Boat motor cylinders filling with water.

[walb0244]

Hey guys. I went to the lake wednesday. Put the boat in the water wednesday night and ran it for a hour wakeboarding. When I went back out thursday morning I couldn't get the boat to start. It would roll over and then make a grinding sound. Took the boat to the marine to check it out. They told me that I backed in the water too fast and forced water up the pipes and into the cylinders. So we took the spark plugs out and turned the motor over and pushed all the water out. Motor ran fine after that for the rest of the day.

Got up the next morning. Same problem. So thought maybe put it in the water to fast. So I went through the same process and got the motor running again. Took a break for lunch. When we took the lunch break I put the boat back on the trailer and left the motor running till the boat was out of the water so didn't have to worry about water going back up the exhaust.

Took 3 hour break for lunch. Afterwards couldn't get motor to start. The cylinders were back full of water. Any ideas? Someone said maybe bad head gasket, cracked head, or someone said hole in valve.

[Razzman]

Is it all the cylinders or just a few? Just off the top of my head it sounds like it overheated and blew the headgasket(s). And for the record that's what the flaps are for over the exhaust, to keep water out so backing in shouldn't have let water in no matter how fast you back in.

[walb0244]

Is it all the cylinders or just a few? Just off the top of my head it sounds like it overheated and blew the headgasket(s). And for the record that's what the flaps are for over the exhaust, to keep water out so backing in shouldn't have let water in no matter how fast you back in.

I knew the flaps over the exhaust were to keep water out but the guy at the marina shop told me that sometimes that you can hit the water fast and it can cause water to create a air pocket that holds the flap open. I didn't really believe him but just in case the next couple of times I put the boat in the water I started it just before getting in the water so that exhaust would be coming out the flaps to prove his theory wrong that it wasn't caused by backing in to fast. Another reason I don't think it came up the exhaust is because just one side of the motor has had water in it. Has been the same side both times.

I don't really remember it is all the cylinders or not. Sorry. The first time I didn't get to see what had water in it because the guy at the marina was doing the work. I do know that the two cylinders closet to the drivers seat had water in them both times. Not sure about if the two cylinders toward the back of the boat had water in them or not.

Sorry can't help more then that. If the boat had over heated wouldn't I have noticed? I have never seen the guage show it was hot. Highest I have ever seen I think is 180 which is where I thought the thermostat was set at.

[gcnettl]

Does it smoke while running?

[maxpower220]

Have you checked your oil? What does it look like? There is a very good chance that you have a crack in your heads or intake allowing water in or a blown gasket. Very hard to tell anything without seeing the block. In all of those situations, you could never have a temperature issue on the gauge. A leak down test should be able to show if it is the head gasket.

[gcnettl]

If this just started happening, and you know you have not run the engine overheated, then more than likely it is the exhaust flappers. If you get no smoke while running, then it sounds like water is coming in while the engine is off. The flappers and/or bellows (if your boat has any, prob just has flappers) are prob. the culprit.

Keep it simple.

[walb0244]

Water can't come in my boat when the motor is off. I start the motor before putting it in the water and don't shut it off till it is back on the trailer at the end of the day. So the motor is running when I put it on the trailer. Then I go and park the trailer for a few hours and when I come back the cylinders are full of water. So the water is coming from somewhere in the motor or exhaust manifolds because the boat is sitting on a trailer when it happens.

[davinci]

I don't think it's such a great idea to be running the engine while out of the water. A crack or blown gasket = lots of smoke. You said you start your boat before you put it in the water, what's cooling the engine during that time?

[davinci]

Your situation is boggling my brain ....I need to ask if you checked the compression to every cylinder I think one might have shot rings which causes a great deal of condesation immediately upon starting the engine.

[DOCDRS]

If your oil is not milky and you don't see water leaking from your block or manifolds then no crack
Sounds like a riser gasket or a interior perf of your exhaust cooling jacket since your engine is running fine
Try draining your exhaust. Jackets just when you shut it off and see if that eliminates the cylinder water
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