Water in Oil

[fairpilot]

So I took my boat out one day about 1 month before I was going to take it to the keys for a week, boat ran great to whole time. I got home and decided to change the oil. Took out dipstick and engine was loaded with water, oil was like milk, needless to say I knew right away big issue. I ran to store and got like 3 gallons of oil and started changing it, run engine then change it over and over getting all the water out I could.

I figured Yamaha would charge me a fortune so I solicited a big name local school that specializes in motorcycle, ATV and Watercraft repair. Called them they put me in touch with main instructor. He came to my house was impressed with condition of boat and clean motors, told me all about the engines how good they are really built confidence in me that he was well capable to repair boat. He would do it personally. Took boat to his place and tore it apart, couple days later I stopped by, showed me motor and told me I overheated it and warped the head. I thought “really’ Boat ran fine, no warning of overheat at all. Anyhow I figured he new what was up. So replaced head gasket, machined head and put back together, still leaking water into engine. Took apart again and took head to the school, called me and said the head had a crack in it and would need to be replaced, I drove 6 hrs and got a new one(remanufactured) put it all back together and still leaking water. Took head off and sent back to company for testing because he swore it was cracked in valve guide, got new head and still leaked, all this time engine never would run.

So one day its all apart again in my garage and I’m just sitting there looking at parts and look at exhaust manifold and it has a corroded spot in #3 cylinder. There is my water leak. Replaced that and could never get engine to run hardly, I was told to take it out and run it so I did and it was not pretty, very noisy, so They took it apart, not the cylinders are all scratched and valves had been hitting pistons. I told them they are done don’t touch another thing.

Finally, a $300 dollar part cost me almost 5 grand and a year of no use. Finally put a new motor in it and had Yamaha do the work. Lesson learned I should have taken to dealer first

So if you ever have water in oil, please please pull the manifold off and check it thoroughly for corrosion. And save yourself a major headache.

 

[Julian]

Wow.....its almost like a chunk broke off it! The infamous cylinder #3.....that rusts spark plugs. Do you run in salt water mostly? If so, think that contributed to the corrosion faster? Any ideas on why #3 rusts so much?

 

[fairpilot]

I do or did run salt most of the time but I was infamous for flushing at least 10 minutes and always used salt away to flush. Head mechanic at yamaha said he has seen this several times.

 

[Julian]

On cylinder #3? I read somewhere a theory that the engine comes to rest with #3 valves open that leaves it open to moisture more than the others....who knows.....but this info is great to know! Thanks for sharing...

Any you say was infamous....you still are...yes?

 

[fairpilot]

I don't think that theory could be correct because other valves would also be open in other cylinders and #3 would not always be open. I belive water sits in manifold at #3. I had yamaha remove my other manifold just in case and it was a hair closr to same condition on #3. I had it replaced. I had to put an SBT motor in it. Seems to run good. Been in there a year. Maybe you can figure out another issue. That same motor only gives me abot 9400 rpm. This was the case on the old engine also. Boat speed top end is down to around 40. My thought is that tach is messed up and I need new impellers to get speed back.

 

[Julian]

Have you swapped the tachs to see if that is it? That is a big drop in RPMs. I pulled my pumps last summer thinking mine were rubbing....turned out it was just in need of a plug change! D'Oh!

 

[txav8r]

I am glad to read the conclusion of it Chris. I can't imagine going through all of that and not just wanting to sell it at some point at a loss. But glad you found the issue and got it fixed!

 

[Glassman]

So, did you feed the fish with the guy who said you overheated it?

 

[fairpilot]

Mel it has taken some of the boating out of me. I hope to get it back, I did lose a lot of interest over that time. now just really busy, then when i want to go the weather is crappy. Have not been out in about 4 months. Trying for this weekend to burn off all my gas and get a fresh tank.

 

[txav8r]

I sure wish I still had the boat...may find another one!

 

[fairpilot]

You got rid of your jet boat? why

 

[txav8r]

I've been asking myself that very question. I went out twice with the wife in '13, and twice by myself. Felt like we weren't using it enough. Now I regret it.

 

[DocSoc]

Hi. Similar story here now I have not one but both engines dead. What was your choice for engine vendors and if you may what was your cost? I need both engines and I will probably have the dealer or a person from the dealer do the work.

Thanks in advance,

Socrates

 

[-klb-]

Ouch. Instead of towing pushing water back up the exhaust, this is corrosion/damage to the exhaust putting water in the exhaust right outside head. That is a significant chunk missing.

 

[fairpilot]

I bought the engine from SBT in clearwater, they are the only one i know that sell these motors remanufactured. I have the non HO it cost me 1800 plus 800 to have yamaha put it in for me and hook it all back up

 

[fairpilot]

http://www.shopsbt.com/

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Sorry to hear your troubles. Hope that boating feeling comes back to you!

Nice pics of the leak.

 

[fairpilot]

Thanks murf, the part i dont get is I was so faithful to flush, I mean flush with salt-a-way and water for 15 min per engine every single time this was done within 20 min of coming out of the water. The other manifold was corroded also but in a different way, instead of corroding to leak into the cylinder it was a hair away from putting a hole through into the engine compartment. Look at the pic of the water jackets, man i would expect that from an engine that was never flushed, I was shocked.Think I will pull it apart every two years and inspect it. This should never get like this. so Salt water users may want to pull manifolds off just to have a look.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

I can tell you that I flush religiously after each use with salt away for 10 minutes. That's about 8 minutes straight water then the last 2 minutes with salt away because you want to leave the solution inside your cooling jackets.

After I park my boat inside my warehouse and jack the toungue up, I always get about 3 gallons of salt water spilling onto the floor from the exhaust. I guess the water boxes hold a lot of water that just sits in there and condensates throughout the exhaust system and in cylinder # 3.

How was your hose water pressure? I wonder how the pressure/flow affects a flush?

 

[-klb-]

Note that in the combustion chamber, #3 doesn't look rusty. It looks cleaner, like it is running hotter than the rest. Which, given where hot water leaves the engine, it makes sense.