Need Help Fast
 

We got a problem with a buddies boat. He has a 502 that filled up with water. Salt water. We are not sure were the water came from. He called me today and said that he thought his starter was bad so I told him to make sure he did not have a hydolock. Well he pulled plugs and he has a MAJOR problem. Cylinder was full of water. 2 and 6 had some water but not a lot. On the other side there was some water but not a ton. The intake was recently done as well as the riser on the side of the engine that seems to have taken it the hardest. My first question is, how does he go about diagnosing the problem. Second what should he do now that the water has been sitting in there for a week or so and no doubt causing rust?:( :( :(

Jon

Jon, all I know is that if salt water got past the pistons, you better pull the motor apart. Don't even try to turn it over. Just pull it out and do it right.

Ron you think I am concerned with pitting with the salt water being in there for that long. What is the worse that can happen however? The engine will just have either less oil preasure or power NO??????

Jon

Was it winterized properly? This time of year you always see this. Otherwise manifolds or risers are the most likley. I've seen intake manifolds with holes eaten through the water passage but if it has been replaced recently that's unlikley. Also it's possible the engine just sucked water in through the exhaust either when shutting it down or slowing down to quickly. Get the water out and the engine running as quickly as you can, if it's not too late. Watch out for stuck valves which result in bent pushrods. Good luck.

Bowtie the boat is in Cali and gets used all year long. We were thinking along the lines of a bad intake as I was just told all cylinders had water in them!!!!!:eek: :eek:

In that case I would go for intake also. Especially if it's an aluminum automotive type. Why would anybody want to boat all year round. What do you have to look forward to.

My buddy had the same thing happen to his. A new aluminum intake had a manufactering flaw. Got water in two cyls and bent the pushrods.

Would the intake fill it up that bad? All cylinders? Seemingly on shut down?

Jon

He's got Hell! pull it out and appart before he hurts something else....my.02

Audio,

How did he come to try and start the engine? Was if with muffs on a garden hose, or at launch time? Backing down the ramp too fast can cause this problem.

Nonetheless, I would drain the oil, preferrably through the drain plug, change filters and fire it up. Then you can collect the necessary facts. You must properly define the problem before leaping into action.

BT :cool:

Jon, as we talked about in the chatroom last night, saltwater is a particularly unfriendly liquid to have in the cylinders. I did the top on a Searay last summer that had been exposed to saltwater due to exhaust manifold problems. Even though the exhaust manifolds were replaced and the engine was thoroughly flushed the heads continued to corrode to the point where a valve grind was necessary. As I mentioned last night, I'd get the exhaust manifolds pressure-tested to be absolutely sure there isn't a problem there. Beyond that, I'd pull the heads to determine if there was a gasket-related issue, as well as to retouch the valve seats as a precaution against any corrosion issues. I'm sure you'll find the problem if you carefully inspect all gaskets and components when it's disassembled. If I can help in any way feel free to call me. Home # is 616-738-0474. Tell Nickslick he's welcome to call too.
P.S. Please keep in mind you can have a water issue on one bank of the engine, and have water migrate to the other cylinders through the intake while turning the engine over.

Jon, When I worked for a dealer w/a service dept. they had an engine take salt from the exhaust. Merc said to put in new oil and filter, run it for a few minutes, drain and repeat five or six times. This doesnt solve he problem of wher the water is coming from but that is what I heard you should do afterwords. Good luck. Whos boat? are you going to be in CA for the run next week?