Boght the boat, first day on the lake leaves me stranded

[AlekM2]

I bought a 1996 Larson with a 3.0 Volvo Penta GS/SX 4 cylinder and took it on the lake, but after about an hour of cruising, the engine died on me.<br /><br />I could see that prior to this the engine was overheating, which was weird, and I was not expecting that since it was only three of us in the boat and we were not running fast, etc. Anyhow, cruised for an hour and wanted to back to the dock, when I noticed that the engine would heat up, so I decided to run it for a bit and then let it cool, since this was not a big lake I could have afforded the stops. On my fifth stop, right when I was trying to start it again I heard a little click noise right when I was turning the key and that was it. The engine would not do anything when I would try to start it, but then few attemptes later would do some click-click-click noise, but the motor will not crank.<br /><br />I also could not lower or raise the outboard, or so it seamed because when I would try that all gauges would act weird and not show the correct height and temperature (they were shaking back and forth)<br /><br />I had some kind people take me back to my dock and I decided that maybe the battery was dead and needed replacement (the battery in reality was weak and old). So I ran to wall mart and got a new one, I also changed the clamps on the wires to avoid any corrosion in the conections. After all this, when I try to start the boat the gauges act normal and I can move the outboard up and down, but when I try to start the boat the engine fails to crank. It makes a lauder noise, tik-tik-tik-tik-tik when I turn the key, but that is it.<br /><br /><br />Please, any suggestions on my issue? I have wanted a boat all my life and now that I finaly got one, I was able to use it for couple of hours. <br /><br /><br />As you can tell I am a novice, but I am determined to learn more about boat engines. I am crafty, but just have never had to deal with engines. Any good site that explains the bacis on boat engines and hopefully has pictures to better visualy explain?<br /><br /><br />What is limit on the temperature that I should keep an eye on and not run past it? A regular ski boat, how long does it take before the temperature goes up to 210 ?<br /><br />Any input would be greatly appreiated.

 

[cobra 3.0]

Re: Boght the boat, first day on the lake leaves me stranded

Sounds like your starter may be gone(or misaligned with the flywheel. Is the starter on tight? When you take it off, are there any shavings in it?) and you probably need a new impeller in the drive (it pumps water up to your engine). A fresh water cooled engine should never go up to 210. Most thermostats are somewhere around 160 degrees for fresh water cooling. <br /><br />I would get a manual and go through the trouble shooting process...or just bring it to a competant mechanic for the first time to fix it and give it a general checkup.

 

[AlekM2]

Re: Boght the boat, first day on the lake leaves me stranded

I was suspecting that it may be the starter since it wasn't cranking up the engine. Roughly, how much does one cost and how difficult is to replace? Same for the impeller.<br /><br />What do you specificaly mean about the shavings? What is a shaving?<br /><br />Thanks!

 

[Blk-n-Blu]

Re: Boght the boat, first day on the lake leaves me stranded

Alek, Before pulling the starter motor try something simpler like pulling the spark plugs and rolling the motor over by hand to make sure it's not hydro-locked (water in cylinders) serious damage could occur if the starter is ok. Check spark plugs for water or other indicators and try the starter with the plugs removed before continuing.

 

[kcole683]

Re: Boght the boat, first day on the lake leaves me stranded

Shavings are little peices of metal that have been worn away.<br />The impellar is mounted on the front of your engine,it sucks lake water and pumps it into the cooling system to cool the motor. It is very easy to change on a volvo and should not be expensive at all.<br />BUY YTOURSELF A SERVICE MANUAL THAT COVERS YOUR UNIT!<br />It should never get to 210 degrees at all. Your thermostat in your cooling system is rated for 145 or 160 degrees I am not sure but normal temp should be 175 or lower for a 160 stat,and 160 or lower for a 145 degree stat.

 

[AlekM2]

Re: Boght the boat, first day on the lake leaves me stranded

spark, I just ordered one and should have it in 2 days. That one will answer lot of quesations.<br /><br />Blk-n-Blu<br /><br />What do you mean by roling the motor over? Not flipping it upside down right? <br /><br />If I try to start the engine with the spark plugs removed, what should I expect if the starter is ok, what if not?<br /><br />Thanks for your replys

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Boght the boat, first day on the lake leaves me stranded

The tik-tik-tik noise you describe sounds to me like a starter that is not getting enough juice. Since you put on a new battery and connectors and it still makes the noise, (although louder) I would check all of your connections - at your starter and any other solenoids you may have. Including grounding straps. It may well be a bad starter, but check all your connections first.

 

[Blk-n-Blu]

Re: Boght the boat, first day on the lake leaves me stranded

Alek, When a motor is hydro-locked the starter won"t turn it and if it does it can cause serious damage ( broken rods / pistons etc.) With the spark plugs removed when you try the starter there will be no compression build-up and the motor should spin freely, if there is any water in the cylinders it will be expelled through the spark plug hole and you will see it. You can also turn over the motor with the plugs out with a wratchet or wrench on the damper pulley bolt. " This is to insure the motor is not seized before buying another starter" good luck

 

[AlekM2]

Re: Boght the boat, first day on the lake leaves me stranded

This is some great information you guys have given me. I had a question on that overheating. Is it possible that I could have done some damage to the engine by running it hot? It ran at around 200 degrees for not more than 3-4 minutes. Do any of you know if it had some kind of a switch that would have turned off the engine and that is causing the engine not to spin.

 

[Blk-n-Blu]

Re: Boght the boat, first day on the lake leaves me stranded

Alek, Since you bought the boat probably not that long ago did you "test drive it"? I doubt there is a re-settable overload of any kind,but there may have been damage you bought into. Not to scare you but try the spark plug test to be sure the motor is not seized FIRST and be sure to use the muffs while testing. Never run the motor without water feeding the outdrive.<br />the starter (key switch) usually uses a relay to the starter motor and this may be the problem, but check for water intrusion first.

