Prop Seal drip

[TexP51 6]

Kinda have a strange situation that I'd like to hear some perspective on from members. 

Have a '02 Elite V C4 Air Warrior that we keep lifted in a boat house on our lake.  Saturday I hit a submerged stump and put a small ding in the 3-blade prop, lots of vibration so idled in and pulled the boat out and trailered it a couple of hours home so I could exchange props on dry land.  This boat never sits uncovered, and while home  it sat outside the first night and wouldn't you know we had pretty torrential rains - like 4" Sunday nightt here in Houston.  I came home from work on Monday and things were drying out but I noticed there was water on the driveway under boat.  Looking closer I saw there was a steady drip - every 2-3 sec drip - coming from the prop shaft dripping water out from inside the boat.  I looked in the bilge and found 5" of water standing in the engine and tranny bilge areas.  I pulled the plug and ran the bilge to drain the water, and all is good.  Got me to thinking I had never noticed a sizeable prop shaft leak, but then again maybe this is normal.  Different perspective from water leaking into the hull, versus seeing water leaking out.  One lesson- I need to pull the plug if/when I store this boat exposed to weather.  Anyone have any thoughts if this is normal?     

[namadio 0]

I have an 2002 Escalade and I haven't noticed a drip from inside out before but normally water only gets in like that on my lift before the canopy is installed (always leave plugs in on cable lift, years ago I witnessed way too many hydro locked motors when a cable snaps, but always store on dry land nose up plugs out).  I've never serviced the shaft seal and suspect it is leaking outside in.  Haven't confirm the leak and repack the seal is on my to do list.  That probably didn't help at all...

[TexP51 6]

Appreciate you taking the time to respond.  After I read it I realize I pull the rear garboard brass bilge drain, but not the drain by the v-drive.    Actually I never have needed to pull that drain.  Wonder if the rubber seals have gone bad?  Mine doesn’t look like a t-drain, but looks like a bolted-in mount.  Is the normal t drain location just ahead of the v-drive? 

[Troy 234]

Depending on your shaft seal, a drip every 2-3 seconds is normal and that is how the shaft is lubricated. I would me more worried that the bilge pump didn't automatically come on and pump the water overboard.  

[1jeffgignac 7]

I hit something underground for which the shaft had to be repaired. Additional work to the hull needed to be done as well so it sounds a bit more sever than your encounter, @TexP51.

Since that time, whenever the boat sits in the water for longer than 30 mins. our bilge will run and blow water out. It never amounts to anything and out boat is always under a covered lift year around but it has never been the same since the prop incident.

[rhino89523 34]

Old style shaft seal is meant to leak a little past the seal, it is usually the other way from the lake into the boat not from the boat onto the driveway but it is designed to leak a drip or two for the lubrication as stated above. the new style seals get lube from the motor and push that through for lube so it is possible the motor is draining out a bit...mine does for a while after I run it on the fake a lake and when moving it around the house.