Help Excessive Water in Bilge

[Bubba08]

I'm new to the forum and new to the Tige Family. I just purchased a new to me 2006 Tige 24VE 2 weeks ago. I have had the boat out about four times now. The first two times I pulled the drain plug there wasn't much water that drained out. The third time I took the boat out I installed a 1100 lb Ronix ballast bag in the left rear corner. We got done boating for the day(roughly 6 hrs on the lake) and I went to drain the bag and noticed both of my rear lockers were wet. Water had filled the bilge area and begun to come up into the lockers. After I pulled the boat out the bilge drained for a long time, 30 minutes or so. I called the local Tige dealership and they told me to check the packing around the drive shaft(not sure how to do this), and my platform brackets. I didn't notice anything irregular to me, but then again this is my first boat and I am not sure what I am looking for.

So yesterday I took the boat out again. I was suspicious of the ballast bag since that was the one variable that had changed since the first 2 times out. I filled the bag about 80% and kept an eye on everything. Carpet in the locker completely dry. However after about an hour of surfing there was water in the bilge up above the bottom of the oil pan. So I drained the ballast and the bilge and ran the boat for another 1.5 hours. I looked at the engine itself periodically and could not see water coming out anywhere. The water in the bilge did still come up with out the ballast just not near as much nor as quickly. The boat seems to run fine, I haven't noticed anything different with the way it has performed. The Tige dealership can't get me in for two weeks. Do any of you have any ideas what this might be or how I can narrow it down? I really want to keep using the boat but don't want to risk ruining something expensive? Thanks in advance for any input!

[WakerideN]

look at your prop shaft packing. sounds like it could be that.

[Bubba08]

Sorry might be a stupid question but how do I check the packing? I also noticed you're from Utah. What boat repair shops have you had good luck with?

[skippabcool]

Is the bilge pump running at all before you see it is that high? Do you have to manually turn on the bilge pump? This won't fix your issue but I would want to know why the bilge pump is coming on my itself as soon as the water is an inch or so deep? Have you surfed both sides and do you see the same amount of water coming in?

The packing is where the prop shaft comes into the boat. You can look there and see if you have excess water coming in. From the way you say that it gets more in when you have ballast I would suspect there is something up higher when you list the boat.

[Bubba08]

Skip the bilge pump doesn't appear to be coming on automatically. It will run when I turn it on manually. I'll have to check the float and maybe a fuse... I haven't filled the ballast on the other side to see if it is any different when listed to the other side. The Tige dealer is thinking the seal on the drive shaft may just need to be adjusted tighter against the bellow. With more water coming in under surf conditions I guess this puts more pressure on the shaft(high rpm at low speed), thus explaining why I get more water when surfing with the ballast. Any tips on adjusting this seal? From what I am told it's just a metal collar that you loosen and press down the shaft toward the bellow. Hopefully this fixes it. Being a newbie water in the engine compartment is making me extremely nervous. Thanks for all the input.

[WakerideN]

just come by my house and pick me up.. lol we can go for a ride at the bay and figure it out. but skips right. bilge should be kicking on unless the float is stuck or not working.

I can show you the safe way out of the south marina so you can get at least 3 more weeks of boating in there.

[Bubba08]

WakerideN I may take you up on the offer if this doesn't fix it

[WakerideN]

WakerideN I may take you up on the offer if this doesn't fix it

well dont hesitate. we paddle board out there usually 2-3 times a week as well. what boat did u get? color scheme so we can keep an eye out for you. but when your ready to lay it up for the winter bring it by as well and I help u out. not a big deal. I will pm you my number. but your right on the shaft packing should just be lock type nut on that has a wire on it so it wont move. just cut the wire so you can adjust it. then tighten a little, and put new wire back on. But I would go to skimdim and get a new one. http://www.skidim.com/prodinfo.asp?number=GFO3/16X24 when you do it.. just remove the old one, cut to length and put back in. should be like 2-3 drips every 10 seconds or so.

[Stingreye]

Are the vents still on the back of the boat for the 24VE (for the blower)? I can get a surprising amount of water through them if I decelerate without turning the wheel surf ballasted up.

Also, if you are surfing left side or port, if you bilge is the same as mine. The bilge is at the transom on the starboard side. It would never kick on before the belts would hit the water with the lean. I added a second bilge pump near the v-drive on the port side for surfing port and it works better than where my original one is.

The combo of the two above might be all that it is.

[Bubba08]

Not sure what the blower vents look like. Ha ha. Good advice on the bilge. I'll look at that.

@WakerideN my drive shaft has the black bellows with carbon and aluminum rings that compress it not the rope packing. I am told to just loosen the 2 allen bolts and compress the bellows slightly then re-tighten them. Does this sound right? How much should I compress the bellows? Thanks

[Stingreye]

Not sure what the blower vents look like. Ha ha. Good advice on the bilge. I'll look at that.

@WakerideN my drive shaft has the black bellows with carbon and aluminum rings that compress it not the rope packing. I am told to just loosen the 2 allen bolts and compress the bellows slightly then re-tighten them. Does this sound right? How much should I compress the bellows? Thanks

IN the pic, above tige log on transom above rub rail. I think it less of an issue on the VE's vs V's. Mine has a nice ramp the water takes into the vent in the engine compartment on the rear.

EDIT- the compression chart formatting messed up, let me try again!
Shaft Diameter Compression Amount
3/4” to 1 1/8” 3/4”

So on yours I think its 1 1/8" shaft so compress 3/4" the pdf below has the compression chart.

FROM
http://www.elberts.com/pss.pdf

I had to tighten mine recently. If its the same as mine there are 4 allen bolts in two holes. When you remove the first bolt there is another underneath it.

[Bubba08]

Awesome Stingreye! That's just what I was looking for. Sounds like it should be pretty simple to do. I will post back after I adjust it and take it for a test run. Mine does not have that vent for the blower then in that location at least.

[skippabcool]

On your bilge pump you should have a wire, brown IIRC, that goes straight one of the batteries to the bilge pump. It should have a fuse on it that may have popped.

[Bubba08]

Alright guys, to report back on the leak. I have adjusted the PSS and took the boat out yesterday for a test run. I ran 1300 lbs ballast in the corner locker and surfed for about an hour. There was almost no water in the bilge area at the end of the day. Before I adjusted the SS collar on the drive shaft there was no compression against the rubber bellows. Stoked this is all it was! Hopefully it doesn't pop up on a longer day out or I'll be posting back. Still need to fix the automatic side of my bilge but until I find a contortionist it will have to wait. Ha ha. Thanks all for your help fixing this!