Cracked Block outcome

[CumminsTurbo22]

Hey everyone, ive been reading the forums here and all i can say is thank god for all this information.

I writing this because i have 81 Renken 19' with a 4 cylinder OMC 120HP, my boat has 2 cracks, one above the freeze plugs were there is water seepage coming out. And another crack below the freeze plug. Now i got this boat for Free. but funny thing is its not free anymore lol.
I did a lot of prep work and drilled holes at the ends of each crack and placed JB Weld on it with a heat gun i melted it into the cracks.

All in all i was just wondering the outcome of this from other people who have done this. Are you still running the boat? did the JB Weld not hold up?
Thanks everyone,
Nick

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Cracked Block outcome

Hey everyone, ive been reading the forums here and all i can say is thank god for all this information.

I writing this because i have 81 Renken 19' with a 4 cylinder OMC 120HP, my boat has 2 cracks, one above the freeze plugs were there is water seepage coming out. And another crack below the freeze plug. Now i got this boat for Free. but funny thing is its not free anymore lol.
I did a lot of prep work and drilled holes at the ends of each crack and placed JB Weld on it with a heat gun i melted it into the cracks.

All in all i was just wondering the outcome of this from other people who have done this. Are you still running the boat? did the JB Weld not hold up?
Thanks everyone,
Nick

Some have had it work for a long time, others have it leak right away. you really cannot hurt anything trying it, just don't take your boat 25 miles off shore



Regards,



Rick

 

[scipper77]

Re: Cracked Block outcome

I purchased my boat with a simaler repair job having already been done on it. The previous owner ran it like this with no problems, and now I have been running like this for three seasons. I never even think about it any more. I do inspect the repair for leaks when I winterize and dewinterize.

Not saying that you will have the same outcome, but there are cases of what I would call a complete repair.

 

[rzawora]

Re: Cracked Block outcome

Now i got this boat for Free. but funny thing is its not free anymore lol.

That has to be one of the funniest comments I've read all day. Best of luck with your repair, hopefully it holds up like scipper77's did.

Rick

 

[Bondo]

Re: Cracked Block outcome

I writing this because i have 81 Renken 19' with a 4 cylinder OMC 120HP

Ayuh,....

That cracked block is the least of your Problems with this Free boat....

It's an OMC Stringerdrive....

 

[CumminsTurbo22]

Re: Cracked Block outcome

Ayuh,....

That cracked block is the least of your Problems with this Free boat....

It's an OMC Stringerdrive....

???? whats that mean? thats another problem too but i found a stern drive for 300 bucks locally. mine is locked side to side. anyway of breaking it free? any on-line manuals to save me the 300 bucks?

 

[drrm123]

Re: Cracked Block outcome

that was his attempt at being funny. Parts are getting hard to find for OMC since they went out of business. It's still a good boat to learn on, just dont invest a lot of money in it. anything will last if maintained properly. I have same brand sterndrive and have not had any major problems with it. cheap first boat and will move up to merc or volvo when i think i'm ready for another boat. what do you mean it locked side to side? steering? or drive going up and down. dont operate engine with drive in up position and no muff or water supply connected!

 

[CumminsTurbo22]

Re: Cracked Block outcome

that was his attempt at being funny. Parts are getting hard to find for OMC since they went out of business. It's still a good boat to learn on, just dont invest a lot of money in it. anything will last if maintained properly. I have same brand sterndrive and have not had any major problems with it. cheap first boat and will move up to merc or volvo when i think i'm ready for another boat. what do you mean it locked side to side? steering? or drive going up and down. dont operate engine with drive in up position and no muff or water supply connected!

yeah i cant turn the steering wheel. side to side. i gave slack on the cable and still no budge. i always connect the hose with the engine down while trying to get it running. anyway of budging this?
yeah im trying not to spend to much money. its not a show boat or nothin, just wanna get it goin so i can have some fun.
Nick

 

[drrm123]

Re: Cracked Block outcome

before you spend $300 for new unit, figure out if it's the 1)steering cable, 2)gears in upper unit or 3)steering gear shaft. some steering wheels have a brake screw around the housing at the bottom so make sure that not what's locking it in place. might be hard to explain or understand without manual, but you can lift drive to see if steering gears still touch if they do you'll need to remove steering gear with snap ring pliers will be on starborard side next to ball gear. try turning steering wheel then to see if cable is froze or if free may be gears in upper unit, there is a smaller gear on upper unit you can try turning by hand to see if stearndrive turns. i'll try on my boat when i get home to make sure you can check this way. maybe chiefalen or someone else can give you more info on a way to test to figure out if steering cable or gears in upper unit are causing trouble. you can also look at pages of parts book on line to try to figure out parts. http://www.sterndrive.info/omc_help_page.html

 

[CumminsTurbo22]

Re: Cracked Block outcome

before you spent $300 for new unit, figure out if it's the 1)steering cable, 2)gears in upper unit or 3)steering gear shaft. some steering wheels have a brake screw around the housing at the bottom so make sure that not what's locking it in place. might be hard to explain or understand without manual, but you can lift drive to see if steering gears still touch if they do you'll need to remove steering gear with snap ring pliers will be on starborard side next to ball gear. try turning steering wheel then to see if cable is froze or if free may be gears in upper unit, there is a smaller gear on upper unit you can try turning by hand to see if stearndrive turns. i'll try on my boat when i get home to make sure you can check this way. maybe chiefalen or someone else can give you more info on a way to test to figure out if steering cable or gears in upper unit are causing trouble. you can also look at pages of parts book on line to try to figure out parts. http://www.sterndrive.info/omc_help_page.html

alright i figured it out. it just needed a little convincing. took the whole stern drive apart and it finally budged. moves side to side now with no problems.

but i found another problem. i am leaking water when hooked up to a hose between the trans and the engine. i figured maybe another crack behind the block or idk tho but a bad gasket between the trans and block. any suggestions?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Cracked Block outcome

i am leaking water when hooked up to a hose between the trans and the engine.

