water/oil pouring our oil fill hole

[ndutton]

Michelle, one idea is to hook up a fresh water pressure hose to the engine cooling system. Just hook it after the pump. You might find out something. . . . . .You could also use that hose to pressure test the water side of the exhaust.

This strikes me as risky. Anything wrong and there's even more water where it doesn't belong.

[romantic comedy]

I agree Neal. But would you rather have seawater in the engine?

If it starts, what will happen?

Best would be to find whatever leak is there by using an air pressure test. But we gotta do what we gotta do, sometimes.

With the exhaust, there needs to be some finesse. Not too much pressure.

[ndutton]

I'd rather not have ANY water in the engine. Agree on the exhaust pipe water jacket test. Easy does it on the pressure. This is not the time for destructive testing.

[romantic comedy]

ok, how about using a bucket of kerosene, or diesel, to suck up into the water pump. Take the water exit and put it to the bucket to circulate the kero. The engine could be run for a couple of minutes.

[ndutton]

I'm missing something here. Is there a problem testing with modest air pressure?

[romantic comedy]

I am also wondering about the exhaust system. Michelle, you said it was new? Is the boat in salt water? I see green on some other parts, and would expect it on the exhaust too.

Do you know if the new exhaust was ever used? Could it be possible that the new exhaust is what caused the demise of the old engine?

Neil, air is fine.

[Sony2000]

Michelle, where are you? Ontario, Quebec or States side?

[Mdoll]

running again

Ok set the timing and it is running again. Idles good with good water flow out the back. Still steaming a lot. But oil didn't rise in level. Haven't re tested the block yet, wanted to get the timing back set.

The guy scraped the sailboat, but the engine was in a crate in the barn (not installed)

The water could possibly been high enough to catch the edge of the flywheel, never thought of that. Thanks Maybe it was water then engine instead of other way around.

Really appreciate you all I'm in fresh water right now on the St Lawrence just south of Montreal in Ontario.

Going to do some more testing, will let you know the outcomes.

Michelle

[edwardc]

Michelle,

After carefully re-reading your original post, I have several questions and observations:

...The motor is in the keel below the water line. ...

Right away, you're set up for a potential siphon to start unless there are anti-siphon loops, preferably with an anti-siphon valve.

...Engine ran great at idle and revving it dockside for a few starts without issue. When I engaged the drive to move it over to step my mast, started blowing white steam (I have read everything on here) which got heavy and then water stopped flowing out the exhaust altogether. ...

To me, this progression says that insufficient cooling water was getting to the manifold, allowing it to get hot enough to produce steam. The further halting of water out the exhaust, coupled with the massive amount of water in the boat, suggests that the cooling water was being diverted into the engine or the bilge. The real question is, where?

... I shut off the motor (which was purring like a kitten) and opened the hatches. The bilge was full to the oil pan with milky water and the engine had about 10 litres of water/oil sludge in it. All the plugs were clean and wet with water. ...

Your observations don't tell a consistent story. If "All the plugs were ... wet with water.." then the engine would not be "...purring like a kitten..." . The A4 is a marvelous beast which will run on 3 cylinders without you hardly noticing anything, and will even run (barely) on two cylinders. Are you sure the "wet" was water and not fuel? Water will form distinct beads on the plug, while fuel will cause a uniform sheet of "wetness". Also, as previously mentioned, it would not be possible to push massive quantities of water from the cylinders, past the rings and into the crankcase.

... Pressure tested the cooling system engine and manifold. Holds 20 psi...

Did you test individually, or all at once? If individually, did you include the hose from the thermostat cap to the manifold .

... I am confused because the engine never stalled, it ran fine. It would have pumped itself to the bottom happily running all the way. ...

This eliminates any theories involving water in the cylinders. One Critical question: How high on the engine did the water get? The A4 does not have a sealed crankcase, and rising water will enter the crankcase directly, usually through the dipstick hole first. This would be good news, as it would be an external plumbing problem, not an engine problem.

... After i cleaned up the mess it started for a second and then died. Won't start again. I am assuming that the float bowl is full of water. ...

Where, exactly, in this chain of events did you remove the distributor. As Neil noted, unless you were careful to remove the cap and mark the position of the rotor, and get it replaced in the same position without having turned-over the engine, then your timing is off and this is the reason it won't start.

Don't get discouraged. Keep at it, step by step. We'll help you through it.

EDIT: Michelle's post got in while I was writing this. I've GOT to learn to type faster!

[lat 64]

Hurray!

I looked up the drawings of your boat on theS&S web site. the engine sits low in the bilge. Very likely to flood it from the front of the crank if the bilge water gets too high.
...
Dang it! Ed beat me to the punch on several points Ha!

Ok, At least I have one comment, The jacketed exhaust on my own boat may actually be stainless steel. I have scratched it and it is shiny silvery metal not copper. I think it was painted to match the engine. Yours looks very similar in color. I posted this pic just to confirm if you have a dry exhaust. The geen slobbering down the pipe is from the bronze fitting at the hose inlet. The copper paint just won't corrode. Is yours, in any way, like this pipe?

Still need to find out how the bilge flooded. That could be a boating hazzard!

Cheers,
Russ

[Mdoll]

All is good

Thank you for all the help everyone. Boat moved under it's own power and no water signs in the block.

Couple of oil changes and we will be all good to go.

I can't thank you all enough for you help working through this.

All the best,
Michelle
Folie - 38' Hughes

[ArtJ]

Ok set the timing and it is running again. Idles good with good water flow out the back. Still steaming a lot. But oil didn't rise in level. Haven't re tested the block yet, wanted to get the timing back set.

The guy scraped the sailboat, but the engine was in a crate in the barn (not installed)

The water could possibly been high enough to catch the edge of the flywheel, never thought of that. Thanks Maybe it was water then engine instead of other way around.

Really appreciate you all I'm in fresh water right now on the St Lawrence just south of Montreal in Ontario.

Going to do some more testing, will let you know the outcomes.

Michelle

Just a minor after thought. Engines originally supplied in Canada were
called "Stevedore" version and had a Restriction in the Carb to reduce
the horsepower. It might be worth a quick check to see if you have
this horsepower robbing "feature" and replace it with a "normal version"

Not likely, but worth a check check anyways

[joe_db]

We have an engine that was either filling the boat up with water and filling itself or the boat was leaking and flooding the engine and now it just stopped without anything being fixed
I would really want to find out why!

[edwardc]

We have an engine that was either filling the boat up with water and filling itself or the boat was leaking and flooding the engine and now it just stopped without anything being fixed
I would really want to find out why!

A very wise engineer once told me "Problems that go away by themselves usually come back by themselves".

[Dave Neptune]

How

I'm with Joe, what happened to fix it? Happy to hear all is well and remember what Ed said about problems that "go away".

Dave Neptune