Yikes! I have hull leaks!

[Razzman]

So i fill the bilge in the driveway just to ease my mind that my '95 2000slm Comp is watertight. Lo and behold water starts dripping about every 15 seconds from the front tracking fin and the prop shaft.

What's the best way to reseal? Remove the fin or just reseal around it? Is water supposed to leak around the prop shaft? What's recommended to reseal with

[spharis]

Propshaft is going to leak. There is a packing in there that can be replaced, but if it is tensioned correctly, it will leak; or at least mine does anyway.

The fin I dunno. Maybe take it off and throw some new marine selaer on it, and bolt it back up.

[Tige2002]

There are some good articles in the archives of this website about the prop shaft seal and adjusting it. Mine leaked badly when we got the boat and i thought sure the packing had to be replaced but lo and behold a simple adjustment cured the problem. It should leak a few drops a minute and the nut should be cool to the touch after running for a while in the water. Its important to not get it too tight. I found that when i cracked the thin lock nut loose, the gland nut screwed down a bit and the leak stopped. Then backed it off a hair so that it leaks a few drops a minute. It takes large wrenches and if you use a pipe wrench remember that the nuts are soft. Remove the floorboard above the prop shaft to do all this in the water.

[chpthril]

I would req. removing the fin, clean all the old sealer off and reseal around the bolt holes and heads. Silicone works best when under pressure, as when between to parts bolted together.

Sweet looking boat. I hope it gives you years of trouble free fun.

[lee]

Your tracking fin is thru bolted and might need to be tightened up. If not just un-bolt, clean off old sealant and reseal and re-bolt.