mr-1 engine help

[Jaycav]

During my last outing I lost power on my port side engine. Idled back to the dock on one engine. Did a compression test today and well its not good.
1=135
2=30
3=30
4=0

2009 212x

 

[Trevor Shipman]

Ugh! Really!??! Subscribing as I want to hear what the resolution might be if any?

Sorry this happened.

 

[bronze_10]

Yikes

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Did you check for water in your oil, sounds like a bad head or head gasket, did you run the engine hot recently?

 

[JDRacing]

Also, since you pulled the plugs, can you post a picture of them, lined up left-to-right, cylinders 1-4? If it was a sudden failure, I'd suspect valve train/timing chain issues. Sounds like the engine still turns over, so hopefully no piston/valve contact. If there was, plug #4 would be destroyed, most likely. Was it running fine and then all of a sudden it wasn't?

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Do the MR1 engines throw chains also ? I know the 1800 does but when it does the engine turns over super fast like a blender and backfires, I know that first hand .
Never heard of an MR1 loosing a chain. I have heard of exhaust manifolds going bad and loosing water into the combustion chambers.

 

[JDRacing]

Don't know. Was just trying to go off the symptoms.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

The compression numbers don't match up for a bad chain more like an overheated engine that warped a head .

 

[Jgorm]

That's bad. I recently tore the heads off the mr1 and can assist with questions if you are doing the work yourself. Are you sure the battery was good for the test? I've seen results go low as the battery dies. You could run a leak down to find out more. That's where i would start. Then bore scope down the plug holes to see if the Pistons are in one piece.

 

[Jaycav]

I was running wot and my rpm dropped to about 8000. It was running when I turned it off, but it wouldnt start back up.
I feel like its a head gasket or head

 

[JDRacing]

Agree with the bore scope comment. That's why I wanted to see the spark plugs. If you don't have one, they are under $50 at Harbor Freight and work well. As was asked by Jeff at CJS above, is there water in the oil? Really sorry for your situation here.

 

[Jaycav]

the plugs looked good i havnt checked for water in the oil yet

 

[Jgorm]

The usb mini cameras for 20 bucks are better than the old $200+ fiber optic borescopes.

 

[Speedling]

It could be valves or head gasket
MR-1 technically is supposed to get a valve job done at some point. No one does it, but it's supposed to happen.(I know, go ahead and correct me all of you that have had it done)
But a valve not seating correctly would let it lose compression.
Now, if it's a more drastic change suddenly, and not something that was coming for a while, it's more likely that something actually broke. Valve broke, rod broke, something along those line.

 

[veedubtek]

Strange thing is, it can't be just a valve. He's got no compression on one, and very very low compression on 2 more. Low on one, but not crazy. Something is affecting all cylinders. Timing would change how those numbers looked alot, it's not gonna hit valves on #4 and barely tap #1. My money is on it ran hot and popped the head gasket/cracked head/block something along those lines. Compression/leak down next for sure.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

If a valve failed it would usually kill only one cylinder compression if a head warps it would explain the compression readings and if the plugs look good Do they look silver in any way? a broken valve would damage a piston and a spark plug
If you see silver on a plug tip it is actually aluminum that was removed from the piston during the compression and firing with water in the cylinder.

 

[Beachbummer]

How are the valves driven? Maybe a bent cam rod kind of thing? Here's hoping it's the head only. Best of luck, keep us posted!

 

[Jgorm]

How are the valves driven? Maybe a bent cam rod kind of thing? Here's hoping it's the head only. Best of luck, keep us posted!

The valves are driven right off the cam. Lobe - cap - shim - spring/valve. It's not the valves, my guess is a hg at best, cracked block is probably more likely. I didn't think the heads are responsible unless the cam chain is broken.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Overhead cams, chain driven. in most cases when an engine overheats the hottest area looses the most compression and the end furthest away from it has the most compression. Some times the head warps it gradually gets worse allowing the head gasket to leak or it creates cracks between the valve seats that worsen over time. If there are no carbon deposits on top of the piston with low or no compression it is usually a sign that water was in the cylinder and it cleared off all the carbon very quickly.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

we posted s at the same time lol.