mercruiser 3.0 alpha lx Not winterized. help...

[EricS22]

I am writing about a 3.0 alpha lx mercruiser engine that spent the better part of this past winter with it's lower half frozen in a block of ice. The water level rose to cover the starter and oil pump before freezing. This Engine was not winterized. After getting rid of the water and ice from the outside, the first thing I checked was the engine oil. The dip stick does indeed show water and the oil level seems very low (or the water is displacing it). What is my first move? Do I change the oil and attempt to start it? What are the odds that this engine is now junk? Should I remove the outdrive? What should I be looking for? This engine ran great last season, would hate to see it go.

Please help!!

 

[rndn]

Re: mercruiser 3.0 alpha lx Not winterized. help...

Welcome to the forum. If it wasn't winterized, the block is cracked. Sat with water for several months. Junk. Sorry the news wasn't better. I guess it may be worth checking if you're really into it. Where are you in the country?

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: mercruiser 3.0 alpha lx Not winterized. help...

Welcome to iboats......
Well, you could drain & refill the oil & see if it will start, but the odds are that it is now junk.....​

 

[EricS22]

Re: mercruiser 3.0 alpha lx Not winterized. help...

North east... Hudson Valley NY..
The boat sat since last august. It sat for months even before winter. Apparently the bildge was kicking out the water for a while until the battery went dead. No one got around to winterizing it. When I got back to the boat, the water had reached the bottom of the block and froze around the engine. Starter was fully submerged and the ice was up to the bottom of the alternator. There is water in the oil, I don't know if it snuck in there through the pan gasket or there is a crack somewhere inside. If I do manage to get it running after the oil change, will it be easy to tell if I have a crack inside?
Thanks a million-

 

[whywhyzed]

Re: mercruiser 3.0 alpha lx Not winterized. help...

...

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: mercruiser 3.0 alpha lx Not winterized. help...

North east... Hudson Valley NY..
The boat sat since last august. It sat for months even before winter. Apparently the bildge was kicking out the water for a while until the battery went dead. No one got around to winterizing it. When I got back to the boat, the water had reached the bottom of the block and froze around the engine. Starter was fully submerged and the ice was up to the bottom of the alternator. There is water in the oil, I don't know if it snuck in there through the pan gasket or there is a crack somewhere inside. If I do manage to get it running after the oil change, will it be easy to tell if I have a crack inside?
Thanks a million-

If it sat unwinterized in Wappinger's Falls all winter, your block is cracked....
Drain & refill the oil, if the engine will run, you will see the oil level rise quickly on the dipstick & alot of steam out of the valve cover breather....
I can't see any way your block is not cracked.....
It would be more than a miracle.....

 

[EricS22]

Re: mercruiser 3.0 alpha lx Not winterized. help...

No visable crack under manifold. Guess it's time to change the oil and try to fire it up. I do notice milky oil under the engine in the bildge area. I can't find the source. Could this be drive oil?

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: mercruiser 3.0 alpha lx Not winterized. help...

Gear lube & engine oil look very different.....
Do the oil change, clean the bilge as best you can, fire it up if possible & LOOK......​

 

[whywhyzed]

Re: mercruiser 3.0 alpha lx Not winterized. help...

...

 

[EricS22]

Re: mercruiser 3.0 alpha lx Not winterized. help...

Changed oil, started engine. Runs fine. There is however water, slowly dripping from under the manifold. I let the engine run for a while and waited. Checked the dip stick, no change in level. The only apparent issue is this slow leak from behind the intake. No steam, and the engine runs great.

Pretty sure I have a crack back there. I did notice that there was a bit of rust streaking down the side of the block from that area. It obviously has been in this condition since before I got a hold of this boat.

I didn't even think twice about it to be honest. I used it all last season without any problems.

I don't have the money to replace this block right now. How long will the engine hold out in this condition?
If it is pretty much junk, do I have anything to lose by running it as is ?

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: mercruiser 3.0 alpha lx Not winterized. help...

Changed oil, started engine. Runs fine. There is however water, slowly dripping from under the manifold. I let the engine run for a while and waited. Checked the dip stick, no change in level. The only apparent issue is this slow leak from behind the intake. No steam, and the engine runs great.
Well, it sounds like you do not have a major crack & I am very surprised....

