Complete DEVASTATION...Not for the Weak

[ToddW850]

This Post is VERY Graphic and not for the weak. Proceed at your own risk. I do not take responsibility for anyone getting sick to their stomach after viewing this.

It pains me to make this Thread, but I wanted to pass along the information and see what questions I could get answered.

BACKGROUND:

At the beginning of October (2016), we headed out on the boat. It was me, my wife, my son, my daughter, and two of my son's friends. We rode around with no issues that morning, then proceeded to a snorkeling spot out in the Gulf of Mexico. We anchored up there, in 20 feet of water and snorkeled for a couple hours. Water was clear. Only thing would be some jellyfish. Got ready to leave and starboard engine wouldn't start. It would turn over without issue, just like normal, but wouldn't fire up. Port engine fired up no problem.

I tried all the safety switches and lanyard. Still wouldn't fire. Fuses were good too. I know my battery was good as well. I keep extra spark plugs on the boat. Pulled all the plugs. They looked normal. Replaced with new spark plugs and still would fire up.

So my plan was to pinch the cooling line and head back on one engine. Unfortunately, I didn't have anything specifically for pinching the line. I ended up using a vice grip, but it had the round clamp. So I used the END/TIP of the vice grip to pinch the middle of the cooling line. After I clamped it, it looked closed off to me! The cooling line was flat!

So we returned on one engine. Still didn't run but about 5mph back. Speedometer didn't even register. My intention was to go faster, however, it wouldn't get on plane for some reason. I know I've run it on plane on one engine last year (had fishing line caught in the impeller). Didn't have a problem getting on plane last year. Not sure if weight in the boat played a role. It was so strange, I videoed it. I can upload the video if needed to explain.

Anyway, I get back home and the engine still won't start. Turns over just fine. About 1 1/2 weeks go by before I can get the boat to my mechanic. Won't even turn over now. Port engine still fires right up. He pulls the spark plugs to do a compression check.....spark plugs are corroded. What?? The plugs are new and never ran after I installed them. So he pulls the engine and salt water has gotten into the top of my engine. The engine is now seized!

So now he's working on getting it unseized. The engine was still in such good shape, that no salt water leaked passed the pistons. No water in my oil. Dadgummit! But now he's got to replace and rebuild parts. I'm meeting him soon to see exactly what parts I am going to need and what parts he says are still good. Not gonna be cheap either. For now, he says the block is good, but will need new pistons and rings. Also has to work on the valves.

Although I felt very confident I pinched the hose correctly, there is no other explanation as to how the salt water got in there.

Curious what you guys would suggest and what anyone else has done in a similar situation.

Here are some pics he took after pulling the head off.








And for a better explanation of the vice grips...Here is a SIIMILIAR pair like I used. But I did not put the hose where the nut is here in this photo.....





I pinched the hose with this area.






Anyway, I'm going back to the bar to drown my sorrows....

 

[Scottintexas]

that stinks, I have no other idea for how water would have gotten in there, I would have thought they clamps would have been enough especially if you couldn't get on plane.

for others, if you don't have shut off valves or good radiator hose clamps you can always disconnect the cooling hose from the engine and any water getting past your clamps would just go into the bilge.

 

[ToddW850]

@Scottintexas although hoping to never have this issue again, I'm considering installing a shut off valve in both. Just in case.

 

[Bill D]

Ouch @ToddW850 that sucks! Good luck getting everything back in order. If I remember correctly, at least you have a good, trustworthy mechanic at your service.

 

[ToddW850]

Ouch @ToddW850 that sucks! Good luck getting everything back in order. If I remember correctly, at least you have a good, trustworthy mechanic at your service.

Thanks @Bill D , yes he is the one that currently has my engine at his shop.

 

[txav8r]

Fwiw, according To the manual, you CAN motor on one engine, or be towed below no wake speed. At 5mph, your stated speed, your below no wake speed. So my belief is that you didn't get water into the engine, and wouldn't have, even if you didn't clamp it off. I suspect you had water ingestion that caused the engine not to run. Did you happen to look at the oil? The mechanic said the block was good, so I doubt it had water in oil. But it is a little strange, because water circulates through the engine in specific places, and one would get to the oil, and The other wouldn't. But the other is the exhaust! So not sure what happened, but sure sorry to hear of the issue. Please keep us posted and hopi g re solution is easy...and inexpensive.

 

[ToddW850]

I agree with you @txav8r . I was not the slightest bit worried about water getting into the engine because of my slow speed. I'm dumbfounded. But the original plugs I pulled were dry, so I don't know. Also, mechanic confirmed no water in my oil when he pulled it.

Will keep y'all posted.

 

[Hannibal]

Man what a stomach turning sight. Curious if you had the throttle on the disabled engine forward to keep the bucket up to allow free flow of water through the jet. I would think the stationary impeller would cause more resistance than the smaller diameter of the jet outlet and prevent a buildup of pressure at the cooling screen inlet but I don't know. Is it possible for water to go up the exhaust and back up into the head? That's a scary thought that you had the cooling line pinched off and still got water in the head. Hopefully the repair cost won't be as much as anticipated.

