Rain water in 292 Fastech

Phazar454Mag · 12-27-2006, 04:04 PM

My season was pretty short this year with the new to me 292 Fastech from 2002 because I spent most of my vacation installing Scorpion engines with Superflush, preoiler pumps and other stuff. So I only managed to get 12-13 hours on the boat this year.
So I have a few questions because of my "inexperience" with the 292 Fastech:
1) It seems that rain water gets into the bilge when it rains hard even though the cockpit cover is on. Is this normal on a 292 ? If it is where does it enter and what can be done to prevent this ?
2) The bilge pumps are of the "automatic" type so they turn on once in a while and pump for a short while and then stop if there is no water. But when I hit the bilge pump switch at the instrument panel they do not turn on. Is this how it is supposed to work ?

Magicfloat · 12-27-2006, 06:51 PM

With the cockpit cover on and the support poles in place,no water should get in. Is the boat left in the water? If so,I would suspect something else,leaking boot or something. And Formula bilge pumps are not the sensor type you describe,they have a mechanical float,will not come on unless the float is tripped. If the pump doesn't come on with the manual switch you have a problem with wiring,breaker,switch, or pump itself. Time for a little electrical detective work.should be somewhat easy to find. Good luck

Phazar454Mag · 12-28-2006, 05:32 AM

The support pole is in place and the cockpit cover seems to work fine.
Yes I do keep the Formula in the water. But I also checked that when it is not raining, then no water gets into the bilge. Then if it rains heavily water gets into one of the sides (that space in the side of the engine compartment underneath the trim pumps etc), and from there down into the bilge. So I am pretty sure it is rain water. My first thought was that water enters the air intake ducts, but I have not verified that, so I was trying to find out if that is a common problem. But I guess not. I hate water in the bilge so I would like to eliminate this problem.
It sounds like the automatic bilge pump type is not standard. So the bilge pumps probably have been replaced at some point. I don't like these automatic pumps, but I did not think of that when working in the installation of the new engines. Would have been a lot easier to replace the pumps with the engines out and check the wiring etc. Anyway I have a small oil leak from one engine, so I am planning on pulling it, and then I can have space to work on the bilge pumps.