Unique Leak... Looking for suggestions / help

[ColdNorth]

I just got this boat this spring... 2000 X22 and really enjoy it. However the sump runs more than it should but I just was not concerned enough to check closely to see why. Late in the summer, we found the problem. Not sure what you call this large pipe, but right where the hose clamp touches the large pipe, it has apparently rubbed a hole and it leaks plenty while the boat is running. Sprays in fact like it is under pressure. In the pictures named leak 3 and leak 4, that stream of water coming from under the pipe indicates where it is coming from. Although it appears to be held only with hose clamps, I think the big pipe is going to be difficult to remove. Have any of you had this problem before? Suggestions on how to repair this leak? I have not read about a leak like this on the site. I am not anxious about having a large fiberglass repair job there. I just winterized the boat today and would like to repair this before I put it away for winter. I am open for suggestions on this one...

[Capt Rick]

the exhaust pipe is easy to fix sand till shows non black then get marinetex  and repair. remove clamp that cut into exhaust pipe.. if neccesary remove exhaust hoses then pipe.

[ColdNorth]

Thank you kindly... I will post later how it goes...

On a bit of a different note, just to give my boat a bit of extra protection when winterizing, I put in the new oil (Amsoil) and then turned the hose going into the strainer assembly upside down and put in my garden hose and fired up the boat for a couple of minutes to get the new oil throughout. Then I took a big funnel and poured in a couple of gallons of plumbing & R.V. antifreeze and let it run till that was coming out the exhaust then shut it down. Then I completed the rest of the draining procedures and was relieved to see the pink antifreeze come out each drain place. When I do it next year, I think I will pull out the thermostat first before I start it with the antifreeze going in so the antifreeze goes in that part of the block as well.
Any thoughts on this procedure? While I know RV antifreeze is not for engines, I am assuming it is because it does not have the temperature range that regular auto antifreeze has... It is designed only to stop things from freezing.  I am hoping it is not because it will corrode everything.

[ScarabEpic22]

Amoils good stuff, Epic has had it for the last 2 seasons and so has my TrailBlazer and my mom's RX300.  No more lifter tap in my TB, I switched back to dino oil for 1500mi to flush my engine and man was it loud compared to the Amsoil.

[blindside]

In regardes to the themo, I run the boat till it has fully warmed up on the lake and them after loading the boat on the trailer, hook up the fakalake to a bucket of anti-freeze and turn the engine on until antifreeze comes out the exhaust (back into the bucket).  This puts the antifreeze in the whole system.  I leave it that way till spring and start the boat up and it is ready to go.  I do not do any draining except for the ballast system.

Just my 2 cents

[ColdNorth]

You are a brave person. I guessed that is what dealers must do as there is no way they are going through the effort of draining everything like many of us do. I don't have a heater or shower on my boat but I guess you would want to ensure that the antifreeze was circulated through those areas as well. I met another Epic owner from Alberta this summer in Montana... dealership had winterized his boat but they did not get the shower hoses good enough and he ended up with a leak. They would not stand behind it.

What area are you in? I am curious about the climate your boat winters in. Our summers are beautiful here but too short... would like to find a way to get permanently south of the border... not easy from Canada. Thanks for the information.

[blindside]

I am in North Texas so not Near as cold here.  If I lived up there I would do the same as I do now but also install a block heater and leave it plugged as soon as it started getting below 15 F for long periods of time.