Water coming out of spark plugs??

[lisamackb]

My merc is running pretty darn good for its age. While doing a compression test today I noticed that there was water dribbling out of my spark plugs. Took the plugs off again and there was no water actually at the end of the plug. Pkugged plugs back in. There is this panel that you can open on the side to see the cylinders so we opened it up, and it doesnt look like there is water in there. SO........ anyone know where this water is coming for, and I am assuming this is a bad thing. Any help would be appreciated. Its a 1971, 50 HP merc.
Thanks
Lisa

 

[jbjennings]

Re: Water coming out of spark plugs??

Lisa,
I'm no merc expert, but I'll bet the water was coming from a leaky water jacket cover gasket and just appeared to be coming out of the plug when it really wasn't. It's no big deal to fix, just take the cover off and put a new gasket on. If you were getting any water in the cylinders, it would turn into steam and steam-clean the spark plugs.
I think you're o.k.,
JBJ

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Water coming out of spark plugs??

Lisa, Those motors do not have a removeable cylinder head. You are seeing water leaking around the seal point near the spark plug. You may remove the water jacket cover and install a new gasket, however on that old of a motor the chances of breaking bolts is good. See if that motor has bolts and nuts holding on the cover. Some of them did. If so, if you break a bolt, you can installl a new bolt and nut, w/o drilling and retapping the hole.

Alternatively, you can put a bit of silicon caulk around the base of the spark plug and seal it up.

 

[lisamackb]

Re: Water coming out of spark plugs??

I guess I should have wrote that, we knew it wasnt coming from the the actually plug but rather leaking from around it or something of that nature. Thanks so much. I will be changing the "Jacket today" These bolts, do they need to be torqued? or alternatively, if i use a sealant there wont be any damage to the engine?. I am not planning on keeping this one past this summer. Each summer we upgrade the boat and the motor so that we finally get a good one that we really want.

 

[jbjennings]

Re: Water coming out of spark plugs??

Chris is absolutely right about those bolts. I just forgot to mention it--sorry.
I'd follow his advice and if every single bolt didn't come out pretty easy, I'd do the silicone like he said or just leave it alone. Broken bolts are a plague.
good luck,
JBJ