Water under engine in molded pan.

[Joegunz]

I've noticed that water collects under the engine in the molded pan in my cd33. The pan fills , but the bilge pump rarely runs so I don't think it's allot of water? I've assumed it's due to leakage from the stuffing box. Could be the cockpit lockers leak a bit too? Do others have this happening?

[Frenchy]

On my boat, also a 33, water in the engine pan usually comes from rain through the vents at the stern, I think. Sometimes, there's a
bit of antifreeze mixed in too. I've noticed that the recovery bottle in the port locker loses coolant, so I think there was a leak
at the hose connections. I've since tightened that up..
The engine sump fluid only spills to the bilge when it overflows, so the bilge pump normally wouldn't come on.
You could try covering the vents at the rear with plastic bags and rubber bands and see if that makes a difference.
Good luck - Jean

[Jim Walsh]

I also get a little water in the pan when it rains heavily. The CD31 has teak coaming for the cockpit lockers. I need to remove them and rebed them. I’ve avoided that project so far…one of these days…

[Joegunz]

Thanks for the info. I'll try blocking the vents at least when not running the engine. Glad to hear others have the same thing happening. I had antifreeze overflow too, and installed a plastic bottle for the overflow tube coming from the reservoir in the port cockpit locker.

[Carl Thunberg]

The only thing I would add is that the engine pan is intended to capture engine fluids. With that in mind, the engine pan should not be allowed to overflow into the bilge. It is intended to be emptied manually with a sponge, and if there is any oily residue or coolant, the water should be transferred to an oily water receptacle and disposed of properly. I do mine once, maybe twice a season. Your mileage may vary.

[Tom Keevil]

A properly adjusted stuffing box should slowly drip, and this water will unavoidably end up under the engine. It is a pain to remove this water, and as mentioned, if it overflows into the main bilge it will carry with it any oil as well. It is pretty difficult to avoid getting oil down there on occasion.

We put an oil absorbing pad on the top of the holding tank, so if the engine sump does overflow, the oil is caught in the pad. Having a separate sump under the engine is a good idea. I just wish there was an easy way to drain it and keep it clean.

[tmcclarren]

I have a 1983 CD 25D. Purchased last year in Connecticut. I to have water in the pan under the engine. I have narrowed down that the majority of the water is coming from the rudder/tiller area. I taped around the wooden plate that the post comes up through and where the post comes up through the sleeve. It stopped most of the water. I also think that the stb locker coaming is leaking. Why CD would ever put wood as a dam to keep water from the locker getting in the boat is a head scratcher. Should have been part of the mold.

[Dick Kobayashi]

Water in the plastic under engine pan? Common, I'd say. An absorbent pad can be effective. Here is a suggestion that is relevant whether or not you use an absorbent pad. Squirt a little dish washing liquid onto the pad or on to the pan when ever you check it. Why? It will break up any oils and keep them in suspension while they are in the pan and/or if they drain to the bilge.

Actually when I owned the Susan B (25D) I always put a shot of detergent in the bilge when I checked it. This kept any crud/oil/particulates, etc in suspension and eliminated much of the potential for odor.

[Frenchy]

That's a good tip, Dick. I'd never heard that before, but it makes sense. - Jean

[Carl Thunberg]

Whether we break them up with soap or not, you're still allowing oily water to discharge to the environment. The engine pan should not be allowed to overflow into the bilge. And, yes, I do use a sorbent pad. It may not sound like much oil on a per-boat basis, but multiply that by hundreds of thousands of boats, and it matters. There's a reason the engine pan doesn't have a drain hole.

yes, I know we burn diesel, which is inherently polluting, but this is one area where we have the ability to reduce our impact by simply checking the engine pan periodically.

[Ann and David Brownlee]

The pan under the engine of our 31 collects rainwater that comes into the seat lockers, plus any antifreeze or other liquids that leak out of the engine. It is very hard to bail it with a splonge, owing to small clearance, so we use a little Par pump (like the one use for oil changes) with a stiff hose attached to its bottom.