# Calling 1996 to 1998 Tracker Owners



## JPT (Mar 8, 2010)

Spring of this year I purchased a 1998 aluminum Super Guide V16 Tracker. Prior owner had given it a lot of TLC. Appears several years newer. I love it!

My concern and problem is this...where is the accumulating bilge water coming from?? I guess the mere presence of an original equiptment bilge pump on this small boat says that there is going to be some water to deal with....but again where's it coming from? I am currently storing outside with cover installed so I am elevating tongue with drain plug out so that any water that might run inside off cover will run out. After 3-4 hrs in the water I can turn bilge pump on and it will pump out a small bucketfull. This is after not more than a cupfull coming from bow spray etc.! When I arrive home and unload after spending several hours on the lake there is more water that runs out..a bucket or two. Where's it coming from??

Bottom condition and integrity is good. Can one expect some leakage from an older riveted aluminum Tracker? Any issues with what appear to be rubber washers on heads of tansom bolts? Not concerned about safety!..but where's water coming from? Will appreciate any and all input!!

JPT


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## luredaddy (May 25, 2004)

Check all livewell connections, hoses, where the tube comes through transom, etc...Put some water in the boat while on the trailer, see if it leaks.
John


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## 7thcorpsFA (Mar 6, 2010)

I have an aluminum 2000 Tracker Pro Team 185 and it leaks too. The other day I found it leaking at the drain plug, even when very tight. It is made of cheap plastic and I dread trying to find a new one and getting someone with the proper tools to install it. I has other leaks somewhere in the bottom near the keel because when out of the water it leaks water from the keel near the front of the boat. It takes 4 to 5 hours to get a bucket full or less. I would like to have it fixed, but at $75 an hour for labor at the marina I will just put up with it.


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## Marinette Sportfisherman (Apr 13, 2010)

you have a couple thousand penetrations in the hull be glad its only a bucket full, i had a rear livewell pump on my lund that the hose broke and water was back feeding into bilge.


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## James30 (Apr 13, 2004)

I had a 95 Tracker Pro 17 bass boat and it seemed to get water in through the livewell. The well would be filled then as the boat moved the water would go up over the edges and into the bilge, rough days on the water would be worse. I narrowed this down because there were some days, I hate to admit, that I didn't catch a single fish so the livewell never got filled up. I had very little if any water in the bilge these days.


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## pal21 (Mar 9, 2008)

I had one of those for a couple years. Turned out the fill pipe feeding the live well leaked, dumping water into the bilge. Next time out don't fill the live well. If it stays dry than you'll know.


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## freyedknot (Apr 10, 2004)

very well could be cracked or loose fittings on the plumbing. also put a new plug in the transom, they can dry out and crack ,letting water in .


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

All the above, plus put some clear silcone rubber around the seals for outlets and inlets(on the outside of the hull) for the live wells/baitwells also. I'd do this first as it is the easiest of all the recommendations!


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

Marinette Sportfisherman said:


> you have a couple thousand penetrations in the hull be glad its only a bucket full, i had a rear livewell pump on my lund that the hose broke and water was back feeding into bilge.


This sounds bad. What did you do?


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