 

[itsdgm]

@ToddW850 thats terrible. I feel for you!!! I'm still addressing my engine woes too. Please let me know if you end up swapping out engines. I might be able to help you recover some $ by buying your old one.

BTW, out of curiousity was this the engine that you had the stuck valve on? I wonder if that had anything to do with the initial breakdown.

 

[Addicted]

I have towed my boat alongside a houseboat on 3 full week trips. I have valves installed but do not use them, due to the slow speed of the houseboat (cruising at 8mph or so). I do put my throttles in full forward. Never any issues with water working its way into the engines (many dozens of miles traveled this way).

I agree with Mel; there may be something else going on here.

 

[bronze_10]

The engine would not start... that may be a clue as to something had already failed prior to running in on one engine!

 

[ToddW850]

Man what a stomach turning sight. Curious if you had the throttle on the disabled engine forward to keep the bucket up to allow free flow of water through the jet. I would think the stationary impeller would cause more resistance than the smaller diameter of the jet outlet and prevent a buildup of pressure at the cooling screen inlet but I don't know. Is it possible for water to go up the exhaust and back up into the head? That's a scary thought that you had the cooling line pinched off and still got water in the head. Hopefully the repair cost won't be as much as anticipated.

Well, dang. I think you might have a point. I still had the starboard engine gear in neutral, so yeah, the bucket would have been down. You very well could be correct on the drag. Because last time I ran on one engine, I had the other engine on and the lever to the first notch. Got on plane with no problem. I had to do that because of a fishing line I was unable to remove. Left the engine on and the bucket up (but didn't give it power, because it would shake so bad). After getting on plane and riding several hundred yards, the fishing line freed itself and away we went.

 

[ToddW850]

@itsdgm

BTW, out of curiousity was this the engine that you had the stuck valve on? I wonder if that had anything to do with the initial breakdown.

Will do @itsdgm . I'm meeting the mechanic this afternoon. And yes, it's the same engine. But symptoms sounded different. I don't think it was a valve this time. Turn over was to smooth. I kinda thought it might be my timing chain. But after he tore it open, the chain was perfectly fine. He already had the head off and didn't mention a stuck valve either.

 

[ToddW850]

The engine would not start... that may be a clue as to something had already failed prior to running in on one engine!

Yep, just got to figure out what the issue was. I'm sure something simple. But then I've added to the problem now.

But when I pulled the spark plugs on the water, the plugs were dry. I would believe I would have seen water on them had it been on there already.

 

[ToddW850]

I have towed my boat alongside a houseboat on 3 full week trips. I have valves installed but do not use them, due to the slow speed of the houseboat (cruising at 8mph or so). I do put my throttles in full forward. Never any issues with water working its way into the engines (many dozens of miles traveled this way).

I agree with Mel; there may be something else going on here.

My throttle was in neutral. I'm wondering now how much pressure that added to force water back up. Because I didn't get much over 5 mph, if at all. I had mine clamped and you didn't clamp at all. That's interesting.

 

[CrankyGypsy]

what does the exhaust manifold and collector look like? i agree with @bronze_10 and @itsdgm that this may have started prior to limping home. disassemble the entire exhaust and look for corrosive penetration of the water jackets - though i hoped it would never happen, i've been waiting to see someone with a catastrophic failure due to this as i found one of my old manifolds were nearing break down.

someone please correct me if i'm wrong here: the engine could potentially run fine with a jacket leak. but if you cut the engines while underway, thus stopping the exhaust pressure, the leaking exhaust jackets could back flow, or suck, into the pistons due to the forward momentum pushing more water in? i would think this theory would be hard pressed to allow that much water in, though. but maybe it caused the non start and then the clamp wasn't tight enough, allowing more water to fill it up?

 

[txav8r]

I'm not exactly sure what your asking @CrankyGypsy , but if your at WOT in power and in speed, and you pull the lanyard, killing the engines, in theory, your over no wake speed, engines not running, and could ingest water. Keep in mind that it has been demonstrated numerous times, that if the boat is in motion at speed, and a cleanout plug blows and wedges in the tube without you stopping, you can flood the bilge and engine compartment so full, it can cover the air intake to the engines where the bilge pump can't empty as fast as your taking on water. A number of guys have hydrolocked engines like that. Some have even not realized it, started engines, and totaled them.

 

[biglar155]

Ouch. That sucks. I feel for you.

I just ate and looking at those pics is making me sick.

Well, you did warn us it was graphic and I read on anyway...

 

[CrankyGypsy]

@txav8r i'm wondering if a leak in the manifold prevented it from starting and then made matters worse during the limp home. the way the exhaust is designed, it takes a lot of water to back fill the entire system and into the pistons - so coasting to a stop with the engines off isn't going to do it. but if there's also intrusion from the manifold jackets, that may be enough to wet the spark. again, this is just a theory i've been watching for based on my own findings.

 

[txav8r]

It's a bummer. It's also rare. Hopefully your mechanic can give you some forensic evidence of how it happened.