Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers **UPDATE**

[Don S]

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers

I thought there was something in the manual about that cast pan installation, but it sure wasn't in the Merc manual. Have a look at this from the Volvo manual on the cast pan.

 

[achris]

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers

Interesting, thanks Don....

I put the engine all back together on Saturday, but I still haven't had time to throw it in the boat.... other priorities.

Maybe in the next few days.. It's a bit hot today... It's 92 outside right now...

 

[achris]

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers

Ayuh,... But you can't walk on water, like I can around here right now.....

Bond-o 2, Chris 1

:redface::redface::redface:

 

[achris]

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers **UPDATE**

Someone said I should keep this updated, so here's the latest...

Finished the engine re-install on Friday... Took the boat for a run on Saturday morning... Ran very well, and no oil leaks... But I expected that... I won't know if it's fixed permanently for at least a few months...

If it does start leaking again, I'll post back here...

Ciao,

Chris.........

 

[starsnstripers]

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers **UPDATE**

Interesting post Chris, Your probably going to be ok now that you brought the surface down closer to where it should be. Defective oil pan i'd say. Hope it works out let us know.

 

[achris]

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers **UPDATE**, **UPDATE**

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers **UPDATE**, **UPDATE**

Took the boat out today for a couple of dives...

Checked the oil pan when I got back.... oily!!! @#*&%#&

Only 30 hours since I last did it.... #$%^&*^%$#@#$%

Chris.

 

[JustJason]

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers **UPDATE**, **UPDATE**

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers **UPDATE**, **UPDATE**

Broken Again???

 

[achris]

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers **UPDATE**, **UPDATE**

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers **UPDATE**, **UPDATE**

Broken Again???

Engine still in the boat, but with oil in the same place I suspect it is... I haven't time to pull it out just yet, so it's going to have to wait.

Chris....

 

[Davejm74]

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers **UPDATE**

Hi Chris,

I was pointed here from someone at a Four Winns board. It seems as though we have the same problem I think......

About a week ago, I found oil in my bilge also. At a glance I thought it was mucky river water, but when I pulled the drain plug I found oil all over my hand and driveway. This was followed by a hard swallow and thoughts of how much this was going to cost me to have fixed.

I took it to a local (non-dealer) mechanic after I was unable to find anything that may have been leaking myself. At a glance he too felt as though it was going to be somewhere under the engine and guessed that it was going to be the oil pan gasket. Today after lifting the engine out he called me and asked me to stop by to see what he found. When I walked in, he showed me a timing cover with 2 different cracks. One crack had a small piece of it just barely hanging on, when I touched it, it fell off in my hand. The other crack was along the inside of the cover (there was a ridge in an upward arc) it was cracked along about a third of that arc. Prior to seeing this I was under the impression that it was due to a poor job done at the factory and a half ***** job on the assembly line because it looked like someone tried to fix it. There was a bead and large smear of a caulk like silicone along the arc shaped ridge at the bottom edge of the timing cover. Almost appearing as though someone knew they broke it on the assembly and tried to piece it back together. The mechanic took delivery on the parts just as I was walking out the door and I'm not sure what the heck to do with my new found information, but I plan to share your story with him.

My boat is a 2006 Four Winns 190 with about 40 hours on it. Volvo Stern drive and the engine is a 4.3L I bought it from a private seller about 2 weeks ago, so you can imagine how i'm feeling about this.

 

[achris]

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers **UPDATE**

Dave,

Thanks for sharing the info. I don't know if you read another of my threads on the same problem, but another boat (http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=381301). You make 3. Yours and mine are both 2006, the other one is late 2005. Since yours is Volvo and mine and the other one are both Mercruiser, I'd say it looks like a GM problem.

.... I was under the impression that it was due to a poor job done at the factory and a half ***** job on the assembly line because it looked like someone tried to fix it. ....

That was exactly what I thought when I saw mine for the first time.

Ok, here's what I'm doing about fixing it.... Don't just throw another cover on, it will break too. (I found that out the expensive way ). I had a really good look at the sump pan, and it looks like there is a fault in the casting. I have filed (rough, I know but what else can we do? ) the front port side of the pan, also sliced a 1mm slither off the seal/gasket so it doesn't ride up above the groove. The other thing it NOT to put too much new sealer on the new gasket. It gets into the groove in the pan and adds pressure to the cover, cracking it.

The more people that have this problem, and report it here, the better chances we have of getting Volvo/Mercruiser/GM to acknowledge it and come up with a fix.... I'm at the point of not caring about any warranty, I just want my engine (and everybody elses) fixed!!

Chris......

 

[Davejm74]

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers **UPDATE**

Wow Chris, what a raw deal. How many times have you fixed this now?

Keeping in mind that I know little about this stuff. How is it possible that only a few of us have had this problem? I have to believe that GM made more than a dozen of these things. There has to be thousands of these engines around in all different makes and models of boats. Maybe even light cars/trucks? If it were a factory defect, why are there not more of these problems reported?

Please understand in no way do I mean to debate your theory, it sounds like a very valid one. I'm just having a hard time swallowing the thought of possibly being the owner of a pretty new boat (40ish hours) with a factory defect that no one will accept responsibility for.

Thanks again!

 

[Willyclay]

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers **UPDATE**

Maybe even light cars/trucks?

