My first launch sucked!!!

PickleRick

Launched, ran approx 100 yards and saw the temp gauge spike to 190.  I have a brand new thermostat, water hoses, impeller installed. Also new manifolds and risers(oem)  Went to restart after cooling down and engine is locked.

Broke off a starter bolt.

Several cyliners were full of water on each side of the block. 


My theory thus far: 

I sent out my foot to have the skeg welded.

He was supposed to reassemble with new impeller.

Im wondering if he welded it with impeller installed and fried it?

Then my running on muffs burnt out the flappers in the exhaust.

When temps spiked and i killed the motor the flowing water pushed back into my manifolds thus filling cylinders.  Cooking riser gaskets is also a possibility.

I removed the thermostat to find the intake still half full of pink antifreeze.  At 190 the 160 thermostat should have opened and fresh water flushed it out. 

Got the bolt extracted last night and starter rehung. 

Cleaned and sprayed cylinders with lots of wd40. Turned it over and repeated several times.

Am about to do a compression test and remove risers to examine gaskets and flappers.  

Fingers crossed this isn't new motor time.

Ian

No good Rick, hope it’s not a major issue. Good luck mate!

Willhound

That sucks. Hope nothing too major.

aero3113

Good luck @PickleRick . Luckily 190 isn’t hot at all for the engine. 

raybo3

That blows hope all works out well for you. Keep us posted.

RiverRat232

Good luck. I know you spent a lot of time on that boat this winter. Hopefully the damage is minor.

PickleRick

Im pretty ocd about watching gauges.  

Compression on 7 cylinders right at 200 to 210 and the number 8 cyliner is 180. Pretty much confirms my theory that she wasn't taking water into the cylinders while running.  

This is a cold reading.  I believe on raw water cooled motors number 8 is the one that runs the hottest and gets the most wear.  I'm tired, sunburnt and frustrated so the memory bank may be fuzzy this morning.

Now I'm pulling risers for inspection.

I told the admiral that im still getting to spend the weekend on the boat.

reneechris14

Good luck Rick. Yes #8 does take the most abuse but 180 is good. I'm surprised you did not run on the muffs before launching. Its a boat what could possibly go wrong.

PickleRick

I did run on muffs.  Ran for about 5 min, maybe longer.  Obviously no load and only ran up to about 2500 rpms.  Ran long enough for about 3 rednecks in ear shot to run out and start reving their motors.  That isnt a joke, sadly.

I didnt run it very long as its best impossible to get up to temp on muffs.  I have now rigged up a large tote to run my motor in.

I maybe i blew out the flappers? Maybe they were not in there to begin with.  I didnt know there were flappers in the exhaust until this happened.    I also found i ran all last season with the shift interrupt switch disconnected.   This boat was previously owned by a dude with a boat. 

I ordered new oem flappers, y pipe bellows and riser gaskets.  I also bordered a new oem impeller.

Once i have her reassembled i will run her to see if shes pushing water up to the engine.  Will also be picking up some new spark plugs later this week.

I keep telling myself the water is too cold to enjoy anyway. 

aero3113

@PickleRick , did you split the outdrive when you sent it out to be welded or did you give him the whole outdrive? The reason I ask is because if you split it there’s a chance the water tube wasn’t lined up correctly while reinstalling it.

PickleRick

It was split then reassembled on the work bench upside down which should have made it much harder to misalign.  

Port side flapper(what's left of it) on the carb cover

The starboard side is gone. 

I'll need to bring home my bore scope to see if any parts must he fished out of the bottom of the y pipe before reinstall.  

While rebuilding the transom i moved the y pipe around a good deal and didn't hear or feel anyting rattling around in it.  Whish i had known these where in there and this would have already been dealt with.  

PickleRick

Coolant tube had fallen off.  Appeares all water had to come from water rushing into the engine.  

Block should be fine. Now i need this foot to work with me and go back on. 

Aqua_Aura

On the note of water coming in. I read some post somewhere on the internet that when stopping abruptly to try and turn the boat to avoid the rush of water. Just something I found interesting and didn't realize water could potentially rush back in. 

Handymans342

Good grief!!!!!!!!!!!!

Aqua_Aura

My first launch ever in my boat was similar. Didn't put the plug back on the hose connection in the engine bay for running the engine on the trailer. Got about a mile and impeller burned up and didn't have a spare on board. Got towed to the marina, very exciting welcome to boat ownership 😟

PickleRick

Foot is on but it started to rain before i got all the new foot oil in.


I hope these parts arrive soon.  Next Friday is the admirals b day so i dont see any lake time.

J3ff

Dam Rick! sorry to hear that.. 

PickleRick

Well the keys are back open next weekend at least.  

Got a lead on a 97 model vortec 5.7 just in case.  I won't be off the water long.

212rowboat

Aqua_Aura said:

On the note of water coming in. I read some post somewhere on the internet that when stopping abruptly to try and turn the boat to avoid the rush of water. Just something I found interesting and didn't realize water could potentially rush back in. 

a trick i use often while dropping speed is allow the boat to 'almost' rest at her waterline, and then goose it a little... you'll outrun the wave this way.  

Rick- that bites, man.  sorry to hear.. did you put the leg on or did mr. welder guy?

those flappers were lost because the combustion heat hit them without the benefit of water being dumped just before them in the elbow.  for what it's worth, i've ran boats often without them- so long as you outrun the wave as mentioned before, AND, you don't expose your stern to others wakes or waves from tides, you'll be okay almost always.. 

when the risers are as hot as they must have been that heat is almost like a vacuum when you stop drawing water in the form of steam toward them, and then condensing as it drips back down the runners- finding an open exhaust valve.  

and.. as things cascade, when a flapper breaks it becomes an obstruction, which will spike your engine temperatures..... just like a clogged catalytic converter will do. 

PickleRick

I did spin the nose around 180 degrees when i killed the engine but i was drifting a good 20 min before my uncle arrived to tow me in.  My dad didn't launch a boat this weekend.  He had dumped too much antifreeze into his riser and filled his cylinders full when he winterized.   Luckily i had tons of family camping at the campground i launch in.

It was a holiday weekend and i took plenty of wake to my stern and the manifolds were too hot to touch. I also had the wind at her stern for most of the time we were drifting.  

While i had my foot off i got a good look into the exhaust and could see into the y pipe.  I didnt see any signs of flappers.  I will bore scope it Tuesday.  I have one of those open ended exhaust bellows that only mate up to the leg when she's lowered.   


Im kind of under the impression i had no flappers last year.  I did have some carb issues last year wheh i first launched but she never left me stranded, she stalled out a time two and was a pita to restart but i guess i was fortunante she wasn't over heated at that time.

aero3113

  “a trick i use often while dropping speed is allow the boat to 'almost' rest at her waterline, and then goose it a little... you'll outrun the wave this way.”

@212rowboat I always try to do this also.

rasbury

Rick- sorry to hear...you will get it!