A25 limber holes: Engine compartment and others

[Plum76]

Interesting and timely discussion on limber holes. My project found one in the fuel tank bilge (to the main bilge), one under the helm (to the main bilge) and then the connector between the fore/aft bilges.

My biggest unknown is that I seem to be getting dripped oil from the engine bilge into the main bilge, appears to be weeping out of the common limber hole from the fuel tank/helm drains, which leads me to believe I have a weeping crack or pinhole between the engine bilge and the limber hole connector? Kinda of a nuisance mess.

I have ordered some petroleum booms that are advertised to soak at petroleum products but not water, but that’s just a band aid, would like to ‘disconnect’ the source rather than just deal with cleanup.

Unless someone has better info, I’m guessing that to resolve I’d be pulling the engine and doing the engine bilge refresh as main suspect of leak. Sealing anything ‘open’ with epoxy and doing bilge paint (have been using Jamestown distributors brand, which has been pretty durable so far).

Plum

[nebulatech]

Plum,can you clarify "main bilge?" Is your definition of main bilge the forward area, under forward cabin sole?

On my boat, there is no access to the space under the motor pan. It sounds like you may have a crack in your pan. I just sanded off 40 years of oil and grime and repainted my bilge. ( I did not resolve the clogged limber hole yet) my engine pan had some weird cracks on both port and starboard sides. I should have taken pictures. IIRC, they looked like there were some 1" circles that got plugged. These were about half way up from the bottom. I'm not sure if that helps. At least one forum member mentioned a plug in the bottom of their engine pan.

I'm out of town for 2 weeks. I can take pictures detailing the location of my cracks when I get back.

[Plum76]

Yes, correct, traces of dripped engine oil showing up in my forward bilge under the cabin sole, then migrating to the aft bilge through the under engine connection.

I think I've come to the same conclusion, probably a small crack in my engine bilge that 'connects' to the limber holes from the port/starboard wells under the fuel tank and helm compartments. I'd be curious to hear how you went about painting, did you just block the motor up high enough or did you pull it entirely? I'm afraid if I pulled it entirely, I'd end up doing a full gasket job to try and remedy the leaks, which wouldn't be bad, but could drag on. I can't see most of my engine bilge, pretty tight to the oil pan, so hard to determine exact condition. At 50+ yrs old, wouldn't be surprised for a couple cracks to show up..

Plum,can you clarify "main bilge?" Is your definition of main bilge the forward area, under forward cabin sole?

On my boat, there is no access to the space under the motor pan. It sounds like you may have a crack in your pan. I just sanded off 40 years of oil and grime and repainted my bilge. ( I did not resolve the clogged limber hole yet) my engine pan had some weird cracks on both port and starboard sides. I should have taken pictures. IIRC, they looked like there were some 1" circles that got plugged. These were about half way up from the bottom. I'm not sure if that helps. At least one forum member mentioned a plug in the bottom of their engine pan.

I'm out of town for 2 weeks. I can take pictures detailing the location of my cracks when I get back.

Jason

[nebulatech]

I removed my non-working 40+yo MD17C. Currently engineless, I have a 25hp Suzuki in my garage and have been building a custom motor bracket. I'm waiting to finish painting before I install the motor, maybe another month?

[Plum76]

Yeah, that certainly solves the access issue. I should really just pull the motor and regasket the few drips and treat the engine bilge to some paint, but I don't have the motivation to pull an engine for a few oil drips..

I removed my non-working 40+yo MD17C. Currently engineless, I have a 25hp Suzuki in my garage and have been building a custom motor bracket. I'm waiting to finish painting before I install the motor, maybe another month?

Jason

[WillieC]

With the engine pan empty, check out the two holes or plugged holes on the sides of the pan just below the aft end of the front original engine mounts. We have been seeing saltwater show up in the engine pan and clear salt tracing leading from these holes/not holes. The saltwater is clearly NOT coming from the raw water side of the engine cooling and since I find some water in the engine combustion air tube square cutouts, I am concluding that the saltwater is sneaking in from the air vents on the back deck when in rough seas, or sloppy deck cleaning with an aggressive bucket. I am also thinking that the holes/not holes in the sides of the engine pan were originally intended to allow that water to drain to the engine pan, where it can easily (sort of) be cleaned up. Otherwise any water that gets into the ventilation tubes will stay there until we take it to DA's place in AZ where it would evaporate overnight.

See what you think. When the boat is sitting on the trailer in the yard, any water in those tubes just hangs there. However when in the water, the boat is never static and the nose often dives, allowing the water to migrate toward the holes/not holes. All this is speculation and subject to a real answer. The holes/not holes look much too purposeful to simply be dismissed and patched over.

[nebulatech]

The holes/not holes are present in my pan as well. I'm not sure if they are still visible. I will try to get in there tomorrow and take a picture. If nothing else, you can laugh at my sloppy paint job.

[nebulatech]

New paint, but the old holes/not holes still show:

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[Plum76]

Thank you for those photos, your work looks great. I'm coming to realize how different the deluxe engine bilges are from the earlier models, mine is more or less rectangular with a small 'birdbath' well up forward, for things to accumulate.

I'm guessing that the hole/not hole marks are from the formwork from the original layup? I can't see another purpose, if the original intent would be to keep the engine bilge separate from the rest..

Interesting..

Jason

[nebulatech]

I never thought of it being formwork. Good call!

As for workmanship, the camera covers alot. I will have to do some (a vey lot of) wet sanding and buffing, but that can wait until boat gets a motor and shakedown cruise!

[nebulatech]

Would it be fruitful to contact Albin in Sweden regarding the limber hole design? I speak 3 (non-programming) languages, but Swedish isn't one of them...