Where to buy best starter? Mercruiser 5.7

[jameslee97206]

Dave, it was moored with manifold and power steering drain petcocks in. Had they been out it wouldn't have been a problem. I guess it's part of boating.

Mike, it appears oil level is 2 quarts overfilled. I'll see how much I can get out with it cold before attempting to start it.

I do wonder, If I had one of those mini starters Rick referenced, would there be more damage. It almost seems like the starter acted like a fuse.

[Nauti_Mike]

With a hydolocked engine and a good high torque starter you can bend connecting rods and do valve damage.

the water should be on the bottom of the oil pan therefore be first to come out the dipstick tube. Once you get it running change the oil.

[builderdude]

Agree, extract or drain the water from the bottom of the oil pan till you see something resembling oil.

[2850Bounty]

...........

I do wonder, If I had one of those mini starters Rick referenced, would there be more damage.
Due to the gear reduction and faster Armature speed, they will apply more force to the flywheel...... of which is the main point for purchasing one in the first place!


It almost seems like the starter acted like a fuse.
If it was an old school non-gear reduction style, it most likely did.

[88fourwinns]

Your challenge now is to figure out where the water came from; if it was all on one side then may be from the exhaust manifold/elbow, likely a leaky gasket if you have the older style wet joint exhaust. When the crate engine was installed was new exhaust installed? Salt or fresh water use?
normally you should never get water in cyls on a moored boat. Mine has been moored in salt water 15+ years and the only time I ever had water in a cyl was due to a failed head gasket. Never from exhaust.
BTW I believe it is possible to upgrade the wet joint to the dry joint they are more expensive but worth it...
on my OMC I had the one piece V6 manifolds and due to no joint these never leaked. Had to change to the later 2 piece style used by both OMC & Volvo I have to watch that joint for leaks. If you see rust stains on the outside of that joint it’s time to take it apart and check the mating surfaces etc.

[builderdude]

Sounds like he pulled water into the exhaust chamber with a shop vac

[88fourwinns]

PS if trying to pump out cold oil that will be hard, what I did was get a heat lamp or heat gun & IR temp gun and heat the oil pan to about 125* or so, then it may pump out. Just be careful. Use the IR temp gun to monitor temps.

[88fourwinns]

I guess that is possible if you had a Perfect Seal from the tube for the vacuum to the heat exchanger fitting but the water would still have to get past the exhaust flappers. Just seems unlikely since the vacuum would be against the water passage in the manifolds and elbows not the actual exhaust gas passage which is what happens with exhaust reversion. The only way water can get sucked into the exhaust gas passage is if a vacuum develops in that passage. I don’t think that a vacuum applied to the water passage would suck water into the exhaust gas passage. Take a look at the water exits on the elbow...

[88fourwinns]

Here's why I think this is an unlikely cause of water in the exhaust gas passage, and then into the cyls....when you put a vacuum on the water passage that exits the H/E to the manifolds, the vacuum is water passage, look at this diagram of the Merc elbow and ask yourself how that will put water in the exhaust gas passage? Just doesn't seem likely. This can happen with a running engine because vacuum develops in the exhaust gas passage and water can actually be pulled up into the elbow, but in this case the vacuum was on the water passage. I'd be looking at a failed manifold to elbow gasket, if its a 96 then you probably have the wet joint exhaust. That, or a failed head gasket on that side, not likely with a nearly new engine and it would be antifreeze not water since you have a heat exchanger. Full or half system?

[jameslee97206]

Good tip on using heat lamp or heat gun to heat oil pan! I have half closed cooling. The manifolds and elbows are 3 years old with only freshwater use. Had new Quicksilver gaskets last year when I replaced the engine, they were torqued properly and ran maybe 50 hours. The gaskets looked good when I pulled them apart and I have water on both sides of the block. I sucked a couple gallons of water up the heat exchanger. The water came from somewhere, either up the outdrive, through the power steering cooler or up the exhaust.

