Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 27-04-2009, 05:35   #1
Registered User
 
mike_hancock's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Clear Lake, Texas
Boat: Ranger 33
Posts: 12
Water in Cylinders - Yanmar 3GM

I am working on a Yanmar 3GM that is freshwater cooled. Upon removal of the air filter, about a pint of rusty water came out. The engine has not been used in almost a year.

I am assuming that the water came into the cylinders through the exhaust, as it does not have a siphon break.

The decision to be made is to try and repair the engine or junk it. By the way, it appears to be in excellent condition otherwise, and apparently has very few hours on a rebuild done prior to getting water in it.
__________________
Mike Hancock
mike_hancock is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 27-04-2009, 07:12   #2
Sponsoring Vendor
 
Tellie's Avatar

Community Sponsor

Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Hollywood, Fl.
Boat: FP Athena 38' Poerava
Posts: 3,984
At the least you'll need to pull the head to get rid of the rest of the water in the cylinders and inspect them. Chances are very good that there is too much internal rust damage if it sat for over a year but you never know until you pull it apart.
Tellie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 27-04-2009, 08:46   #3
Registered User
 
r.furborough's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Norfolk, VA
Boat: Freedom 32 (Hoyt)
Posts: 223
Before you go ripping things apart, make sure the water is not rain water that has got into the boat and collected in the air filter.

Then if you are certain that it originated from the raw water circuit and entered the air filter via the cylinders, pull the injectors and try turning the engine over and ejecting the water. After a year of raw/salt water in the cylinders I would expect the engine to be total locked from corrosion. That being the case I wold seriouly start looking for a replacement.
__________________
------------------------------------------------
the memories of a man in his old age, are the dreams of a man in his prime
Pink Floyd - 'Free Four'
r.furborough is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 27-04-2009, 09:28   #4
Registered User
 
mike_hancock's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Clear Lake, Texas
Boat: Ranger 33
Posts: 12
Thanks for ithe replies

It would be nice if it was just rainwater. I will check that out. The good news is that this engine has sleeves in the cylinders, which might save it even if it had water in it for some time. I could see a scenario that calls for new sleeves and pistons.

By the way, the oil looks good (at the dipstick). I will drain it tonight to get a better look at it.

Mike
__________________
Mike Hancock
mike_hancock is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 27-04-2009, 19:37   #5
Eternal Member
 
Chief Engineer's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: North of Baltimore
Boat: Ericson 27 & 18' Herrmann Catboat
Posts: 3,798
Pull the injectors, put a mix of diesel and oil into each cylinder.

You didn't say if the engine is seized

Let the mix sit for a couple days and see if you can manually turn the engine over

I await your reply
Chief Engineer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28-04-2009, 05:23   #6
Registered User
 
mike_hancock's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Clear Lake, Texas
Boat: Ranger 33
Posts: 12
Water in cylinders

I will do the oil/diesel mix in the cylinders. What ratio of oil and diesel do you recommend? Also, about how much should be put in the cylinders?

I went to the boat last night. The water that is in the air filter is fresh, not salt. I am hoping that the water is rainwater that got in the boat; I am not sure how it got in. My impression is that the engine is not seized.

Thanks,

Mike
__________________
Mike Hancock
mike_hancock is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28-04-2009, 06:56   #7
Registered User
 
scotte's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: SF Bay Area, CA, USA
Boat: Privilege 39
Posts: 664
Before you removed the air filter, which way was the intake oriented? I.e. was it pointing up by any chance? That seems like a lot of water even if it was, but the intake should point downward to help keep water out.
scotte is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28-04-2009, 07:27   #8
Registered User
 
mike_hancock's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Clear Lake, Texas
Boat: Ranger 33
Posts: 12
The intake was pointed down. That makes the rainwater idea less likely. On the other hand, I don't know that it was not pointed upward during the past 8 or 9 months.

I guess the next step it to pull the injectors and see if there is water in the cylinders.
__________________
Mike Hancock
mike_hancock is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28-04-2009, 10:45   #9
Ram
Registered User
 
Ram's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: May 2005
Location: Cruising Greece
Boat: Cat in the med & Trawler in Florida
Posts: 2,323
Images: 27
try turning it over by hand(wrench) there may be no water at all
Ram is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28-04-2009, 14:48   #10
Registered User
 
Cheechako's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,453
If it wont turn over and water's been sitting in it for a year... it's probably toast. But it is wierd, if it got water inside the exhaust and siphoned into the engine and then filled the air breather through an open intake valve... it should be filling the boat right?
Cheechako is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28-04-2009, 17:24   #11
Registered User

Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: ontario canada
Boat: grampian 26
Posts: 1,743
All you guys must be rich if you can afford to scrap a perfectly good engine because of a little water in the engine without determining the extent of the damage. If the cylinders are not pitted they can be honed and rings replaced. If pitted they can be rebored or replaced if they are wet sleeves. Engines are not cheap to replace and it is usually cheaper to overhaul than it is to replace with new
perchance is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28-04-2009, 19:18   #12
Sponsoring Vendor
 
Tellie's Avatar

Community Sponsor

Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Hollywood, Fl.
Boat: FP Athena 38' Poerava
Posts: 3,984
Quote:
Originally Posted by perchance View Post
All you guys must be rich if you can afford to scrap a perfectly good engine because of a little water in the engine without determining the extent of the damage. If the cylinders are not pitted they can be honed and rings replaced. If pitted they can be rebored or replaced if they are wet sleeves. Engines are not cheap to replace and it is usually cheaper to overhaul than it is to replace with new

Not by much on a 3GM yanmar if the rebuild is to be done right by a qualified mechanic. If Mike has the ability to do it himself then I'd agree. But just the nature of his question leads me to believe, and I might be wrong, that it might be more than he's willing to undertake.
Tellie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-06-2009, 11:02   #13
Registered User
 
mike_hancock's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Clear Lake, Texas
Boat: Ranger 33
Posts: 12
Yanmar Update

I thought I would give an update on this unusual situation.

I tore into the engine. Cylinders looked good. Replaced the rings and bearings, and had a valve job done. Also honed the cylinders. There was water in all three cylinders, but no damage. The engine looks great.

The culprit turned out to be a bad mixing elbow.

I am waiting for one more set of rings to complete the reassembly.

Thanks,

Mike
__________________
Mike Hancock
mike_hancock is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-06-2009, 11:18   #14
Registered User
 
Cheechako's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,453
Hey Mike, take a close look at the pistons for small cracks. My 3GM had to have a ring and piston job at less than 2500 hours due to cracks in the lands where the rings seat. Bottom ring if I remember right....
Cheechako is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-06-2009, 11:25   #15
Registered User
 
mike_hancock's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Clear Lake, Texas
Boat: Ranger 33
Posts: 12
Thanks for the heads up - I will check it out.
__________________
Mike Hancock
mike_hancock is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
3gm, yanmar

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
RPM's Yanmar 3GM engine bobelon Engines and Propulsion Systems 11 27-07-2023 13:07
Looking for Yanmar 3GM manual Fotoman Engines and Propulsion Systems 5 28-09-2015 01:48
Yanmar 3GM(D) Shakes and Loud - Transmission? geoffr Engines and Propulsion Systems 42 30-09-2009 22:07
2 Yanmar 3GM For Sale S/V Mother Ocean Classifieds Archive 7 29-09-2008 13:22

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 03:52.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.