Hi guys, yet more problems here

[hblair]

Hi guys, it's me again. I think I may be being tested to see how many problems I can endure with my boat here. I bought this boat a year and a half ago and have been working on it pretty much ever since. It's a 26' glasstream seaquest. I installed a mercruiser 888 (ford 302) drive in it. I bought another boat with an 888 drive to have spare parts.
Long story short, I've been in my engine three times. This last time I took it to the machinist and told him to do the machine work AND assemble it(bottom end and heads). I picked the engine up about october. I finally had time to get it ready to crank friday. This time it's got a lunati cam in it with the firing order of a 351w. I installed a new tach where I could break it in correctly without guessing the rpm. (machinist said 2200-2500rpm for 15 minutes or so) I got the engine fired up, ran it for 15 minutes, then let it idle as I adjusted the idle screw on the carb. Engine sounded good as far as I could tell. Everythings great, checked the oil, looks like milk.
The engine has not had water in it until friday. I plan to call monday to see if he checked it for cracks(block and heads), although I'm reasonably sure he did. I replaced the intake with a 4 barrel cast iron unit, is it common for a 302 intake to leak water into the pushrod area? I am beyon tired of pulling this engine. It sits down in the floor and is no fun to play with.

And yes, if the engine has to come out it will be tested outside the boat on a stand. I just thought everything was gonna be good to go this time.

 

[Lyle29464]

Re: Hi guys, yet more problems here

very sorry to hear about your engine. I would do a search and perform a leak down test. you will need to block your discharge hoses. Just remove one hose and hook the other one in its place like you would by-pass a car heater.
You will need the tester and it will tell you where the leak is with out removing the engine.

 

[Aloysius]

Re: Hi guys, yet more problems here

Wrong intake manifold gasket? There's 2 styles.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Hi guys, yet more problems here

perform a leak down test. you will need to block your discharge hoses. Just remove one hose and hook the other one in its place like you would by-pass a car heater.

Just so there's no confusion you need to do a cooling system pressure check. (leak-down test is a cyl/rings/valves test)

Bypass the exhaust manifolds and block all the water inlet/outlets and use a simple fuel pressure gage (0-15psi) or other gage and pressure the block up to about 15 psi with a compressor.

You can use common plumbing fittings and what ever old hose you can find to couple to your compressor or bicycle pump etc.

put a cheap ball valve in the line so you can shut off the hose from the compressor. you can then listen for leaks.

If you used the wrong intake gasket or it's leaking somewhere else you'll hear it for sure and for certain!!

Merry Christmas!


Rick

 

[GLENN M]

Re: Hi guys, yet more problems here

does that bring back memoires,i had 351w and being auto mechanic didnt realize cracked exhaust manifolds could allow water into crank case.figured it out on third motor never had it water only got as far as muffs. goodluck.

 

[hblair]

Re: Hi guys, yet more problems here

Thanks for the replies and advice fellas.

I pulled the intake off, checked the gasket, looked good, cleaned it up and installed a new gasket. Ran the engine, milky oil. I pulled the engine out of the boat, pulled the timing cover (and oil pan), checked out the gasket around the water passages to the water pump, everything looked great. Installed new oil pan gasket, and timing cover gaskets, and put everything back together. New oil, oil filter. I got the engine ready to run on a stand. I kept the exhaust manifolds on the engine and put some trash cans under them so the water would discharge there and not make a big mess. I cranked the engine yesterday on the stand and ran it like 4 different times over a period of 5 hours. I brought it up to operating temp every time (using a digital thermometer, sides of heads would get to 190-200 degrees). The oil looked good all day, perfectly clear. I thought everything was good.
I went back up to the shop this afternoon. I was gonna show my cousin that the engine was finally good. We cranked the engine, ran it for 1 minute, he pulled the dipstick, milky again!

I had talked to my engine builder last week, and he said he was confident the heads and the block were good, he had checked them for cracks. With this in mind, we pulled the intake yet again, it looked good again. I pulled the valve covers. the left head had milky oil laying in it. The right head had milky oil but also had droplets of fresh water there too. I felt like this meant the water was coming from the top of this head since if it was coming from somewhere else the oil pump would whip it up into milk, therefore there would be no droplets. I cleaned the right head off good, got all water off of it. I got the engine pretty level and poured water into the water jacket in the right head.

What I saw next was pretty suprising. These heads have allen head "water plugs" that screw down into the water jacket between each set of rockers arms. The center allen bolt slowly filled with water. It would take like ten seconds for the water droplet to form. Probably a whole minute for the bolt to fill up with water. The crack in the bolt is so small I can't even see it.
Again, thanks for the advice. I can't have simple, normal problems. I always seem to blaze trails with the uniqeness and oddness of my problems. I hate that it took so long to find the problem, but I'm glad it's and easy fix.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Hi guys, yet more problems here

I can't have simple, normal problems. I always seem to blaze trails with the uniqeness and oddness of my problems. I hate that it took so long to find the problem, but I'm glad it's and easy fix.

Odd and as unique as it was, a simple cooling system pressure check would have revealed it quickly.

Doing it like you did made it harder since the cooling system is not under very much pressure during normal running.....


Glad you found it though!


regards,


Rick