2004 MerCruiser 5.0 MPI 260HP Leaking Water?

[tennvols93]

Good morning folks,

I know this will be a strange question, and without running the boat, it will probably be difficult to help/answer. Yesterday, I pulled the cover off the boat to change out my damp rid buckets in the boat. I popped the engine hatch to look around and noticed a puddle of antifreeze under the motor. When I winterized the boat, I cleaned up all the antifreeze that I may have spilled (there could be a little I missed). I winterized this boat according the manual which was to drain the water through the single point drain, remove the thermostat and pour RV antifreeze into the thermostat until full.

During the summer last year, there was only one occurrence where my bilge had an excess amount of water in it and I took the boat out probably 30-35 times. I do suspect a leak somewhere and wanted to inspect and look for it during dewinterization. I suspect a leak because of the amount of water drained when the plug is pulled. This could be normal though for this type of boat? I'm not 100% sure to be honest. But the boat drains for about 1.5 - 2 minutes. The only reason I did not do this during winterization is due to me having to go out of town unexpectedly in October for an extended period of time, so I wanted to get it winterized before leaving. I know this info is vague, but hopefully someone may have experienced this. My first thought was the dreaded cracked block, but the boat runs excellent, and my oil looks fine as well?

 

[Bt Doctur]

I winterized this boat according the manual which was to drain the water through the single point drain, remove the thermostat and pour RV antifreeze into the thermostat until full.

If it was drained correctly and if you had to add about 4 gallons of A/F then it might be only a loose hose clamp.If these conditions were not met, then a crack is suspected.

But the boat drains for about 1.5 - 2 minutes.

Not normal , you have a leak someplace

 

[tennvols93]

That is correct. I added close to 4 Gallons of antifreeze. I'm really hoping it's a hose clamp. Where would you suspect a leak in your opinion? The bilge is normally dry, that's why I scratch my head. To be fair, I am new to sterndrive boats. I am guessing a loose hose somewhere could be the culprit of that too.

 

[SkiGuy1980]

Regarding the anitfreeze you found... I found the same when I opened my hatch last spring. Not a lot, but an obvious pool of orange liquid. I found that two of the core plugs in the block had popped due to freezing (improper draining and not enough antifreeze put back in). Luckily these plugs let go quickly enough and there was no damage to the engine. I wish you luck and I hope it's just a loose connection somewhere.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Regarding the anitfreeze you found... I found the same when I opened my hatch last spring. Not a lot, but an obvious pool of orange liquid. I found that two of the core plugs in the block had popped due to freezing (improper draining and not enough antifreeze put back in). Luckily these plugs let go quickly enough and there was no damage to the engine. I wish you luck and I hope it's just a loose connection somewhere.

Buy a lottery ticket. you barely escaped a busted block.

core plugs are not there to prevent damage to your block if you improperly drain. they are there to get the core sand out of the block during the casting process.

 

[wrench 3]

If you're running in any sort of dirty water get rid of that single point drain! You can never tell if it's drained properly or if something has plugged up.
If I'm winterizing one of them I always pull the hoses and rod out the ports.

 

[achris]

.... I winterized this boat according the manual which was to drain the water through the single point drain, ...

That right there would have me concerned... The single point 'drain' system is also known as a single point cracking system... Just draining using the single point system is not good enough to ensure all the water is out. You need to pull the block and manifold drain plugs and poke them out... That way, you ensure the block and manifolds are actually drained. Putting AF in after that is an option.

Chris.......

 

[Scott Danforth]

adding AF if the single point drain is plugged does not guarantee that there was not half the block with water in it

 

[Lou C]

Agreed, not one of Merc's better ideas, all to avoid the cost of a proper closed cooling system. To me it is a conspiracy between the boat builders who make engine access terrible (making the old way of draining a real pain) and then Merc comes in with their 'solution' instead of doing the right thing in the first place.

 

[achris]

Agreed, not one of Merc's better ideas, all to avoid the cost of a proper closed cooling system. To me it is a conspiracy between the boat builders who make engine access terrible (making the old way of draining a real pain) and then Merc comes in with their 'solution' instead of doing the right thing in the first place.

May I suggest that in this case you may have the horse by the tail.

Boat design and engine cost are 'consumer driven'. There's no conspiracy involved, it's just economics and demand.

Boat builders make the boats the way the buyers want them, and having an easily accessible engine would mean losing deck space, something that would drive most buyers to look elsewhere. So, most boats try to bury the engine as deep as possible and in as small a room as would allow the engine to be installed...

