What would cause this... Melted Wires!! HELP

[zarillus]

I just popped the top of the motor and saw something very disturbing.Virtually every wire was burnt excluding the one ones going to the coil.I have attached some pictures to see.

What would have caused such a meltdown? Where should i look or test.

Thanks

 

[Fl_Richard]

Re: What would cause this... Melted Wires!! HELP

Looks like it got really hot especially since it's not isolated to wiring. The plastic wouldnt have melted if it was electrical.

Hows the impeller?

 

[F_R]

Re: What would cause this... Melted Wires!! HELP

Looks like an engine fire to me. Looks like it was extinguished before it REALLY got hot.

 

[zarillus]

Re: What would cause this... Melted Wires!! HELP

Would a frozen impeller cause this? What things should i check on the motor?

 

[zarillus]

Re: What would cause this... Melted Wires!! HELP

So what can i check on this?

ANYBODY?

 

[Rick.]

Re: What would cause this... Melted Wires!! HELP

I don't think a water pump problem could get things that hot before the motor would stop running. Personally I would check for gas leaks first as I agree it looks like the work of a quick burn (fire). Rick.

 

[F_R]

Re: What would cause this... Melted Wires!! HELP

I've seen a bazillion of those motors that ran hot because of water pump failure and yours just does not look like one that did. Your paint is not burnt on the cylinders & heads, the first thing to go. And the melted plastic near the carburetor is way far away from overheated cylinders. But I do see smoke all over the top of the engine. Until I know better, I say fire.

 

[jasper60103]

Re: What would cause this... Melted Wires!! HELP

wow, is that your new boat motor?

 

[Mas]

Re: What would cause this... Melted Wires!! HELP

I'm not proud, but I had a little kicker that had a lot of deposits caked in the cooling passages that restricted water flow. I found this out while preforming an autopsy. The motor was designed without having a tell-tale, so I did not notice that a cooling issue was at hand, and I didn't look backwards often enough to notice the the motor was going up in smoke. In the end, the heat was so hot that it melted the internal fuel tank and allowed gas to pour out onto a hot cylinder...but didn't catch fire! Thank God!

I decided to clean her up, replace the piston, rings, head, and internal tank. I honed the cylinder and put her all back together. The only electrical item I replaced was the spark plug. The little motor has been running great ever since...believe it or not!

So, my point is cooling issues can possibly cause your problems described, but you will not know for certain without doing some tests!

MAS

 

[jonesg]

Re: What would cause this... Melted Wires!! HELP

Looks like carbs flooded, filled cowl with fuel and it popped off.

 

[Mas]

Re: What would cause this... Melted Wires!! HELP

Also, a really amazing thing that I forgot, was the plastic bushing the motor swivels on and exhaust leg runs through also completely melted.

Again, I'm not proud...but yet amazed.

MAS

 

[Willyclay]

Re: What would cause this... Melted Wires!! HELP

Joe Reeves told me OMC changed wiring harness suppliers in the late 1960's and had a problem with deteriorating insulation. I have it with my 1968 Johnson 100HP V-4.

 

[Lone Duck]

Re: What would cause this... Melted Wires!! HELP

I just popped the top of the motor and saw something very disturbing.Virtually every wire was burnt excluding the one ones going to the coil.I have attached some pictures to see.

What would have caused such a meltdown? Where should i look or test.

Thanks

How did it run? Did it ever backfire? DO NOT EVER SPRAY STARTER FLUID ON ANY RUNNING ENGINE!!!!! You are lucky you did not have an explosion. You either have a fuel leak or a electrical leak or both. Get a Manuel and check your float level , check your fuel pump. Check your timing. Replace all burnt wires. You should not have starting fluid near your engine , use mixed gas from a squirt bottle.

 

[zarillus]

Re: What would cause this... Melted Wires!! HELP

Thanks for the advice guys,i don't know much about the motor,it ran great beleive it or not when i purchased it and test drove in lake.I will be replacing all internal engine wires.Also i would never use that starting fluid,i was working a a chainsaw engine once and she backfired and scorched my hand.