Water under the engine

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Roland
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Water under the engine

I have water collecting under the engine. I can't seem to find where it is coming from. At first I thought it must be a leaking water holding tank, but I can find no evidence of a leak. After two days or so I will find the water two or three inches deep in the pan under the engine. Does anyone else have this problem? Any suggestions on where the water is coming from would be greatly appreciated.
Roland
Blithe Spirit
C36 MkII
#1762

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Steve Frost
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Posts: 788

If it is not the color of antifreeze, I would assume it is from the raw water cooling side of the system. I would look around your heat exchanger for drips on the bottom side or the hoses going to it from the raw water pump.
Also look for drips on the back side of the raw water pump, there is a port in the casting on the drive side so if the seal leaks it will not leak water into your engine oil through the drive.

Cepheus dream
C36 MK I # 825
MK I Tech Editor No Mas

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LCBrandt
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Posts: 1282

Also, that it is collecting there and not running to the bilge is not right. There should be a drain hole at the forward (low) end of the sump that drains to the bilge.

Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
 

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deising
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Your hull number is close to mine. The pan under the engine is isolated from the bilge except for the conduit where the battery cables run through. At a high enough level, the liquid can pass to the bilge.

If you are in a salt water environment, the first thing to consider is if the water under the engine is salty or not. Disgusting as it may be, I have touched a drop of water to my tongue on several occasions to make that determination. Have a swig of rum handy if you are worried about germs.

When we had a leaking hose connection of the raw water feediing into the exhaust muffler, it leaked on the the galley sole more than under the engine, but that is a place to look, too.

I think you will need to remove the access covers fore and aft of the engine and run it while you carefully observe. Don't wear your necktie while you are looking. ;)

Good luck!

Duane Ising - Past Commodore (2011-2012)
s/v Diva Di
1999 Catalina 36 Hull #1777
Std rig; wing keel, M35B, Delta (45#)
Punta Gorda, FL
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/diva-di/

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TomSoko
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Posts: 978

Roland,
If the water is collecting in the pan, then it is not coming from a water tank or anywhere else along the hull. As Duane mentioned, the pan is isolated from and above the hull. Water flowing from areas aft would flow under the pan into the bilge. Water collecting in the pan is coming from the engine or something connected to it. (the pan is designed to catch oil drips, so that they don't get into the bilge, and get pumped overboard) Steve is right, if it is clear, then it's coming from the raw water side of the cooling system. Take a flashlight and look around/under the engine while it is running. Water drops reflect the light, and it'll be easier to spot them. Most likely a hose clamp is loose. Hope this helps.

Tom Sokoloski
C36/375IA Past Commodore
Noank, CT

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ProfDruhot
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Posts: 354

I too have been experiencing some water in the same area. I have checked and it is not salt water, it is not antifreeze and now I am thinking it is either condesation from the air conditioning unit or the aft freshwater tank.

Glenn Druhot
Carpe Diem
New Bern, NC
35* 6' 10" N / 77* 2' 30" W
2001 C36, Hull #1965
Std Rig; Wing Keel; M35B

hilbre
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Joined: 7/19/08
Posts: 218

Did you recently top off the water tanks? If the water tastes fresh, it could be from a leaking 'O' ring seal on the top of one of the water tanks. My starboard tank would leak after it was filled. It took me months to figure out what was happening and I only caught it when I went to change the zinc in the HE and noticed a small pool of water in the 'nook' just by the side of the HE. I was on fresh water at the time so the taste test did not work too well at that time.
John Meyer 2135
Out cruising, currently in Marina Coral, Ensenada, Mexico

John Meyer
Hilbre
C36 MKll, Hull 2135

Cabrillo Marina, San Pedro, CA

Roland
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Posts: 29

Thanks for all the good suggestions. I'm going back to the boat on Monday, and I will check all the engine hoses, hose clamps, perform the taste test, and check the water tank o-rings.
Roland
Blithe Spirit
#1762

Roland
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Posts: 29

I followed everybody's suggestions. The taste test yielded salt water. With flashlight and the engine running I could find no evidence that any of the hoses or clamps were leaking. However I did find that the stuffing box was dripping excessively. I tightened the adjusting nut a bit (about quarter inch of tightening) and that seemed to eliminate the leak. After running under power (no wind) awhile I checked the stuffing box again and could detect no leaking; however, the stuffing was warm to my touch. This concerned me a bit. After a twelve mile run there was a bit of moisture under the engine. Two days later after motoring some distance, I once again discovered considerable water under the engine , and the stuffing box was completely cool to the touch. This suggests to me I need to replace the packing in the stuffing box in order to solve the problem.
Any thoughts?
Roland
Blithe Spirit
#1762

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Steve Frost
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Posts: 788

Roland,

If the stuffing box leaks heavily the water can get slung around and drip down off the engine but, the bulk of it should not collect under the engine as the stuffing box is disigned to drain to the bilge below the the pan under the engine. It sounds to me you still have a raw water leak on the raw water cooling side of the engine to me, either the raw water pump, lines to the heat exchanger or the heat exchanger itself. Again the raw water pump would be one of my first suspects, the drain on the drive is hard to see without a light and mirror and usually will not leak staticly, some clue could be green streaks around the front of the engine near the pump. One way to see if it is leaking would be to wrap a paper towel around the drive, tape it in place and chech and see if it is wet after a period of motoring.

Cepheus dream
C36 MK I # 825
MK I Tech Editor No Mas

Roland
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Posts: 29

Will check the raw water pump carefully. Thanks for the response.
Roland
#1762

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