The engine suppliers are up against similar driving forces. Buyers look at 3 things when selecting an engine. Price, price and price. Having closed cooling as standard adds cost. If manufacturer A has a 5.7L engine with closed cooling at $20,000, and manufacturer B had that same engine but with sea water cooling and it's $2,000 cheaper, which one do you think 95% of buyers will choose?

As Mercury do offer closed cooling as an option on most models and as standard on their Seacore range, there's nothing to complain about. You want closed cooling, just add it as an option on your new engine....

The problem is, money. Unfortunately in the current time, the initial cost is what 99% of people look at. Very very few look at cost during the life of the item they are buying.

I have proved too many times to count that buying the cheapest of a range of products is usually the way to pay the most. I'm the person who shops on value, not purchase price, and it frustrated the living daylights out of me when the only products on the shelf are all cheap, nasty, imported rubbish. And when I ask where the quality products are I'm told 'we don't sell them because nobody wants to pay for them'... Which I guess, makes me 'nobody'.

Chris....

 

[tennvols93]

Agreed with all of the above. I'm really hoping and praying there was just a loose hose somewhere causing the water leak. This time of year I am kind of stuck. It's dark when I get home, and it's too early to dewinterize. Not only did I use the single point drain, I did unscrew the petcock below it while draining it too. I hope that was enough. Heck the block could have been cracked when I bought it last year. I would be suprised, though. Boat ran great every time I took it out, other than a bad IAC valve I replaced.

 

[harringtondav]

Boat design and engine cost are 'consumer driven'. There's no conspiracy involved, it's just economics and demand.

Hear, hear! to this and the rest of your remarks Chris. Odds are I'll upgrade to a new boat sometime, and it will be a Merc power plant. Single point drain. When shopping I'll climb past the glitz and into for the engine bay. If I can't fit my carcass on each side of the engine and see and reach every maintenance point, I'll move on.

I'm price conscious, and 100% fresh water. But I'll see if I can spring for closed cooling. That will be an arm wrestle. Most dealers want to sell from stock, and CC will be a special order in my area. Else I'll need enough room to get to the block drain ports past the single point so I can poke them.

 

[QBhoy]

I have the same system. Simple answer is that the single point drain system maim valve sealing is pretty lame. It doesn’t seal well unless you are careful. Over tighten and it will leak. Under tighten and it will leak.

 

[Scott Danforth]

achris , you also forgot the other part of marketing and comparison reports from places such as consumer reports.

if you have marketed anything in the past 30 years, every service point is a negative. hence the reason zerk fittings have gone away to "lubed for life"

so removing service points from 7 places to drain water to a single drain point, the manufacturer gets better ratings in the view of these comparison reports. they get better ratings for removing grease zerks, removing drain points and extending service intervals

it happens on heavy equipment
it happens on cars and trucks
it happens on consumer equipment
it happens on marine engines and drives

it aint right, however that is how things are rated

and you are right that the general population wants the cheapest thing they can find because capitalism is what is ingrained in their head. the general population doesnt look at the big picture of cost to ownership. Couple that with the fact that 70% of most new cars/trucks/boats etc get sold within about 5 years of purchase and you can see why the single point drain exists

gone are the days of buying anything quality on a shelf at most brick and mortar stores.

its a sad day when you have to even buy good duct tape or masking tape on-line because even your local paint house has dropped the good stuff because people didnt want to spend the extra $2 a roll.

 

[achris]

...its a sad day when you have to even buy good duct tape or masking tape on-line because even your local paint house has dropped the good stuff because people didnt want to spend the extra $2 a roll.

I completely agree. In photographic terms, it's called "18% grey" (google it!) and it's how the manufacturers and retailers are treating everybody. And I am NOT 18% grey! And that's why I get so mad when I try to do anything 'out of the ordinary'...

Chris......

 

[SkiGuy1980]

Buy a lottery ticket. you barely escaped a busted block.

core plugs are not there to prevent damage to your block if you improperly drain. they are there to get the core sand out of the block during the casting process.

Scott... fully aware how lucky I was in this case. I absolutely should have done a better job draining (new boat, new bigger engine I was unfamiliar with). Luckily the core plugs did pop and no damage was done. I learned quite a lot from it... including the fact that I needed to find a different Merc dealer. My local guy said he'd confirmed a busted block and really pressured me to order a reman engine (last one Merc had he said... I might miss the whole season). Thankfully my dealer in Kentucky is more honest... and I was on the water in just a few days. First time flubbing a winterization but it was nearly a nightmare.