Clean Out Plug Blow Out (My Turn)

[Select Friends]

Hello Jet Boaters,

I guess its my turn to blow out the clean out plugs (2011 Yamaha SX210). I was riding at full throttle on the Mississippi River when my starboard engine cut out. It started right back up no problem. I thought I just bumped the kill switch or something. Try to move forward and my port engine revs up with out moving much. My immediate thought is I blew out a plug better make sure I am not taking on water. I raise the engine hatch and water is up to a few inches below the oil filters. @#$!.

I turn the bilge pump on and head back to the dock around 10 mph (about 1 mile from the dock. In retrospect I should have shut her down and re seat the plug but I was worried if I shut her down will I get her to start back up and wont make it back to my lift. By the time I made it to the marina the bilge pump caught up and shut off.

I get to the dock and access the damage. My port plug blew with enough pressure to cut into the top deck and leave a small cut into the sleeve. I am guessing the pressure blew the hatch up enough to kill the starboard engine. I checked the oil and it seemed normal and re seated. I went back out and stressed tested it a bit. The bilge pump did not turn on the rest of the day and everything seemed fine.

I do not think the water got that high but maybe slushed around a bit as I was plowing back. The carpet was not wet and the bilge pump caught up pretty quick. I went to double check the oil again at the end of the day and think I might have some water intrusion. Just a slight bit of chocolate milk froth on the dip stick if I shake it around a bit. I usually can barley read the oil on the dipstick and now It was up a quarter inch up the stick and a tiny bit frothly (looking into the reservoir it looks normal from what I can see with a flash light.) Air filters are dry.

I was planning on changing the oil early this season anyhow. I guess now I am going to do it tomorrow as soon as I can find somewhere to buy an oil pump. My question is did I do any other damage? Should I still warm the boat up before changing the oil or will the frothy oil do damage? And yes I am buying the EZ locks tomorrow... I thought I would be fine by giving the plugs a good couple pulls after putting them in each outing.

 

[captras]

I resisted getting the locks for the first couple of years. I always made sure, before heading out, that the plugs were secure. However, after many stories like yours, I decided the Cobra Jet locks were cheap insurance and piece of mind!

 

[Select Friends]

After Googling and youtubing I do not think that much, if any water got in. When checking the dip stick the bottom of the dip stick looked like normal oil with the very top layer looking just a tad frothly. I guess I will find out tomorrow when I suck it out. Hopefully only need to repeat 1-2 times to get rid of the top layer of froth.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

You have water in the oil if you have a foam on the stick also look on the fill cap and see if it is on the inside of that also. never run without the plug you can put it in neutral while you reinstall the plug however the engines shut down when the hatch blows open and that is when you should reinstall it , there is so much info over the years about these push button blow out plugs from the year 2000 to the year 2016 that is a lot of plugs that can blow out however the worst one is the one where it pops loose and leaks filling the engine compartment and you don't know until it is too late and you hatch an engine.

 

[haknslash]

Yup agree if its frothy and chocolate some water got in there. Need to change it several times so buy cheapest oil you don't care about to use it to flush.

Also be sure to turn the bilge on if it isn't automatic every time you put the boat in the water. It might have been able to keep up and not cause you to suck water in the engine, I know hindsight is always 2020 but just saying I noticed you said you turned it on after the fact. Try and make the bilge switch part of your mental checklist to launch just as important as the drain plug.

 

[gwrace1]

Looks like they changed the plug design on the newer model boats. Would these be of any value on the 19 foot 2020 models?

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

from the year 2000 to the year 2016 after that new plug design

 

[Noko]

Another thing to help your peace of mind me be to add a float activated bilge pump.

 

[buckbuck]

I don't understand why water in the engine bay would cause water inside the engine. @Select Friends I have seen water completely covering my oil filters and have never had water in the oil. I suggest you keep an eye on this as it may have nothing to do with blowing a plug.

 

[sunbyrned]

Water can can get in the engine through the air intake, port-side particularly since its lower than starboard. When you assess the plug sleeve, check to see if it is seated on the lip at the top and held in place by the hose clamp or did it slip on you? If it slips, it can create a gap that allows water to come up the sleeve and dump into the engine compartment. I experienced what you did, but was not as lucky. I agree with the others...EZ locks and a high water alarm.

