Possible ENGINE OVERHEAT on my SS TANGO :(

[No_Longer_Active_User]

I took boat out twice since my purchase last month, for a total of 4 hours....Went tubing and boat started right up and ran fine for about 2.5 hours.. I was afraid the pull rope would get sucked up into the intake so I turned the boat off and on about 6-8 times during the course of 2 hours of tubing with the boys..... Out of the blue (no alarms) the boat won't go to full throttle and begins "slowing down" on its own before stalling out. I restart it and can't get it to go over 10mph or it stalls out...so I take it in and let it set for about 1/2 hour....try to get it going again and as soon as it gets up to about 15 mph it feels like it is gonna stall out again.....I took it to mechanic who said two out of the six cylinders r not firing and I need to replace the switch box and trigger.

 

[DoubleThrust]

Whoa, ok.... whatever happened, you did not overheat the motors from a shut off / start cycle like that. Let me think about your post for a minute...


What year and model is that boat...

You didn't get any alarms or lights on the dash?

I'm assuming you didn't check to see if you were pushing water out of the pee holes while running?

Did you open the engine hatch to see if things smelled "hot?"

Did the mechanic do a cylinder pressure test or a leak down test? I'm assuming it was one of those...

Just trying to confirm you actually had a severe overheat... something had to be really wrong if that is indeed what happened. It will be good to hear what the second mechanic has to say.

 

[tdonoughue]

This is the same issue as the other thread on stalled, right?

You did exactly right on shutting down and starting up while tubing. I do that all the time with no issue. Anytime anyone is getting on or off the back deck the boat goes off and gets restarted once they are a safe distance. Absolutely.

What you are describing in it slowing down almost sounds like it went into safe mode. As we said in the other thread, we all doubt your cylinders are bad since you had a good compression test. I think your second opinion will be your savior.

 

[Gym]

I took boat out twice since my purchase last month, for a total of 4 hours....Went tubing and boat started right up and ran fine for about 2.5 hours.. I was afraid the pull rope would get sucked up into the intake so I turned the boat off and on about 6-8 times during the course of 2 hours of tubing with the boys..... Out of the blue (no alarms) the boat won't go to full throttle and begins "slowing down" on its own before stalling out. I restart it and can't get it to go over 10mph or it stalls out...so I take it in and let it set for about 1/2 hour....try to get it going again and as soon as it gets up to about 15 mph it feels like it is gonna stall out again.....I took it to mechanic who said two out of the six cylinders r bad and wants to charge me btw $1500-$2300 to fix it...I brought it down to a mechanic for 2nd opinion and am freaking out about what he will have to say!
I was told I overheated the engine and possible scored the cylinders.....really? Are these boat engines that sensitive that in two hours of running the engine ( just because I shut it off and back on a 1/2 dozen times) I BROKE IT!!! And NO I did not ride it up on the beach or run it in shallow, weedy waters...and I always flush the engine and anchor it out in chest high water..... Any input or suggestions?

That really sucks @No_Longer_Active_User . I can't help but wonder if this wasn't a preexisting condition from the previous owner whereas you have so little time on it. It sounds like you're doing everything correctly from what you're saying. We have members that have had overheats cause by things out of their control like gasket failures and cooling passages plugged with salt and sand so it could also be one of those factors. You could go for third and fourth opinions and get more quotes but I'm guessing the diagnosis will probably be the same but the repair cost may vary a little. I guess I would have to weigh the cost of repair vs not having the use of the boat for a good part or all of the summer. Is there any companies that do swap outs like SBT where you ship your damaged engine out and they send a rebuild back? I don't think they deal with your engine but they may know who does. 877-330-0231. I wish I could help more. Please keep us posted on your progress which might help another member with a similar issue.

 

[itsdgm]

I'm really not sure how a SugarSands Tango boat is set up. My Yamaha does have overheat protection mechanisms in place to limit rpms (overheat mode) to prevent damages.

From reading your other thread, I believe that your boat is a 2 stroke is that right? If so, usually scored pistons is due to lack of lubrication. Again I done know if you're running pre-mix or if your oil is injected. Whether your engine is carbureted or not. The carbs on a lot of two strokes can cause fuel flow issues if not rebuilt every so often. Fuel flow issues can cause lean running conditions that can then damage an engine too especially if you're running pre-mix.

