and found some localized wet deteriorated wood. I cleaned it out, installed some new resin soaked plywood, and reglassed it.
Click to expand...

Hopefully I don't have too much damage yet. I would like to think my hull and transom are dry, but I don't think I'm going to be so lucky. We'll see in the next couple of weeks.
 
88dancer300 said:
Ken, I have that aft cabin wall removed on mine. Im inspecting the tank and cleaning up the area. I also constucted a new floor piece that sits over the water tank. My water heater sits in there, and that floor section rotted due to 23 years of draining the water heater onto that carpeted floor. I can shoot you a couple of pics if you need. Oh, to remove this wall, you need to carefully pry off the teak trim on the top edge, and you will find 3 stainless screws holding it on. Searay likes to hide the fasteners!
Click to expand...

Yes, please send me those pictures you have my e-mail address. I was thinking the same thing rotting wood but the water sourse is what I want to find. The boat is and has been covered since October so no outside water source only the pink stuff.
OH the joys of having an older boat but one look at the style reminds me why I do this.

Ken
 
As for the source, check where the wires come down from the arch on the port side, mine was letting alot of water thru the antenna cable hole for the Glomex TV antenna. I sealed it up with caulk and stopped alot of water from entering and running into my bilge. Hope its only a leaky fitting for you.
 
Yep, that is correct Chris. Mine was leaking at the starboard side around that section of garden hose that comes from the arch then through into the cocpit behind the side panel. Pretty significant leak as well. I tore out all of the old sealant and redid it with 4200. Leak stopped. Ken, I'll get you thos pics this week. Dave
SCORPIO said:
As for the source, check where the wires come down from the arch on the port side, mine was letting alot of water thru the antenna cable hole for the Glomex TV antenna. I sealed it up with caulk and stopped alot of water from entering and running into my bilge. Hope its only a leaky fitting for you.
Click to expand...
 
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