Rain Water in Distributor HELP!!

[bigjcfiredog]

OK I hope someone can help shed some light on the boat. It is an 02 Crownline 21' with the 5.0 chevy. We are having a terrible time with water in the distributor. It seems that every time it rains on the boat it gets water in the distributor. Then it will not go over idle. The cap and rotor were replaced last year because of corrosion inside and on the rotor. This boat had 148 hours on it when I put it in the water this year. It is stored inside unless we are using her the few weeks a year we are at the lake. It has only been on Pomme De Terre in Missouri. Can anyone tell me why this is getting so very wet? Also why is there a vent on this cap? It has a threaded elboe that looks like it should have a small line attached. There has never been one attached. The gasket between the dist and cap is in great condition. I soaked an entire paper towel with water from this thing. Is this common? I cannot imagine others who run this engine would put up with this issue for very long... The lightning storm that came up with all the kids in the boat, and all we could do was idle back was the last straw. Maybe I should just pull the plug, sink it, and collect the insurance money and get a decent boat....
Just a little bit frustrated. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
The wet firedog.

 

[kamby]

Re: Rain Water in Distributor HELP!!

The distrib cap shouldn't have a vent on it for fire issues, it sounds like an automotive cap got put on at sometime. U mentioned its a 5.0l engine but who's name is on it? Volvo, mercuriser, yamaha etc?

Sounds like its drawing in moisture through the vent cap or you have another strange issue with water in the motor coming up through the oil wick below the rotor..

 

[Bondo]

Re: Rain Water in Distributor HELP!!

Can anyone tell me why this is getting so very wet?
Also why is there a vent on this cap?

Ayuh,... Sounds like a design flaw with the Boat....
See if you can find Where the water is coming from,.. Then Stop it....

The cap is Vented because a distributer Has to be vented,+ the little fitting is a Spark Trap...

 

[JustJason]

Re: Rain Water in Distributor HELP!!

Yep... water is either getting under the motor cover, through the deck/hull joint, or you have a hose with a hole in it thats spraying the distro. All you can do is try to find the leak, not every boat is made perfectly.

That elbow on the cap is correct. it's basically a spark arrestor... because spark can't jump 90 degrees.

 

[Maclin]

Re: Rain Water in Distributor HELP!!

My Volvo 5.7 V8 has a plastic cover over the spark arrestor that also covers the distributor, it has a very specific design and slopes the water off away from those components. I know I have seen this same type of cover on some Merc V8's. It saves mine from any water that gets thru the engine cover. I am just wondering if yours is supposed to have something like that and it is missing. Mine mounts on some long bolt spacers that double as the carb bolts.

 

[Utahboatnut]

Re: Rain Water in Distributor HELP!!

I know my crownline (merc equipped) the bilge blower vent is almost right above where the dist. sits. But the blower hoses go into like a collector box which keeps water from making its way to the dist. If the box is damaged or not sealed well it could be coming in there and dripping right onto the dist. As mentioned there must be some type of shield that could be used/made to prevent this. When the kids are swimming jumping in etc my vent gets a lot of water dripped on it and I have never had any issue like yours. Could you make a shield that bolts onto the spark arrestor stud that extended back to cover the dist?

 

[kamby]

Re: Rain Water in Distributor HELP!!

Seems like it would take a lot to soak a distributer, but than again on my 5.7 its in the back of the engine, i guess it could leak into it, just seems odd that it would have to go through a vent hole with a 90deg boot.

Anything is possible so i will shut up now since i was way off in my first post..

 

[MikDee]

Re: Rain Water in Distributor HELP!!

I've had issues with condensation developing inside a distributor cap at times, I don't know how, or why it happens, but maybe that's what you're experiencing.

 

[gadget73]

Re: Rain Water in Distributor HELP!!

I wonder if one of the 80s Ford distributor "condoms" would work for you. They're a rubber thing that goes over the distributor cap to seal it from water intrusion. Can be found on most 80s and early 90s Fords with a V8.

front and center in this pic, you can see how it hooks to itself too

 

[bigjcfiredog]

Re: Rain Water in Distributor HELP!!

I wonder if one of the 80s Ford distributor "condoms" would work for you. They're a rubber thing that goes over the distributor cap to seal it from water intrusion. Can be found on most 80s and early 90s Fords with a V8.

front and center in this pic, you can see how it hooks to itself too

This is a great idea. Never thought of that thing. I have seen them before on a friends 5.0. The water could be rolling off the 'tanning area' while it is parked. We always pull it up a bit so it angles up in the front. I am going to hit a local pick a part this week and then try that. Unless we get stuck in the rain it is always parked during the rain. The last time we used it it ran for a while then began to sputter. I wonder if I can run a piece of rubber line from the vent up to some sort of filter. ?? Maybe liek the aireator we used in the old fish tank. Maybe tape it up on the filter...

 

[Bondo]

Re: Rain Water in Distributor HELP!!

I wonder if I can run a piece of rubber line from the vent up to some sort of

Ayuh,... Your Hatch needs a Drip-edge to stop the water,+ drain it elsewhere...

 

[mickjetblue]

Re: Rain Water in Distributor HELP!!

I have a Bayliner with a VP4 engine in it, and I do not have this problem where I live.

However, I did take it to visit relatives a few hours away, and went through a rain,
and into a foggy climate area. I had to clean and dry the inside of the dist. cap each
morning before it would start. Literally moist all over the inside of it.

After my return home, I have not had that problem since.

If it's foggy where you live, that may the underlying issue, combined with the design
of the ignition. Maybe going electronic might help, but that's only a guess.
I'm just not taking the boat to that foggy climate area any more.

Good luck!