Ayuh,....

I believe there's a coreplug behind the flywheel for the water jacket....
If you're Lucky, it just popped out, otherwise, Ya another Crack....

Is it leaking water into the oil pan,..?? Has the oil level gone up,..??

 

[CumminsTurbo22]

Re: Cracked Block outcome

Ayuh,....

I believe there's a coreplug behind the flywheel for the water jacket....
If you're Lucky, it just popped out, otherwise, Ya another Crack....

Is it leaking water into the oil pan,..?? Has the oil level gone up,..??

coreplug? like a freezeplug? no water into the oil pan. ive been checking that very often. oil level is still the same. well i have no choice but to rip the motor out and look at the problem.
Thank you,
Nick

 

[chiefalen]

Re: Cracked Block outcome

The Oracle will probably merge the 2 threads.

Here is how to pull the motor with the stringer drive still on.

If you pulled the drive and you want to pull the motor ignore the tilting of the bow up.

Stringers can have the motor pulled with the drive still on.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=280334

Ok i was just going to leave it but i have to post this, because i went thru something just like this last month.

To "do it right" you will have to replace the block, or get a used running motor.

Heres a guy near me i bought from he won't scr--w you.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Part...rms=39:1|65:10|240:1318&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245

Good luck.

 

[CumminsTurbo22]

Re: Cracked Block outcome

The Oracle will probably merge the 2 threads.

Here is how to pull the motor with the stringer drive still on.

If you pulled the drive and you want to pull the motor ignore the tilting of the bow up.

Stringers can have the motor pulled with the drive still on.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=280334

Ok i was just going to leave it but i have to post this, because i went thru something just like this last month.

To "do it right" you will have to replace the block, or get a used running motor.

Heres a guy near me i bought from he won't scr--w you.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Part...rms=39:1|65:10|240:1318&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245

Good luck.

wow, ever think about writing a "boat for dummies" book? lol nice write up. helps out a lot.
yeah, im in the process of looking for a motor. but if i rip it out i would want something bigger. would the v6 hook up in my boat? it looks like it would fit.
thanks again!
Nick

 

[bpmcl00]

Re: Cracked Block outcome

both manifolds on my 4.3 mercruiser are cracked and had been repaired with jb weld 3 owners ago. last owner never had an issue with it and neither have i.
but also i believe a proper prep job and dry time are key to good jb weld jobs.

Good luck

 

[content1]

Re: Cracked Block outcome

I'm a heavy duty mechanic by trade. I think I've seen every farmer fix in the book. I've tried a few of those fixes myself just to save the poor guy quite a bit of money. Jb Weld works. Seen it done. Did it myself. To my amazement, it worked. The last one was done on a 3406 Cat. Now I've also had i ticketed welder do the job on some more severe cases. Used a quality cast rod. 2 frost plugs blew out and 2 didn't. The 2 that didn't push out were the bad ones. Multiple cracking to the point that when I took the frost plug out, piece of the block fell out too. The welder did a great job on it. Cost about 400 bucks for the welder. Not bad in comparison to the 15000 bucks needed for a new block. If you are taking the engine out, have a welder take a look at it. And if the block is cracked, wouldn't be surprised if the head or heads are cracked too. try a compression test on it. hard to tell on boats cause there isn't any antifreeze to smell at the exhaust. Hope this helps

 

[drrm123]

Re: Cracked Block outcome

dont know if bolt pattern is the same but the v-6 came with a stringer 800. you'll need different intermid and upper and lower to do correct. with manifolds so if you can find resonable complete engine and sterndrive from complete donor boat that's the only way i'd chage over to differnt engine. i'd either repair engine you have or find another 4 cylinder. did you get engine running before pulling it out to try to figure out what you have to work with? make sure outdrive is ok new motor with bad outdrive is no good

 

[180shabah]

Re: Cracked Block outcome

coreplug? like a freezeplug?

Sort of, except there is no such thing as a freeze plug. "freeze plug" is a misnomer, evidenced by the fact that yours didn't pop out. Thsoe plugs are there to fill holes left behind from casting. If they pop out due to freezing, it is called LUCK, they were not intended to do that.

 

[CumminsTurbo22]

Re: Cracked Block outcome

well i would like to tell ya'll that the JB weld worked. lots of prep time and drying time. i pulled the block out today and found one of the plugs were popped in the bell housing on the block. needless to say popped it back in and hooked everything back up. no water in oil either. starts right up with no leaks and runs like a champ. all i need now is seats
Thanks to everyone who has helped me out on this and your suggestions.
Nick

 

[drrm123]

Re: Cracked Block outcome

congrats ........... so now can we have our share of the $300.00 you were going to spend? just kidding good to hear you got it running.