Another Clean-Out Plug Thread

FSH 210 Sport said:

A few hundred miles and quite a few hours later still totally dry..

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This is how you installed your o-ring?

Branislav said:

This is how you installed your o-ring?

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Yes! Might want to clean the port while you are there, though. Would enable a better seal.

Troch1 said:

Yes! Might want to clean the port while you are there, though. Would enable a better seal.

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Especially where the O ring sits in the groove and where the seal skirt of the plug contacts the metal.

30 minutes ride today (few full throttle runs) after O ring installation no water over plug - perfectly dry - $6 dollar fix - love it

Add me and my 2024 255 FSH to the success list also!!

CauseTheImplications said:

First time poster, long time reader..

Anyone have a gopro video of a blow out actually occurring? Almost went the way of the titanic the other day.. Rebuilt the port side plug while the bilge pumped away.. (Im guessing 400 to 500 gallons of lake water made it in with the blow out ok maybe not 4 or 5 hundred, but enough to come half way up the motors and into the ski locker) Have a marine mechanic checking the other below water line seals, but curious how much water really does come in when a plug blows out)

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This post will most definitely get lost, and would be far better served being moved to its own thread, or at least a thread with the old style of plugs - a handful of people in this thread with the new plugs may have experience with the old style of plugs you're referencing, but at best, the new-style plug people will be throwing wild ass guesses, and be less than useful for you as you sift through info not targeted to what you're actually dealing with

@zipper @Bruce @Admin maybe pull this out to its own thread or something for better views and assistance?

drewkaree said:

This post will most definitely get lost, and would be far better served being moved to its own thread, or at least a thread with the old style of plugs - a handful of people in this thread with the new plugs may have experience with the old style of plugs you're referencing, but at best, the new-style plug people will be throwing wild ass guesses, and be less than useful for you as you sift through info not targeted to what you're actually dealing with

@zipper @Bruce @Admin maybe pull this out to its own thread or something for better views and assistance?

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Thank you. Ill move it over it over to its own thread and see if anyone has any ideas.

CauseTheImplications said:

Thank you. Ill move it over it over to its own thread and see if anyone has any ideas.

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Sorry, Im a newb.. I did move it over, to here: Popping cleanout plugs like champagne corks on NYE... (Yes another thread) And Ill delete my other post or something

CauseTheImplications said:

Sorry, Im a newb.. I did move it over, to here: Popping cleanout plugs like champagne corks on NYE... (Yes another thread) And Ill delete my other post or something

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Welcome, you are good with the new thread. No need to delete any posts.

At first the bees wax seemed to help to reduce or stop the water blow-by... but it doesn't seem to last long..... and it is messy to reapply.

Looks like I need to go back and read about the O-ring hack I've been missing while off the site for a while.


My clean-out ports fill with water immediately. So much so I am 99% sure they are filling the compartment with water so fast the drain gets overwhelmed on both sides and water starts getting past the access port and cover into the bilge when I'm on plane.

When the boat sits in the water or I'm at now wake speed, I don't get a drop of water in the bilge.... and I installed trims tabs and a Garmin Transducer when it was new. I'm not getting any water in just sitting or idling.

But when I'm on plane the bilge is running often so it has to be water blowing by the plugs... overwhelming the drain and then leaking past the access port and cover.

I thought about getting rebuild kits for my plugs.... but my plugs go in and out easy and I'm not sure spending $120 to rebuild both plugs is going to buy me anything.

I'm was thinking about ordering the risers from Jet Boat pilot but..... if I'm turning 6000 RPM's and the water is pushing past the plugs, I'm not sure the 3/4" riser is going to be high enough while the drain tries to keep up. I'm thinking the drain needs to be a 1" ID hose for water to drain fast enough but I'm not going to try and redesign the drains at this point. Sounds like the O-Rings are the cheap and easy way to go to stop this once and for all.





On top of dealing with this ongoing water issue I just got bit by the fueling problem. I think my vent canister must be full of fuel or water. Yesterday morning it took 20 minutes to add 20 gallons. When I got back to the marina and tried to fill the tank again, fuel would just shoot out the filler..... unless you let it trickle in.

