Tartilla

+1 on pulling the rocker covers and intake.

Also, putting some oil in the cylinders through the spark plug hole will let you know if you have ring issues, if your compression goes up with heavy lubed and sealed rings.

dunnitagain

My fool proof way is to pump it all out. Then fill it with cheap ass oil and a Pint or 2 of .... wait for it ... SEAFOAM then run it up to temp.
The alcohol in the seafoam will emulsify most of the water and you can pump it out with a fresh change. The seafoam will clean up an old sludged up
engine before you tear down for a rebuild. I do a couple a week from dumb asses leaving the plug out or in.

phughes69

UPDATE: we found out that the head gasket between 4 and 6 was blown and per the machine shop there were no cracks in the head, it pressure tested good but it looked warped. The would explain the water in cyl 4. Cylinder 2 had some heavy cylinder wall damage and what looked like and felt like cracks. My buddy took the block to the machine shop for pressure testing but decided to not have it done and just bought a remanufactured long block. I pressure tested the intake manifold to 15 psi and did not see any bubbles.

Tartilla

Always good to know the reason for an engine issue.

I just bought a Formula 233 with a 280 TRS. Engine is full of water. Completely.

Pulling plugs and water coming out...then a little sludge...as all the oil was floating. #5 had some green coolant with it...so likely something froze up. Odd though, as the coolant would not have, but maybe the internal water froze and popped an area where the antifreeze was exposed. Odd.

I'll have to do a good examiniation.

Either way....minimum 383 build for the boat.

Hoping the block could be saved. Maybe the forged crank. These had Pink rods, but really, a good aftermarket rod cap style with ARP bolts would be the best option.

SB

iTrader: (1)

Antifreeze added after the first round of freezing temps ?

Hapens around here as 95% of my area is from out of state and most can't come up the night/day of first freeze.

I spent a few hrs one day sitting at the ramp behind my house in my car watching boats pulling off the lake onto trailers on a suprise 22*F day. Wonder how many engines broke that day/night.

Tartilla

Yeah, that can be an issue for sure. Drain cocks are a must in that scenario.

I should have explained better.

Engine sat under boat cover. Had engine oil, and engine closed cooling with green antifreeze, full to the top.

Water entered the carb I think, maybe the top of the spark arrester. Filled the entire crankcase. Oil was displaced by the water...and lifted to upper engine cavity.

Not knowing I tried to see if the engine would turn over. As per... seized. Pulled a plug...#8. Water....#4...water...then oil sludge...quick put the plug back in...lol. No mess in the bilge!!! Pulled #6...green water.

What I suspect happened, it that the water in crankcase may have frozen and hurt the block or maybe it froze in an intake port? Pushed open a water jacket to expose the inner coolant.

I was never really going to use the engine much, but it is a piece of History. Has the Corvette LT1 alum valve covers. Stock Merc...has the Merc stickers on them.

I'll go 383 anyway, so forged 3.48 crank not really a massive asset.

I have a lead on a 400 block...probably bogus, as it's in an '83 truck. But ot should at least have a 3970010 high nickel LT1 style block.