Oh No! Missed water drain plug

[Bondo]

Re: Oh No! Missed water drain plug

Any advice on the plug that looks like it may have moved? Should I replace the one that's out, run the boat and see if it is a problem first, or just replace it?

Ayuh,... They're Your Dice,.... Roll 'em...

You might get by with a rubber expansion coreplug,+ Nothing else,..??....

 

[Don S]

Re: Oh No! Missed water drain plug

Mechanic just called. He looked over the block with a remote camera and didn't observe anything abnormal.

He's not going to see the cracks with a remote camar to see if the block is cracked internally. That you do by pulling the intake manifold and looking around the lifters.

Those rubber expansion plugs are very temporary and were never meant to be used on engine blocks to replace a core plug.

What you do with the information given to you in this thread is up to you, but you might also want to read the blue words in my signature.

 

[JustJason]

Re: Oh No! Missed water drain plug

Those rubber expansion plugs are very temporary and were never meant to be used on engine blocks to replace a core plug.

Yep, agree, which is why I wrote earlier...

At this point I would just throw a rubber bung core plug temp patch + run the snot out of the boat, under load, in the water. When you come back to the dock shut her down and drain a little bit of the oil. (or take the filter off and dump it in a plastic container) and watch to see if there is water.

Your not going to see if it's cracked until you run the **** out of the boat and then pull some oil. If the oil looks fine then go through the trouble of getting a real core plug in there.
BTW they make all sorts of tools/driver with bent driver rods to get those things in, in tight spaces.

 

[Don S]

Re: Oh No! Missed water drain plug

If it's cracked, after you run it on the water at speed for 5 minutes, you will know without pulling any oil samples. Just look at the oil on the dipstick, if it's getting milky and over the full mark, you have junk for an engine.

 

[SC Narc]

Re: Oh No! Missed water drain plug

All things considered, the thing to do now seems to be get the boat and replace both plugs then put the boat on the water for a verdict. Hopefully I can get to that plug by the starter myself. It would make for a bad day to spend the money on an engine pull to replace the plug only to find out on the water the block is shot. Thanks everyone for your posts and I'll post back with the outcome.

 

[fossill]

Re: Oh No! Missed water drain plug

Why is there never enough time to do it right the first time,
But always enough time to do it again?

or the other version:

Why is there never enough money to do it right the first time,
But always enough money to do it again?

 

[SC Narc]

Re: Oh No! Missed water drain plug

Got the boat back today and purchased the core plugs. I've replaced the one that was completely out but the remaining three are seated slightly below flush with the block. I don't get how the mechanic thought one had moved. I'll put it on the muffs for a bit then take it out this weekend with the marine patrol nearby for a tow if necessary.

 

[KJSmitty]

Re: Oh No! Missed water drain plug

Got the boat back today and purchased the core plugs. I've replaced the one that was completely out but the remaining three are seated slightly below flush with the block.

- Which is where they should be...

I don't get how the mechanic thought one had moved.

- I would say your mechanic was looking for some work - and may not ever have pulled the engine if you had payed him to....

Then again I don't trust many auto/boat etc shops anymore - your mech may also be a straight shooter and my comment above is just that, a comment..

Glad you did what you did. Just keep a close eye on it.

Hope it works out.

Best of luck!

 

[bomar76]

Re: Oh No! Missed water drain plug

Got the boat back today and purchased the core plugs. I've replaced the one that was completely out but the remaining three are seated slightly below flush with the block. I don't get how the mechanic thought one had moved. I'll put it on the muffs for a bit then take it out this weekend with the marine patrol nearby for a tow if necessary.

There are plenty of thieves out there......hope this all works out!

 

[SC Narc]

Re: Oh No! Missed water drain plug

It's a good thing the Lord looks out for people who do dumb things! I took the boat out and ran her for about an hour and a half. Great news, the engine is running great and the oil is on the full mark and still clear. Everything is as it should be. All said it cost me $4.00 and a bruised rib from leaning over the engine block while putting the core plug back in. Thanks to everyone for posting. I checked the Mercruiser Owner's Manual for the '06 4.3L again. In the extended storage procedure section it only speaks to having three blue drain plugs and the two plugs I missed (on the bottom sides of the engine block) are never mentioned.