Water in oil. Dumb mistake.

[seahawk215]

As most know here I had my starboard engine rebuilt and reinstalled it a few months ago. Since I had that engine go because of oil hose I had new hoses made for the other engine and replaced them. The port engine started running ruff and I shut it off and couldn't get it to start again. I had also replaced wires ,distributor cap,etc. started having battery trouble so I replaced the batteries. Starter was dragging ant getting hot so I took it off and took it to the shop and got a rebuilt one. Replaced starter and could never get the engine started again.

As the storm was coming this weekend I had a bilge pump switch to replace. When I replacing the switch I knocked the dip stick out some so I pulled it out and wiped it and put it back in and check oil and behold oil level very high. So I started to pump some oil out and water in oil. Earlier I had bumped starter and it just acted like it was binding. Tried to turn engine over with wrench and was very hard to turn.. Had already pulled plugs. Bumped with starter and discovered engine was turning wrong way. I had installed starter and then went on fly bridge and tried to start engine and had never checked rotation. I am guessing I sucked the water from the exhaust hoses into engine. What a mess. Lesson learned I will never assume the starter is the right one.

 

[Sandy]

Engine rotation is determined by looking at it from the flywheel end (not pulley) and the starter rotation is determined looking at it from the gear end.

Never get a starter just by engine rotation info or propeller rotation only as starter rotation can be the same or opposite of engine , depending on mounting location and on I/B's on some transmission models transmsission output may the same or opposite engine input.

And always test run the starter before installation to confirm desired rotation.

Sorry that advice comes late and that you have run into subsequent difficulty. But it's important to get all the water out and change the oil until all traces of water are gone . Until the correct starter is in, even turning over by wrench on the flywheel pulley nut with plugs out can help.

Is this for I/B or I/O, and what rotation was that engine with the original starter? ( edit- sorry , it's obviously an I/B)

Arco explains: http://www.arcomarine.com/xhtml/tech determine marine starter rotation.pdf

 

[seahawk215]

Here is the link to my rebuild thread.
http://www.boatered.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=170495

Yes straight inboard.
Yes your right checking rotation of starter. When I took the original starter in, I asked them to check it as it was dragging seems like and getting hot. It was still a bit warm as I had just removed it an hour or so earlier. That is whem the counterman said to me why put this one back on it is rusty and still hot so i can tell you the starter needs to be replaced. You have already done the hard part getting it out. I said yea your right just
go ahead and get it. He picked it up and took it in the back shop and then brought me the starter. Another guy walked up to the counter and said that is a marine starter and you will see it at a spot he told him and said the one with an R on it will be the reverse rotation engine.Like I said dumb move on my part. I will find out tomorrow morning why they gave me the wrong rotation as I thought they would have checked the rotation with the old starter. Maybe labled wrong or just a screw up. I have used this shop for over 20 years on all my motors and never had a problem with any of the alternators , starters , etc. But will always check rotation first in the future.

Hope this helps someone else not make the same mistake I did.

 

[Audrey II]

Thank you for this post, this is something I have never given any thought to and can see how easily this mistake could be made!
Good luck with the repair.

 

[pdecat]

Indeed, an easy mistake to make. Good luck.

 

[seahawk215]

Installed the correct starter and turned over engine with plugs out. Seems I have water coming out of number 7 cylinder. Probably the reason why the original starter was dragging and engine running bad.

Question is where could the water be coming from? I would guess a bad oil cooler. Is that possible? Maybe the riser although I put new risers on about 2 years ago. I don't believe it is antifreeze as the heat exchanger is full of antifreeze. It seems like canal water (seawater).

If it was a head gasket or manifold wouldn't I be losing antifreeze as it is a FWC engine.

 

[Sandy]

To your last question, yes since it is FWC .

Could the water possibly be residual water that had been sucked in by the previous new wrong -rotation starter? Plus, are you quite sure the engine is turning the correct rotation with the latest new starter?

Is the oil level too high again after you have just changed it out repeatedly to flush ? Any "milkshake" signs on the stick after cranking?

When water came out this last time , did it keep coming out or just expel what was in there and stop?
If it kept coming out, will it stop soon if the RW seacock is closed and return with that valve re-opened?

Do you definitely have both crank-oil cooler and transmission cooler , or just transmission cooler as on my Crusader 5.7's? Yours is 5.7L/350ci , not 7.4l/ 454ci , yes? The 7.4 would have both.

If the water is not residual, and ...if...you do have the correct starter now, I'd guess the source is exhaust, but ...?. The only way it could be the cooler is if it overfilled the crankcase 1st. Exhaust leak would go through the exhaust valve and cylinders 1st. (FWIW-I've had a bad new riser casting that caused trouble after 1 yr, requiring me to replace.) And a bad gasket , especially on cast part mating surfaces that were not properly "decked" flat, could allow water into exhaust passages and lower cylinder exhaust valve even if the riser was otherwise in good condition.

Any external rusty sign of leakage at the ex. manifold to riser gasket/blockoff-plate joints?

( "Throwing darts" category In & out hoses on the RW pump haven't been reversed have they? There may be a very remote chance that could tend to draw RW in through the exhaust when engine is not starting.