I dont have an answer. Just brought back a memory. My 98 hp500 actually ate the head and block when it did the same thing. Mine was toast. Good luck.

I think the block is cracked...pull the plugs, see if any sign of water there, that will narrow down where getting in...but I'm thinking on the oil side..if that much water getting in that fast thru manifolds or head gaskets would have to be missing bad..

This sound familiar! I over heated a motor. Got home and went over it with a fine tooth comb. Changed water pump, oil and did compression tests as well leak down. Everything looked good. So I fired it up in the drive way and dropped a valve seat... Rebuilt and had water in the oil bad.... After many intake gaskets and block pressure tests, I found that the intake had warped just a little and allowed the flat end on the rear to touch the block when put in place dry. This made the intake really warp when I torqued it down... Took the intake to my machine shop and a little resurfacing did the trick.
I would also suggest torquing the intake a min. of 6 time and using the 'aroundy round' pattern.

Also could have one of the head gaskets pushed into the valley. That will fill a motor quickly also. The seating surface is fairly thin between the water jacket and the valley. This doesn't show up on a compression check.

Pulling the plugs is a good idea too.

Based on what you are describing I believe that you probably have an intake leak. when you remove the intake clean all the old gasket material off and set the intake back on without a gasket and make sure that the intake can sit against the heads without anything else touching such as the front or back of the lifter valley or the part of the head gasket that is in line with the lifter valley ends. If the intake sits on the valley end or the head gasket then you will never be able to get the intake to seal. You should also check that none of the intake bolts are to long and bottoming out before actually sealing the intake gaskets. I would also try to pressurize the cooling system to try to find the leak but I personally would just use air. When I have to diagnose these kinds of problems I do the complete engine and then remove the intake and redo the test with just the heads installed. If it holds air with just the heads installed you know it is intake related. Hope that this helps and if you need more ideas let me know. Rob

I had a similar problem using a merlin intake and the cometic intake gasket that the instructions specified. Check the gasket's alignment with water port on intake and head; in my case the gasket's water port was about 1/4" too large. Took the intake to the local speed shop and found a Mr. Gasket intake gasket that fit properly and problem solved. Good luck with it, Rick

Before pulling everything apart it might be a good idea to invest in a cheap borescope http://www.google.com/products/catal...0338444561805#

Something like this is a great diagnostic tool. I have one that I've used for years on aircraft engines, gearboxes, and other hard to inspect areas on helicopters and airplanes. By pulling the distrib. you could see the underside of the intake. Also through the plug holes the inside of the cylinders, and by pulling the dipstick tube, the bottom of the engine. With all that water winding up in the oil I would think it would be pretty easy to find where it's comming from.

Yeah I have a video scope, never thought about using that. It will work nicely through the dist. hole, I will give that a look see.

Yeah I think this Team G intake and the cometics are the problem somehow.

With the block drained before the freeze, (never installed coolant, but engine was disassembled) could the block still crack? Is there areas in the block that will hold water even if the plugs are pulled? Enough to crack the block somehow?

Dude, I had a Team G on my old HP465. F*cker would never seal up. Always had water in the oil. Always.
Ditch it for something else. Even an Edelbrock RPM Air-Gap would be fine.

Here you go:
http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/s...rt-intake.html