MacGregorSailors.com

Just take the top part of the drain-cover that Kevin showed in his first post, set the threaded bottom part aside and use the thin based top dome alone.
Stick it down over the drain hole with a removable caulk like 4200, or silicone.
Pry it off if you need to get inside the drain, but probly won't ever need to.
It could still be back-flushed like before. The thin flange wlould not have to be screwed down, and is thin enough to allow complete draining of the well.

Kevin: where did you see this for sale and how much, pls. ?
How big is this thing. ?

ALX357 wrote: Kevin: where did you see this for sale and how much, pls. ?
How big is this thing. ?

Found it here, and it's *way* too big for this application. It was the design I was thinking of, though. It's similar to what I used on the top of the drain in our pond out back in the woods... takes ages before the leaves clog it, as opposed to a flat drain.

However, I've been thinking about this, and something very effective could be fabricated out of simple 3/4" PVC pipe and a cap... glue the cap on the pipe and then drill 1/4" holes around the base and sides of the pipe and into the cap. Then use a flange or directly bond the PVC onto the drain hole. As the debris clogs lower holes there will always be a higher hole it can go through, so it would be much harder to clog solid.

I park in the side yard loaded with pine and oak. Tarp works okay but motor well catches a lot of debris. Take your sink plug and plug up the motor well hole. It will fill up with rain water and spill out the back; big deal.

Then clear clutter out of well, unplug, and you're set to go.

I was in Home Depot and saw a $3 lint trap. It's stainless steel mesh and about 3x3 inches. My plan is to roll it, in such a fashion as to not get stuck permanently, and place in sink hole. Wala

BTB, nice to hear from ya Sloop

I think my motor well drain pipe may be leaking into the bilges on my X, how do I get to it?

Pop off that piece of trim on the rear of the boat - two sheet metal screws on each side - the hose is on port side - pretty easy to see, a pain to work on...

Worked on it last night, ran plastic ice cube maker hose down it to clear any refuse, back and forward flushed with full hose pressure, crawled in and made all the curves as gentle as possible and the d@mn thing still did not drain well. Before I do the major cutting and replacing I plan to do, I am going to look at the local pet store for a aquarium strainer like those shown midway down this page.

And yes it is a real pain to get back there, especially with a weak flashlight and just enough damp cold to make it meaningful.

What Terry and Harrison and Ray said - - - only I don't backflush as I am afraid (like Kevin) of forcing the hose off inside - - - so I flush the direction it was intended to go, with the nozzle at the bottom of the engine well forcing junk out. Seems to work for me - - - I sure get a lot of junk out of there (are you listening Sir Roger?? You could fix this constant problem with a 10 cent screen over the drain) [/b]AHA - - did I just come up with the easiest and cheapest solution??? Real small wire screening over the drainhole held down by 4 corner screws???

Rick

Hi, even with the 90 degree bend I cloged the drain with some anchor mud. I found that when I put a small, manual. bilge pump over the hole, it sucked the dirt right out.

I use the pump for my dinghy.

James V;

that is also a great idea - - - small bildge pump and suck the dirt back up and out.

Rick

To follow on Randy's posting here, I would suggest making something like this out of plastic tubing:



Simply a capped tube with vertical slots cut into it, then either pressed into the motor drain well hole, or used with a flange, you could make a larger diameter one (more effective) and bond it to the base of the well above the drain hole. Probably best to make the cap or the tube itself removable in some way to clear any possible clogs that may occur.

This is better than a simple screen, since if the screen gets clogged, you're gonna flood, but if debris begins to clog this drain, the water level will rise and as it does the water will then flow out under the material (which will float).

I didn't show it properly in this simple drawing, but the slots really ought to go down as far to the bottom of the tube as practical.

HOW ABOUT THIS FOR AN IDEA. I made up one of these in my mineral sands mining days. It was used to filter hot sand coming out of a gas blower dryer. Mixed with the sand was chips of rust from the plates lining the dryer. This was made with stainless mesh constructed into a CONE. the sand flowed down onto the top of the cone and went straight on through, The chips hit the sloping sides of the cone and ran down the sides, forming a ring around the base. From here, the chips could be easily cleared.
Just cut a circle of mesh material [ maybe aluminium flywire, and cut a single line from the circumference to the centre of the circle. Bend it into a cone and silicone it over the drain hole. Water can pass through and any rubbish will collect around the edge, and easily cleaned off...It will not block. If rubbish does build up around the edge, it may act like a low walled dam, but the bulk of the water will escape. The well will never get a chance to completely fill up. puggsy 06

tangentair wrote:Before I do the major cutting and replacing I plan to do, I am going
to lookat the local pet store for a aquarium strainer
like those shown midway down this page.

Ron's idea seemed best to me.
It looks almost exactly like Kmac's drawing, and it sells for 2 bucks.
(available in half-inch and three-quarter-inch)

I just jamb a power washer nozzle into it and let loose. Cleans it out fine and in all these years hasn't popped the hose off yet.

To the two admirals, thanks. If I can't find it at a pet store I sure can make it. I had thought I needed to this for the cockpit drain, but after reading this strand I realize that is not were crap is coming from that clogs that line. I'm tired of manually clearing that line then cleaning the mess that comes from it. Thanks all.