Boating last week, I herd a knock. I believe that I caught it early. Did only a few lake tests before calling the mechanic and the 'tow boat of shame' as my 2 year old 5.7 EFI Mercruiser engine started heating up. The temp gauge on the dash read 140. Great?! Then I placed my hand onto the Oil Filter and at 5 seconds, nearly burnt my hand. She's HOT. Shut er down and get the tow.
While I was floating and cursing my situation, speaking w the mechanic who installed the engine. The knock was NOT happening in neutral. The mechanic asked if I could put it into neutral and rev er up to 3,000 ... 3,500 ... even 4,000 RPM's ........ no knock. The engine sounded normal and rev'd normal. So the mechanic says the knock isn't comping from the engine. He says the engine is fine. Good News? True statement? I have ears and think/know that it is the engine.
Well, I do one more lake test. The knock happens each time when under load around 2,500rpms it sounds like a hammer hitting a filing cabinet. Earlier tests, it was 3 or 4 knocks. Not spark knock and not really loud. On this last test I get one loud BANG clearly coming from the engine and then shut it down. Well, it's NOT knocking at 1,500rpm's while in gear, so let's limp it in. It's 'only' 25-30 miles to the ramp, right? So I get 2 miles and notice the oil filter heating up. Temp on dash still reads 140, so the thermostat must be bad, too? That's when I called the tow ($300/hr). For those with Geico or other insurance, we paid the tow and wonder if they will actually re-emburse or come up with some BS excuse to NOT pay. Well, it looks like Geico WILL actually pay for the tow in full. So check your insurance but bottom line, it's better to do the tow rather than "limp in", as the tow won't cost you and limping in can or will cost you.
So now the boat is at the mechanics shop .... mechanics put it on the muffs and rev, no problems. Water is properly pissing out the back, so that confirms the water impeller is working, right? Mechanic says it has to be gimble freezing up or the knock must be in the drive (Bravo 3). He says the heated up oil filter must be a separate issue. Hmm? He says the next step is to pull the drive, check gimble and pop the cap off the drive for $150. That test will happen in the next day or two.
I've started an insurance claim with Geico. They need photos and will send an insurance adjuster to investigate. Also, this is a brand new Mercruiser still under warantee. Will Merc send a new motor? Will Geico pay for equipment and repairs? We shall see. We still don't have a diagnosis of the problem.
My online research says engine knock = new motor. Likely a bent push rod, cam shaft or cam bearing. Maybe the engine mount came out of alignment? Apparently, a compression test will tell us what's going on.
Well, that is the current. What is the next step?
While I was floating and cursing my situation, speaking w the mechanic who installed the engine. The knock was NOT happening in neutral. The mechanic asked if I could put it into neutral and rev er up to 3,000 ... 3,500 ... even 4,000 RPM's ........ no knock. The engine sounded normal and rev'd normal. So the mechanic says the knock isn't comping from the engine. He says the engine is fine. Good News? True statement? I have ears and think/know that it is the engine.
Well, I do one more lake test. The knock happens each time when under load around 2,500rpms it sounds like a hammer hitting a filing cabinet. Earlier tests, it was 3 or 4 knocks. Not spark knock and not really loud. On this last test I get one loud BANG clearly coming from the engine and then shut it down. Well, it's NOT knocking at 1,500rpm's while in gear, so let's limp it in. It's 'only' 25-30 miles to the ramp, right? So I get 2 miles and notice the oil filter heating up. Temp on dash still reads 140, so the thermostat must be bad, too? That's when I called the tow ($300/hr). For those with Geico or other insurance, we paid the tow and wonder if they will actually re-emburse or come up with some BS excuse to NOT pay. Well, it looks like Geico WILL actually pay for the tow in full. So check your insurance but bottom line, it's better to do the tow rather than "limp in", as the tow won't cost you and limping in can or will cost you.
So now the boat is at the mechanics shop .... mechanics put it on the muffs and rev, no problems. Water is properly pissing out the back, so that confirms the water impeller is working, right? Mechanic says it has to be gimble freezing up or the knock must be in the drive (Bravo 3). He says the heated up oil filter must be a separate issue. Hmm? He says the next step is to pull the drive, check gimble and pop the cap off the drive for $150. That test will happen in the next day or two.
I've started an insurance claim with Geico. They need photos and will send an insurance adjuster to investigate. Also, this is a brand new Mercruiser still under warantee. Will Merc send a new motor? Will Geico pay for equipment and repairs? We shall see. We still don't have a diagnosis of the problem.
My online research says engine knock = new motor. Likely a bent push rod, cam shaft or cam bearing. Maybe the engine mount came out of alignment? Apparently, a compression test will tell us what's going on.
Well, that is the current. What is the next step?
