Engine Bogging down and clicking noise

[mark_fitzy]

Eight months ago I installed a reconditioned Chev 262 4.3LT V6 engine in my 1995 18 foot Regal Bowrider. All has been going fine until I took the boat out for a week?s holiday with the family this Christmas . For a few days the boat was going up and down the river, towing skiers etc without any problems at all until the second last day when I was just taking the boat out for a run without any skiers and the fan belt broke. I replaced the fan belt and decided to take a skier for a ski. I found it was hard to pull the skier out of the water but managed to do so in the end. We went up the river about a mile and I heard the fan belt come off again. I put the fan belt back on several times and it kept coming off. So I changed the fan belt to a different brand and there were no problems. The boat was driving fine.

I then decided that I would try and tow two people on tubes. The boat took off well and 100 metres up the river one of the people came off the tube so I had to stop to pick them up. Once I tried to take off again the motor bogged down. The revs were at 3500 but I was only doing about 10 mile an hour.

I took the boat back to shore to drop off all the people and decided to take the boat out on the river again for a run by myself. The boat went fine but I started to hear a clicking noise. The faster I went the louder the noise became. So I stopped the boat and decided to take off from a starting potistion and again it was bogging down but it did get up to speed eventually. As the noise was getting louder I decided to put the boat back onto the trailer.

I?m not sure if this has anything to do with it but the time I took the boat out before this week?s holiday (only a month ago), I accidentally left the bung out which caused the water to rise up halfway up the motor. Once I realised the bung was out, I quickly put the bung back in and pumped the water out with the bilge pump. The boat then went fine all day without any issues.

Before taking the boat out for this Christmas? holiday, I checked the oil and found it to be milky. I put this down to the fact of forgetting to put the bung in. So I replaced the oil before our holidays.

Could this be the cause of the motor now bogging down and the clicking sound (eg: maybe piston slap?) As I?m not mechanically minded I?m just guessing. What are your thoughts?

 

[Alpheus]

Re: Engine Bogging down and clicking noise

Did you look at your oil again after you changed it and ran the engine?

How long did you run it with the belt off?

What does the sound,sound like, is it a tap or a knock?

Does the sound start when the engine is cold or does it start after the engine is warm?

If you are not mechanically minded you should get it in to have a pro check it out...

 

[mark_fitzy]

Re: Engine Bogging down and clicking noise

• 
  yes I checked the oil when I ran it for a little and it was slightly milky

• I didnt run it with the belt off at all, as soon as I heard it come off I stopped the boat and put it back on. I awlays keep spare belts and tools on board.

• No it dosent sound like a knock its more of a tap but does get louder when I put some pressure on it, but when it finally gets on the plane the noise went away.But like I said the power isnt there, it take longer then nomal to get on the plane and if there is a skier on it , forget about it, it wont even get on the plane

• 
  I cant be sure if the sound starts when its warm or cold, because the sound just started happening after a while, so the motor was warm at that stage, so after trying to listen and determine what it was, and because I didnt know what it was I decided to just nurse her back to the trailer so I wouldnt do anymore damage. I havent started her since

• 
  Oh I am going back to a mechanic alright, the motor is still under warranty and it was the insurance company who paid for it, so I am going to call the insurance company this morning to find out what they want me to do, I am just trying to determine if the water mixed with the oil could have caused this?

• 
  Thanks for your reply

 

[Don S]

Re: Engine Bogging down and clicking noise

Is the oil level over full? IF so, by how much?

 

[mark_fitzy]

Re: Engine Bogging down and clicking noise

Oil level was way overfull when I first noticed water. but I drained oil and water and replaced oil, the levels where then correct

 

[Don S]

Re: Engine Bogging down and clicking noise

but I drained oil and water and replaced oil, the levels where then correct

Have you rechecked it after running the last time to see if it was way overfull again?

You may have a continuing problem, and just changing the oil won't fix it. When the oil is over full, the crankshaft hits it and areates the oil and the lifters start collapsing. When that happens the lifters are tapping and making noise and the engine doesn't run right.
Go check the oil now and see where it's at.

 

[mark_fitzy]

Re: Engine Bogging down and clicking noise

I just checked the oil and its right on Full with a very dark milky colour.

 

[Fun Times]

Re: Engine Bogging down and clicking noise

yes I checked the oil when I ran it for a little and it was slightly milky

I just checked the oil and its right on Full with a very dark milky colour.

You may not have ran it long enough to start to fill the engine oil with water yet.

Question for you, Did this engine ever sit outside where it could have froze up and do some damage?

 

[mark_fitzy]

Re: Engine Bogging down and clicking noise

Yes I ran it for a few days without problem, I kept checking levels and they were ok, I just checked the levels just about an hour agao and still ok.

No way could it have frozen, I live in australia and we boat all year round

 

[user64]

Re: Engine Bogging down and clicking noise

Are you sure that a spark plug wire didnt come loose? Clicking noise could be sound of loose wire shorting which would also cause loss of power/bogging. Not related to water in oil but could be 2 seperate issues.

 

[mark_fitzy]

Re: Engine Bogging down and clicking noise

User 64, yea good point, but I checked that straight away and all plugs are on well.

Alpheus I started the motor today, as I wanted to give her another oil change to get all the water out of my engine. When I started the motor there was no tapping noise at all.

To everyone Whats the best way to get all water contaminates out of the engine?

and secondly, forgetting the fact that I do have a A tapping noise and bogging down, if I didnt have that issue and I had water in the oil from leaving the bung out,
will water in the oil at correct level do any major damage to my motor?

 

[Don S]

Re: Engine Bogging down and clicking noise

To everyone Whats the best way to get all water contaminates out of the engine?

After draining the oil and changing the filter, and assuming you need 5 quarts of oil, put in 3 quarts of oil and 2 quarts of diesel. Start the engine and let it IDLE for 5 to 10 minutes. Change the oil and filter again and repeat.
Then change oil and filter again, and put in your 5 quarts of oil and it should be clean.

will water in the oil at correct level do any major damage to my motor?

Not sure how it will stay at the same level if water is added, but even if it was a quart of water and 5 quarts of oil, the water would be at the bottom of the pan. Only by running the engine will it turn milky. If the oil level is just a quart over full, it will allow the crankshaft to hit the oil and areate it.
But, if the engine was not run, then it should hurt a thing. water would not reach the oil pump or anything else.

 

[mark_fitzy]

Re: Engine Bogging down and clicking noise

Hi Don I understand what your saying about the adding water would increase the level of oil, but I changed the oil after noticing the water in the oil, but the oil was still a little bit milky after the change but the levels where correct. So if I toook her for a run with correct levels and the oil was slightly milky wood that hurt anything?

And also once I completly clean the oil the way you said with diesel etc and the oil is at correct level would this now stop the crankshaft to hit the oil and areate it and thus any noise that this would have caused?

Would any long term damage have been done once the water got inot the oil and overfilled it?