VIDEO Help: Post Texas Freeze Leak

[lakelbjhorn]

I have a 1999 Chapparal Sunsesta with a Volvo Penta 5.0 Gi and we came back and started it for the first time and it seems to be leaking pretty badly. Is the engine block cracked or is it a water pump problem?

video -

I have the boat mechanic coming to look at it soon just curious if you all had any insight into what I might be looking at for repairs. Video is attached. Thanks!

 

[Bt Doctur]

Exactly how was it winerized, engine circ pump dont usually leak
the video is only audio

 

[lakelbjhorn]

Exactly how was it winerized, engine circ pump dont usually leak
the video is only audio

Apologies, i uploaded it to YouTube here’s a link - we had a heater installed next to the motor, unfortunately the power turned off in Texas and it was disabled and it got down to 10 degrees or so. Here is a link to video -

 

[saaristo]

Seems to me it is manifold thats cracked, but hard to say. While engine off, feel it with your fingers is there somethkng sharp underneath? Or take a mirror or take pics with phone. You could escape this with "only" bursted manifold.

 

[Bondo]

- we had a heater installed next to the motor, unfortunately the power turned off in Texas and it was disabled and it got down to 10 degrees or so.

Ayuh,..... Odds are you need a new long block, 'n manifolds,....

Does the oil level rise, 'n the oil get milky lookin',..??

 

[Lou C]

By the vid it could be just the manifold or the engine as well but seeing as how both were full of raw water it sounds like you will need a new or reman long block + exhaust system and anything else that could have froze...power steering cooler, raw water pump, plastic water nipple in the pivot housing of the SX outdrive to name the main ones.
For the next engine I strongly suggest a half closed cooling system to get away from this pain in the neck raw water cooled set up; it makes it easier to winterize and saves the engine from freezing and internal corrosion. Either that or do what we do up north, winterize at the end of the season even it it’s a warm fall.

 

[lakelbjhorn]

Thanks for the feedback. I came out and took another couple of photos and it does look like a pretty severely cracked block. (Photos attached)

Is it worth replacing the motor? What would be a reasonable cost for someone to replace the block including labor? Thanks again for your help!

 

[racerone]

Texas will need truck loads of replacement blocks in the next few months.

 

[Lou C]

What's the boat worth?
What would it cost you to get another boat?
If its worth something (assuming you fix it) and you can get a long block + exhaust system replacement, then I would fix it, prices could be between 6000-8000 depending on new vs reman, and your local labor rates.
I hope people in the South learn how to drain their engines after this, or move on to outboards! Once you've done it, draining takes a half hr at most.

 

[Khris Kraft]

So sorry for that happening to you. I will ask the group this question.. at what point to the "freeze plugs" in engines start working? Isn't this the whole point of having them?

 

[racerone]

They really are just " core plugs " used to close up holes after the casting process.----They have been mistakenly called " freeze plugs " for years.-----They are not meant to protect an engine from freeze damage !!!

 

[Khris Kraft]

They really are just " core plugs " used to close up holes after the casting process.----They have been mistakenly called " freeze plugs " for years.-----They are not meant to protect an engine from freeze damage !!!

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[Scott06]

Thanks for the feedback. I came out and took another couple of photos and it does look like a pretty severely cracked block. (Photos attached)

Is it worth replacing the motor? What would be a reasonable cost for someone to replace the block including labor? Thanks again for your help!

View attachment 336860View attachment 336861View attachment 336862

Is it worth replacing the motor? Probably if the rest of the boat is in reasonable shape. Cost for a remanufactured long block is about $2500, labor low side =$1500 . So a reman long block all in could be $4-5 k up to $11 k if you get a mercuiser bobtail installed at a dealer with a 3 yr warranty. Lots of options. Michigan motorz has a lot of reman and new engine choices.

 

[Khris Kraft]

Is it worth replacing the motor? Probably if the rest of the boat is in reasonable shape. Cost for a remanufactured long block is about $2500, labor low side =$1500 . So a reman long block all in could be $4-5 k up to $11 k if you get a mercuiser bobtail installed at a dealer with a 3 yr warranty. Lots of options. Michigan motorz has a lot of reman and new engine choices.

I put a 5.7 H.O from PCM (pleasure craft marine) in another boat I had and was really happy with everything about it. Of your engine has a bunch of hours on it maybe consider a complete running engine. All the "tins" will be new along with a nice fresh ignition system, fuel system etc. You will spend more money on the complete engine than you will on just the block of course but you will save hours of mechanical fee's swapping over old parts to the new block. JMHO of course. Maybe insurance will pay for everything..but I bet they are saying "sorry ...act of god".

 

[TejasMotorBoating]

I had manifolds crack due to the February 2021 Texas freeze... I have a replacement set arriving this week and will be replacing both sides.... hopefully there’s no issues with any other components....

Any feedback on what else to check or do prior to putting the boat in the water?

I’m planning on changing plugs, cap and rotor along with fuel and engine oil filter

 

[Scott06]

With cracks like that i bet your block is toast too. Look below the manifolds on the sides of the block i suspect you will find similar cracks there. If none visible, before you put any money into any tube up or oil change items, Run it on the hose let it get good and hot. Look for water intrusion into the oil- milkiness and oil level rising

 

[Lou C]

If nothing was drained everything is cracked, manifolds, block, cyl heads, intake manifold. Sorry but these engines were originally designed to be in a Chevrolet with antifreeze and a pressurized cooling system. The fact that Volvo and Merc thought that they could save money and keep prices of their engine packages lower caused the maintenance of these power packages to be more of a nuisance. If you want to get away from this pain in the butt system of pulling out rear seats etc install a half closed cooling system, these can me easily winterized using a winterizing tank.
Raw water cooling is just not a good system for inboards. You forget once, there is one freak weather event and it’s done.

And for the last time those “freeze plugs” everyone speaks of are not freeze plugs they are core casting plugs. Why, remember these are Chevrolet car engines designed for a pressurized cooling system and antifreeze!
Outboards on the other hand are designed for raw water cooling.

 

[kdiddle]

@lakelbjhorn - i hate to see what you're in the middle of, but unfortunately it seems you're going to have a lot of company in that department as folks start digging their boats out of storage for the summer (so if you are going to repair, you should probably try to get your hands on a long block sooner rather than later).

A few years back I bought a boat with a VP GXI engine that was frozen and busted all to pieces. I ended up getting a long block from Atlantic Marine (near Miami) and I have to say it was a total breeze (all things considered) plus replacing the engine gave me the opportunity to do lots of deeper maintenance that had been overlooked. Not only was the engine amazingly packed for shipping, but apart from removing the stern drive, the swap itself was far easier than I was expecting.

You may not have the room/tools/know how to do it yourself, but I think you're going to find a long waiting list if you try to find someone local to do the engine swap for you...

 

[BRICH1260]

Look at Michiganmotorz. I purchased a new GXI block from them and doing the work myself only had about 4K in costs. It takes a little time and effort but fairly easy to do, the hardest part was getting the old block out and the new one in.

 

[Bt Doctur]

freeze damage galore, I`m sure there must be a lot more of those . Only shows the benefits of proper winterization and not depending on electric heaters when the electricity goes out. Simply draining everything would have saved it.