update to "wife blew up my 3.0 OMC"

[tic]

Well, this is weird... Wife started the engine with outdrive fully up but boat in water.. I get in boat after parking the trailer and water temp guage is pegged... New impeller and housing... Works but won't hold a prime... Marine mechanic replaces two large rubber seals inside of the drive.. Take boat out today... Wife backs away from boat ramp with outdrive fully down this time.. I get in boat and drive away slowly.. temp guage slowly rises to 200 so I shut it down... Remove input line to T-stat housing and have wife start motor... Scalded by hot water blowing out T-stat housing but fresh water is pumping up from the outdrive... re-attach hose, restart and temp goes down to normal... Drive boat at WOT and get 4550 rpm and 37 mph (1988 four winns 160 freedom, advertised top speed of 38mph). BUT.. temp is running a little high... 180-190... back down and then temp comes way down, next WOT run and temps is a 10 degrees cooler.. that's more like it!( piece of old impeller flushed through?)... I believe the T-stat is suppossed to open at 170?.... After the second WOT run (approx 5 min.) I slow to idle and run the bilge pump, dunno why.. just like to flip the switch every now and again since it's not an auto pump... About 5 gallons of water comes out.. DOH!.. Open engine cowl w/ engine running and sure enough, water spewing out a crack in the block!... Fortunately the crack is low, maybe 2-3" above the oil pan on the port side, half way back. The crack is maybe 2" long... Dang, no JB weld in the new tool kit I put on board... Well, I JB Welded the hell out of it tonight.. will pressure check tomorrow.. Thoughts? Prayers?

[Haut Medoc]

Good luck with your repair....
How did the flogging work out?......

[tic]

There was no flogging!!!.. I find a "that's o.k. dear" (and no other words for the rest of the day, works pretty well .... I'm still not sure it was at all her fault.... Even with the outdrive in the full up position in the water.. The intake is still UNDER water... Why the heck did the block crack?... Oil is not fried, nothing was crackling or smelling bad.. No water in oil etc. etc.... Now this IS a 19 year old boat but manifold and riser are pretty good, bellows are good , gelcoat is good. Maybe not top maintenance from previous owner but no obvious signs of abuse.. One thing about the crack in the block.. There were rust stains running down from that crack.. It could have been weeping from that crack for a long time and a couple of WOT runs plus running hot opened it up?

[Haut Medoc]

Yeah, it could have had some freeze damage at some point.....
It is very unusual to crack a block from heat......

[tic]

real bummer...... Any chance it can be stop drilled and welded or stitched w/o removing the engine from the boat?....

[tic]

You know this whole boating thing is getting to me.. Wife had this boat before I married her... It sat for years.... I'm sure it was never winterized and it sat in an unheated workshop... She was upset when I wasn't thrilled that she had a boat... I don't know squat about boats, but I DO know everything requires maintenance and this boat hadn't seen ANY recently.... Oh well, it's better to be learning the ropes on this little bowrider than learning the hard way on something expensive

[Bond-o]

She was upset when I wasn't thrilled that she had a boat...

As She should have Been......................

I've been searching for about 40 Years for a Gal with a Boat, who enjoys Fishing..........................

Any chance it can be stop drilled and welded or stitched w/o removing the engine from the boat?....

Don't even bother trying to Weld it,.......
I'd just Stop Drill the Crack,+ put the Epoxy to it.........
That's a low heat area,+ Epoxy does a Fantastic Job......... Much Better than Welding......

[tic]

Well, I didn't stop drill it but at least I did grind off the rust and paint and then hit it with some acetone before using the JBWeld... After that cured, I used a 30min. epoxy and mixed some milled fiberglass with it, feathered it out pretty far.. Next chance to use the boat will be Monday... This is the classic story of "woman gets divorce, boat gets no maintenance or winterization after ex leaves".... Now it's MY problem but hey, it's a "free" boat and she LOVES boating!... I'd best not complain too much.. I'm happy to be learning on this boat before dropping large coin on a new one w/o knowing what I"m doing... Funny thing though, it's all in the owners manual and not difficult at all to do the winterization or basic maintenance...

[Bond-o]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm

Maybe it's time to let Her up-grade to a boat with a Mercruiser or Volvo power................

[tic]

Oh ya, she wants a sport crusier with all the bells and whistles.... I'd settle (umm, could barely afford)for a little cuddy with volvo penta duo prop drive