Hydro locked?

[1979 Quartermasters]

Hi guys

I've been having this problem the last couple of times out. I turn the key and the enging makes this clunk kind of sound and won't turn over. I wait a minute or two and it fires right up and then its fine for the rest of the day.

Yesterday it did it again, but it did it two times with the key and I got scared I would break something. I got a wrench and turned the crank past that spot, half a turn, then tried it again and it fired rite up and ran all day with no problem. We were sking and wakeboarding all day with frequent starting and stopping.

Not sure what is causing this, but it sounds like it could break something.

I pulled a couple plugs at the lake but they didn't show any water.

Timing maybe?

Ideas?......

Ken

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Hydro locked?

How many plugs does this thing have? Maybe you got unlucky and pulled a dry one.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Hydro locked?

I turn the key and the enging makes this clunk kind of sound and won't turn over. I wait a minute or two and it fires right up and then its fine for the rest of the day.

A clunk or a click? The waiting and running fine doesn't sound like hydrolocked to me. Maybe a bad ring on the flywheel or a bad solenoid... next time it happens pull all the plugs if you can access them easily and see what you find. Also check your oil and see if it is milky.

 

[abrx7]

Re: Hydro locked?

If your motor was hydrolockd then you wouldn't be able to crank it over. The only wayto relieve a hydrolocked motor without removing the head is to remove the spark plug and get the water out of cylinder.

Sounds like your starter solenoid / starter is bad.

 

[Failproof]

Re: Hydro locked?

Bendix or solenoid. Probably. Sounds like its kicking but not engaging. Next time try flicking the key one or two times more and see if it fires up. You can turn a motor over with a wrench that is "hydrolocked" it just takes forever and a day. You have to force all the water past the gaps and passages in the rings. Course then the water is all in the oil!!

 

[1979 Quartermasters]

Re: Hydro locked?

Thanks guys. I thought it was hitting compression and bouncing back due to water or something. Thats what it sounded like. It was good all day today. I'm assuming if it was a water problem it would self destruct and an electrical problem would be more intermitant?

Will check all the plugs just to be sure.....

Ken

 

[generator12]

Re: Hydro locked?

I've seen a starter itself do this. One open winding in the armature. If you stop with that winding between the brushes, you have basically an open circuit. You'll hear the solenoid kicking, but nothing else. Whatever is done to cause the brushes to contact adjacent windings will correct it until next time.

 

[Restoration man]

Re: Hydro locked?

If your motor was hydrolockd then you wouldn't be able to crank it over. The only wayto relieve a hydrolocked motor without removing the head is to remove the spark plug and get the water out of cylinder.

Sounds like your starter solenoid / starter is bad.

Have to disagree with this one , I think it could be hydro locked my 5.7 had a tiny rust hole in one of the heads and if you left it over night
It would hydro lock BUT it could be started on the starter without taking the plugs out ,!! it would take a bit of cranking keep turning the key till it expelled all the water out but once it fired it was fine and ran great and no mayo in the oil , at first I thought it was just a duff battery but later found out it was hydro locking after taking the plugs out , also it would start all day when waterskiing because it took time for the cylinder to fill with water , this was why I thought it was the battery as it would only do it when the boat was left over night , a pair of second hand heads fixed it easy ,

 

[1979 Quartermasters]

Re: Hydro locked?

I have checked one side and will check the other side tomorrow. I talked to a starter guy yesterday and he thought, as well as some of you, that it is most likely the starter.

If the plugs are rust free. I will remove the starter and have it rebuilt. Any tricks in removing it. Do I need new starter bolts?

It was pretty hard to start yesterday, but once running there was no problems.

Ken

 

[1979 Quartermasters]

Re: Hydro locked?

Can I reuse the bolts?

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Hydro locked?

Can I reuse the bolts?

Sure, why not?

 

[wellcraft-classic210]

Re: Hydro locked?

This may be old news to you but;

You may want to be sure to
--Disconnect your battery ist
--Make sure all wires are corrosion free & tightened properly when done.
--Most of the time cables & wires have lock washers-- make sure those get put back.
-- Make sure the starter getting installed is a Marine starter for fire safety reasons. ( if you swap yours for another )

 

[1979 Quartermasters]

Re: Hydro locked?

I thought that I read somewhere you need to use new ones. Maybe thats on heads where that is required....

Thanks TW....

Thanks WC210...

I will be checking those things aswell. I'm going to have the starter rebuilt and the tec is aware it is a marine application.....

Ken

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Hydro locked?

I thought that I read somewhere you need to use new ones. Maybe thats on heads where that is required....

That's probably it. But that's not true either. Headbolts are reuseable too.

 

[1979 Quartermasters]

Re: Hydro locked?

Well I got it out and the bolt closest to the fly wheel was a little loose. It was snug but not tight. I also noticed the bolt was bent. I think I might have found the problem. I took the starter in anyway while it was out and the tec said it was a little tight.and would service it seeing as it was already out.

I picked up new bolts at the local GM deal after a visit at the local Merc dealer. Merc said they would have to bring them in and that there were 3 different styles. He needed my serial number to find the right ones, which I didn't have on me. I then went to the GM dealer, told him what I had and he came back with these ones.



The one with the splines is the old one.

Serial number is in my signature.

Any coments?

Ken

 

[Maclin]

Re: Hydro locked?

The bent bolt could have come from cranking thru a water-in-the-cylinder condition, just sayin' the bent bolt may be a symptom and not the cause.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Hydro locked?

The bent bolt could have come from cranking thru a water-in-the-cylinder condition, just sayin' the bent bolt may be a symptom and not the cause.

A starter can NOT "crank through a water-in-cyliner" condition. Water does not compress. Starters break internally when they try to crank an engine that has water in a cylinder. Not sure why his bolt it bent, but it's part of his problem. Not water in the cylinders.

 

[abrx7]

Re: Hydro locked?

Have to disagree with this one , I think it could be hydro locked my 5.7 had a tiny rust hole in one of the heads and if you left it over night
It would hydro lock BUT it could be started on the starter without taking the plugs out ,!! it would take a bit of cranking keep turning the key till it expelled all the water out but once it fired it was fine and ran great and no mayo in the oil , at first I thought it was just a duff battery but later found out it was hydro locking after taking the plugs out , also it would start all day when waterskiing because it took time for the cylinder to fill with water , this was why I thought it was the battery as it would only do it when the boat was left over night , a pair of second hand heads fixed it easy ,

Restoration man - Water doesn't compress so I have no idea how your even able to expel the water.. You must have terrible compression in that cylinder.

 

[Maclin]

Re: Hydro locked?

I took a shortcut on my description (I am licensed poetically), the OP said it clunked and stopped, then later would turn over. I'm thinkin' one of the first times, if it was hydrolocked, that the bolt(s) could have been stressed.

 

[Maclin]

Re: Hydro locked?

I agree that a hydro-lock is not easily cleared by just waiting even a few hours without severe cylinder compression leakage somewhere.