Transom Assembly Replacement ???

[longboatsailing]

I've had some water dripping into my bilge for some time, and it seems to be dripping more in last few months. I took my SeaRay 270 to the dealer for an inspection and they concluded it was my transom assembly that needs to be replaced for a little more than $ 7,000.

The boat is a 1999 model and has been in saltwater since new, but always flushed with fresh water and stored on a lift.

Does anyone have experience with having their transom assembly replaced? Does this seem reasonable? How much water in the bilge is reasonable to expect after a couple of hours or running?

 

[LouC]

What made them conclude that they have to replace the whole assembly, is it corroded through somewhere? Transom water leaks can be from a number of sources, u-joint bellows, shift cable bellows, exhaust leaks, drain plug or core plug leaks, etc. There is also a seal around the transom mount that can leak. I'd get a good mechanic to look at it again, do you have a Mercruiser? Might have to pull the engine if it's the seal around the transom mount or an exhaust leak where the Y pipe mounts to the inner transom plate. That 7 grand estimate is sky high and right away would make me suspicious.