I have a major problem, any expert advice appreciated.

Last year my wife ran our boat up on a mud bar and burnt up the motor trying to get it off. (mud was sucked into the motor causing the motor to overheat and seize. The motor is a carburetated 90 hp 2 cycle Merc.) I had the motor rebuilt by a local, well-established marine repair shop. I picked the boat up, filled it up with gas and put oil in the tank with the gas (25:1). I also added CRC Phase Guard 4, per the recommendation of the marine shop.

This is where the problem begins. I ran the boat about 5-4 hours and it developed a knock and lost power. The boat was running smoothly, running about 2-3000 rpm's and the knocking started quickly, it did not come on over a period of time.

I took the boat back to where it was repaired and was told that it would not be covered under warranty because there was water in the gas, which had washed the oil from the cylinders causing them to scar and self-destruct.

Any thoughts or opinions. If there was enough water in the gas to wash the oil from the cylinder walls wouldn't the motor have been running rough? Can water even wash oil off anything? I would appreciate any advice. Thanks.

Re: I have a major problem, any expert advice appreciated.

Sure sounds like a pretty lame attempt at getting out of a warranty repair to me.

Re: I have a major problem, any expert advice appreciated.

I'm no expert and am anxious to hear what the guys in the industry for 20+ years would say about this one.

In theory, all of our gas gets water in it because it's 10% ethenol. A substance that readily absorbs moisture from "air". I have never heard of so much water in a fuel system that it caused an engine to grenade itself. Oh that's right, when you have enough water in your fuel the engine doesn't run at all

Now water intrusion from a failed exhaust cover or gasket into a cylinder, definately maybe.

I smell something fishy with their story.

Re: I have a major problem, any expert advice appreciated.

To blow it up, I would say it had to over heat, or ran to lean. Not water. If it was water, it would be a internal leak in the cooling system. The shop clearly does not want to rebuild your motor again out of there pocket. Fight it, call the business bureau. Get another shop to look it over and tell you the real reason it burnt down.
NJREXTREME

Re: I have a major problem, any expert advice appreciated.

How did the motor run at Wide Open Throttle, were you able to maintain WOT for long periods of time prior to it knocking?

Re: I have a major problem, any expert advice appreciated.

If there was enough water in the gas to overpower the phase guard, the engine would have just conked out. (water doesn't burn)

Unless you balked at carb or fuel pump rebuild, this is 100% their baby.

hope it helps
John

Re: I have a major problem, any expert advice appreciated.

sschefer said:

How did the motor run at Wide Open Throttle, were you able to maintain WOT for long periods of time prior to it knocking?

Click to expand...

Because I was breaking the motor I never had it at WOT. But it idled fine and ran good at up to 3500 rpms, which was about the highest I had it.

Re: I have a major problem, any expert advice appreciated.

j_martin said:

If there was enough water in the gas to overpower the phase guard, the engine would have just conked out. (water doesn't burn)

Unless you balked at carb or fuel pump rebuild, this is 100% their baby.

hope it helps
John

Click to expand...

Not they rebuilt the whole thing. Since insurance paid for it I didn't balk at anything.

Re: I have a major problem, any expert advice appreciated.

As you guys probably figured out, I probably am getting screwed.

I guess I'm going to wait to see what information I can find and then go back, armed with info, and calmly talk to them.

Are any of you guys marine mechanics?

Re: I have a major problem, any expert advice appreciated.

StevePage said:

Are any of you guys marine mechanics?

Click to expand...

I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last night.....

Re: I have a major problem, any expert advice appreciated.

I'd throw the bs flag on that one. Do you have a fuel water separtor on the line? If so I would think that would be a dead give away engine would stop running long before it would knock.

Re: I have a major problem, any expert advice appreciated.

Running a bit of water through the cylinders would have about the same affect as pouring a bunch of seafoam into the cylinders, which is to basically steam clean the cylinders. Water in the gas will not wash away oil. If a fresh engine starts knocking, it's typically a spun bearing. Sounds to me like the shop just doesn't want to fix it on their dime. The only way you can really destroy an engine with water is to hydrolock it, which is clearly not the cause in your case.

Re: I have a major problem, any expert advice appreciated.

StevePage said:

Not they rebuilt the whole thing. Since insurance paid for it I didn't balk at anything.

Click to expand...

StevePage said:

As you guys probably figured out, I probably am getting screwed.

I guess I'm going to wait to see what information I can find and then go back, armed with info, and calmly talk to them.

Are any of you guys marine mechanics?

Click to expand...

Talk to your insurance company, and soon. It isn't right, and they paid good money to make it right. They may have some leverage on the situation you don't have, like recovering their money and sending you somewhere else.

my 02
John

Re: I have a major problem, any expert advice appreciated.

Talk to your insurance co. Then call the better business bureau, consumer affairs division of your states attorney generals office and anyone else who will listen.

Put them out of business for that kind of crap.