help...bung not in...salt water?

Hi,
first of all I hope someone can help....
secondly, I am very embarrassed...
It seems you should always check that the bung has been done up tight...
Anyway, we headed out on our maiden voyage, to do some wake boarding.
All was good for the first board, but whist 2nd boarder was getting ready, unbeknown to us, water was pouring in through the bung hole, filling the the boat with SALT water.
Didn't notice til the motor until there was no power in the take off.
So, we lifted the motor housing and discovered the water was halfway up the crankshaft pulley......spraying salt water everywhere.....a ferris wheel of water you could say......Oh My God!! kinda words were being used.So, straight away i started the motor and headed home, thank god she started, there was concerns for the battery and electrics as you can imagine.
I also checked the under floor storage, which is positioned in the middle of the boat, it was full of water.
We estimated about 300 litres of water......so I think we were extremly lucky she started, and that we got back to dry land.
The boat is a Maxum 1800 SR3, Mercury Mercruiser 4.3L Alpha (220hp), V6.
So, what I have done so far is , given the engine a mist spray with fresh water, then sprayed the whole engine with WD40.
I am about to wipe down, an re-spray with WD40 again....
So, I am asking if anyone has any other ideas what else I can do, to help save this engine.....(apart from remembering the BUNG!)

Thank you in advance

I will wait with great patience

Wahine

 

Well Wahine, everyone has done this at least once. Okay, I haven't, but just about everyone has done this at least once. It sounds like you may have gotten lucky.

If the engine was running when you got it back on the trailer, you'll probably be fine with some checks and maintenance. Of course it goes without saying, you want to drain the boat. Wipe down all the surfaces with a degreaser after a quick fresh water bath.

The starter, electrical connections, bilge pump and blower and anything else that may have been partly or completely submerged should be checked out. The blower and bilge pump just need a fresh water bath, wipe down and a good drying, which partial disassembly and leaving in the afternoon sunshine will do nicely.

I'd pull the starter and lube up the drive and inspect for water damage. It'll probably be okay.

Break open all electrical connections, where a plug meets a socket of some sort. These will trap moisture and rust out the connector. Break them open, clean them up and apply new dielectric grease.

Check the engine oil to see if water got in. If it did, drain all the oil, change the filter and refill with new oil. Start the engine and let it run on the muffs for at least 15 minutes, then shut it down and change the oil filter again (it will have trapped all remaining moisture in the engine). You'll need to add a little more oil to top it off (about 2/3's of a quart usually).

Pull the spark plug wires off, wipe the boots out and a very slight squirt of WD-40 inside each, as you put them back on.

Also check for water in the fuel tank. Generally, you want to check everything that may have gotten soaked or had to live underwater for a little while. These parts need to be cleaned, usually greased and reassembled. It's a lot of wrench work, but a hell of a lot cheaper then replacing a soaked engine or sunk boat. In other words, if it looks like it might have gotten wet, take it apart enough to see if it's damaged or needs to be cleaned up. Clean it up and reinstall it. You'll really get to know you engine compartment after this too.

This will teach you a few things. The good thing is you'll get to spend a day or two removing, cleaning and replacing lots of parts on your boat. This might just get you in the mood for fixing other problems, possibly finding things that need to be fixed. And lastly, you'll probably not soon forget to put the transom drain plug, in the damn hole again will you . . .

 

Yup

Ive done that......

J

 

If I can add one thing to Par's coaching, it's to put the WD away and use Corrosion Block or similar - they are far superior.

 

Hi, thanks for the reply's
I started the motor up today, seems to be running ok....
But I will do my best to go through n check plugs, and check out all plugs n sockets, will check engine oil, but will have to read the manual for oil draining and refilling, if it is similar to a car I should be fine.....
Thanks again, you have been a big help
I will let ya know how I get on....
Have a happy new year

wahine

 

HI Mark775
do you know if corrosion block is available world wide?
I've never heard of it, but I will be going out to ask about it...
thanks

Wahine

 

Yep-I've done that, too.

 

CRC has a good product, though not sure about your part of the world. On trailer boats I don't use so much corrosion protection, but focus on keeping them clean and dry instead.

 

Thanks Par,
i pulled the starter motor off, took me ages, not much room at the bottom, and yes water did get in,
since i'm not much of a mechanic i have the boat booked in to get it checked out, and by pulling the starter off, has hopefully that has kept some of the labour costs down.... hopefully...and it will ease the worry......almost in tears every time i look at that motor.....boohoo!!!
thanks again for your help