Mercury 3.0 gray oil paint like sludge everywhere!

[mberliner1626]

I have a Mercury 3.0. New engine, replaced last summer (Jasper engine) engine ran OK for the rest of the season. Boat was properly winterized by my marina at the end of the season. This spring I had a new exhaust manifold installed by the marina. I ran once this spring and noticed a surging at high rpm. Figured I had a gas problem, fouled filter or something like that. I was going to work through it with an additive, run the tank down, change fuel filter and fill with new gas. Never got that far!

Started the boat for the second time, idle at dock, perhaps for 5 minutes. Noticed a gray paint like liquid coming out from the engine cover. I shut down immediately and opened the engine compartment to notice the same grayish paint like liquid all over everything!

Pulled the oil dipstick and it also had the same grayish paint like sludge on it. It was at a very high level about 5 inches up the dipstick.

I've done some online searching and everything it pointing towards water in the oil. It could be a cracked block. What else could have caused this?

What could have gone wrong or what could the marina have done wrong, if anything in regards to the exhaust manifold install that could have caused this to happen?

The marina is coming to look at it today and I want to be as educated as possible about this topic in order to discuss it with them.

Thanks!

 

[fossill]

Re: Mercury 3.0 gray oil paint like sludge everywhere!

Hopefully you're not stuck with the bill fixing this.

 

[Blk-n-Blu]

Re: Mercury 3.0 gray oil paint like sludge everywhere!

Might help to read this:
http://www.marinemechanic.com/Workhorse/index.htm
Click on MOTOR on left
Scroll down to water in cylinders or oil

 

[mberliner1626]

Re: Mercury 3.0 gray oil paint like sludge everywhere!

Thank you for your input.

The motor is under warranty and the marina did 100% of the work. I don't think I I'll have a fight on my hands, but you never can tell! I guess I'm going to find out what sort of "customer service" they really have.

Wish me luck!

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: Mercury 3.0 gray oil paint like sludge everywhere!

boat was properly winterized by my marina at the end of the season.

fail

 

[Bondo]

Re: Mercury 3.0 gray oil paint like sludge everywhere!

Ayuh,... Where does the boat winter,... My guess is Also a Botched Winterization...

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Mercury 3.0 gray oil paint like sludge everywhere!

Cracked block for it to happen that fast

 

[mberliner1626]

Re: Mercury 3.0 gray oil paint like sludge everywhere!

My marina winterized it and according to their work order all the proper tasks were completed. Which specific winterization task or job failing could cause such a disaster!?!

The boat is wrapped up tight and stored in North NJ.

Thanks again!

 

[mberliner1626]

Re: Mercury 3.0 gray oil paint like sludge everywhere!

My marina picks up the boat and after 3 days calls me up and says "We can't find anything wrong"... my only response was "huh? what?" after I picked up my jaw, I found out...

According to them, they did a compression test, leak down test, etc and couldn't find anything wrong. They changed the oil twice "to remove the contaminated oil" and they ran it for 3 hours on land and 1 hour in the water. They found no water in the oil after testing it.

They proceed to tell me that "water must have gotten into the boat and above the oil dipstick somehow. That is the only explanation we can think of and since it must be something you must have done and nothing we did... your diagnostic fees are $640."

After a long aggressive chat... I walk away with keys and the boat paying nothing. I tell them, I'll run the boat for 30 days and if the problem doesn't resurface, I'll continue to use your guys services.

There is no chance that water got into this boat, short of a gremlin pouring water into the engine!

So I test drive the boat for 30 minutes and it runs great. Check the oil... looks fine. The boat sits overnight. Check the oil... looks fine. I test drive the boat again the next day 60 minutes. Check the oil... looks fine. WTF?

Now I'm thinking, what did my marina fix that they were responsible for and didn't tell me? I'm thinking, They lied to me about finding nothing and tried to pick up some of the costs of the repair they did by charging me $640 for diagnostics.

Now I have no idea what went wrong with the engine. It mysteriously fixed itself? I don't think so. Now I have no confidence in my marina. and I'm left scratching my head.

So I will run it and check, run it and check, run it and check. I feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop.

 

[bigskiohio]

Re: Mercury 3.0 gray oil paint like sludge everywhere!

My guess somebody ran it on muffs without engine running ,no exhaust pressure to keep water out.

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: Mercury 3.0 gray oil paint like sludge everywhere!

Wow...hate to hear about these kind of horror stories..
Glad you seem to be good now..

It's easy to be a Monday morning quaterback, but maybe if you took the boat to another mechanic "as was" to get an exact assesment and then you would know exactly how many shovels your previous shop were trying to feed you!

Of course you BILL the old knuckleheads for the new guys assesment and demand satisfaction before the lawyer steps in..

 

[mberliner1626]

Re: Mercury 3.0 gray oil paint like sludge everywhere!

So I ran the boat and the problem resurfaced this morning.

I parked the boat at the marina and left the sales manager and mechanic some assertive voice mails.

I'm this close to taking the boat to another mechanic, finding out exactly what is wrong and then bringing my current marina to court.

Has anyone had to do this? I'm worried about recouping the new mechanics charges and getting the boat fixed and running properly without more money out of my pocket!

Should I threaten to sue and give my current marina another try to make the proper repair under that ugly cloud!?! I've never sued anyone in my life.

Anyone have any input as to what my options are? I have all the repairs documented with invoices and e-mails from the marina.

I've spent around $5000 so far on the new motor (that hasn't run right yet) and the winter prep, spring prep, etc. Is this something for small claims court?

I couldn't be more frustrated by this entire process!! All I want is my marina to fix the boat properly!

Thanks now for your input and ideas later!

 

[Mnskb101]

Re: Mercury 3.0 gray oil paint like sludge everywhere!

I just had the same exact thing happen to me. Took the boat for first time since winter and Boat ran great and then all the sudden we noticed the gray paint Like sludge. Did you ever figure out what the problem was?

 

[incrediblened]

Re: Mercury 3.0 gray oil paint like sludge everywhere!

This spring I had a new exhaust manifold installed by the marina.

Why'd you have a new exhaust manifold installed?

 

[mberliner1626]

Re: Mercury 3.0 gray oil paint like sludge everywhere!

The boat is back at the marina and they found a bad anti-siphon valve which was causing the boat to surge during high rpms.

There has been no conclusion to the oil in the water problem as of yet.