engine problem

G

gordie g

Recruit
Joined
May 24, 2008
Messages
3
Just put my boat in the water yesterday and pulled it right back out.I have a 1990 4.3 liter mercruiser alpha 1.Put the boat in and it spit and sputter,i shut it down and opened up the hood to find what looks like water and oil mix all over the engine.It was coming out of the carbuerator ,oil hoses.Check the dipstick and nothing but water came out.Something tells me i may have a cracked block or a head gasket gone bad.Any thoughts,and if thats the problem,any ideas on much it would cost to have it fixed.Only had the boat 2 years,would like to keep it.Any help is appreciated.Thank you
 
erikgreen

erikgreen

Captain
Joined
Jan 8, 2007
Messages
3,105
Re: engine problem

Better minds than mine will chime in, but if there's something in that engine to save, you'd better get the water that's in it out quick...
 
Don S

Don S

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Aug 31, 2004
Messages
62,321
Re: engine problem

Tis the season.
Sounds like a cracked block to me. Very common this time of year for boats not winterized or improperly winterized. The water freezes and cracks the block. As you run the engine the raw water pump pumps water into the crankcase till it comes out every possible opening.
Water and oil after running thru the engine oil pump looks like a chocalate milkshake.
 
chiefalen

chiefalen

Captain
Joined
May 18, 2008
Messages
3,598
Re: engine problem

check the freeze plugs.did they pop.that tells the whole story.
 
U

Uraijit

Banned
Joined
Feb 5, 2008
Messages
884
Re: engine problem

chiefalen said:
check the freeze plugs.did they pop.that tells the whole story.
Click to expand...

It's actually quite rare for "freeze plugs" to pop. They're really just there to fill casting holes. The slang term "freeze plugs" is more of a myth than anything. The appropriate and accurate term is "core plugs", or "casting plugs".

Freeze plugs don't tell the story, water coming out of every opening in the engine, tells the story.
 
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