Disaster Recovery - Blown Head Gasket

[tomford429]

My 2001 VP 5.7 with 350 hours ran great last year. Over the winter, I paid to have the engine gone over and thoroughly checked out. Other then maintenance items, no problem. Strangely, they reported the temp gauge was not working. It worked fine all season, never a problem with overheating.

The boat was commissioned in the spring and sea trialed. AFTER the first sea trial, the raw water pump and thermostat were replaced and the boat was again sea trialed and turned over to me "ready to go".

A few days later I went out for the first time and got about 200 yards away at 10 mph and heard a loud metallic knocking sound. I immediately returned and reported the problem. After about 3 weeks of stalling, I am being told the head gasket blew. I think something happened during service/sea trial, but they swear the boat was running fine when they "commissioned" it.

Comments please.

 

[Don S]

Re: Disaster Recovery - Blown Head Gasket

There are a lot of people that use there boat all weekend with no problems. Then next weekend it goes bad.
Sometimes things just break and it's not anybody's fault.

 

[Hoss 350]

Re: Disaster Recovery - Blown Head Gasket

There are a lot of people that use there boat all weekend with no problems. Then next weekend it goes bad.
Sometimes things just break and it's not anybody's fault.

Boy, i hear that, brother!

If it is a head gasket, and nothing else, then it is a pretty quick and easy fix. At least it isn't a rod or something requiring the engine to be pulled!

Sorry to hear about your problems, i hope they get fixed soon.

 

[Hoss 350]

Re: Disaster Recovery - Blown Head Gasket

My 2001 VP 5.7 with 350 hours ran great last year. Over the winter, I paid to have the engine gone over and thoroughly checked out.

There really is no way to "certify" or check a head gasket. It either works or it doesn't. I assume that they did a compression check on the engine during this "go through" and did not find problems. That it the only way they could have identified a problem with a headgasket, other than possibly cooling water in the oil. Barring either of these things, they had no choice but to give your head gaskets a clean bill of health. AT THAT TIME. No way to know if she was going to pop tomorrow or 10 years from now.

Other then maintenance items, no problem. Strangely, they reported the temp gauge was not working. It worked fine all season, never a problem with overheating.

Oh, my... this could be the source of your problem here. A water gauge suddenly not working can often times mean a perfectly good gauge with NO WATER to measure the temperature of. This could be caused by a gob of things. Blockage in the water intake, bad impeller for the raw water pump, wrong or incorrectly installed thermostat blocking off the water jacket, wrong or incorrectly installed impeller for the raw water intake. Anyway, you get the drift. If they were going through things, they may have incorrectly re-installed something (or just left it out alltogether!) and caused the problem.

The boat was commissioned in the spring and sea trialed. AFTER the first sea trial, the raw water pump and thermostat were replaced and the boat was again sea trialed and turned over to me "ready to go".

Was the gauge working during the second sea trial? If not, I'll bet I think I know what happened!

A few days later I went out for the first time and got about 200 yards away at 10 mph and heard a loud metallic knocking sound. I immediately returned and reported the problem. After about 3 weeks of stalling, I am being told the head gasket blew. I think something happened during service/sea trial, but they swear the boat was running fine when they "commissioned" it.

Comments please.

Was the gauge working ever? Why 3 weeks of stalling? Start asking questions. The fact that your gauge suddenly stopped working makes me wonder. Also, kindly and politically demand better service than 3 weeks worth of ignore. Remember, more flies with honey, but do not allow them to interpret nicety with weakness. 3 weeks is BS.

 

[tomford429]

Re: Disaster Recovery - Blown Head Gasket

Thank you for your comments. I appreciate it.

The non-working temp gauge after working all season was a red flag (after the fact). Also, it is suspicious that they "commissioned" the boat and sea-trialed the boat AND THEN replaced the water pump and thermostat and re-sea-trialed. Also, when I checked the engine closely after returning to the slip - the hour meter was disconnected. I re-connected it.

MORAL OF THE STORY -

Before you let a service department turn your boat over to you, go on the sea-trial with them. That way, if they broke something they can't pass the blame.

 

[tomford429]

Re: Disaster Recovery - Blown Head Gasket

Update - my engine is under limited warranty until July 1. The service manager submitted and was authorized to do a long block replacement. Apparently, the engine was badly fried, not by me (although they will not admit it). I am hoping that I don't run into lower engine problems in the future. I'll keep my fingers crossed. The general objective opinion (from neutral parties) was that they ran my boat with the seacock closed and blew the engine. Who knows? I just want my boat back before the summer is over. It is what it is. S--t happens.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Disaster Recovery - Blown Head Gasket

The service manager submitted and was authorized to do a long block replacement. I am hoping that I don't run into lower engine problems in the future.

Ayuh,.....

Why would you be worried about Lower Engine Problems,..??..??
It'll all be Brand New....