 

[AlekM2]

Re: Boght the boat, first day on the lake leaves me stranded

Yes, I test drive it for about 20 minutes and everything was fine. Paid special attention on the temp gauge. <br /><br />I will try to start it with the spark plugs removed.

 

[Blk-n-Blu]

Re: Boght the boat, first day on the lake leaves me stranded

Originally posted by Alek_M:<br /> I will try to start it with the spark plugs removed.

Don't try to start it, just try to get the engine turning

 

[AlekM2]

Re: Boght the boat, first day on the lake leaves me stranded

yeah, yeah, that's what I meant . I will do that while the boat is still in the watter. I will also look for some weeds around the outdrive to make sure that something is not clogging up the water intake for the impeller.

 

[DHPMARINE]

Re: Boght the boat, first day on the lake leaves me stranded

Alek,Hope you DON'T have what I suspect I've had two engines that fit your description (except you also had the additional problem of a dead battery)<br />In both cases,the motor overheated,and water got on top of the cylinders.Once there the starter cannot turn the motor over,because it cannot compress the water.<br />If motor will now start,check and see if the oil is milky.Also run on the lake,until problem occurs,then pull the sparkplugs,and if it cranks,does water come out the plug holes?<br />These motors crack the intake/exhaust manifolds,easily? ?<br />DHP

 

[sculbert]

Re: Boght the boat, first day on the lake leaves me stranded

Remove your spark plugs, Crank the engine over a few times. If water comes out your engine was hydro locked. Put the plugs back get it running and find out where the water came from. IF no water came out put plugs back in. If it doesn't start you have a new battery that wasn't fully charged. This is common in the battery world. You could have enough juice to run smaller things but to pull 300 to 400 amps no dice. <br /><br />Note: if it didn't spin over with the plugs out your starter is likely the problem. <br /><br />Good Luck.

 

[AlekM2]

Re: Boght the boat, first day on the lake leaves me stranded

Mercury<br /><br />You may be on to something. I removed the spark plugs and tried to start it but the engine never cranked. Yes, the noise was lot louder, but the engine never turned. At this point I had a choice of hauling the boat back to the marina nad have the guy that I bought it from look at it or go further and look at the starter. Well, I got to the starter, and then got a batery, hooked it up and realized the errr, the b part of the starter wasn't coming out(can't think of the name ) which explains why the engine never cranked. I oppened the starter and reazlized that the large circular berring around the three small berrings was worn out. The starter was also full with water and moist, plus I can see how somebody was puting silicon on the outside of the starter to cover prolly some leaks.<br /><br />Well, now I need to find a starter for a Volvo Penta 1996 3.0 4 cylinder . Checked autozone, but for that year the car models are either too small or have 6 cylinders. The shop didn't had one in stock for me to compare some starters. <br /><br /><br />However, DHPMARINE, you also bring a good point. I could see water whenever I was taking out the spark plugs, so there is a possibility that water has gotten into the engine. What type of damage would that have caused? Would that be the reason why the starter is messed up (motor locks up, starter puts up pressure, no go, and the berrings get busted)?.<br /><br />Now the big question is how can I fix this water problem?<br /><br />I tried to spin the motor by hand while the spark plugs were out but the motor would not turn. I could not put a socket wrench and use that cause I couldn't find a spot for it that would turn the engine. Should I be able to spin the motor by hand only?<br /><br /><br />Also, could the water in the motor have caused the overheat? DHPMARINE, what was the solution of your problem?<br /><br />Thank you guys for excelent oppinions. I have learned so much already.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Boght the boat, first day on the lake leaves me stranded

Use a socket and a breaker bar on the big nut on the crank pulley. Turn it clockwise as you face it. If'n ya can't turn it with a breaker bar, w/plugs out, there is a serious problem. You most likely would not be able to turn it by hand.

 

[sculbert]

Re: Boght the boat, first day on the lake leaves me stranded

You might ot be able to get to the crank bolt with the fornt mount in the way. Take a flat bar and put it between the front bolts on your waterpump and that should give you enough leverage to turn the engine with the plugs out. If you have water in the engine you probably have either a bad manifold, a head gasket or a crank in the block or head. I haven't seen to many of them crack the heads unless they get real hot. The block cracks usually are on the exterior and leak outside the engine. The Manifold is most liekly the source. Either form the intake or the exhaust. You can take the monifold off pretty easy and have it tested. When I took mine off my 6 cylinder I just filled the return chamber with water and saw it leak into the intake ports. pretty simple.

 

[datawire]

Re: Boght the boat, first day on the lake leaves me stranded

If the starter is in the shape you describe - it could be rusted to it's stator AND still engaged in the flywheel. That would make it very hard to turn by hand too <br /><br />Have you heard what caused the boat to explode on Lake Ouachita the other day?

 

[rogerwa]

Re: Boght the boat, first day on the lake leaves me stranded

BTW.. do not use electrical AUTO parts on a boat.. You may blow up. You need a marine starter if you find yours is bad.<br /><br />If you have the starter pulled already have it bench tested. From the combination of events I am betting something more sinister is happening here. <br /><br />When you say "However, DHPMARINE, you also bring a good point. I could see water whenever I was taking out the spark plugs, so there is a possibility that water has gotten into the engine. What type of damage would that have caused? Would that be the reason why the starter is messed up (motor locks up, starter puts up pressure, no go, and the berrings get busted)?."<br /><br />Did you find water coming out of the spark plug holes?? If so, you have found the smoke, now you need to locate the fire, figuratively speaking..