STUPID!

J

Jensen

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Joined
Oct 3, 2004
RO Number
15455
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113
So...went to my boat today to have the oil cooler soldered and instead I was given the gift of two cracked exhaust manifolds and a hydrolocked engine. MERRY CHRISTMAS boating style. (ok, enough with the rant)
So, what do you guys to do dry out cylinders? Is PB good enough? It's a newer engine (80 hours rebuilt) and I just want to do it right.

jenn
 
How long has it been sitting full of water? If it's more than a few days, the rings may be rusted solid to the cylinder walls....
 
Fortunately, as the same time the oil cooler broke (I am guessing) and the water didn't sit in there...I started it yesterday and wouldn't have even known that it had this issue except that there was another guy in the bilge, spotting the cooler to make sure it didn't leak. I know it isn't rusted solid. I am not pleased about the wear and tear though.
 
At the very least, take out all the plugs and crank it over a bunch of times to blow out the combustion chambers. I don't know for sure, but I'd think any kind of water-displacing lubricant would help to prevent corrosion.

You need to get it running ASAP to remove any residual moisture.
Good luck!
 
Yeah,
I am going to take the day off friday and go and tackle it. The first thing I will do is remove all of the plugs and PB it. Next I will drop the manifolds. I am undecided about whether I will take apart the risers and spacers. I have two though..A. they don't leak, don't ask for problems and B. While I have it apart, do it as maintainence. Any thoughts on whether this job is possible to do in the water? My boat is in the water, and I am trying to decide whether or not to haul it. I hate to admit it, but my biggest consideration is that if it is in the water then I only have to figure out how to hand the manifolds up and down at chest level, if I haul it, I have to figure out how to get them on and off the boat on a rack. I hate to admit it, and I wouldn't publicly, but I am just not as strong as the guys. : ( Ha ha
 
If you can't handle taking off the manifolds, how are you going to take them off with the risers and elbows attached. The bolts holding the risers and elbows together also hold them to the exhaust manifolds. Take them all apart, it will give you a chance to examine the water passages and see if there are blockages and/or rust scale to clean out. You can do it in the water, just be aware of the water level in the y-pipe (mercruiser outdrive) if you take the exhaust tubes and exhaust elbows off. In my boat, the water level is just below the shutters in the y pipe so I can get away with removing everything from the y-pipe to the engine.
 
I am going to remove the nuts affixing the manifolds to the spacers and risers, then I am going to remove the shift assembly on the one side and the circuit breaker box on the other side. Then I am going to remove the outside bolts from the manifold and replace them with these handy guides I made by cutting the head off of longer yet same threaded bolts. Then I will remove the inside bolts. Depending on the amount of play I have I will either knock the manifolds loose while they are still on the guides, or I will remove the guides once I am ready to "catch". Then I will undo the hose clamps which hold the risers on and wrestle them out. The spacer is almost always glued to the riser with gasket. Anyway, it isn't a question of no plan, or no know how, it is a question of manhandling a manifold eight feet down and eight feet up (the height of the boat while it is on the rack)
I am not sure how it happened yet...guessing they weren't empty, froze and cracked. BOO! on winter!
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jensen

... Anyway, it isn't a question of no plan, or no know how, it is a question of manhandling a manifold eight feet down and eight feet up (the height of the boat while it is on the rack)

Click to expand...


Um, based on his recent post, I'd bet your dear brother Shane would be happy to lend you his muscles if he could use your boat![:-eyebrows]
 
On my boat, there are not bolts holding the risers/elbows to the manifolds but threaded rods or studs. Taking off the nuts on the top of the elbow will allow you to take off the elbow, then the riser, then be able to access the manifold. Your method should allow you to get the manifolds off, but the riser (or spacer) may fall off as you try to pull the manifold down so that the studs pull out of the elbow and riser (spacer) and smack you a good one (don't ask me how I know this) and at the least its going to make the heavy manifold really awkward with the 4 studs sticking out of it. In my boat, there is just not that much room to be standing on my head and having to deal with the manifold in this way with the little room left after they crammed two engines in there. Not all shops use gasket sealer when they assemble the risers and elbows and I wouldn't rely on them sticking together. It sounds like a good plan so go for it. I'm just trying to save you a busted knuckle and maybe having to take it all apart again because they got clogged, its only one more gasket and all the hard work of taking them apart has been done. Good Luck!
 
I don't get it..............You say it has Cracked Exhaust Manifolds AND a Hydrolocked Engine.......
yet.....Fortunately, as the same time the oil cooler broke (I am guessing) and the water didn't sit in there...I started it yesterday and wouldn't have even known that it had this issue except that there was another guy in the bilge, spotting the cooler to make sure it didn't leak. I know it isn't rusted solid. I am not pleased about the wear and tear though.

You started it yesterday?......How is the engine Hydrolocked if you started it yesterday?
 
Yeah, see, That is the part that I am sketchy on...the hydrolocking thing I mean. I had a guy solder the oil cooler and he was down there watching to see if it leaked while I started the boat. He told me to kill it and that he could hear my engine hydrolocking...maybe just misting into the cylinders? I am not sure on that one. It starts and doesn't sound badly, so I am taking the water thing with a grain of salt. I will act like it is true by taking out the plugs and spraying the cylinders, but I am not 100% sure I buy it. Hopefully he was wrong. I do know for sure that the manifolds are cracked...that's a visual!
I am tackling everything tomorrow...of course, it will be raining, as is the norm for me. Wish me luck!. (Though it never seems to be that straightforward for me..luck I mean) :)
 
He said he could "HEAR" your engine Hydrolocking?

You SERIOUSLY need to get someone else to look at that engine. The Manifolds being visually cracked is ONE thing and there may very well (hope not though) be some other damage but to be able to "HEAR" an Engine Hydrolocking? I'd like to know what sound THAT makes......
(Utterly ridiculous in my opinion)
 
Update....Feeling quite smug
I dropped both risers, spacers and manifold ON MY OWN with NO MAN MUSCLES! :)
Both manifolds were cracked. ( I Think that I am going to have them repaired and keep them as spares) I removed all spark plugs and they were just as pretty as a bay sunset. You are gonna laugh, but I almost teared up...oh wait, that was when I dropped the manifold on my pinkie finger. They have been stubborn to reassemble but I have one side done. It got dark, so the other side will be tomorrow. Wish me luck!
 
Jen, Great job and VERY LUCKY... well, except for the pinkie thing.
 
Good Job! Ouch, I really hate when that happens. Good Luck with the other side. Be seeing you out on the water.
 
ALL DONE! I had such a joyful feeling that I replaced my exhaust flappers, ignition wires, plugs, and I bought NEW exhaust elbows with plugs on the bottom for a more reassuring drain! He sounded so good I wanted to go for a boat ride, but did anyone notice how crummy the weather got as soon as I started working outside. Hmmm. Karma. Maybe I should get that name on the boat after all.
Anyway, thanks for all of the advice and encouragement...See you all on the water!
 
Another happy ending! So rare when it comes to boat maintenance issues.....
 
Very Cool Jensen...Nothing like the feeling of a job well done. BTW, are you married? Will you marry me? LOL...your my kind of woman!
 
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