**HELP** Engine Compartment taking on water. 1st day in the water ***

NeilBrown

Hey All -
We just attempted to get our boat in the harbor today and shortly after turning on the engine ... the bilge started pumping more water out than we have ever seem before. We checked the engine compartment and there seemed to be a leak underneath the engine -  but couldn't see exactly where the water was spewing from.

We took a video with our phone ( that I can't attach to this forum)  - but since this is a Sunday, will not be able to get in touch with the marina service dept. until tomorrow. Was hoping someone might have an idea of what is going on here ( Could this have been caused during the winterization process?)

Thanks! 

MarkB

You checked your plug was tight right?

Other possibility is your below are leaking.

Check your raw water hoses are good too.

Handymans342

Sounds bad

NeilBrown

Yes  - plug was definitely tight.. water only started leaking when the engine was turned on.

Cableguy Greg

Are all of your blue drain plugs in? I had one crack on me once and it unloaded a tone of water in the bilge. Do you have a knob to drain the engine? If so, it might be on the drain side.

NeilBrown

I'll check those out - thanks Greg! 

MarkB

Looks like you have either a loose hose or a pin hole leak. See if you can find it and at least get it under control with duct tape. Hope your bilge pump will keep up.

NeilBrown

We did winterize it with a local marina ( so we didn't run into these issues )- we did the summerizing ourselves. 

We took it out of the water as soon as we saw what was going on so it's sitting safely in the parking lot until we can figure it out.

checkmate

Kinda looks like a freeze plug came out.  Judging by one of your pics being right next to the engine mount.   The freeze plug is just on the other side of that mount.  If that's where the water was coming out

NeilBrown

I am getting a lot of feedback on the freeze / core plug so I started reading up on that... hearing that the reason for these to come out would be a crack so I am hoping that is NOT the case! 

checkmate

If that's what it is you can go to auto store and buy expansion plugs that screw down.  Then water test again and pray that the block isn't cracked.  

NeilBrown

Marina came to pickup the boat last Tuesday and we still don't have any information except from the guy that actually picked it up who confirmed it IS a cracked engine block..  boat has been with the marina since then with no updates except for the fact that it sounds it will be two weeks until we have it back..

MarkB

Right, so why are they so hush hush??  Hmmm, could it be because they don't want you to know they might have messed up?  I would be all over them like a bad rash. Make sure you get a proper diagnoses, and if it is a cracked block and they winterized, be sure you're okay with the repair they want to do (and that it's not just a patch up job that will give you problems 2 years from now, and then they can say tough luck).

howardrams

If the people who winterized it did not get all the water drained or did not get the entire system refilled with antifreeze the worst case scenario is a cracked block due to freezing, though theoretically a freeze plug should pop out thus preventing a crack.  Replacing a freeze plug is cheaper than a block.  Cracks can also happen in the heat exchangers which are also less costly to replace than the block.  I've seen more heat exchangers crack than blocks.  It should not take the actual mechanic long to know whether it's just a missing drain plug, loose hose, crack somewhere, or a popped out freeze plug, if he's being honest.  If a service facility couldn't winterize a boat properly to prevent freeze damage, I don't think I would trust them to fix my boat.  

Black_Diamond

++ to Al on the core plugs. Cast iron is very poor at cold temps, so water freezing in the block is really bad. 

Michael T

I live in the land of freeze and 99% of the time when a "freeze" plug (which as Al said isn't a freeze plug) pops the block is cracked....and as BD stated it is usually bad. That doesn't mean your block is cracked but having a block plug pop just means a block plug popped - little else.

If your block is cracked it can be welded. I have seen it done and last, But if the engine were mine I would demand a new block. IMO if you have a mended block your re-sale will suffer.

Good luck!