Help - boat nearly sank, engines flooded

[sunbyrned]

I wonder if the salvage contract and statement from the boatus captain would be enough. He couldn’t even tow it as it was the water was so high. Took about 30 mins of 2 pumps just to get it stable. Even then, the engine compartment and bilge were still completely full.

I had to prove I wasn't negligent. I'm not sure what you have will be enough until you can find the actual cause of the water intrusion. Perhaps you did and I missed it in the thread.

 

[FLJetBoater]

I had to prove I wasn't negligent. I'm not sure what you have will be enough until you can find the actual cause of the water intrusion. Perhaps you did and I missed it in the thread.

Right...nope, still a mystery.
All the main sources of water intrusion have been serviced lately too. All cooling hose clamps replaced and lines inspected, all exhaust clamps replaced. Mid bearings replaced. Drain plug was in. Clean out plugs weren’t blown. I don’t know that I would actually be able to figure it out.

That’s one reason why I’m thinking at this point instead of messing with it anymore just to get the claim in and let the dealership and insurance deal with it.
I have my other boat, this one was going to be sold anyway

 

[Neutron]

Take the intake hose off the throttle body completely, get a can of brake cleaner and spray into the throttle body while someone cranks. If it fires up then stalls try giving it a quick squirt when you feel it about to stall. Sometimes it will clear it out to stay running

 

[FLJetBoater]

Take the intake hose off the throttle body completely, get a can of brake cleaner and spray into the throttle body while someone cranks. If it fires up then stalls try giving it a quick squirt when you feel it about to stall. Sometimes it will clear it out to stay running

Going to take the intake hose off tomorrow. Will try that as well. Lost daylight ....

 

[Dave burke]

Good luck. At least you've got lots of ideas to try. You must still have some water somewhere, otherwise it would have started.

 

[FLJetBoater]

Good luck. At least you've got lots of ideas to try. You must still have some water somewhere, otherwise it would have started.

I mentioned fuel before but no one answered. Any chance the fuel is contaminated?

 

[Bruce]

Was it fresh water or salt water that got into the engines?

If salt water that may be enough to total the boat.

 

[FLJetBoater]

Was it fresh water or salt water that got into the engines?

If salt water that may be enough to total the boat.

Salt

 

[mrcleanr6]

Maybe i missed it but was the scupper checked?

 

[Bruce]

Salt

I would not feel comfortable selling the boat with engines that had had salt water in them.

 

[FLJetBoater]

Maybe i missed it but was the scupper checked?

Yes it was, all good

 

[Dave burke]

I mentioned fuel before but no one answered. Any chance the fuel is contaminated?

hard to say for sure. I guess it could be but that would mean water had to get into the fuel from the engine. Unless your tank was low I’d guess that’s unlikely. And you said the engine wanted to start, right? My suggestion is to keep looking for water sources like the intake area and try and keep trying to start it. Seems like others have been successful so don’t give up just yet.

Maybe if it won’t start, try draining the gas tank. If I were you, I’d try the various ideas people suggested first.

 

[FLJetBoater]

hard to say for sure. I guess it could be but that would mean water had to get into the fuel from the engine. Unless your tank was low I’d guess that’s unlikely. And you said the engine wanted to start, right? My suggestion is to keep looking for water sources like the intake area and try and keep trying to start it. Seems like others have been successful so don’t give up just yet.

Maybe if it won’t start, try draining the gas tank. If I were you, I’d try the various ideas people suggested first.

Tank was full before we headed out. Maybe used 10 gallons before the incident. Yeah will dive back into the rest of the ideas tomorrow.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Easy way to see of there is water in the tank is to let it settle and use a plastic hose , put it all the way down to the bottom of the tank and siphon some fuel out if there is water in it you will be sucking it out. place it in a clear container and let it sit if there is water you will see it settle to the bottom of the container.
I seriously doubt that is the problem unless the vent was under water.
Keep cranking it with the plugs out and look at the spark plugs for fire.
You can also use a slight amount of starting fluid in each hole before you reinstall the plugs.
Also you may have too much water in your water box and this is creating a lot of back pressure same way wake surfing makes it hard to restart the lower engine due to excess back pressure so you may need to remove the hose on the top of the muffler and siphon water out of it. I use a wet vac at the exhaust exit by the pump, however siphoning the water is safer ,just in case there are fuel vapors in your muffler I leave the snaps off the top of the vac so if it explodes the top will blast off and land in the neighbors yard and I can run over and ask them why they took my wet vac.

 

[FLJetBoater]

Easy way to see of there is water in the tank is to let it settle and use a plastic hose , put it all the way down to the bottom of the tank and siphon some fuel out if there is water in it you will be sucking it out. place it in a clear container and let it sit if there is water you will see it settle to the bottom of the container.
I seriously doubt that is the problem unless the vent was under water.
Keep cranking it with the plugs out and look at the spark plugs for fire.
You can also use a slight amount of starting fluid in each hole before you reinstall the plugs.
Also you may have too much water in your water box and this is creating a lot of back pressure same way wake surfing makes it hard to restart the lower engine due to excess back pressure so you may need to remove the hose on the top of the muffler and siphon water out of it. I use a wet vac at the exhaust exit by the pump, however siphoning the water is safer ,just in case there are fuel vapors in your muffler I leave the snaps off the top of the vac so if it explodes the top will blast off and land in the neighbors yard and I can run over and ask them why they took my wet vac.

Lol that last line made my day.....
When we pulled the boat out a lot of water came from the port exhaust hole near the pump. Nothing came from the stbd side but today when I was trying to start it a lot came out (stbd side). I’ll check into taking that hose off tomorrow.

 

[FLJetBoater]

Is there a way to access the fuel from the tank itself? Or do you have to run something down the fill tube?

 

[Dave burke]

Pretty sure you have to siphon it. Do you have a siphon tube? I bought mine at Walmart for $10-20 from what I remember.

You can always suck on a piece of garden hose like we did when we were kids but I don’t recommend it!

 

[FLJetBoater]

Pretty sure you have to siphon it. Do you have a siphon tube? I bought mine at Walmart for $10-20 from what I remember.

You can always suck on a piece of garden hose like we did when we were kids but I don’t recommend it!

Heh yeah I have one but I was just curious. I think it has an 8 ft hose that should be enough?

 

[Bruce]

Removing the fuel tank hatch then removing one of the fuel pumps or the level indicator might be a better way to access the fuel.

If you disconnected the fuel lines I suspect that the fuel pumps could pump the tank dry in 2 to 3 hours.

 

[Scottintexas]

I really don't think you have a contaminated tank, we've had members say they've done a lot of cranking to finally get it to fire, especially if you keep seeing water in the cylinders,

I think I might disconnect all my cooling hoses and then try to start it, once you get it to turn over on it's own then connect it all back up and run it with cooling but as jeff said, maybe the waterbox is full causing back pressure,