Anyway, I feel bad for you and wish that I could help more. Hopefully the second mechanic will have better news.

BTW: make sure to get compression readings and post up any additional info that you can (type of engine, oil supply method, etc) There's a lot of guys here with tons of info.

 

[Bilmon]

175 sportjets of that vintage used a plastic gear to drive the oil injection pump. They were prone to break and some guys went to premix for the peace of mind. If that went,even partially, you would over heat and soon start to freeze up.

 

[Bilmon]

Does your warning horn work? You should get one beep every time you turn the key on.Overheat is a constant buzz ,oil is intermitent beeping.If you added oil recently the cap must be tightly sealed or oil won't flow,once the small reserve is used it's as if your out.

 

[No_Longer_Active_User]

Whoa, ok.... whatever happened, you did not overheat the motors from a shut off / start cycle like that. Let me think about your post for a minute...


What year and model is that boat...

You didn't get any alarms or lights on the dash?

I'm assuming you didn't check to see if you were pushing water out of the pee holes while running?

Did you open the engine hatch to see if things smelled "hot?"

Did the mechanic do a cylinder pressure test or a leak down test? I'm assuming it was one of those...

Just trying to confirm you actually had a severe overheat... something had to be really wrong if that is indeed what happened. It will be good to hear what the second mechanic has to say.

2001 SS Tango 175 Merc ...Didn't hear any alarms...not sure about those pee holes?....and did open the hatch to peak in....motor was hot but nothing "alarming" I don't think......but then 'WHAT DO I KNOW' lol

 

[davel501]

It sounds like it could be an exhaust leak as well. How often do you inspect all of your hoses/clamps/etc.?

 

[DoubleThrust]

Oh, I didn't know it wasn't a Yamaha sorry. I wouldn't know if your boat has the "pee holes" or not, which on a Yamaha is what is used to make sure cooling water is flowing. You look out the side of the boat and make sure the holes are... well, peeing LOL.

Anyway good luck on your situation.

 

[No_Longer_Active_User]

Does your warning horn work? You should get one beep every time you turn the key on.Overheat is a constant buzz ,oil is intermitent beeping.If you added oil recently the cap must be tightly sealed or oil won't flow,once the small reserve is used it's as if your out.

Yes...I get one beep when turning key on.....oil was added to reserve tank and cap tightened back on.

 

[No_Longer_Active_User]

It sounds like it could be an exhaust leak as well. How often do you inspect all of your hoses/clamps/etc.?

Just got the boat last month from a wholesaler who said it was "water ready" and hadn't done anything to the boat but a battery charge.

 

[davel501]

Just got the boat last month from a wholesaler who said it was "water ready" and hadn't done anything to the boat but a battery charge.

Probably a good time to try to wiggle all clamps to see if they are broken/loose and check all hoses to make sure they are not broken/kinked. Also check all through-hulls for signs of cracking. I check my whole boat once per season or when I have unexpected water in the bilge. I do a quick check of the really important bits like exhaust hoses and bilge pump strainers before every outing.

 

[No_Longer_Active_User]

I'm really not sure how a SugarSands Tango boat is set up. My Yamaha does have overheat protection mechanisms in place to limit rpms (overheat mode) to prevent damages.

From reading your other thread, I believe that your boat is a 2 stroke is that right? If so, usually scored pistons is due to lack of lubrication. Again I done know if you're running pre-mix or if your oil is injected. Whether your engine is carbureted or not. The carbs on a lot of two strokes can cause fuel flow issues if not rebuilt every so often. Fuel flow issues can cause lean running conditions that can then damage an engine too especially if you're running pre-mix.

Anyway, I feel bad for you and wish that I could help more. Hopefully the second mechanic will have better news.

BTW: make sure to get compression readings and post up any additional info that you can (type of engine, oil supply method, etc) There's a lot of guys here with tons of info.

