remote drain plug issues

[TopgunZ521C]

any of you guys had problems with your remote drain plugs breaking or not closing and sealing correctly hard to close? after several tries to solve this issue i have come to find that once the drain has been left open the rubber o ring dries out and when you go to close it the o ring drags on the plastic drain hole and wont close all the way without extra force, however if you wet the o ring it closes easily, adding lubricant attracts dust, dirt etc. some lubricants are offensive to the rubber o ring and will errode it over time and cause added issues. today i removed this item and went to a standard T&H manual plug which I dont mind screwing in and getting on one knee to reach, and the hole from the valve selector will now be a battery monitor once installed and no more dealing with the issue so if you are having this issue over time this may be a solution for your problem. my boat is a 2014 Z521C.

[dean c]

For me changing out an o ring once every couple years is no big deal...I hate climbing under the boat to put in plug. I love my remote drain plug.

[Welaka]

My boat is a 14, no problems at all yet. Like above if I have to change the o ring once in a while
easier than getting under the boat. It's weird o ring drying out. My father had a hydraulic shop growing up. O rings
are pretty tough, unless some of the plugs have some cheap o rings ones from somewhere.

[Super 91]

I put a remote plug in my 08 last year, and have never looked back. Absolutely love it. My plug is waaay under there and for me, it was not down on one knee, it was crawl under and put the plug in. And with the ground always wet or dirty, I was always getting in the boat with crap on me or staining my clothes. I put the control by my console, so it is easy to see whether I put it in or not. I make it part of my load/unload regimen and if I don't do it, something feels out of place. I plan on getting a couple spare "O" rings so I will have them when times comes to replace them. Should be pretty easy maintenance for a great product.

[Lykins Tr21]

yeah mine , has broken as well,,still don't trust it

[TopgunZ521C]

For those of you who change the o ring obviously you didn't mention you have to disassemble the plug under the boat to get the o ring on the red plug otherwise your stretching the ring way out of tolerance most o rings have a .010 compression to seal, my plug always looked like it was in but it was not 100% sealed I could always reach down there and push on it and it would go in a little bit, I'm sure nobody has ever had any problem with this perfect design. Lmao

[Riccochet]

A little 2-4-C to keep it lubed goes a long way. If it gets a little dirty, wipe it off and reapply. Keeps the o-ring from drying out and makes it easier to seal up.

[TopgunZ521C]

the 2-4-c is a great idea but one trip home and its attracted all the road dust dirt etc like a magnet, if anybody has taken this apart at the plug and looked at the o ring there is wear quickly, i work in an industry with o rings everyday every kind so i never have to buy them, ive tried several black, tan, orange they all wear and end up the same. if you take a pencil and rub the eraser on glass it grabs, if you lube it the eraser slides but any kind of lube is adhearant to dust, dirt etc this is where the wear factor comes into play. when i back in and get the plug area wet no problem, but that defeats the purpose of the design its to keep water out not in. ive got pm several times on this issue so i am not alone on this and when you have to disassemble this thing to clean the inside strainer insert yup fun fun fun and you have to disassemble the red plug to correctly change the o ring been there done that no thanks, i going old school on this one.

[sjcorpst]

I use a small smear of Vasoline once a month. I wipe it clean before adding new.

[DrewFlu33]

the 2-4-c is a great idea but one trip home and its attracted all the road dust dirt etc like a magnet, if anybody has taken this apart at the plug and looked at the o ring there is wear quickly, i work in an industry with o rings everyday every kind so i never have to buy them, ive tried several black, tan, orange they all wear and end up the same. if you take a pencil and rub the eraser on glass it grabs, if you lube it the eraser slides but any kind of lube is adhearant to dust, dirt etc this is where the wear factor comes into play. when i back in and get the plug area wet no problem, but that defeats the purpose of the design its to keep water out not in. ive got pm several times on this issue so i am not alone on this and when you have to disassemble this thing to clean the inside strainer insert yup fun fun fun and you have to disassemble the red plug to correctly change the o ring been there done that no thanks, i going old school on this one.

Man, I was about to pull the trigger on one of these and this really is making me question whether I should get one or not. I was under the impression that the plug was part way inside the through-hull on the boat even when the plug is out, which I figured would help prevent road grime from getting to the plug itself. Is that not the case?

[Riccochet]

the 2-4-c is a great idea but one trip home and its attracted all the road dust dirt etc like a magnet, if anybody has taken this apart at the plug and looked at the o ring there is wear quickly, i work in an industry with o rings everyday every kind so i never have to buy them, ive tried several black, tan, orange they all wear and end up the same. if you take a pencil and rub the eraser on glass it grabs, if you lube it the eraser slides but any kind of lube is adhearant to dust, dirt etc this is where the wear factor comes into play. when i back in and get the plug area wet no problem, but that defeats the purpose of the design its to keep water out not in. ive got pm several times on this issue so i am not alone on this and when you have to disassemble this thing to clean the inside strainer insert yup fun fun fun and you have to disassemble the red plug to correctly change the o ring been there done that no thanks, i going old school on this one.

So, drain your bilge and put the plug back in before driving home.

I leave mine out and have not had an issue with it in the almost 2 years it's been in my boat. Original o-ring. Works great. A little lube goes a long way.

[Super 91]

If you don't like it, that is fine. Don't sit there and make fun of those of us who are not having issues and enjoy using it. My remote plug has "two" stages of engagement. When I push the control to "in", it will put the plug in the hole. With a little more pressure, it fully engages and seats completely, ensuring a watertight seal. No issues with leaks or problems, and so far the "O" ring is not worn to the point I have to replace it. Crawling under once every other year to replace it is better than crawling under the boat 50 times a year, but that is just my opinion. You asked if anyone was having an issue. Nope, final answer here.

[Classic57b]

I'm with you Super 91. I have not had an issue with the remote plug. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone.

[Ky 520c]

Love mine ! New o ring once a year when I do lower unit oil change, .50 is a small price to pay not to crawl in the rocks for me...

[saltonman]

Mine works great. Clean and lube once a year. I pull the plug when I wipe the boat down at the end of the day pop it back in before driving home. I have had no problems, this is my third season and I have not had to replace the o-ring. I fish at least 2 days a week most of the year.

[howieranger]

I use a dry spray lube so that the seal does not collect dirt so no problems since I installed it when they were first available from Ranger.

[TopgunZ521C]

Super 91 you should really read the entire post nowhere am I making fun of anyone and to each their own but don't come sideways with accusations this forum is for knowledge and to help others. You may not have a problem with yours and others might, that's what happens all to often somebody takes it all wrong and a thread gets out of hand, this thread is meant for anybody having issues not an argument.

[Super 91]

Sorry, but your tone, if that truly can be read into a post, was seemingly derogatory. I understand you don't like, you're sorry you bought it, and have decided to go "old school" which is perfectly fine and your choice. You asked a question, I gave my story and answer. Most have had success with the product, you have not and seem to not like it. That also is fine. I gave my opinion, not interested in an argument.

[TopgunZ521C]

So on a side note why don't every other brand follow suit and install this assembly on their boats as well? I know Ranger is an industry first with incorporating this into their line up?

[fishin4bass]

I have a 15' Z521C , I replaced the o ring and the gasket between the plate and hull and it still doesn't seal correctly. I still take on water. Bottom line is that some of these work on some of the hulls and others don't. I'm not overly happen with it and may go to a traditional screw in plug.