Water pumping from flywheel.

[jpoulson]

Hey all, new guy here.

I have a 2001 Mercruiser 3.0 When i first put it on the water this year, water started pumping in and spraying in from the flywheel area when the motor was running.

Any ideas why this is?

Is there a tube or gasket in that area of the motor that may be blown? I can not find any diagrams of that part of the block / water system to trouble shoot it with out removing the block.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Water pumping from flywheel.

This is on muffs?

Possibilities:

There is a freeze plug back there underneath the bellhousing at the back of the block.

The water hose leading from the transom may have a leak.

Those would be the two most obvious ones I would think. You're going to need to get your head down there somehow and look. If you have limited access, try mirrors - digital camera - even video camera.

Oh yeah - welcome aboard!

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Water pumping from flywheel.

Here's a pic of an engine with the core or freeze plug missing:

 

[1980Galaxy]

Re: Water pumping from flywheel.

I would bet on the core plug on the back of the engine popped out. From the way you described it, it sounds exactly like what happened to me. You can't see the core plug cuz its behind the bellhousing so you would have to remove the engine to get the bell housing off and put the plug back in.

Be careful, if a core plug came out you may have worse problems (see my other post: "so i think i cracked my block"). i found my core plugs popped out and found a crack on the outside of my block and took it on the lake and found out im screwed. its prolly gonna be a new motor for me.

did u winterize it?

 

[jpoulson]

Re: Water pumping from flywheel.

Did winterize, but have had problems anyway. Lost a side "freeze plug", cracked head last season (water jacket side) then this. I had it on water to break the moth balls with out problem, First time on lake this year, this happened.

I plan to pull the motor tomorrow and look. Thanks for the response, I hoped it was a "freeze plug" back there. Lots of work for inexpensive fix.

I will let you know what I find.

Thanks for the responses.

 

[jpoulson]

Re: Water pumping from flywheel.

BTW the picture did not show up of the core plug missing.

 

[1980Galaxy]

Re: Water pumping from flywheel.

yeah, its a pain to get to that core plug. i know how u feel. hope its not something worse. good luck to ya...

 

[cooter2506]

Re: Water pumping from flywheel.

If you had a core plug pop and lost a head due to cracking last year and now you probably lost another one this year you might want to change your winterization techniques

 

[jpoulson]

Re: Water pumping from flywheel.

It was that $4 core plug. Lots of wrenching and heavy lifting but got it done in a couple of hours. I follow the winterization by the book (mercruiser OM). I will look for a heated garage instead (this will be my excuse to build a big one )

Thank you all for your help

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Water pumping from flywheel.

Not to give a smart answer but you doing something wrong winterizing ,manual or no manual.
Can you give us a clue as to how your doing it? Your procedure.

 

[maddog2]

Re: Water pumping from flywheel.

Not an expert, but I wonder if he only drained the exhaust and not the block. If winterization was followed according to the service manual, then the freeze or core should never have popped out.

Just my opinion.

I know the effects of not winterizing the engine. I had two busted exhaust manifolds and my block was busted in 3 places....ouch !

so far, $2,700. spent and still not seaworthy yet....thanks to a bad choice on boat mechanic.

 

[wca_tim]

Re: Water pumping from flywheel.

is it possible that you have a leak / crack in the water hose at or near the transom? Depending on how you are defining flywheel area, that could cause water to spray in that general area...

 

[jpoulson]

Re: Water pumping from flywheel.

It was the core plug behind the flywheel. I am draining, anitfreezing, fogging oil, stabil....by the book (both users manual and Haynes manual). thanks for the input. Im still a big fan of the heated garage idea

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Water pumping from flywheel.

Fogging? You flush the motor and spray the fogger untill it stalls or smokes heavily.shut motor off.
Draining? you remove the block drain and probe with a nail to be sure it drains, manifold the same way, pull the plug and probe making sure it drains.
Winterizing? you remove the big hose from the therm housing and pour in the A/F into the hose untill it comes out the therm housing.
You remove the small hose and pour it in the manifold untill it comes out the exaust behind the boat.

Is this you method?If not tell us EXACTLY how you do it because something is getting lost in the translation of the OM

 

[jpoulson]

Re: Water pumping from flywheel.

You forgot to add, charge batteries and pull them (to keep from freezing) that is until I installed the float charger, add a dryer under the cover, change the oil, check the plugs (fog the cylinders).