Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Hi everyone,

With the nice weather here in Missouri we decided to take the tritoon for a ride last weekend. As I let the engine warm up I noticed water coming out of what looked like the oil drain tube. After looking closer I found it was not coming out of the tube, thankfully, but from around where the tube comes out of the case. Not a spray of water but a steady dribble. Has anyone else seen this?

Thanks,

Bob

Can you snap a picture of the hose. I think I know what you are looking at, but a quick pic might help.

I second Bryden's recommendation...

[quote="Bryden24shp"]Can you snap a picture of the hose. I think I know what you are looking at, but a quick pic might help.[/quote]

I thought there was an area on the block with a plastic plug that you pull out and hook a garden hose to and flush out the engine.

I think he is talking about the oil drain fitting, on the lower right side of the cowl, where you turn it to drain the oil and attach a plastic tube to drain the oil into a pail or milk jug. If you get water on top of that assembly, it can drip down around it. A pic would help me nail it down, though.

Bryden24shp is correct. When I noticed this I had just lowered the boat into the water enough to start it up. The oil drain tube had not been in the water since last fall.

[quote="Ozark Bob"]Bryden24shp is correct. [/quote]
WOO HOO!!! Tell my wife, she say's she's always right and I'm wrong!!!
The moisture probably came from condensation on the outside of the engine block. During the course of weather changes condensation forms on the cold block and will drip off into the bottom of the cowl and puddles. When you backed down the ramp it found the spot it could run out. Nothing to worry about. I've pulled my hoods and found them soaking wet with condensation before. This is the reason Mercury recommends spraying the motors down with Corrosion Guard before storing, especially in salt water environments.

That seems to be a common theme for wives. They must learn it in Wife School

This seems to be a little more than condensation. I keep the boat on a lift so it sits pretty level and the water continues to come out as long as the engine is running.

Since my post I have done some research. There is not a lot of information about this but most of what I have read said it was normal. As for the source of the water a couple of post said it had something to do with the fuel supply module. I did find one post that said where the owner said they found an incorrectly installed hose clamp on the water strainer (?). I may have to call Mercury and see what they say.

Here is a YouTube video I found showing the water coming out. It Looks like it's coming from the tube but it's not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAb7zRKfHFw

I contacted Mercury and ask about the water leak. I received the following from customer support:

"This is not an issue. There is a cooling hose for the Fuel Supply Module that drains above the oil drain plug. Some of that water will trickle down and look like its coming from drain plug. Nothing to worry about."

Problem solved. Bring on the boating season!

Bob