[2850Bounty]

Here's why I think this is an unlikely cause of water in the exhaust gas passage, and then into the cyls....when you put a vacuum on the water passage that exits the H/E to the manifolds, the vacuum is in the water passage. look at this diagram of the Merc elbow and ask yourself how that will put water in the exhaust gas passage? Just doesn't seem likely. This can happen with a running engine because vacuum develops in the exhaust gas passage and water can actually be pulled up into the elbow, but in this case the vacuum was on the water passage. I'd be looking at a failed manifold to elbow gasket, if its a 96 then you probably have the wet joint exhaust. That, or a failed head gasket on that side, not likely with a nearly new engine and it would be antifreeze not water since you have a heat exchanger. Full or half system?

You are dead right!
Any vacuum or suction applied to the manifold/elbow seawater transfer ports, or at the mixing chamber outlets ONLY, will NOT cause water to enter an open cylinder head exhaust port.


.

[builderdude]

You are dead right!
Any vacuum or suction applied to the manifold/elbow seawater transfer ports, or at the mixing chamber outlets ONLY, will NOT cause water to enter an open cylinder head exhaust port.


.

When the boat is at rest in the water the entire exhaust system is full of seawater up to the static waterline. On my particular application that level is very close to the level of the exhaust shutters.
The exhaust shutter should not be considered a “water tight” flapper valve, yes it will slam shut when a surge of water is forced against it keeping that surge from continuing up and into the exhaust chamber at the elbow, but not water tight. The small amount that potentially gets past the hinged area of the shutter wouldn’t have enough volume or momentum to continue much further and is typically working against the exhaust gas moving in the other direction.

With the boat at rest in the water (engine not running) and with a vacuum applied to the seawater side of the HE (via shop vac) your now putting vacuum on the entire seawater path. That path shares the exhaust outlet path once it exits the exhaust elbow. The vacuum is now also being applied to the interior of the intermediate elbow and Y-pipe. At that point I’d think it’d be possible for seawater to be pulled up to the level of the exhaust outlet at the exhaust elbow and run down the exhaust chamber at the manifold.

[dktool]

When the boat is at rest in the water the entire exhaust system is full of seawater up to the static waterline. On my particular application that level is very close to the level of the exhaust shutters.
The exhaust shutter should not be considered a “water tight” flapper valve, yes it will slam shut when a surge of water is forced against it keeping that surge from continuing up and into the exhaust chamber at the elbow, but not water tight. The small amount that potentially gets past the hinged area of the shutter wouldn’t have enough volume or momentum to continue much further and is typically working against the exhaust gas moving in the other direction.

With the boat at rest in the water (engine not running) and with a vacuum applied to the seawater side of the HE (via shop vac) your now putting vacuum on the entire seawater path. That path shares the exhaust outlet path once it exits the exhaust elbow. The vacuum is now also being applied to the interior of the intermediate elbow and Y-pipe. At that point I’d think it’d be possible for seawater to be pulled up to the level of the exhaust outlet at the exhaust elbow and run down the exhaust chamber at the manifold.

THIS is dead right.

[jameslee97206]

Spent most of the day working on the boat. Got it started and no knocks or valve noise! Let it idle for a few hours changing the oil every 30 min or so. Planning to put it back in the slip then change the oil and filter after 5 hours or so. 2 lessons learned. Don't apply vacuum to raw water side of heat exchanger while moored, I've always assumed the HE was self draining? #2 if it doesnt spin smooth while starting, don't keep trying to start it!

[builderdude]

if it doesnt spin smooth while starting, don't keep trying to start it!

Yep, I learned the same thing when my 5.7 hydro locked.
😖
Good to hear it’s running and your flushing the oil.

[Nauti_Mike]

The HE is not self draining unless your exhaust manifolds are raw water cooled and you drain them by removing the plug on the elbow where the hose from the HE connects. In this case being that the HE is higher it will drain down.