Engine under water no it wont start

[flagman]

I have a merc.140 1986 that was covered with water thanks to rain and a lost boat cover. The engine turns over but won"t start. What should I check first?

[Hunter25]

Stop trying to start it, you are just causing more damage. It needs a rebuild, sorry. It turns over, so it probably is worth rebuilding, but you will not know until it is dissembled.

[gonzo]

Ditto. If you had the bad luck to get the engine to fire, it would probably cause a lot of damage.

[my-dream]

Flagman is this a outboard or a I/O?