1995 OMC Cobra Volvo Penta 5.0 overheated now wont start

[jpjohnp]

I recently got my hands on a 1995 OMC Cobra Volvo Penta 5.0. I was told that it was running fine, then it was taken out and the engine drain plugs were not installed and the engine over heated and shut down. Now I have the engine and am trying to get it running. Nothing at all happens when the key is turned. I am curious is there a breaker that shuts off the engine if it get too hot that needs to be reset? Also what damage might the engine have receive when it over heated? I am new to this type of thing so any help would be awesome.

 

[-JR-]

how hot is hot. try turning it over by hand . need more info....is the battery ok ,does it make just a click sound ?????

 

[jpjohnp]

There is no sound when the key is turned. He told me the temp gauge was maxed out is all he said, when he tried to make it back to the dock and the engine just shut off like the key was turned off. Battery is fine and how do you turn it over by hand? I am very new to this.

 

[-JR-]

Place a wrench on the end of the front of the crank,or just turn the front pulley and belt by hand,
Might not crank over if its in gear with starter. must be in neutral to start it . Di did you just buy the boat.
Where are you located .

 

[Augoose]

I'm not sold that the missing drain plugs by themselves led to overheating- I suspect there are other issues as well. I would bet that a good condition impeller would have kept up with the outbound water through those plugs depending on how long it took him to notice something was wrong. I'm sure it didn't sound right.... Did you have the boat serviced before taking it out? Do you know how old the impeller is? What is the condition of the manifolds? Did the engine keep cool on its own before this?

Now, if the bilge filled up quite a bit then he might have swamped the starter since its at the bottom of the engine - may cause your failure to start issues now.

What other indicators of overheating were there beyond the temp gauge pegging? Did anyone stick a hand on the manifolds?

Start tracing 12v ignition and see if you are having power issues. Check the circuit breakers on the top left of the engine. Verify all connections between battery and starter.

More advanced stuff would include checking for a shorted or open ignition switch, checking starter motor and solenoid for shorts, grounds or open circuits as well as the starter assist solenoid/relay.

Might be a good time to pick up a manual.
Let us know what you find .

 

[jpjohnp]

Looks like I need to pick up a repair manual any suggestions on where to get them or brand?

He said that it ran fine last year and this year he forgot to replace the drain plugs after winterizing it last year, and it over heated. He said that it was smoking bad and was crackling like it was on fire but no visible flame were present. He also said the bilge was quite full with water but he does not know if it flooded the started.

He said when he pulled the cover off it was very clear the motor was very hot and you could feel the heat from several feet way.

The motor has very few hours on it less then 200 and the it is the original impeller.

Are the breakers those two red button? The boat belongs to a family member and he is letting me borrow it and use it if I can get it running. I will need to pick up a manual to do more of the advanced stuff you mentioned. I don't know how to do that.

I will try to turn it over by hand and let you know what I find.

 

[jpjohnp]

Thanks so much for the help Augoose and JR. I just went out to the boat at using jumper cables attached the started directly do the battery, that I know is good because all the other electronics on the boat work fine. And there was nothing, not even a click. So I am hoping that means just the starter is toast and the motor is fine. And once I replace the starter it should fire right up.

 

[Augoose]

On my 1999, there are two red buttons for the breakers. Before you invest the money in new parts such as a starter, you need to consider what else needs to be done to that boat to get it running. For example, you say its the original impeller (from 1995). IMO, that's you over heating issue. If the impeller is that old the fins have turned from soft rubber to brittle rubber and likely broke off, thereby not able to push any water flow. The hours on the engine don't matter when the impeller is over 20 years old. Secondly, you need to check the condition of the exhaust manifolds. Are there any signs of rust from where the risers meet the manifolds?
There are also several other annual maintenance items associated with the lower unit - ujoints, drive shaft, drive oil, bellows, gimbal, etc. If these haven't been maintained, and I'm betting they haven't since the impeller is original, then you'll have to deal with those items too in addition to what is preventing the engine from starting.
You can try draining the engine oil and looking for signs of water intrusion to see if the block cracked or to see if a gasket failed due to overheating. If the oil looks good, you might be ok - or the engine wasn't run long enough after the damage for water to mix with the oil. Either way, lots of things to check and consider before dumping a marine starter (do not buy an automotive starter) into it.

Manuals are available online for free - start here in the sticky section - http://forums.iboats.com/forum/engi...es-outdrives/479879-adults-only-no-exceptions

and here...

http://forums.iboats.com/forum/engi...uiser-i-o-inboard-engines-outdrives/366271-vp

and here.....

http://boatinfo.no/lib/library.html#