Pretty sure I have a crack back there. I did notice that there was a bit of rust streaking down the side of the block from that area. It obviously has been in this condition since before I got a hold of this boat.
Pull the manifold & have a look at the crack...
With proper preparation, external cracks can be fixed with JB weld...

I didn't even think twice about it to be honest. I used it all last season without any problems.

I don't have the money to replace this block right now. How long will the engine hold out in this condition?
If it is pretty much junk, do I have anything to lose by running it as is ?

There is no telling how long it will last, & you have nothing to lose by running it....
Just be sure you have a contingent plan if it fails on the water.....
I'd run it some more & change the oil again....
Did you run it on the water, under load yet?....

 

[heyttown]

Re: mercruiser 3.0 alpha lx Not winterized. help...

I have the same motor and also had a crack about the same spot that was posted in the pics....

I hit a wave super hard(caught me by suprise) well we were on a test run from fixing some things when I hit that wave, we found water to be trickling down the side from behind the exhaust mani...The leak was not there before that wave we hit. Pulled exhaust mani and saw the crack along with 1 more that was all rust colored around it(like it had been there before)....Only thing I can think is that hard hit we took flexed the rust out of the crack and sprung the leak, it was a very slow leak...
I changed the oil, and didnt find any water in it. So I drilled a small hole at the end of each crack to stop it from traveling farther, and used a dremel tool to clean out the crack... Mixed up some JB weld and its been 3 yrs now. i

I say give it a shot.

 

[Bondo]

Re: mercruiser 3.0 alpha lx Not winterized. help...

I changed the oil, and didnt find any water in it. So I drilled a small hole at the end of each crack to stop it from traveling farther, and used a dremel tool to clean out the crack... Mixed up some JB weld and its been 3 yrs now.

Ayuh,........

If it's Not passing water into the Oil,.....

Epoxy is the Best way to repair them,........

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: mercruiser 3.0 alpha lx Not winterized. help...

I think its amazing it even started after setting submerged all winter.You would think the starter would have been rusted really bad.
What do you have to lose? Nothing! JB weld it and maybe you will get some use out of it before it goes belly up..

 

[EricS22]

Re: mercruiser 3.0 alpha lx Not winterized. help...

Not only did it start, it ran great.
I did finaly pull the manifold off today. Sure enough, there are three hairline cracks along the side of the block. I cleaned the area well with a wire brush and solvent. Guess Im going to run with the old JB weld. Any suggestions on how to go about it?

 

[heyttown]

Re: mercruiser 3.0 alpha lx Not winterized. help...

If you could get your hands on a dremel or similar it works great. I used a cone shape grinding stone, cleaned it up great plus I used a wire brush...But that cone makes a small trench that I just mixed up the jb weld and filled it in...I gooped it on pretty good...Doesnt look the prettiest but hasnt leaked a drop since.

 

[Coors]

Re: mercruiser 3.0 alpha lx Not winterized. help...

I think its amazing it even started after setting submerged all winter.You would think the starter would have been rusted really bad.
What do you have to lose? Nothing! JB weld it and maybe you will get some use out of it before it goes belly up..

The starter will die, at a bad time. Been there.

 

[pau hana]

Re: mercruiser 3.0 alpha lx Not winterized. help...

If you could get your hands on a dremel or similar it works great. I used a cone shape grinding stone, cleaned it up great plus I used a wire brush...But that cone makes a small trench that I just mixed up the jb weld and filled it in...I gooped it on pretty good...Doesnt look the prettiest but hasnt leaked a drop since.

JB won't expand and contract with the heat cycling of the engine. Get it welded.

 

[Bondo]

Re: mercruiser 3.0 alpha lx Not winterized. help...

JB won't expand and contract with the heat cycling of the engine. Get it welded.

Ayuh,...... Welding is the Worst Option,......

I'm a Welder,+ I'd use the Epoxy over welding,....Any Day,+ Everyday.....

 

[Coors]

Re: mercruiser 3.0 alpha lx Not winterized. help...

High nickel rods, heating before hand, slow cool after ( a block won't fit in an used oven)
Epoxy.