What keeps water out of the exhaust?

[Mazdarx]

I seem to be taking on water through the exhaust. I'm not sure what is supposed to keep the water out of there. This happens when the boat isn't running, I can see water pouring into the bilge from behind the muffler where the exhaust sticks through. I didn't actually watch to see if it was when the boat was running too. I think it is going into the exhaust system as well as I seem to be getting a lot of white steamy looking smoke out the back. I don't know if it's related at all but when I discovered the leak I saw a spring sitting in that corner of the bilge, looked about the same size as what was in the Rave valves.

 

[Murph_13]

There is a seal that seals the exhaust pipe where it exits the hull. There is a hose clamp at the pipe side of the seal that secures it to the exhaust pipe. You also have a water regulator valve on the muffler/exhaust box that looks like your RAVE valves, black cover with red center. The spring you found may be from the water regulator if the cover has come off.

 

[Mazdarx]

I have been wondering what that was. I popped the cap off of it to check the spring was there, it was and there was still quite a bit of water in there too. I didn't take it apart any more than that as I wasn't sure what was in there. The seal you mean, is that the black one I can see sticking out a bit around the exhaust from the outside of the boat? I was thinking I should replace that one, but I couldn't tell if it would allow water into the exhaust and the bilge.

 

[Murph_13]

That is the seal that I'm talking about. I had to replace it on my 96 Challenger.

 

[Mazdarx]

Well I guess I should just go ahead and buy one of those and see what happens, they can't be that much money. Would that allow water into the exhaust also, or just the bilge? The bolts holding it all together look like they are going to be quite difficult to access, I think I'm going to need a helper.

 

[Murph_13]

The exhaust pipe is open to the water, so water can enter there. The seal is only keeping water from entering the bilge, sealing the exhaust pipe to the hull. Pretty simple replacement if I remember correctly...just the hose clamp and four screws.

 

[Mazdarx]

I was thinking I'd have to pull the 8 bolts all around it that go through the hull, the rubber I see sticking out of there doesn't look that great anyway.

 

[Murph_13]

I was going off of my bad memory for the number of bolts/screws...yes you'll have to pull all of the bolts. I had a small slit in mine that wasn't noticable until it was removed, but I had the same thing you have...water entering the bilge aroung the exhaust pipe.

 

[scski]

Yeah an extra pair of hands makes this job much easier, I just replaced mine. The part was 18 bucks from the dealer. I could feel mine cracked around the edge behind the outer lip.

Make sure that water regulator is working properly or you can melt your exhaust rubber components.

 

[Mazdarx]

How do I make sure it works properly? There was definitely water in it.

 

[scski]

Just take it apart and check everything out. The rubber bellows primarily. They used a regular steel clamp which rusts and also pokes into the bellows. If your bellows has a hole, replace it. If it has started rubbing a hole but not all the way through, put some rtv on it and use a zip tie in place of the steel clamp when you put it back together.