Question about what to use to fill a Pod

[bigdogeh]

If you find it's a few pinholes only, sometimes they can be peaned over with a ballpean hammer. pump it up like others mentioned and see if it will hold the pressure for a few days after peaning if you go that route...

 

[Wild Bill]

I like the air pressure idea, I just suggested clean water as it wouldn't be a bad idea to clean out some salt in the leak. Use both!

 

[the gambler]

Thanks again everyone. I like the air pressure idea. Should be easy to spot any air leak with some soapy water...
Funny, it's a brand new custom Pod and we took great care to make sure the bolts for the motor were sikaflexed and watertight. It's gotta be the bolt holes where it's attached to the boat. Not sure how water would get in there 'cause the front edge of the Pod looks well sealed tight to the transom. Prawning done for now so gonna pull it out tomorrow and start looking...

 

[fishin solo]

Thanks again everyone. I like the air pressure idea. Should be easy to spot any air leak with some soapy water...
Funny, it's a brand new custom Pod and we took great care to make sure the bolts for the motor were sikaflexed and watertight. It's gotta be the bolt holes where it's attached to the boat. Not sure how water would get in there 'cause the front edge of the Pod looks well sealed tight to the transom. Prawning done for now so gonna pull it out tomorrow and start looking...

If that’s the case your boat would fill up with water too

 

[the gambler]

Solo, I was trying to say that water must be getting in-between the pod and transom and leaking into the pod through bolt holes that weren't sealed properly from inside the pod. From inside the boat, there is no problem. Thats what I thought was strange, water between the pod and transom, when it looks sealed tight.
Thanks though!
Cheers

 

[noluck]

is there a inspection plate?

 

[profisher]

On an enclosed pod there has to be one...no other way to bolt it to the transom...and most likely place water is getting in if the plate is plastic...they all leak.

 

[SteelyDan]

Some pictures are in order lol

 

[Wild Bill]

We can speculate forever!

 

[the gambler]

Hey all. So pulled out the boat after a week of prawning in Brentwood Bay. Pod was full of water, noticed a slow leak where we bolted on the motor so obviously didn't sikeflex/seal it properly. Hopefully this is the only spot it's leaking/taking on water. We'll take off the motor and try again. Just got a line on a 2015 150 Merc with 400 hours for $4800 that i might switch out as long as I have to take the motor off anyway....
No issue with the inspection plate, we used a spare piece of aluminum and sikeflexed it before bolting it in place covering the hole.
Thanks again for all the input everyone! I'll follow up with some picks...
Cheers!

 

[gunnerlove]

Peening is get home BS equal to sealing the leak with a bar of soap. Drilling out and plug welding pinholes is the permanent solution.

 

[profisher]

I used a couple of pieces of 1/4 inch 2 inch by 2 inch cut aluminum plates used as over sized washer in between the bolt heads and the pod. These are on the lower tow holes that bolt the engine to the pod. This gives a bigger surface area for the Sika Flex to bond to and make a larger seal area.

 

[Reel Time]

Put a bilge on the pod regardless. Inspection plate with J tube on top expells water.

 

[profisher]

Back when I had the leaky plastic inspection plate I just pumped mine dry at the dock with one of the Scotty hand pumps, stuck through the inspection hole. I didn't want any power inside the aluminum pod increasing the risk of electrolysis and having yet another pump to replace down the road.