bilge drainage
 

Hello everyone,I'm new here.I have a 74 V20 with a outboard.When I was out chunking for stripers I keep washing deck down with a 5 gal bucket.When I got in and started to wash down the boat I noticed that there was water in the bilge.I had to sit on motor to get the water to get high enough to drain into the pump area.After doing that there was still about 10 Gal still in bilge.I began to think I may have a leak.So I got a shop-vac and got the rest of it out.Went back the next day and there was only maybe a gallon in bilge.Just wondering if anyone had this problem and how they corrected it.It seems to me that the drain hole allowing water into the pump area between the batteries is to high.The base where the pump is mounted appears to be about 2" above bilge and the drain hole seems to be about 3".Hope someone can help me out here.:beer:

The early V's drained the deck into the bilge.

My 1975 went to the bilge also, don';t worry about it.
Put your pump up on the stringer a few inches off the floor. Other wise you going to eat pumps like crazy as it will suck in sand and crap and bind them up.
I always waited till I was headed in to start cleaning to keep the water down till I was inshore.

Welcome to the board!

You had a bilge pump?

Yes I have a pump it's located in the well between the batteries.

That was a jab at MJ, not at you. Ask MJ about his last V-20 outing:nut:.

Welcome to the site.
The floor coolers drain into the bottom and then into the bilge.
Stick your finger into the hole toward the coolers and make sure there is room to drill another drain directly below it. Three inches above the bottom of the bilge sounds way too high.
Here is where mine is located.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...ki3/001-31.jpg

Oh, this is what I did for the bilge pump installation.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...ki3/002-35.jpg
Just a 1/4" piece of aluminum plate keeps it centered and flat and off the bottom just enough to reduce a lot of sand being sucked up in it.

thats a why I stopped using them, I kept burning them out!

Thanks for the advise.I'll let you know how I make out.So I guess there is always water in bilge till it's reaches the drian hole.It just seemed to be a little much.But in the 70's I guess it was high-tec.Send pics when I get back down to the dock