Xpress H 17 water leak

[Cousin-It]

Ok I cant find where its coming in at. I have put new hoses in for the live well, in, out and over flow is all it has. I have filled live well no leaks. I have lifted the boat off the trailer so I can see under where the loading pads are. Filled the boat with water to see where it might leak. Nothing, now I can put it in the water and Wala we have water, Any help would be appreciated

Thanks Bert

[Arkyarcher]

Does it have a keelguard ? This was hiding under mine. Looking for a (bbcboards.net)

[Jessxpress]

My brand new x19 leaked on day one. It took a while but I found that the crimp on hose clamps leaked and I got the dealer to replace them with the screw type. Must have had 8 or so and some are hard to get to. Not a drop of water since.

[Cousin-It]

No sir it dosent, I bought the boat used plan on putting one on though. Thanks for the suggestion Arkyarcher

[Cousin-It]

My brand new x19 leaked on day one. It took a while but I found that the crimp on hose clamps leaked and I got the dealer to replace them with the screw type. Must have had 8 or so and some are hard to get to. Not a drop of water since.

Already done that with new hoses, thanks for the suggestion thouigh

[mittenbass]

Check the lower set of transom bolts for the motor/jackplate. They should be sealed with silicon sealant.

[Red x21]

Also if you have the Mayfair twist and lock cartridge pumps make sure the o-rings are good, mine had a bad o-ring and took on water.

[fishingram24]

My 2012 X 17 had weld beads that were not ground smooth where the drain plug went in, always had to really tighten it down. Also possibly where the transom cap laps down on the transom. Its not welded solid and some have enough gap the water comes in when you slow down, fixed mine with silicon adhesive

[Topwater101]

Ok I cant find where its coming in at. I have put new hoses in for the live well, in, out and over flow is all it has. I have filled live well no leaks. I have lifted the boat off the trailer so I can see under where the loading pads are. Filled the boat with water to see where it might leak. Nothing, now I can put it in the water and Wala we have water, Any help would be appreciated

Thanks Bert

My drainplug hole wasn't completely round and would never seal. It was new though....

[Cousin-It]

I just don't know what to do!! I have checked everything I can, It only leaks when I put the boat in the water I don't know if its the pressure making it leak because I have filled it with water and no leaks. Any help is appreciated

[Arkyarcher]

Might be bottom bolts, caulk could have made a flap that allows water in but not out. Worth pulling out and resealing so you know that ain't it.

[CV_X21]

When you say " it only leaks when I put the boat in the water", do you mean while it is sitting at the dock, waiting for you to park the trailer? Or, do you notice the water in the boat after you have run it down the lake a little ways? Is there a lot of water, like the drain plug wasn't in or is it just enough water in the bilge to make you mad?

I have a 2005 X21 that had little leaks that made me mad for the first 5 years that I owned the boat, but only if I ran the big motor. If I fished all day with just the trolling motor, it stayed dry inside. Eventually I track down 3 problems...

1) When taking off, the back of the boat would squat down to the point the water would be spraying out from under the gunnels. I ran a bead of silicone along the joint of the hull sides and the under side of the gunnel, from the back of the seats to the end caps, and that cut down a lot of the water that was getting inside the boat. But, it did not stop all the water.

2) Next, I noticed when I came down off plane and stopped the boat, I would get a large wave that would wash over the splash well and get into the bilge area. I traced this to the bilge pump; it only pushes water out, it doesn't stop water from running down the hose and out the bottom of the pump. In the splash well, I put a plug in the bilge pump outlet and that stopped most of my problem for a while.

3) The final fix came when my speedo stopped working. I found a splice in the speedo hose that had come apart. I fixed the splice and no more water... until the speedo stopped working again! I found ANOTHER splice in the hose that had blown apart! This time I replaced the whole speedo hose and no more leaks for the past 10 years.

One other thing you might try. I had a welded Fisher Marine boat prior to my Xpress that developed a leak. I put water inside the hull and waited to see where it leaked. Like you, I couldn't find a leak. Then I got a paper towel and wiped each weld joint that I could find and surprise! I found a damp spot. The water wasn't leaking out fast enough to form a drop that I could see, but the weld did get damp. With a very bright light, you could just barely make out a hairline crack in the weld. I had it re-welded and no more leaks.

