a boat sinking afair

[Hannah and Jay]

massive school boy error not to have the weed hatch secured in place, isn't it??!

we learnt the hard way on the weekend and nearly sunk the boat after ours popped off during lots of revving after getting stuck on the river..

now the p4 perkins engine was still working when it was fully sunmerged and my partner had to turn it off before bailing out in a panic.. luciliy no water got in the air intake... but theblock did get water ingress... as much milky fluid has been pumped out of it as possible and plan is to next fill her with oil again, flush this through and then fill once more with oil, is there anything else we need to be considering?

many thanks, hannah

[Paul C]

A bilge pump?

[MtB]

massive school boy error not to have the weed hatch secured in place, isn't it??!

we learnt the hard way on the weekend and nearly sunk the boat after ours popped off during lots of revving after getting stuck on the river..

now the p4 perkins engine was still working when it was fully sunmerged and my partner had to turn it off before bailing out in a panic.. luciliy no water got in the air intake... but theblock did get water ingress... as much milky fluid has been pumped out of it as possible and plan is to next fill her with oil again, flush this through and then fill once more with oil, is there anything else we need to be considering?

many thanks, hannah

 

I'm sure lots of people will shoot me down on this, but I'd just fill up with fresh oil, fit new a oil filter (and air filter if the paper type) and run the engine again. My view is the heat will evaporate the water out of the residual milky oil with no resulting damage.

 

MtB

[Ray T]

Check your fuel is not contaminated.

[Chalky]

now the p4 perkins engine was still working when it was fully sunmerged and my partner had to turn it off before bailing out in a panic.. luciliy no water got in the air intake... but theblock did get water ingress... as much milky fluid has been pumped out of it as possible and plan is to next fill her with oil again, flush this through and then fill once more with oil, is there anything else we need to be considering?

 

 

That's what I'd do. The oil/water emulsion can block oil galleries and cause problems (was a common problem with early montego/maestro 1.6). I'd refill, run for a few hours, drain and refill then keep my eye on it for a few weeks.

[novascotianboy]

You've actually reminded me that I haven't checked the seals on my weedhatch in a bit...!

[GSer]

Don't forget to change yer gearbox oil as well

[RLWP]

I'm sure lots of people will shoot me down on this, but I'd just fill up with fresh oil, fit new a oil filter (and air filter if the paper type) and run the engine again. My view is the heat will evaporate the water out of the residual milky oil with no resulting damage.

 

MtB

 

I would do this too, and soon. When the rings rust to the bore, you will have big trouble

 

Get it hot and oily and you'll keep the rust away

 

Richard

[GSer]

I would do this too, and soon. When the rings rust to the bore, you will have big trouble

 

Get it hot and oily and you'll keep the rust away

 

Richard

 

 

Seems the simple way, but any water being forced throughi the oil filter can wreck it (depending on type) seems a cheap thing to change compared to an engine, and you would need to run it up for ages for the oil to evaporate all the water.

 

I'd use the cheapest engine oil i could find that was the right spec, and change it a couple of times along with the filter.

[Hannah and Jay]

thanks for advice all... will see what oil filter we have and change that

[David Schweizer]

Don't forget to change yer gearbox oil as well

Does that not depend on the type of gearbox? The PRM 160(now 260) on the back end of our engine has no unsealed openings on it. The dipstick is screwed into the oil filler hole so no water could get in.

[GSer]

Does that not depend on the type of gearbox? The PRM 160(now 260) on the back end of our engine has no unsealed openings on it. The dipstick is screwed into the oil filler hole so no water could get in.

 

 

I'm surprised there's not a breather! Even if its fully sealed it could still ingest water if submersed when warm, certainly the sealed final drive box of my motorbike manages to suck in water when offroading through deep water.

[n.b.Goldie]

I'm surprised there's not a breather! Even if its fully sealed it could still ingest water if submersed when warm, certainly the sealed final drive box of my motorbike manages to suck in water when offroading through deep water.

 

Is it because the seals are designed to prevent oil from leaking out and not to prevent water from leaking in?

 

If so then it might be reasonable to suspect the seals on a marine gearbox might be the same.

 

Regards

Ditchdabbler

[GSer]

Is it because the seals are designed to prevent oil from leaking out and not to prevent water from leaking in?

 

If so then it might be reasonable to suspect the seals on a marine gearbox might be the same.

