submerged motor

[scott68]

well, we finished out the season on labor day with a chunk of block in the engine cowl. no big deal, maybe a rod bolt cuz the piston is still moving freely when the flywheel is turned and i can see it, the hole is about the size of a dime. i was presented with the possibility of a mid to late 80's johnson 115 that was under water for a bit in our marina. the boat was pulled and they worked on it and now the boat owner doesn't seem like he wants to pay for the work. the mechanic cleaned everything and got it up and running but only on the muffs. if the price is right should this be considered and is there anything i should look for that may be a problem down the line. my old motor was a 84' 70 hp and this is what range i was looking for to upgrade to. also i think it may be boat motor and trailer. thanks in advance and sorry for the long post

 

[nick2000gmc]

Re: submerged motor

I bought a 03 suzuki that was sank and it works great. If they removed the plugs and sprayed some wd40 or something in right away and turned it over manually with the plugs out, that would remove most of the water. Then they changed the oil a bunch of times ( 4 strokes ). Something to think about in this situation is how often do you hear of guys sinking atv 's or snowmobiles. It's a boat motor and they are far better protected for the chance of water. I will mention though that I would definately spray the engine all over with a good lubricating oil. Also I would buy some good dielectric grease ( an insulating grease, usually used for spark plugs) and smear it all over all electrical connections or even better take apart what you can and clean and then dielectric grease them. Also I would take the starter apart and clean it cause they seem to hold water more than any component, Mine was dry but you should check, some have drain holes on bottom. Also you will wanna run some carb cleaner through to get any water out of the fuel system.

Good luck and feel free to pm me if you need any help.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: submerged motor

many motors have been saved, it requires immediate, action. was this a salt or fresh water. they are actually better off left submerged, until ready to revive.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: submerged motor

I've sunk a few of my motors over the years in a few different ways....one of which i am NOT prepared to discuss They all survived fine and a gave years of good service...I still have one that sees weekly use.
If you can take it for a decent run and it performs OK, I'd be more concerned about the proper title transfer than the engine.
These mechanic's lien deals have the potential to be a bit convoluted. If you have the opportunity just to have it vetted by a lawyer it would be worth the cost....IMO.

 

[scott68]

Re: submerged motor

it was in fresh water and i'm not sure how quickly they got to work on it but will ask if it does go for sale, i do know it wasn't under water long as it was across from my slip and hadn't noticed it under a few days prior. not worried about taking the boat over, it's kinda beat... and water logged

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: submerged motor

Being that the motor has been run since sinking, it is probably good to go. I've gotten many motors going after submersion, including one that was down for 8 months. Key is to get them running then run them some more. Running them is the ONLY way to completely dry them out as simply spraying WD-40 through them won't cut it. Running them builds up internal heat to evaporate moisture from the bearings, seals, etc. that could cause rust issues if left alone.
- Scott

 

[rjezuit]

Re: submerged motor

Small boat harbor after that windy Sunday?? Rick

 

[scott68]

Re: submerged motor

no, mid-river about a month ago, no cover on it, probably just filled from rain enuff to get the splash well low enuff. it did rain a whole lot in august here