Is it safe to run after seizing?

[GlasV162]

Hello,

I have a 1990 90 hp Evinrude, which I paid a shop to rebuild. After less than 10 hours of running time, it locked-up at approx. 4,000 rpm. The bottom starboard cylinder overheated and locked-up. There were small metal filings on the spark plug. Both the owner of the shop and his mechanic told me to keep running it, and said that the damaged cylinder would "smooth itself out" with continued running. I went on the shop's advice and continued to run it. Is this correct advice, and what are the potential long-term pitfalls / benefits of continuing to run this outboard given the fact that it seized at 4,000 rpm?
Thanks.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Is it safe to run after seizing?

Your post makes no sense because you say the engine seized at 4000r's.
But then your mechanic tells you to just run till it smooths out, now how you going to run a seized engine? Overheated cylinder, metal shavings, locked up, Evinrudes are excellent motors but not THAT excellent.
Go back and clarify as to what actually happened, I'm thinking you used the term "seized" with wrong meaning.

 

[Shizzy]

Re: Is it safe to run after seizing?

umm.... what?

does it start now that it cooled off? My sister had a car years ago she ran out of oil. it locked up but then restarted once it cooled off and oil was added. it got about 2 miles down the road before it gave up the ghost for good.

thats one heck of a shop......

 

[GlasV162]

Re: Is it safe to run after seizing?

It seized-up while running at 4,000 rpm, about 4 miles from the launch ramp. When it happened, I called the mechanic to tell him what had happened, and he said, "Start it up again right now." It started and ran, so he said, "Idle back to the launch ramp and I'll meet you there." About 10 minutes later, he called me back and said, "Add more oil to the gas, make sure it smokes, and then run it at a higher speed. I'll see you at the ramp." I did what he advised, and I met him at the ramp. He went out in the boat with me and ran it at full throttle for probably 15-20 minutes. Since then, it has continued to lose power and run poorly, especially at idle speeds.

 

[R.Johnson]

Re: Is it safe to run after seizing?

Shavings in the cylinder, but it will clear up by running it more. That mechanic rates right up there with an all night dentist.

 

[GlasV162]

Re: Is it safe to run after seizing?

What is likely to happen to the motor if I keep running it since it has already seized-up once?

 

[HybridMX6]

Re: Is it safe to run after seizing?

Engine failure.
That cylinder is going to lose compression totally, and the motor will not run properly once it's dead. Worst case, it locks up again, snaps a rod, and punches a nice hole in the block. Then you can't even rebuild it, have to get an entirely new powerhead, or at least a used one. I'd take it back immediately and make him redo his work. Sounds like he maybe didn't chamfer the ports when they honed/bored it, and a ring got stuck and broke and wedged into the cylinder, freezing up the motor.

 

[R.Johnson]

Re: Is it safe to run after seizing?

I really don't believe that mechanic, and going by his advice here, could make that engine right. I don't think I would give him another crack at me. What did they charge the first time? I just have a hard time trusting any repairman that is younger than the product he may be working on. Is that the case here? Think that engine is bad this time? Let him try again.

 

[jonesg]

Re: Is it safe to run after seizing?

ditto!
I wouldn't let them near it again, that is incompetence.

I'd open it up myself and look at what happened, see if they'll spring for parts , then do it yerself with a marine machine shop doing the bore job.

Is it imagination or do all bad mechanics end up working on outboards.?

 

[Mas]

Re: Is it safe to run after seizing?

Missing metal will not repair itself!

MAS

 

[coolguy147]

Re: Is it safe to run after seizing?

i say check compression in all cylinders and see if there normal take the head off and inspect each cylinder. then decide which needs to be rebuilt. and so on

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Is it safe to run after seizing?

He obviously wants you to run the thing to death and then blame you for continuing to run it. The engine is telling you it is sick. Were the carbs rebuilt after the engine rebuild. If not, that was probably what caused the initial failure and what caused the current failure. Of course the oil injection system always gets blamed but it cannot pick on an individual cylinder to destroy. Was the proper break-in observed after the rebuild?

 

[donnyskz1]

Re: Is it safe to run after seizing?

I would bring it to some else and find out what went wrong and let him pay for the repairs to fix it right.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Is it safe to run after seizing?

Whatever you do, don't pay that clown another dime - ever. I think I would either find someone who is known to be competent to rebuild the motor, or simply replace it. From that point, I would take "Mr. Mechanic" to small claims court to recoup my losses.

 

[GlasV162]

Re: Is it safe to run after seizing?

What's the difference between honing and boring? The repair order says one cylinder was bored and the other 3 were honed. Thanks.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Is it safe to run after seizing?

Wild guess -- the cylinder that was bored is the same one thaty locked up.

Metal on the plug tip usually means some sort of combustion issue, could be as simple as the wrong spark plugs. If it's the same cylinder it means they did not find and fix the cause of the original problem. A damaged piston is not a cause but rather the result.

 

[GlasV162]

Re: Is it safe to run after seizing?

I'm not sure if the cylinder that locked up is the one that was bored. What is the difference between boring and honing a cylinder? Thanks.

 

[spktho]

Re: Is it safe to run after seizing?

when a cylinder is bored there is metal taken off, usually starts with a 10th of a millimeter and increases in increments to make the cylinder smooth and true round. Honing a cylinder takes the glaze off the surface and usually adds "crosshatching"--basically cleans up the surface of the cylinder.

 

[GlasV162]

Re: Is it safe to run after seizing?

Silvertip--the carbs were rebuilt at the same time the shop had the motor for the rebuild, and the break-in procedure the shop gave me was followed.

The general consensus here is that running the motor after it seized was the wrong thing to do. I went on the tech and shop owner's advice--they both told me to keep running it, and that it would "smooth itself out."

Is there any credible documentation available (i.e. a repair manual) that says not to run an engine after it seizes? If I decide to go to small claims court, It would seem to me that I will need something official to show the judge that documents that this was poor advice for a shop to give.

 

[HybridMX6]

Re: Is it safe to run after seizing?

I would say running a motor after it seized is one thing, running it after you know you have metal pieces in it after it seized is another. Were they aware of the fact that you found metal pieces in it?