U cooler on crusader 454xl

[ken emigh]

Found a water leak at the bottom of u cooler.
It appears to be coming from zinc/drain plug.
Do these normally fail?
Ordered a new one will see if it fixes the problem.
Boat is fresh water boat 1996 carver 380.

Thanks in advance

 

[Bruce Herrington]

Not that I'm aware of. The zinc should be checked or replaced on a monthly basis though. Learned that lesson the hard way.

 

[pdecat]

there may be junk on the threads. IMO everyone should own a thread tap to clean the threads before replacing zincs. Additionelly I never use the old brass plug because pipe threads are designed for distort on use and may not seal as well the next time.

 

[Robyns Nest]

They do go bad but with saltwater usage.

Like Bruce said check the threads, or for a possible crack in the housing.

Maybe water in it over the winter.

 

[Sandy]

Dittoing some of the above.....Since the fitting and plug are tapered pipe thread and relatively soft, efforts to prevent leaks can result in just slightly over-tightening . Then the fitting has split or the solder seal holding it in the cooler cracks. A mirror and light may help close inspection. Other possibilities are gradoo in the threads, cross-threading or mismatch of SAE and metric when buying instlling new pencil w/ cap.

 

[ken emigh]

Update:
Inspected bottom as suggested nothing noted.
When I went to unscrew it, it was loose came out very easy.
Inspected the zinc no corrosion to speak off.
Applied some thread sealant and reinstalled.
Started engine and observed for about 10 minutes, no leaking.
Thanks for all the suggestions.