Need Help Please water on plug.

[bdean]

I posted a few days ago and just didn't get alot of help so I'm trying again. Really want to go fishing.. I have one plug that is milky white, I have good compression cold test is 110-110-110-109-111-107 I just put in new head gaskets and thermostats and new impeller and housing. I thought the head gaskets would fix it but same problem there is no craks in the head or the cover. this is on a 1988 v-6 xr4 150 outboard. When I took the head off it was milky white in the one hole but inside the exaust port it looked like clean water droplets. Can I be getting water in from the exaust and if so what do I replace and where? this motor did sit for 4 years do to a broken lower unit, owners couldn't afford to fix, I put on a good used one. Any help would be greatly appreciated the weather is beatifull here.

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: Need Help Please water on plug.

Maybe a warped head? How were the old head gaskets? Freshwater or saltwater?

 

[gss036]

Re: Need Help Please water on plug.

Which piston hole has water in it? Is it on the bottom?
Did you check the head to see if it was warped?
Are the upper exhaust holes under water when the engine is sitting in the down position (on transon)? I have heard of water being sucked into those hole if the exhaust holes are under water.
Just a wild guess?

 

[bdean]

Re: Need Help Please water on plug.

Thanks for the response. Head gaskets looked ok I coudn't see any sign of where it could be leaking from, I had hoped that one of them just started leaking after it had sat for so long, But the new gaskets didn't help as far as the heads being warped I cheked them with a straight edge and no sign of being warped. This has only been in fresh water is is on a ranger bass boat. The wet cylinder is the top left hole from back of boat. As for the water being sucked in from sirtting to low in water can't be the problem, it is doing this on the flusher.

 

[gss036]

Re: Need Help Please water on plug.

I have a 1989 200HP Merc which is the same exact engine, different HP, ( I think, some of the older ones had 2 piece heads, but I am presuming that you have one piece heads). I sit here looking at a schematic of the head, gasket, etc. There is just no place for water intrusion except throught the head gasket. Are you properly torqueing the head bolts? Does your gasket have a metal ring around the cylinder hole, (maybe wrong gasket?) The head bolts, (lightly oiled) are to be torued at 40 ft #'s in proper sequence, starting in the center and working across and up and down. After about an hour of running, they should be loosened one at a time, about 1/4 inch and retorqued in same sequence.
The only other possiblity would be a micro pen hole in the head. I had that happen on my 1985 Ford Diesel engine and it was pumping antifreez into the cylinder and then getting in the oil. I think the only way to find that would be in a machine shop, having it fluxed.

 

[bdean]

Re: Need Help Please water on plug.

Yes mine have the metal rings. And oiled bolts, there is a new torque spec for these motors from mercury torque pattern is the same but you first torque to 10lbs and then to 30lbs then you turn them all 90 degrees more and you don't retorque after that. Should mention is does matter wether the bolt hole is attached at the edge of the cylinder or not. If they are attached then you are right and you do retorque after an hour of running. I have looked in my new manual and can't seem to find anywhere else it could come from. It still looks like it is comming from the exaust only because the water inside the exaust is clean and not milky like the inside of the head. Could there be a problem with the tube that caries the water up to trhe heads? Thanks for the help.

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: Need Help Please water on plug.

About the only favorable option left is an exhaust problem. Maybe a chunk of carbon creating a defelection, or a gasket problem. The possibility we don't want to consider is a block flaw. That would suck big time!

 

[emckelvy]

Re: Need Help Please water on plug.

The exhaust manifold's gotta come off. Inspect the inner plate for perforation or cracks. Inspect the gaskets as they come off for evidence of poor adhesion/leakage.

Clean it all up real good, replace any bad parts, reassemble with new gaskets. Put a very thin coating of Permatex #3 aviation-type gasket dressing on the bolts to keep them from ever siezing up, and torque to specs.

HTH & let us know what you find..........ed

 

[bdean]

Re: Need Help Please water on plug.

Yes that was it the gaskets on the exaust divider new gaskets today and no more water on plugs. Thanks Guy's for the help.