That really sucks @No_Longer_Active_User . I can't help but wonder if this wasn't a preexisting condition from the previous owner whereas you have so little time on it. It sounds like you're doing everything correctly from what you're saying. We have members that have had overheats cause by things out of their control like gasket failures and cooling passages plugged with salt and sand so it could also be one of those factors. You could go for third and fourth opinions and get more quotes but I'm guessing the diagnosis will probably be the same but the repair cost may vary a little. I guess I would have to weigh the cost of repair vs not having the use of the boat for a good part or all of the summer. Is there any companies that do swap outs like SBT where you ship your damaged engine out and they send a rebuild back? I don't think they deal with your engine but they may know who does. 877-330-0231. I wish I could help more. Please keep us posted on your progress which might help another member with a similar issue.

I have a feeling it is a pre existing condition although the previous owner/boat wholesaler told me he always does a compression test first and the is his determining factor on buying the boat in the first place....he said this boats compression was around 120 I believe (maybe 140).... He is supposed to be a reputable business man, but who knows!

 

[No_Longer_Active_User]

Does your warning horn work? You should get one beep every time you turn the key on.Overheat is a constant buzz ,oil is intermitent beeping.If you added oil recently the cap must be tightly sealed or oil won't flow,once the small reserve is used it's as if your out.

1 beep on start up

 

[DoubleThrust]

If he's just a reseller, you really can't link any issue that comes up on a used boat he owned for a "short" period of time to his business or personal ethics. They don't have time to inspect everything, it would be impossible. If he did a compression test prior to buying the boat, that's pretty decent. A buyer / seller is just moving as much inventory as he can to make ends meet. Surely it would be wise for him to try and find quality product to buy and resell, but again no one could ever check everything. Really it's on the responsibility of the buyer to educate themselves and inspect as much as they feel is needed (or buy new with a warranty). Someone prior to you may have done something very unethical, they could have done something many people do which is sell something if they think it "may" have an issue, or they may have had no idea something was about to go wrong. I know it doesn't help now so it's not worth worrying about really. At this point all you can do is learn what's wrong, fix it, and decide what to take away from the experience moving forward.

 

[No_Longer_Active_User]

I'm really not sure how a SugarSands Tango boat is set up. My Yamaha does have overheat protection mechanisms in place to limit rpms (overheat mode) to prevent damages.

From reading your other thread, I believe that your boat is a 2 stroke is that right? If so, usually scored pistons is due to lack of lubrication. Again I done know if you're running pre-mix or if your oil is injected. Whether your engine is carbureted or not. The carbs on a lot of two strokes can cause fuel flow issues if not rebuilt every so often. Fuel flow issues can cause lean running conditions that can then damage an engine too especially if you're running pre-mix.

Anyway, I feel bad for you and wish that I could help more. Hopefully the second mechanic will have better news.

BTW: make sure to get compression readings and post up any additional info that you can (type of engine, oil supply method, etc) There's a lot of guys here with tons of info.

It's a 2 stroke oil injected boat

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Sometimes you are better off not giving a background story. Just state the symptom and let them do the searching.

Same goes for medical doctors!

You might have clogged water passages. I remember having this issues on some seadoo motors. It will idle all day but once you throttle up the temp goes up and into limp home mode.

Really sounds like a pre-existing problem that hopefully you can get paid by the broker as long as you can prove it existed when you purchased it. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Bilmon]

Not sure where the "pee hole" is on the Tango,most likely a small brass fitting with 1/4 inch or so hole. Mine[Mirage] is by the bilge discharge,but thats not a sure check. The telltale can clog and engine is fine and vice versa. No way will I believe turning the engine on and off can cause overheating, I do it a lot when pulling my grand sons.If no alarm I doubt you over heated, I have a Smartcraft monitor system 0n my 240 [same 2.5 engine block] and it rarely goes over 105 and overheat starts to chirp about 175 thats way to cool to hurt much. If in fact you do have scored cylinders I'm betting it's an oil issue more than likely pre existing .Merc has been building 2.5s forever [the old Black Max from the 80s or 90s] they are pretty tough.

 

[itsdgm]

I don't understand why a mechanic would say that a boat isn't designed to be turned on and off. I shut mine down every time somebody gets in and out of the water. It's kind of how you use a runabout boat. Are these guys boat mechanics? Seriously though, anybody that normally works on boats would have a better explanation.