It may not be the hose itself. Have you checked the hose clamps on the connections?

I would suggest attaching the new hose to the old hose with a coupling and pulling it through. In general, I always try to use a messenger of approximately the same diameter and stiffness. The problem with a line is it won't always guide something stiff like a hose around tight corners and through holes.

FYI, one of my favorite wire snaking tools is 1/4" OD nylon tubing. It is stiff so it can be pushed as well as pulled, and is is very slippery.

Thanks for the replies. The hose clamps at either end are fine. The hose disappears under the liner behind the refer and stove and is not visible. I don't think there would be a clamp back in there unless there is some kind of T connection which I don't know about.

Using a stiff messenger or a new hose sounds like a good idea.

Richard
#1347

Are the water tanks on your boat made out of plastic?

If so, then it is likely your water leak is not coming from the hose, or even from a fault in the tank. Rather, it could simply be the seal of the plastic access port. On top of the plastic water tank there is a (approx) 3 inch dia access hole that it closed off with a plastic screw cap. When the tank is overfull, the top of the tank will bulge upwards, and water will leak out around the access cap.

Possible solutions include: a) just living with the problem, as the leak will cease when the water level descends to the top of the tank; or b) running a small (1/8 inch dia) bead of 3M 5200 around the threads of the cap and then screwing it down. You should placard the cap then to let people know it has been sealed, because if they remove the cap you will once again need to seal it with 5200. Contrary to expectations, the 5200 will not permanently lock down the cap, as its adhesion to plastic is not very good...but it will seal off the access ports from further leaks. I sealed my access caps via this method several years ago and have had no further leaks.

Larry,

I have inspected all aspects of the tank and there is no sign of water anywhere around the tank. The stream occurs even if the tank is only slightly full. If I look under the sink and dry storage box the little stream of water runs down the side of the port side of the hull almost perpendicular to an area just behind the the bildge. I wish I could see the hose as it bends high around behind the refer and the stove area. Thanks for your comments.

Richard
#1347

[QUOTE=windward;1085]
I have inspected all aspects of the tank and there is no sign of water anywhere around the tank. The stream occurs even if the tank is only slightly full. [/QUOTE]

You're right, Richard. If the leak still occurs at less than full water level, then the leak must be from a source other than the access cap.

Good luck.

Note on replacing line. Sometimes (such as on my 1984) the lines are bundled together. Best to check that line you are replacing is not attached to other lines before you attempt to remove it. If it is then you could simply run a new line and leave the old one, no harm.

Speaking of water lines, my aft starboard water tank was obviously not emptying even when that tank was selected. I'd get no water with the pump on, but when I went to fill it, it filled almost immediately.

This spring I pulled it out but to get it out, you have to take out the aft center tank too, which I did, only to find that the outflow line (which runs forward) was installed with a sharp 45 degree bend in it instead of a loop. The water flow was almost completely pinched off.

Anybody else have this obviously inferior installation job?

Just a thought, sometimes what you think is obvious is not so obvious. Other possible water issues under the stove include leaks from the ice box as well as the aqua muffler drain. Larry mentioned earlier about the 'O' ring seal on the top of the water tanks, one of my aft tanks would leak when they were full and I always blamed the center water tank because the water seemed to collect under the prop shaft (not caused by any gland drip). After one filling I finally noticed a small pool of water collect on a lip just near the heat exchanger and figured out the real culprit was the starboard tank. A new 'O' ring and the problem was resolved.
John Meyer Hilbre 2135
Lake Mead

Assuming I want to replace the aft center water tank hose, do you see a problem of running it in a fairly straight line from the tank under the engine to the water manifold? And what size are those water lines? Finally, I have heard two opposite opinion about keeping the bow tank full. On is that the boat rides smoother with the bow tank full; the other is to keep it empty for a smoother ride. Comments... Thanks for the feed back.

Richard
Cat38 #1347

Typo: 1994 Cat36
Richard