I live in Florida and my boat is rack stored outside. I'm betting over the last couple years water has slowly gotten into the vent from rain storms and the canister is probably now full of water and / or fuel and it can't vent the tank. I thought about removing the canister altogether... but after thinking about the wind driven rain down here in Florida, I suspect some water would get into the fuel tank without the canister..... but this issue is for another thread.

You guys rock!

After going back and reading all the posts over the past few months added to when I started this one, looks like the O-Ring Hack is a real winner!

I was starting to think I had shaft seal issues but I am 99.9% sure it is the water blow-by through the clean out plugs... or as Yamaha calls them Manhole Covers.

I have been thinking about this problem for months..... it was reminding me of when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded... and the root cause was high pressure gas was blowing by the solid rock booster o-rings after the o-rings were extremely cold.

I started thinking about the high pressure in the pumps and how water temps and pump temps might even impact how well the clean-out plug seal worked.

I even thought about trying to modify the seal in the clean-out port itself to stop or slow the blow-by but you guys came up with a much better..... cheaper.... and easier solution. Just ordered the O-rings from McMaster Carr.

Thanks to all of you who contributed to engineering a solution better than what Yamaha did..... but that's what we do!


Now I just have to fix my fueling issue...... ughhhh

Judge said:

You guys rock!

After going back and reading all the posts over the past few months added to when I started this one, looks like the O-Ring Hack is a real winner!

I was starting to think I had shaft seal issues but I am 99.9% sure it is the water blow-by through the clean out plugs... or as Yamaha calls them Manhole Covers.

I have been thinking about this problem for months..... it was reminding me of when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded... and the root cause was high pressure gas was blowing by the solid rock booster o-rings after the o-rings were extremely cold.

I started thinking about the high pressure in the pumps and how water temps and pump temps might even impact how well the clean-out plug seal worked.

I even thought about trying to modify the seal in the clean-out port itself to stop or slow the blow-by but you guys came up with a much better..... cheaper.... and easier solution. Just ordered the O-rings from McMaster Carr.

Thanks to all of you who contributed to engineering a solution better than what Yamaha did..... but that's what we do!


Now I just have to fix my fueling issue...... ughhhh

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I’d suggest having a good look at the clean out plug seals… you’ve gotten a few years out of them.

@Spooky pantz has the O rings as well.

Just responded to your fueling issue in the other thread…

FSH 210 Sport said:

I’d suggest having a good look at the clean out plug seals… you’ve gotten a few years out of them.

@Spooky pantz has the O rings as well.

Just responded to your fueling issue in the other thread…

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I'll take a good look at them tomorrow.... but when I looked at them they look good. No cracks... shrinkage... etc. I have kept them well lubed the past couple years. They go in an out easily and lock / unlock easily.

But even when the boat was new I was having this issue. The bees wax did help some but I'm sure with a little time on the plug seals, there is just not enough sealing. I finally got tired of putting bees wax on every other outing.

These pumps create a heck of a lot of pressure. You would think Yamaha would come up with a better solution.

Judge said:

I'll take a good look at them tomorrow.... but when I looked at them they look good. No cracks... shrinkage... etc. I have kept them well lubed the past couple years. They go in an out easily and lock / unlock easily.

But even when the boat was new I was having this issue. The bees wax did help some but I'm sure with a little time on the plug seals, there is just not enough sealing. I finally got tired of putting bees wax on every other outing.

These pumps create a heck of a lot of pressure. You would think Yamaha would come up with a better solution.

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Bees Wax makes a huge mess…it does help for sure but the O rings are the Bees Knees!

My clean out plugs were pretty snug when my boat was new but loosened up over time, even new seals didn’t snug things up. The big advantage my boat has is two channels in the clean out area to drain water from any clean out plug leakage..dunno why they put in a drain on my boat, I plugged it off on the bottom and top with blanks, but boats like yours have the bath tub style and need the drain. I’d suggest the mechanical hatch riser, and also a check valve in the drain line to keep any water from coming back up the drain and of course sealing the clean out tray after it’s installed.

FSH 210 Sport said:

Bees Wax makes a huge mess…it does help for sure but the O rings are the Bees Knees!