 

Regards

Ditchdabbler

 

 

Yes, thats the thought, serious off road machines have diff and gearbox breathers extended to above the possible water levels but that to has issues, the breather pipe needs to change its air else all it does is act as a condenser and allow moisture to return to the gear oil. I keep mine stock and change to oil more often if it all gets wet.

Edited December 13, 2012 by GSer

[Arthur Brown]

Alternator and starter motor look like needing attention too, and have you submerged the batteries?

 

For the engine a bit of both of the suggestions above! Remove as much wet oil as you can then replace with economy oil and bring the engine to a good running temperature for several hours. Don't decant oil off water for reuse, the additives will usually migrate into the aqueous phase. If you boil off the water in a hot engine then the additives go back into the oil.

 

After about 12hours running at working temperature sample the oil, if it's milky scrap it and refil with cheap oil, if it's clean (inc black! but not milky) refil with good oil when convenient.

 

Remember that when using WD40 Duck Oil and other aerosol water displacer/lubricants that the propellant and carriers are highly flammable! Spray if needed but wait well ventilated for a while to let the product work and the flammables to dissipate.

[Guest]

Keep WD40 and similar away from electronic components!

[Sean & Coral]

Another solution is to employ the short term use of some flushing oil; this'll assist in removing a lot of the water and other debris from the engine inners - then new filter and a good quality oil. If your engine is of the older variety and well worn in, then before you do this check the manufacturers recommendation, as some flushing oils can be a little too powerful and remove other wise sealing debris from the cylinder linings.

[Keeping Up]

Does that not depend on the type of gearbox? The PRM 160(now 260) on the back end of our engine has no unsealed openings on it. The dipstick is screwed into the oil filler hole so no water could get in.

 

Doesn't the dipstick incorporate a small breather hole drilled into the nut like the PRM 150 ?

[magpie patrick]

I have to admit when I saw the title of this thread I thought that a wronged lover had torpedoed their partners boat!

 

Doesn't the dipstick incorporate a small breather hole drilled into the nut like the PRM 150 ?

 

Ripple's gear box did not, but I also found it was capable of running with virtually no oil at all...

[Yamanx]

I'm sure lots of people will shoot me down on this, but I'd just fill up with fresh oil, fit new a oil filter (and air filter if the paper type) and run the engine again. My view is the heat will evaporate the water out of the residual milky oil with no resulting damage.

 

MtB

 

Yes, the problem is the emulsified oil will be considerably thinner, and what can happen is the pressure in the engine can force the now thinned oil past the pistons and cause the engine to run on its own oil, and rev it will and stopping it is not fun!

 

(I now this from first hand experience)

[gazza]

Another solution is to employ the short term use of some flushing oil; this'll assist in removing a lot of the water and other debris from the engine inners - then new filter and a good quality oil. If your engine is of the older variety and well worn in, then before you do this check the manufacturers recommendation, as some flushing oils can be a little too powerful and remove other wise sealing debris from the cylinder linings.

 

Don't do it! Flushing oil in a old perky is a bad idea, use wilko 20/50 a couples of times changing filter each time

[trackman]

My PRM 260 has a breather, so did the last 160 I had dealings with!

[Titan]

The nb i bought sank (allegedly weed hatch was loose )I heard several accounts of it sinking, it was approx 13 months after the date it sank i Purchased, and for 8 weeks i was still moving mud before i found the Perkins d3 lol it was full of water, gbox full of watee fuel tank yup 200 litres of water but amazing as it sounds removed one solid alternator and starter, spentjust a couple of hours on engine and it runs like beautifully well if you can call a d3 152 perkins running beautifully lol, change all oils and filters clean/bleed fuel lines. rebuild starter (if u need a new 1 ) pm me i know a chap who has stock to clear. Run engine to temp and drain the lot and change again inc oil filter. Run again from cold to temp for 3 hrs and change again. All will be well imo, good luck kind regards Martin

[sooty]

I had the same problem when my new sailaway engine bay filled with rainwater.

(no bilge pump and leaves had blocked the deck drain holes)

I had to have the (brand new - sob )alternator and starter motor stripped and repaired as they failed shortly afterwards.

I was fortunate with the engine (Isuzu) as the water didn't enter the air intake but I changed the Oil and Filter anyway.

The PRM gearbox definately filled with water (Im sure theres a breather hole somewhere).

I changed and run the gearbox oil 3 times before the 'milkyness' disappeared.

I have had 500 trouble free cruising hours since, so no apparent permanent damage.

 

Steve NB F'Beanz