water in oil 2.3l ford omc

mecheadtech

Recruit
Joined
Oct 21, 2007
Messages
4
Im an auto mechanic and have some boat knowlage. I was given a 1987 Siera 165 with a ford 2.3l omc codra IO. The owner said there was water in the oil. He thinks it has a cracked block.I have heared that a cracked exhaust manifold can cause this. I noticed one soft plug pushed out of the block. I also have been having trouble finding a new exhaust manifold for sale. Is this boat worth repairing? I will be able to handle any mechancal repairs as long as I have the manuals and parts available. Any help would be great.
 

lilmandavis

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 9, 2006
Messages
618
Re: water in oil 2.3l ford omc

put down any sharp objects and.........RUN!!!!
 

Don S

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Aug 31, 2004
Messages
62,321
Re: water in oil 2.3l ford omc

A free boat is ALWAYS way overpriced.
 

mecheadtech

Recruit
Joined
Oct 21, 2007
Messages
4
Re: water in oil 2.3l ford omc

So what are the problems Im likely to encounter? I have access to automotive 2.3L engines. Am I going to find anything besides a cracked block or exhaust manifold? Should I part it out and find a beter boat? Thanks for any advice.
 

Don S

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Aug 31, 2004
Messages
62,321
Re: water in oil 2.3l ford omc

Cracked block is the most likly reason. Manifold failure will give you a slight amount of water in the oil, but usually will cause a hydrolock because of water on top of the piston.
One note. There are differences between marine and automotive engines. Lots of automotive mechanics have made serious mistakes during rebuilds and repowers.. Do your homework before starting.
 

mecheadtech

Recruit
Joined
Oct 21, 2007
Messages
4
Re: water in oil 2.3l ford omc

What are the differences between the auto and marine engines? If the blocks are the same can I swap the marine internals (crank, cam, pistons,..ect.)? And if you dont know where would I be able to find out?
 

oops!

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 18, 2007
Messages
12,932
Re: water in oil 2.3l ford omc

the water in the oil was caused by a cracked block.
I hate to tell you the exaust manifold is probally done too.
the frost plug that you found that was pushed out, means someone didnt winterise the motor and it froze. nasty!

there is a lot of differences between a marine engine and a car. lots!
put your chevy to the floor and hold it there for an hour or two and see what happens!
(start with a four bolt mains, steel crank, cam is different. dist and timing are very different!. check the dwell at 4500 some time! not to mention starter, alt, and air filter)
and thats just a few!
car stuff (like starters and alt) will work but are not safe! the marine motor is in an enclosed space and any spark can cause explosion if a fuel system is leaking.

if you like the boat keep it and go to town like the rest of us.
if you are new to boating, part the thing out and get a little old outboard rig to practice on. then youll know what you want to do with the boat. Like, fishing, skiing, pull it up on shore. you wont pull a thirty thousand dollar cuddy up on a rocky beach! you will even drop the thing off the trailer a time or two! you just wont want to do that with a boat over two thousand dollars.

once you know what you use the craft for will help you determine what kind of boat and power requirments you need!
have fun and just remember, two foot itis is a real desease!

:D
 

drrm123

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 12, 2007
Messages
135
Re: water in oil 2.3l ford omc

I've had alot of automotive experience before and I just got a used boat. If I were your I'd drain the oil first and refill with new oil filter to determine what the problem is before getting rid of it. Some people arent mechanically inclined and that just leave others with good project with some minor work because they could not get it running or maintain it properly. So if you have the equipment to do a leak down test I check that to see if it head gasket leaking or 4 cylinder is not to hard to pull the head. The boat you have is 6 years newer than what I'm working on so it could not be too bad. So pull it apart it wont cost you any money to find out what's wrong with it then go from there.
 

alaska_av8r

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
May 28, 2007
Messages
184
Re: water in oil 2.3l ford omc

Mech only you can decide if the boat is worth it to you or not. One easy evaluation is to find out the price for a rebuilt motor and and add 1,000 dollars to that just for good measure. If you aren't willing to put that much into the boat then I think you have just answered your question.

I had a similar situation however and opted to keep the boat and fix it up. What I have learned from that boat and these forums is invaluable. I now know what I want in a future boat and I know what to look for when buying a boat....lets just say its a steep learning curve...but a good one.

the choice however remains yours.....
 
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