I'm not sure exactly where to post this, I've been lurking here for a while. I just bought this Islander about 6 weeks ago. The third time out I noticed when leaving the dock that there was only "steam" leaving the exhaust. I immediately shut down the engine, but the temp was in excess of 230. We continued the sail while letting the engine cool and restarted just long enough to return to the slip (about 5 minutes) at the end of the day. I assumed that the impeller was shot, so made plans to replace it.
When inspecting this weekend I started inspecting the raw water cooling system from the beginning and found a totally fouled fitting at the sea cock. Once I cleared it, water flowed freely through the engine, I started the engine and ran it for about 5 minutes at the dock, it spit some brown goo out the exhaust and I thought we probably dodged a bullet.
When I went below I noted some badly corroded fittings on the engine block, the aft drain pipe had sprung a leak (behind the alternator). The others were plugged. I decided to flush the block and exhaust manifold with water from the dock and then get ready to do the acid flush. After the fresh water flush, I could not re-start the engine. It acted flooded, like there was no spark.
To make what has been a long story, short. I removed the spark plugs and cranked, per the A-4 instructions for a flooded engine and got seawater showered all over the engine compartment.
So here's my question: Where to I go from here? To me this sounds like a blown head gasket, but I suppose it could be a flooded exhaust manifold from either the flushing or the cranking.
The previous owner did report a blown head gasket in the past, but I don't recall when and he didn't tell me about any corrective action taken. I suspect that given the amount of hard deposits in the sea cock fitting, that he had been operating the vessel for quite a while with no cooling water. Once cooling water was added to the mix, it found it's way through the blown head gasket to the #3 and possibly #4 cylinders.
Thoughts from the wise?
When inspecting this weekend I started inspecting the raw water cooling system from the beginning and found a totally fouled fitting at the sea cock. Once I cleared it, water flowed freely through the engine, I started the engine and ran it for about 5 minutes at the dock, it spit some brown goo out the exhaust and I thought we probably dodged a bullet.
When I went below I noted some badly corroded fittings on the engine block, the aft drain pipe had sprung a leak (behind the alternator). The others were plugged. I decided to flush the block and exhaust manifold with water from the dock and then get ready to do the acid flush. After the fresh water flush, I could not re-start the engine. It acted flooded, like there was no spark.
To make what has been a long story, short. I removed the spark plugs and cranked, per the A-4 instructions for a flooded engine and got seawater showered all over the engine compartment.
So here's my question: Where to I go from here? To me this sounds like a blown head gasket, but I suppose it could be a flooded exhaust manifold from either the flushing or the cranking.
The previous owner did report a blown head gasket in the past, but I don't recall when and he didn't tell me about any corrective action taken. I suspect that given the amount of hard deposits in the sea cock fitting, that he had been operating the vessel for quite a while with no cooling water. Once cooling water was added to the mix, it found it's way through the blown head gasket to the #3 and possibly #4 cylinders.
Thoughts from the wise?
Comment