 

[Select Friends]

I think I was just being a little paranoid. I changed the oil and both engines looked perfectly normal. Dark black. I guess I did see a little foam on lid at the start. I only changed it once. I couldn't get my filters loose by hand so I am going to go back with the proper tools and change again. I did not get as much oil out as I would have liked.

 

[sunbyrned]

I think I was just being a little paranoid. I changed the oil and both engines looked perfectly normal. Dark black. I guess I did see a little foam on lid at the start. I only changed it once. I couldn't get my filters loose by hand so I am going to go back with the proper tools and change again. I did not get as much oil out as I would have liked.

There’s a big difference in foam on the lid and milky white oil. I suspect you’re in good shape. Sorry this happened to you. Check on the things people are suggesting though.

 

[Select Friends]

Alright so I changed the oil for a second time this afternoon. Took her back out on the water after I was done and she ran great... almost too great. I think I normally see 8100-8200 RPM at WOT. After my oil change I was seeing 8500 RPMs out of both engines and about 44MPH. She sounded and felt great. Checked the oil after and levels were normal right at the low marker after warm. Anyone know why this would happen? Got about 2 quarts out of one engine and 1.5 out of the other. Replaced with the same amount.

 

[sunbyrned]

Alright so I changed the oil for a second time this afternoon. Took her back out on the water after I was done and she ran great... almost too great. I think I normally see 8100-8200 RPM at WOT. After my oil change I was seeing 8500 RPMs out of both engines and about 44MPH. She sounded and felt great. Checked the oil after and levels were normal right at the low marker after warm. Anyone know why this would happen? Got about 2 quarts out of one engine and 1.5 out of the other. Replaced with the same amount.

Glad she ran great! Are you saying that when you changed the oil, you only got 2 quarts from one and 1.5 from the other? If so, why wouldn't you get 4 quarts?

 

[swatski]

Alright so I changed the oil for a second time this afternoon. Took her back out on the water after I was done and she ran great... almost too great. I think I normally see 8100-8200 RPM at WOT. After my oil change I was seeing 8500 RPMs out of both engines and about 44MPH. She sounded and felt great. Checked the oil after and levels were normal right at the low marker after warm. Anyone know why this would happen? Got about 2 quarts out of one engine and 1.5 out of the other. Replaced with the same amount.

Those are MR-1 non HO with a sump, right? Sounds like all is good!

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[Select Friends]

Glad she ran great! Are you saying that when you changed the oil, you only got 2 quarts from one and 1.5 from the other? If so, why wouldn't you get 4 quarts?

Someone correct me if I am wrong but I believe my boat is the MR-1 1052CC with a dry sump oil. I am pretty sure I should be expecting 1.5-2.5 quarts per engine.

 

[sunbyrned]

Someone correct me if I am wrong but I believe my boat is the MR-1 1052CC with a dry sump oil. I am pretty sure I should be expecting 1.5-2.5 quarts per engine.

@swatski corrected me. Sorry! Glad it's all good!

 

[BigAbe75]

Alright so I changed the oil for a second time this afternoon. Took her back out on the water after I was done and she ran great... almost too great. I think I normally see 8100-8200 RPM at WOT. After my oil change I was seeing 8500 RPMs out of both engines and about 44MPH. She sounded and felt great. Checked the oil after and levels were normal right at the low marker after warm. Anyone know why this would happen? Got about 2 quarts out of one engine and 1.5 out of the other. Replaced with the same amount.

Holy crap!! I never saw those speeds out of that boat! That’s awesome!!

 

[BigAbe75]

Holy crap!! I never saw those speeds out of that boat! That’s awesome!!

Thinking about that some more... when I had that boat, I was never out this early. People have said that cooler water temps will really help the performance of these boats. If that’s so, I wonder if you’ll see lesser speeds once you’re in 80 degree water.

 

[swatski]

Thinking about that some more... when I had that boat, I was never out this early. People have said that cooler water temps will really help the performance of these boats. If that’s so, I wonder if you’ll see lesser speeds once you’re in 80 degree water.

Absolutely, those low temps help a lot.
Yamaha has traditionally done all the testing results they post in December, lol.

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