Hydrolock

[slarson]

Just spent a great weekend on Lake Powell with a friend. His boat (1987 Bayliner 2555<br /> with 260 OMC) developed a hydrolock (water in the cylinders) after sitting on the beach<br /> in a well protected cove, engine idling, his wife taking a shower with a lake water<br /> shower that draws hot water from the engine block drain, cold water from the raw<br /> water hose going to the thermostat housing, routed though a mixer, a pump, and finally<br /> a showerhead. My boat (Bayliner 3255 with same motors)has the same setup, with<br /> never any problems. He's used the shower before, but only once. After shutting it<br /> down, it wouldn't turn over later in the day. We pulled a plug, and there was the water<br /> in the cylinder. We pumped out all of the cylinders (after towing it in and putting it on a<br /> trailer), put in new plugs, and started it up. It took awhile, but it finally ran fine. He has<br /> had a noise which sounds either like a rocker noise or an exhaust leak for some time,<br /> but I don't know if it is related. Anybody got any ideas?<br /> Thanks,<br /> Steve

 

[jwhite]

Re: Hydrolock

How old are the manifolds/risers. They may need to be replaced. If it has been run hot or seen a lot of salt water usage then it may have a blown head gasket.

 

[slarson]

Re: Hydrolock

Thanks. I'm guessing the manifolds are original, with only freshwater use. I'll pass the in along. Steve

 

[Alrobot]

Re: Hydrolock

Can you tell me more about this shower setup. I am going to Powell in July and that sounds neet.

 

[DJ]

Re: Hydrolock

slarson,<br /><br />You stated that the boat was pulled up on the beach. Your problems could be related to the angle at which the boat was sitting. The water level could have been higher than the risers on the manifolds.<br /><br />Before I condemmed anything, I would try the same scenario with the boat sitting level!

 

[slarson]

Re: Hydrolock

Al,<br />The shower works like this. You take hot water from the drain plug on the block by replacing the plug with a barbed fitting that will get you to 1/2 in hose. You take the cold water from either a thruhull fitting or the raw water hose going from the outdrive to the thermostat housing. If you use the latter, you have to cut the hose, put in a "T", and then get to 1/2 in hose. Both of these hoses go to a mixer, like a clothes washer mixer in a house. You can mount this on the side of your boat if you want. Mine is, and I have a smoked plexiglas door mounted on plastic hinges to finish it off. It looks better than the factory ones I've seen. The two valves have to be connected coming out of the mixer into one hose that goes to a pump (you have to play with some fittings at Home Depot to do this), such as the Shurflo 3.4 gpm pump. Out of the pump is another hose that goes to a shower head, typically a lawn/shrub sprayer with a shut off valve. The pump actually "sucks" the water from the hot and cold leads. When the engine is warm, you are able to mix the hot and cold water for a shower that never ends, as long as there is water in the lake. I would only use this in fresh water, like Powell. None of this is to be construed as legally binding directions for how to do this, only as to how mine is hooked up. Probably not a good idea to run the pump while the motor is not running.<br />Steve