Water is distributor 4.3ltr v6 05

[dalton565]

Hey guys

i had a problem this season when my boat cut out in the middle of the lake. Anyway got towed in and got the local marine mechanic to look at it. He fixed the problem and said it was water in the distributor, he said he had never seen one as bad before. I initially thought it was water in the petrol, but this was not the case.

Anyway he dried it out and now its going fine. Has anyone ever heard of this problem before, i live in ireland and it can be quite damp here even in the summer and the mechanic believes it was condensation causing the problem. anyway got her back and she is running better than ever now.

Just wondering is there anything you could suggest to stop this problem happenign again. engine details below

Mercruiser 2005 4.3ltr V6 Carb
Approx 100hrs use
Boat - 18ft campion 545i

also is there a thread anywhere about servicing this engine ? wat to change/how to change it. As im gonna to attempt this myself this yr

Thanks

 

[mkast]

Re: Water is distributor 4.3ltr v6 05

Download the correct maintenance manual for your power package in the adults only thread.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Water is distributor 4.3ltr v6 05

I did get water in my carb and distributor just once. it was a rough day on the ocean, and it splashed from the bilge to the motor. The salt provided a path for the spark to follow to ground, rather than fire the spark plugs, so the combination of water down the carb and loss of spark caused it to stall.

Since the distributor is solid state, I did not think water would bother the electronics of the distributor. I cannot imagine condensation would be an issue. I kept my boat in the water, what could be damper than that? I am having trouble believing your mechanic.

 

[deadstick]

Re: Water is distributor 4.3ltr v6 05

moisture in the dist. will make it run bad and stall.you can buy a spray @ your local auto store that will help with this issue.

usually this happens when water hits a hot part of the engine and it makes a vapor. the vapor makes its way into your cap and makes the fire jump to all the lugs.

i would just try the spray.. deadstick

 

[deadstick]

Re: Water is distributor 4.3ltr v6 05

ISince the distributor is solid state, I did not think water would bother the electronics of the distributor. I cannot imagine condensation would be an issue. I kept my boat in the water, what could be damper than that? I am having trouble believing your mechanic.

in many cases this does not bother the electronics. the roterery button spins and fires on diff lugs in your cap. when the moiture gets into it, the moiture is a conductor to all the lugs. long story short BOOM~POW~PING

 

[Don S]

Re: Water is distributor 4.3ltr v6 05

Make sure the vent in the distributor cap is open. Have you replaced the cap before?

 

[dalton565]

Re: Water is distributor 4.3ltr v6 05

Thanks for the replies guys, found the manuals 100% great.

Wat actually happened was, i was out on the lake and all off a sudden when running at about 900rpm she started spluttering and sounding like she was going to stall, did this a few times, then eventually stalled and would not start at all, no matter how many times i cracked it.

The mechanic told me he found 2 spots of water in the fuel filter (normal) he said, wouldnt cause a problem. But when he took the distributor cap off he said it was absolutly soaking. Once dried out it was fine.

It also fixed a another problem which i had been experiencing for a while. When applying WOT from stationary she would sometimes hesitate for maybe 2-3seconds before taking off. This problem is now fixed.

Not sure about the vent on the distributor cap, didnt even know it had one, what does this look like.

She has been sitting in the water from March and its now September , going on 7 months. Im just trying to be thorough as this looks like the sort of problem that will inevitably return.

Thanks for all the help

 

[dalton565]

Re: Water is distributor 4.3ltr v6 05

Oh and cap has not been replaced as far as i know. Boat is only 4yr old, engine 100hrs. What is the replacement guide on these?