Hello everyone
I have a 2017 Q25 I/O which has water leaking in the starboard rear chamber. I need to get to the top of the pontoon to siphon the water and pressure check to know where the leak is. I can’t seem to figure out how to get the decorative panel off that is between the deck /rub rail and the pontoon. It is bolted on, but there is less than a 1/2” of space under the rub rail to get to the lock nuts. Has anyone come up with an answer? Thank you all for any help / information.
You will not able to siphon water out of the vent port because a suction tube needs to be straight and stiff to get to the bottom. Removing the side panel for a pressure test is possible but difficult. A visible fastener would make the task easier but would not maintain Bennington’s high aesthetic standards. You might get lucky and find a crack without a pressure test. The most common location is a weld joint on the top of the tube at the most rearward support bracket. Good luck.
Thank you for your responses. Yes, it is under warranty, but unfortunately the dealer will drill a hole in the bottom, drain, and fill the hole. I’m a certified tig welder, so my plan was to weld a 3/4” bong in the top of each pontoon chamber, so it is much easier to siphon and pressure check for the future if this problem happens to another pontoon chamber. I just can’t figure out a good way to get the rub rail off to remove the decorative aluminum panel for access to the top of the pontoons. Mine is also the salt water series which has the whole underside paneled off.
Thank you again for your help with this matter.
You will not able to siphon water out of the vent port because a suction tube needs to be straight and stiff to get to the bottom. Removing the side panel for a pressure test is possible but difficult. A visible fastener would make the task easier but would not maintain Bennington’s high aesthetic standards. You might get lucky and find a crack without a pressure test. The most common location is a weld joint on the top of the tube at the most rearward support bracket. Good luck.
Thats where both my tubes were leaking. Bottom of the M bracket (rough water package) that was welded to the top of tubes.
Here is an old thread about it. You also have to pull the underskinning off in certain places to get to those bolts / nuts to pull the decorative panels out to reach the top of the tubes where the plugs are.
Years ago when we had water in our starboard pontoon we took it to an aluminum Tig welder. He drilled a hole in the rear and the water ran out. He then installed a threaded bung hole where the drilled hole was for the future. Done!!!
Same here. If you look back at some of my posts, I had about 3 gallons in 1 tube and 5ish in another. This was 2 years ago (and my boat is a 2011 I bought new). End caps had a small crack / pin hole(s) in the welds on the Top of the tube where it attaches the Rough water M bracket.
You have to pull all the skirting and a few of the wave shield...
Ahhh, that would explain why when I lift the boat out of the water on my hydrohoist no water is draining from the pontoon, as the leak is on the top of the tub. That makes more sense as I was thinking a strake weld. I would have to wait a month for the dealer to do it, but I know they are going to do “just enough” to get it done. I plan on checking all chambers and welding as necessary. When it is in the water the rear starboard pontoon is underwater, and water level is up to my swim platform on the starboard side. Even my hydrohoist is struggling to get that rear side out of the water. You all have been much more helpful than my dealer.