I've been following this thread because I am fairly certain it is the source of the oil leak on my 1998 Chevy S-10 Blazer with 4.3L and cast aluminum oil pan/sump. It is not bad enough to pull the front of the engine off to fix and I have to believe there are many more like me who are just living with it. Thanks for sharing your experiences! Bill

 

[achris]

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers **UPDATE**

Wow Chris, what a raw deal. How many times have you fixed this now?

Twice already, and I have a new cover and gasket ready to go, so when I get the enthusiasm I can pull the engine (again) and replace the cover hopefully, for the last time... I'm estimating it should take about 7 hours.

Keeping in mind that I know little about this stuff.

Welcome to the club... I just fix 'em

How is it possible that only a few of us have had this problem? I have to believe that GM made more than a dozen of these things. There has to be thousands of these engines around in all different makes and models of boats. Maybe even light cars/trucks? If it were a factory defect, why are there not more of these problems reported?

I guess it's a numbers game. Think about how many people own boats, then think about how many of those people do their own repairs. And of those how many are on boards like this.... There are also those who are just living with a minor leak, and those whose bilges are so filthy that they don't even know they have a problem.... There is also the possibility that GM have many molds for the V6 sumps and it's only one that has the defect, so it's not showing up on all the engines of that era, just the ones with sumps cast in that particular mold...

Please understand in no way do I mean to debate your theory, it sounds like a very valid one. I'm just having a hard time swallowing the thought of possibly being the owner of a pretty new boat (40ish hours) with a factory defect that no one will accept responsibility for.

Welcome to the new world!

Chris........

 

[Folke]

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers **UPDATE**

Bump.

Did your modifications work, has it stopped cracking?

Just got my first boat, a 2006 4.3L MPI and found leaking oil after just running it 3h and guess what...

 

[achris]

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers **UPDATE**

I believe the mod has fixed the problem... Just file down about a 2 inch length of the port side of the front part of the oil pan where it drops down to go around the bottom of the timing cover. Then slice about 1mm (40 thou) off the bottom of the oil pan seal in the same area so it sits properly in the modified part of the oil pan groove. Use a SMALL amount of silicone sealer in the corners of the seal, bolt it up and cross your fingers.

HTH,

Chris.........

 

[achris]

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers **UPDATE**

April 2011 - Well, it's update time... and the news is not all good. I noticed an oil leak again :facepalm: Pulled the engine and yes, another cracked timing cover. This time I had had enough. Time to surrender and take it back to the dealer/engine specialist for someone to blame if it leaked again. I took the engine out of the boat and took it to the dealer. I then went to work and wasn't due home for 8 weeks. I thought that would be plenty of time for him to fix the problem and test the engine thoroughly, but I was sensible enough to ask for him to email me a quote first.

Got the quote - Sit down fans.... $3,000!!!! He had quoted 7 hours to remove the old oil pan and timing cover and fit the new one, and another 6 hours to put the engine back in the boat (remember I had already taken it out). I can pull the engine AND put it back in less time than that! I told him to wait until I got back and I would make a decision (with every intention of just going there and picking up my engine).

Got the engine back home and decided that it was time to stop being so fussy and trying to 'make it all perfect', and just put it back together so it would not leak. I put the timing cover and oil pan back on with enough sealant so that even if the cover cracked again the oil would not make it to the outside of the engine. Job done! That means the nice pretty groove between the bottom of the timing cover and the oil pan has been filled with sealant.....

I haven't had the boat out on the water since then due to work. (I have had less than 8 weeks home since before Christmas last year!)

I certainly hope this was the last time I pull that engine before it's time to replace it, with ANYTHING but a Mercruiser!!!

Cheers all,

Chris..........

 

[danny22]

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers **UPDATE**

Hey Chris, I am currently going through the same problem. My service Tech called a merc sevice Tech and he was advised to grind the oil pan down to prevent this from happening again. {Hopefully}. He was also told my tech that this was a common problem with the 2006 engine. After calling customer service in Oklahoma and explaining what I was told she denied it. Saying she never heard of any problems. This plastic timing cover is junk. Not to mention the defective casting on with the oil pan.

 

[achris]

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers **UPDATE**

Time for another update...

Well, I still have a leak :facepalm:...

.... This plastic timing cover is junk. Not to mention the defective casting on with the oil pan.

Got it in one!!!

New research has also found that in 2008 GM changed the timing cover to aluminium.... If that's not an admission of a problem, what is! So, we need a new timing cover, which means that the oil pan and its gasket and the crank angle sensor also need to be changed. I have these on order from a GM parts supplier (too damned expensive to buy in Australia!!!), but GM are being cagey about it and only supplying parts for those engines to people with VIN numbers so they can verify the parts are going on the right engine! Lord help me... I am going to shoot someone over this!!!!!

Cheers and bye till the next update....

 

[Failproof]

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers **UPDATE**

Time to go to a junk yard and get your used parts, or a vin # for your new parts! Happy hunting.

 

[achris]

Re: Merc MPI V6, cracking timing covers **UPDATE**

Time to go to a junk yard and get your used parts, or a vin # for your new parts! Happy hunting.

I wish I could, but there are no cars in Australia that run those engines..... and besides that the PLASTIC timing cover has embossed on it the friendly words, "Non reusable assembly. Replace upon removal" cast into it... It a one-time part! If you take it off, throw it in the bin!