My clean out plugs were pretty snug when my boat was new but loosened up over time, even new seals didn’t snug things up. The big advantage my boat has is two channels in the clean out area to drain water from any clean out plug leakage..dunno why they put in a drain on my boat, I plugged it off on the bottom and top with blanks, but boats like yours have the bath tub style and need the drain. I’d suggest the mechanical hatch riser, and also a check valve in the drain line to keep any water from coming back up the drain and of course sealing the clean out tray after it’s installed.

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thmarinesupplies.com

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I know my issue isn't water back-filling into the compartment when slowing and stopping. I know that can happen too but I would settle for a small amount of water getting in.

Yesterday we ran an hour non-stop at 30MPH. The bilge was probably turning on every 10 - 15 minutes... and when it does... it takes a couple minutes to pump it all out.

We have two no wake zones that take about 10 - 15 minutes to get through. Running 5 - 6MPH through those zones and nothing comes out of the bilge when I turn on the pump.


What tipped me off was when I took the boat in for my 10-hour service. The sealer used what looked like axle grease. I assumed they put it on the clean-out plug but I am now sure they put in that groove in the port. That lasted a couple outings and then it started again. That's when I tried the Bees Wax.... but I put it around the clean-out seal. It worked... but not nearly as good as grease in the groove.... and it was messy.

Now seeing where this O-Ring is placed makes perfect sense as to why the grease in the grove the dealer used worked so well... albeit for a short period of time.

My O-Rings will be here tomorrow from McMaster Carr so I am very confident this will fix this issue once and for all given the testing and feedback you guys have done the past several months.

Judge said:

I know my issue isn't water back-filling into the compartment when slowing and stopping. I know that can happen too but I would settle for a small amount of water getting in.

Yesterday we ran an hour non-stop at 30MPH. The bilge was probably turning on every 10 - 15 minutes... and when it does... it takes a couple minutes to pump it all out.

We have two no wake zones that take about 10 - 15 minutes to get through. Running 5 - 6MPH through those zones and nothing comes out of the bilge when I turn on the pump.


What tipped me off was when I took the boat in for my 10-hour service. The sealer used what looked like axle grease. I assumed they put it on the clean-out plug but I am now sure they put in that groove in the port. That lasted a couple outings and then it started again. That's when I tried the Bees Wax.... but I put it around the clean-out seal. It worked... but not nearly as good as grease in the groove.... and it was messy.

Now seeing where this O-Ring is placed makes perfect sense as to why the grease in the grove the dealer used worked so well... albeit for a short period of time.

My O-Rings will be here tomorrow from McMaster Carr so I am very confident this will fix this issue once and for all given the testing and feedback you guys have done the past several months.

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Is your clean out tray sealed to the deck?

FSH 210 Sport said:

Is your clean out tray sealed to the deck?

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It is.... I even ran a bead of silicone around the outside where the ring mates to the surface.

What I think happens is the O-ring for the cover starts to shrink over time.... or just isn't big enough to fully seal the lid. I tried some o-ring lube around the o-ring but that wears off quickly in the salt water.

I was thinking about the Riser to get the cover up higher or find a wider diameter O-ring for the cover..... but the O-Ring for the clean-out port certainly sounds like the best approach.

Judge said:

It is.... I even ran a bead of silicone around the outside where the ring mates to the surface.

What I think happens is the O-ring for the cover starts to shrink over time.... or just isn't big enough to fully seal the lid. I tried some o-ring lube around the o-ring but that wears off quickly in the salt water.

I was thinking about the Riser to get the cover up higher or find a wider diameter O-ring for the cover..... but the O-Ring for the clean-out port certainly sounds like the best approach.

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Agreed, I’d add the riser as well.

parkgt214 said:

The #350 o- rings were too thick on my 2019 AR 190. I ordered the #248 o-rings and installed today, also used real bees wax. Plug went in so easily I wonder if it is thick enough to do much. Won't get to find until the following weekend. I will report back.

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Any update on the thinner O rings ?

FSH 210 Sport said:

Any update on the thinner O rings ?

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I just installed the #350 o-rings this morning in my '22 275SD. I didn't notice much of an increase in the effort to lock and unlock the clean-out plugs.

Unfortunately it will probably be a while until I can test how they do. We are going to have a few days of higher winds and 2'+ seas.