Wildcat with exhaust leak, maybe

Pete, I put some foam in there before I checked in here. There were lots of crescent shaped passageways through the inner and outer stringers and the cross braces. I posted pictures of those areas as best I could. The pictures are actually what I was looking for before I started ripping the floor apart. It almost looks like the boat was designed not to have foam since there were so many passageways built into the stringers and crossmembers. Frank

Frank,
Forget the foam! As mentioned, you may decide to go no foam after spending some time reading some of the threads about it. I happen to be a no foam person but there are other opinions as well.

OK, never shop at West - they are nothing but whores when it comes down to price. You can do better by simply doing on line searches. I happen to like go2marine.com.

The local muffler shop helped out but you do know it's temporary!! Even if they sold you SS tube, it's 400 series "muffler" stainless and it's junk!!!

We all want you to do a total at seasons end! we'll be witing and be around for any help you need!

My temporary solution was found at a muffler shop. The guy sold me a six inch section of 3 inch tailpipe for 6 bucks. I can get it to fit in the exhaust tubes which are 2 7/8. I am going to double clamp everything as Peter mentioned. Plan to foam around the exhaust and put the floor back temporarily. When we get back form the lake, the fun will start...gut interior, pull up floors, see what uglies are living down there. I am so glad I didn't just live with the leak one more time.

I think you are right Peter. I found a weird combination of stuff that looked really old and stuff that looked pretty fresh. The starboard side is even stranger. The tube is definitely older and the through hull fitting has some copper that is crusty looking but that side is dry. I should have real fun today since I have all day to work on it. Frank

Good advice BuffaloBFN. I've been taking pictures when I remember to. I've been adding them to the photobucket site here
http://s1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa392/fesser1/66%20Wildcat/
I would link them to here but it takes me so long to figure out what I am doing that it seems like time wasted.
With the assistance of my youngest daughter, I was able to at least find the biggest leak. If you look at the photos you will see a simple splice or junction of the two straight exhaust tubes, with two stainless hose clamps. When I put a hose into the exhaust outlet, water trickled in at this coupling. I was surprised because I expected it to come from the elbow that is just below the exhaust manifold outlet. The elbow is rusty and ugly, but, with water in the exhaust tube, the coupling in the middle leaked and the elbow didn't. That said, if I make it through the week that I really need the boat, I would like to replace the elbows and the parts that pass through the transom. Is this hardware readily available? Sorry for the long posts, but if it wasn't for this site, I would be trying to reinvent the wheel on everything I do with this boat. Frank

Keeganino, I think I am going to do what you suggested. Thanks for the comments. She actually looks better in the pictures than in person. Since those photos much of the vinyl has begun to deteriorate, and there are lots of fine cracks in the gelcoat on the flat surfaces. She still shines up nice and always draws lots of attention at the dock or on the water. Sounds cooler than any boat I've ever owned too. Now if I can just keep her from sinking. Frank

The more you dig the more wet stuff you are going to find. There are only 2 kinds of boats from this era. Those that have been rebuilt and those that need to be. Lots of people have cut the floor out, pulled the foam, dried it out and put it back together with no foam. You will be fine without the foam.

Thanks Joe and Peter. I think I am going to start digging out what I can from around the tube tonight. If it gets bad enough the boat will just stay home. Everyone's input has been a big help.

Peter, The speedo does work. I'm not sure what or where the dampner is but if it is part of the driveline I am going to rule it out. I can see where the water is coming in to the bilge (through a hole in the stringer) but I can't see where the water is getting into the hull because of the floor.

Frank,
I don't think anyone's mentioned a leak in the speedo pitot tubing or a rutured pulsation dampner as a possible source of water. Have you checked? Does your speedo work?

Thanks Ed. I agree with you about the rusty transition tube. We did the packings last year when I first found the leak. It was after that that I saw it coming through the stringer on the port side. I plan to run it tonight but am not too optimistic. Last year it didn't leak noticeably while in use. Once it was shut down the water would start coming in. I assume the exhaust blew the water out fast enough under power. The leak was a good, steady trickle. If left to sit for a 3-5 hours it would have about 4-5 inches of water at the bilge pump.

Frank,I don't have any pictures than this,but if it's like mine,basically they took an approx 6" long tube and stuck it thru the back of the boat.They reinforced the area with wood encapsulated in the fiberglass.The tube is then sealed in place and the chrome ring is just for looks. pull off the rings and check if you can see if it's leaking there.I'm sure there is a good pic in some of the stringer threads.

Tim, I'll look at it this afternoon when I get home and will attempt to get some useful pictures. Assuming it is foamed in, is there a second set of stringers on the opposite side of the exhaust? I'm thinking of cutting just enough floor to fix the leak, and then fixing it properly after we get back from Medicine Lake. My kids won't let me hear the end of it if we are at the lake for a week without the boat.
Pete, thanks very much for the help with linking to my photos. The link didn't work for me however. I don't know if it is just me though. The pictures are of the boat the day I bought it. The interior could use help again.

Thanks Tim, you're right. I looked at mine when I got home from work.

If youve seen some signs of foam, then yes, your probably unlucky. The no-foam boats tend to resist rotting a little better since air can circulate everywhere. Take a picture of where the exhaust enters the floor and we should be able to tell you for sure.

Ive never seen or heard of an original CC that had an entire floor made out of ply and then covered in glass. On foamed boats, certain areas of the floor have wood in them, but theyre primarily glass right over foam- and you probably wouldnt know the wood was there by looking at it. I wonder if youre talking about the wood floor installed on top of the glass? Or perhaps your boat has had the floor replaced? Again, pictures would be helpful.