no water coming out the back plenty of it in oil??

[autorot8]

Ok, I overheated my Atomic 4...no water was spitting out the back. The temp got to 245 or so for about 10 mins. I shut down asap. Oil burned off the outside of the motor making for some nice smells and smoke...thought I was on fire for a few minutes.
Strange thing is one minute all was well, the next...no water what so ever coming out of back...it seemed to have happened rather quickly.

So I did what I thought would make the most sense...replace the impeller...the old one looked good though?? But I replaced it anyways..

Still after replacing the impeller...STILL NO water is running through system and out the boat...temp goes up to 220...shut it down.

So I began to work from the through hull to the pump...Water yes...pump to T fitting on block water YES... Water to Thermostat water YES...still no water coming out exhaust out back of boat??? (scratching head)...I check the oil...wow...oil looks like shaving cream! Lots of water in oil...

I will be yanking head off and replacing gasket (whether it needs it or not), inspecting ports and such and reviewing condition (I have only owned boat a few months, so not much is know about history of this engine)

Could a dirty or clogged head cause water to leak into oil??

Could the water be going into motor via the exhaust manifold instead of out of the back of boat due to a clog or corrosion????

Also...any possibility water is getting through water pump drive shaft into motor?

Any ideas?

Also...boat goes into forward gear nicely...but reverse...
we'll it will go into reverse...but you have to step on the lever with all you got and then it is a hit or miss proposition...I understand there IS some adjustment for this.... A buddy also told me that my neutral is hard to locate...I never noticed...I was an outboard sailor until I bought this boat. Any help is appreciated.

[Don Moyer]

Dear Autorot8,

Do not remove the head - at least not yet!

Go back to your cooling system troubleshooting. You stopped one or two steps from the goal line. Remove the hose from the front of the manifold and see if you have water flow there. If you do, reconnect the hose and remove the cooling water hose from where it connects to the exhaust system, and start the engine for a few seconds. If you have water flow to that point, the problem is a restriction within the exhaust system.

After resolving the cooling system issue, change oil at least 3 times (running the engine a few minutes between each change). I'm hoping the oil will clear and stay clear. If water continues to enter the crankcase after three oil changes, you'll have to get back to us.

Don

[autorot8]

IT WORKED!!! Still need additional oil change advise..

Don, ALL I can say is you are a GENIUS!!!!

I pulled the hose located on exhaust manifold, the hose that loops to the top of exhaust pipe. On the exhaust pipe there is a "L" fitting. This L fitting was clogged. I pulled it off and scraped it clean, reinstalled everything, fired the motor and VIOLA' water is spitting out the rear of boat again!!! (at a better volume than before too)

Here is the kicker...I changed the oil 3 times.... The first time I pumped out 2 1/2 gallons of what I can best describe as GREY MILKSHAKE. It is thick and gooey. I pulled the trans cover off and this GREY MATTER was almost to the top of this cover plate. So I pumped it out (using a wet/dry vac)....cleaned as best as possible with rags...replaced cover....added new oil....ran for 20 mins....removed cover...pumped out oil...etc...(x3)

After 3 changes...the oil still has a murky grey color to it...the entire inside of the engine and trans is covered in this grey milkshake oily goo...

So my question is...How do I get the oil to look like oil again and get rid of this yucky grey milkshake crap coating the inside of engine/trans?

Also... I am wondering how the water ended up inside the motor to begin with?? I fear this happening again and wish I could trace the source...Could this clog have caused this?

Also... I pulled the thermostat out entirely. I am in the SF Bay area. The water year round averages 58 degrees F. After my 3rd oil change...I let the engine run for 45 mins... the engine temp was 110 degrees! Since I operate in water that is cold year round...Is it safe to continue to operate without a thermostat??? I feel it is ok, since I am not operating in warm water. thoughts???

BTW, after running the motor for 45 mins...the oil is grey color still...not oil color....guess I will have to change a few more times to get it back to normal???? need more thoughts here...

Thanks again DON!! You rock! If you are ever in the Bay Area...i would like to buy you a beer!

[Don Moyer]

Autorot8,

Glad to hear that things seem to be working out for you. However, at this time it's very important to determine for sure that the water is no longer entering the crankcase. You're on the right track to change oil another time or two, bringing the engine to full operating temperature between changes. In terms of where the water came from, and while the Atomic 4 is very forgiving of rather sever overheating, the very high temperatures you reported previously could have caused a small hairline crack in the lower part of the cooling jacket in the block to open up and allow water to enter into the crankcase.

If the oil continues to show a definite trend toward cleaning up, I'm going to make the assumption that whatever happened to let water in has healed itself. There is some (though very small) precedence for this kind of thing.

If, after a few more changes (running the engine a bit longer between each change) the oil continues to take on water and turn milky, it will be important to determine if any water is entering the combustion chambers. If water is entering the combustion chambers, it would suggest that the head gaskets failed from the severe overheating (for which there is somewhat more precedence).

Don