Well,
that is something you don't see every day...
OK, I am relatively new to these compared to most of the seasoned salts here, but these are the things that come immediately to mind. Remember that they are not all the potential issues, but that I am offering them as
food for thought for both you and for the other members here to consider and
rule in or out as experience and wisdom with this powerplant dictates for those who consider this thread. I am also including a few other boaty things that you should consider before signing off on the claim check as well...
Check the piston rings. Pull the
head and check, don't just rely on "ok" compression, look for shavings in the
oil and on top of the pistons, as well as wear and scoring on the sleeves. These issues may not be there, but it would suck if they were and you did not know for a month or two... Hopefully you will catch it before you cannot prove it was recent damage! Make sure they replace the
head gaskets after this if such is normal custom for that engine (no need making more issues).
Check the injectors for damage, though I am not sure that would be likely if the engine kept starting. I am wondering how it stopped to restart though (or did it just keep reengaging the starter on a running engine?). That in itself is of interest to me. Could the
fuel pump have been forcing
diesel into an "off" engine to the point of causing it to run without ignition being enabled? That sounds awfully like what this is, but I was unaware it was possible. Checking the volume of
oil in the block may tell you if this happened because I had a gas engine with a damaged
fuel pressure
regulator that flooded cylinders AND the block when it washed past the rings. The engine locked up, and when I pulled the
plug the "oil" shot past me like it was Kerosene (and I suppose it sortof was)... Engine acted like it was locked up, but gas does not fire on compression,
DIESEL DOES. Again, don't know if that is possible here, but others will know more than I - just a thought.
There are multiple other things, to include the
wiring in the engine bay, that you will want to check too because the adjuster may not want to even consider all this, and it can cost more than tearing the engine apart if additional damage is considered in the claim. This includes the wiring near the
exhaust, the starter, the block, and any metal brackets attached to the above (aka, almost any loose wires and probably bundled ones too may show issues later if they were against a non-cooled engine, especially if the heat on that external
winch is what you noted).
I would consider that the
exhaust elbow/s may have damage (depending on construction) or form weak places later (if it is plastic or some form of weaker alloy, but it is not as severe if steel) because
water is supposed to go through with the exhaust,
cooling it. The same with the remainder of the exhaust system, hoses,
muffler, the works need checked. The
muffler is supposed to have water running through, it may have issues (maybe cracking or melted thin spots that crack through prematurely) later.
There may be some smoke damage in the boat
interior that will keep coming back (will smell great in the summers). That alone will do wonders for resale value.
The starter is of course likely a goner or at least used best as an
emergency unit
after a total
rebuild, but you need a
new starter mounted. They may not want the old one, so a rebuild could give you a good
emergency unit if you are out away from civilization much, and you already paid for it once. But you need to know the starter is at least as good as it was. Was the original of clean appearance? If so, you need a new one. If it looked very used, then a quality and warranted rebuild could be ok (depends on your taste, I would ask for the best case and get what I could).
You may want to check all the hoses, because it is possible that the inlet hose collapsed with the kingston valve closed, and it could potentially cause wall weakness, depending upon the state of hose when all this started. You will need to examine the
water pump for sure. It likely has a damaged impeller, something you won't see without pulling the thing off the engine and taking it apart. Check the
seals for the
water pump shaft as well.
Starter switch may have an issue so needs checking, as well as all the starter wiring, and did the
mechanic install the starter or any
electrical equipment immediately before this happened (maybe should have used a shim or two on the starter and did not?)? I can't think of how it would have kept engaging if not misaligned (assuming it did not start the engine to begin with), but someone else may have seen such a thing on this engine.
I would sure love to know what is decided as the cause for the spontaneous ignition without the key being in the switch though. I will be watching this thread to be sure!
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