5.7L oil leak/starting problems

[neal64ss]

Well I have put the engine back in my 1999 Glastron GS-205 (1997 model drivetrain)and it runs great. Only have two "small" problems left to contend with.<br /><br />The motor always starts right away when cold and cranks strong. It has a new starter installed. When the motor is hot it sometimes will not start. When i turn the key it will not click or anything. It acts like it doesn't have a cable hooked to the battery, I have checked the cables over and over to make sure of the connections are good. If the starter was getting hot and binding it would still click when I tried to start it, right? The motor is running at around 160 degrees with no overheating issues. When it finally does start up it cranks strong, I just have to wait a few minutes usually.<br /><br />Second problem is the engine is leaking oil where the oil pan contacts the timing chain cover. It only has this leak under WOT. I recently had engine out of boat and put a new oil pan on. Ran in the driveway with a flusher hooked to the drive for about one hour below 2000 rpm with no leaks. I originally thought the leak was around the timing cover seal for the crankshaft but upon closer inspection I am fairly sure the leak is between the oil pan gasket and the bottom of the timing cover, looks like it is only on the starbord side of the pan/cover also. I tightened the front oil pan bolts a little bit more(I torqued them to spec when installing the pan) but have not tested it again yet. I am running 20W-50 oil, I think I will change to 25W-40 or 40W oil as well.

 

[Don S]

Re: 5.7L oil leak/starting problems

Ya gotta 97 Glastron. You've been duped. The boat was registered with Merc in 97 and the warrenty was started, the HIN on the back of the boat has been altered (you even mentioned that in the other post).<br /><br />As far as the oil leak, fix it properly and it won't leak. Did you put the proper sealer in the proper places like the manual explaines?

 

[bruceb58]

Re: 5.7L oil leak/starting problems

That looks like a 97 or 96 Glastron. I believe they stopped putting the railings on the open bow area around then.<br /><br />You should post a photo of the HIN tag.

 

[LuckyPenny]

Re: 5.7L oil leak/starting problems

I had a simular problem with starting a hot engine (5.7L)<br />Check the voltage at the canon plug. You may find a signifient drop, just enough to get a click or two out of the seliod. The rubber boot on the engine side warms up and the connections become loose. I replaced the contacts in the plug and no more problems. By the way, do any of your gauges flucate, that is a good sign that the plug is the problem.

 

[neal64ss]

Re: 5.7L oil leak/starting problems

Its raining cats and dogs today, will get a pic and post when it quits raining. I don't have a title since Arkansas doesn't title boats, only registers them.<br /><br />As for the starting, I do not have any guage problems. Can you be more specific about what contacts in what plug? I do not know of a plug anywhere in the wiring to the starter.

 

[John_S]

Re: 5.7L oil leak/starting problems

You probably have the newer composite timing cover. I believe they are throw-away items. Anytime you pull it, a new one goes back on. If the timing mark on the cover, is a single notch, it is the newer style. If the tab has multiple timing marks, it is the older, reusable, metal cover. <br /><br />The VIN number stuff, sounds a bit disturbing. Almost sounds like someone took a latter VIN and put it on your boat, or just modified the one on there. I doubt that someone went through the risk, just to claim the boat was a couple of years newer. When VINs are modified or replaced, it usually means there is an owner out there, looking for their boat I wonder if there is a way to do a check on the VIN that Don identified as what that engine went in, and see what its history was? We need a CarFax for boats. Along with theft, I am sure there are a good number of hurricane claimed boats, getting touched up, and resold to unsuspecting owners.

 

[LuckyPenny]

Re: 5.7L oil leak/starting problems

There should be a ten pin canon plug coming from the controls to the engine. It plugs into a female plug bolted to the engine somewhere. It contains all the wiring to operate. The yellow wire (on most mercruisers) is the lead coming off of the starter switch and conects to the selonoid. <br /><br />to check it out, check the voltage at the switch. Then check the voltabe on the male connection, then the voltage at the starter (disconnect the lead. If the plug is shorted you may get 12.5 volts all the way to the male connection, but a signifient drop, maybe 3.5-4.0 volts to the starter. Just enough to get a click or two.

 

[neal64ss]

Re: 5.7L oil leak/starting problems

Trouble is that I do not get a click at all. Nothing, as if the battery has been removed, then all of a sudded a few minutes later it fires right up, no problem. Only does this when it is hot. Last night I took the positive battery cable and shortened it from about 40 inches to 20 inches and crimped on new terminals at each end, mabey there was some voltage drop across the cable, I am grasping at straws now. All the wires look to be making proper contact and in good condition, I do not have any signs of lights or guages "flickering".

 

[FreeBeeTony]

Re: 5.7L oil leak/starting problems

My guess would be the slave solenoid or the connections going to it. There are (2) small terminals: (1) should go to ground and (1) should get 12v when you put the key to the starting position. There are also (2) large terminals: (1) should go to battery power and (1) will go to the starter, this (1) will get battery power when the 12v is supplied to the small terminal by the key.<br /><br />Hope this made sense.<br /><br />Had a similar problem after I re-installed my engine last fall..........came out of no where.

 

[Don S]

Re: 5.7L oil leak/starting problems

See if this thread will help with your starting problem.<br /><br /> http://forums.iboats.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=24;t=015221

 

[neal64ss]

Re: 5.7L oil leak/starting problems

Update, it did it today when the engine was cold. Has to be a bad electrical connection, I will check the advice of BabylonBoater. Where is this slave solenoid located, on top of intake behind carb? There is some wiring suspiciously wraped in electrical tape in that area.

 

[FreeBeeTony]

Re: 5.7L oil leak/starting problems

The slave solenoid on my engine is located on the starboard side on front of the engine behind the heat exchanger.<br /><br />It's #33 in this diagram .

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: 5.7L oil leak/starting problems

Did you ever locate and check the canon plug?

 

[neal64ss]

Re: 5.7L oil leak/starting problems

The canon plug is in good shape and making proper contact when I checked it.<br /><br />The more I think about this problem it is acting like a tripped circuit breaker. Its as if the circuit breaker is tripped and no current can flow to the starter, then it resets and everything is as it should be.<br /><br />I also replaced the ignition switch last year, I have rechecked those connections, I think that I will check the switch with my multimeter. It is possible if not likely that the switch could be defective.