I hope this helps you find your leak.

[pa.X19]

When you say " it only leaks when I put the boat in the water", do you mean while it is sitting at the dock, waiting for you to park the trailer? Or, do you notice the water in the boat after you have run it down the lake a little ways? Is there a lot of water, like the drain plug wasn't in or is it just enough water in the bilge to make you mad?

I have a 2005 X21 that had little leaks that made me mad for the first 5 years that I owned the boat, but only if I ran the big motor. If I fished all day with just the trolling motor, it stayed dry inside. Eventually I track down 3 problems...

1) When taking off, the back of the boat would squat down to the point the water would be spraying out from under the gunnels. I ran a bead of silicone along the joint of the hull sides and the under side of the gunnel, from the back of the seats to the end caps, and that cut down a lot of the water that was getting inside the boat. But, it did not stop all the water.

2) Next, I noticed when I came down off plane and stopped the boat, I would get a large wave that would wash over the splash well and get into the bilge area. I traced this to the bilge pump; it only pushes water out, it doesn't stop water from running down the hose and out the bottom of the pump. In the splash well, I put a plug in the bilge pump outlet and that stopped most of my problem for a while.

3) The final fix came when my speedo stopped working. I found a splice in the speedo hose that had come apart. I fixed the splice and no more water... until the speedo stopped working again! I found ANOTHER splice in the hose that had blown apart! This time I replaced the whole speedo hose and no more leaks for the past 10 years.

One other thing you might try. I had a welded Fisher Marine boat prior to my Xpress that developed a leak. I put water inside the hull and waited to see where it leaked. Like you, I couldn't find a leak. Then I got a paper towel and wiped each weld joint that I could find and surprise! I found a damp spot. The water wasn't leaking out fast enough to form a drop that I could see, but the weld did get damp. With a very bright light, you could just barely make out a hairline crack in the weld. I had it re-welded and no more leaks.

I hope this helps you find your leak.

Definitely something to look at I have experienced some of the same with mine. Bought new in 01

[Cousin-It]

Check the lower set of transom bolts for the motor/jackplate. They should be sealed with silicon sealant.

Yes sir I did that this ,,still leaking,, acts if its comming from the front past gas tank

[Cousin-It]

Definitely something to look at I have experienced some of the same with mine. Bought new in 01

Yes sir I did the motor mount bolts this week still leaks,, Put a coark in the beilge pump out it helped a lil.But all I have to do is put the boat in the water not running just off the trailer. Like I said I put a tarp under the boat filled with water no leakes I just dont know

[pa.X19]

I always wet the drainplug first then crank it down good ( twist style) no leaks. I did have a loose livewell overflow hose soon after I got the boat and the backwash going down the bilge pump outlet but that was it. Keep looking you will find it.

[Cousin-It]

I always wet the drainplug first then crank it down good ( twist style) no leaks. I did have a loose livewell overflow hose soon after I got the boat and the backwash going down the bilge pump outlet but that was it. Keep looking you will find it.

I pluged those holes all up and still leaks

[Cousin-It]

Ok how about this,, has anyone had problems fishing Brackish water ,,, the runners with carpet holds water to the bottom of the boat causing oxidation and eating a hole in the bottom of the boat??

[1Holeshot]

My first Xpress I bought new in May 2001 and sold it in November 2011 using it in brackish water and worked the BP oil spill 7 days a week and did not experience leaking nor the problem you described. If brackish water and salt water created the problem you would think my boat would have had it.

My second Xpress was a 2018 H17 delivered new in January 2018 and traded in Jan 2020 for my current boat. It leaked when I first got it but dealer found a cracked pvc fitting on the bilge pump. Replaced the fitting and solved the problem.

I hope the OP gets the problem resolved soon.

[Cousin-It]

Ok how about this,, has anyone had problems fishing Brackish water ,,, the runners with carpet holds water to the bottom of the boat causing oxidation and eating a hole in the bottom of the boat??