zane

i finally got our little boat in the water after being held up by us moving and then by replacing the upper swivel shaft and steering lever. motor is a 454carb w a bravo 1.we went out last night (first ride!) and my wife notices steam coming out of engine compartment. i lift the hatch and the bilge is filling with water fast. i first assumed that i had a ripped or punctured bellows from repairing the steering . i headed for home , not wanting to sink.water kept rising,pump wouldnt keep up , so i shut it down and started bailing. long story short, police tow us in and boat stopped taking on water. when i crank the motor, she fires right up, but water is pouring out from rear of motor, just above or behind flywheel. my neighbor and i found a freeze (brass, not rubber)plug in bilge, so i know i popped one. question is how many are there? i have crusaders in my other boat, and no mention of the plugs in that manual. i dont have a merc manual. i'm guessing that there are plugs behind the flywheel. all the other visible plugs are there and apparently properly seated. i'm kinda miffed that a 20.00 plug is gonna cause me to pull the motor. i live in a cold winter climate, so i winterize well. i always drain the motor, and manually pour the antifreeze in. anyone else ever see this ?

BillK

Zane,

There are two 1 3/4" plugs on the rear of the engine. Make sure to put some type of sealer on the new plugs, we use Permatex "Indian Head" gasket shellac. Smear it around the inside of the hole before you put the new plugs in.

Bill Koustenis
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md