What to do after an engine got waterlocked?

[Searles]

Don’t forget to change the oil filter every time you change the oil ,more is better ,most important is to detect and correct how this came about in the first place ,plus to my knowledge there is no oil connection between the engine and sail drive ,so a seperate problem ,would recommend minimal use until all corrections especially the exhaust .⚓️⛵️

[skipperpete]

Originally Posted by colonel

UPDATE. Cranked w/o injectors for few seconds, changed oil 1 time and it runs fine now. Control panel was beeping for 20 seconds due to low oil pressure.

I didn't have any more oil. Will changed 3 times more when I get to Bermuda in 2 days.


The question is should I use the engine as normal before I change the oil few more times?


I pumped out quite a lot of water/oil mixture. The engine has only 7l of oil and I changed it just before the passage. I pumped out around 18l or the mixture!

Good work Colonel, thanks for the good/ better news. Did this happen while you were sailing with the engine shut down, there have been a few incidents with engine flooding that were caused by the Saildrive rotating the dormant engine while sailing at speed and flooding the exhaust, (usually with Maxprops) could this have happened to your engine?
PeteJ

[Searles]

While I have had a feathering prop back feed a diesel a diesel this was on a mini maxi with a 40 hp engine, BUT we were doing over 26 kn ,put the single lever control into reverse stopped it almost instantly ,this was also with a verry old and worn max2 bladed prop,never heard or seen this happen at normal cruising speeds ,would still suggest more investigations.⚓️⛵️

[donradcliffe]

There have been cases I am aware of where the engine exhaust flooded because the stern facing exhaust did not have a flapper on the end and waves pushed water into it in heavy weather. The immediate solution was to leave the engine idling in heavy weather, but when the boats got to port they installed a gate valve in the exhaust.

The cause may be different in your case with the saildrive. I seriously doubt it was due to the maxprop. The normal problem with the maxprop is that someone leaves the transmission in neutral when they shut the engine down, and the rumbling of the prop shaft reminds them to put it in reverse.

The fact that you have a Neel 51 that can hoon around over 25 knots means you may not have the ordinary problem. I would normally check to make sure some idiot power boat yard didn't install a forward facing water intake. Look at your intake structure with an eye on the fact that water at 25knots can push a column up over 25 ft.

[malbert73]

The number of forward facing scoops out there on sailboats is staggering- including in my boat when I bought it 9 years ago

[colonel]

Originally Posted by skipperpete

Good work Colonel, thanks for the good/ better news. Did this happen while you were sailing with the engine shut down, there have been a few incidents with engine flooding that were caused by the Saildrive rotating the dormant engine while sailing at speed and flooding the exhaust, (usually with Maxprops) could this have happened to your engine?
PeteJ

It happened while sailing upwind in really rough sea (engine is shut down of course). For 2 days non stop. Exhaust on lower leeward side.


When I sailed in similar conditions but for shorted distances the engine wont start normally at the first crank. I just needed a couple of more attempts and that all. I though that was a problem with a fuel line getting air somehow. But it happened only on starboard tack when exhaust is on leeward side.


I asked other owners of this boat model and noone has this.


Why it may get air in the line only on starboard tack I don't know. But what's most likely is that I just overcranked it.
But if I overcranked it then how that much water can get inside the engine and the oil? By overcranking you can get water only in cylinders.

[skipperpete]

Originally Posted by colonel

It happened while sailing upwind in really rough sea (engine is shut down of course). For 2 days non stop. Exhaust on lower leeward side.


When I sailed in similar conditions but for shorted distances the engine wont start normally at the first crank. I just needed a couple of more attempts and that all. I though that was a problem with a fuel line getting air somehow. But it happened only on starboard tack when exhaust is on leeward side.


I asked other owners of this boat model and noone has this.


Why it may get air in the line only on starboard tack I don't know. But what's most likely is that I just overcranked it.
But if I overcranked it then how that much water can get inside the engine and the oil? By overcranking you can get water only in cylinders.

No way overcranking could get 10 liters of raw water into the crankcase, cranking would cease as soon as the cylinder at the rear of the engine filled up. To get 10 liters in there would need forward facing scoop scenario, the blocked siphon break or water coming in from the exhaust outlet. Even my thoughts/theory about the engine being rotated dead by the propeller are negated by that volume of water in the crankcase, it takes a long time for water to leak past the piston rings and into the sump.
PeteJ

[JPA Cate]

The fact that you have a Neel 51 that can hoon around over 25 knots means you may not have the ordinary problem. I would normally check to make sure some idiot power boat yard didn't install a forward facing water intake. Look at your intake structure with an eye on the fact that water at 25knots can push a column up over 25 ft.

Visualize what Don wrote, then look for the cause. You don't want to toast your engine every time you sail hard on the wind. To me it seems a likely cause, and addressing the issue in Bermuda is one way to keep it from happening again.

Ann

[MicHughV]

Some many years ago....I got water inside my Volvo engine...how did it get there....good question. But it was locked up solid.

This happened far from any place, so it was up to me to resolve the problem. I started by removing the cylinder head and sure enough, water to the top of cylinders, this I siphoned out, as well as all the oil/water in the sump.

Following this, I banged on a piston with a large hammer, padded with some wood, enough to drive the piston down, after which I could do more.
I put everything back together, using all the old gaskets, as I had not other choice and cranked it...and sumb**ch if it didn't start right up.
I let it run for a few minutes and then drained the oil....still quite milky.
I added new oil and drained it several times until all the water was gone.

That engine continued running for years after. Smoked a bit now, but burned little oil that I could tell.

I'm not a big fan of Volvo's, but they are tough little engines.

[Marc S]

Four oil changes worked for us, running the engine for short periods between.

[colonel]

The engine was flooded again in flat seas. So it was not because of rough seas pushed through the exhaust.

This time I didn't have any more oil left. So I filled it with diesel fuel.

Actually some people even run petrol engines using diesel fuel as engine oil for short period of time. It's called a diesel flush. I've even found some guys on youtube who run a petrol car like this for a whole day.
I didn't run it though. Just started and immideately stopped.
After arriving to Bermuda I've changed oil 3 times more. Engine is fine now. Even better then before.
Before the turbo was not working at full power because it was clogged with carbon. Now it works as new.


I beleive that the cause was the anti siphon. I removed the valve inside and connected it with a small hose to a builge pump discharge. At the same level above water level, almost straight line. Now when the engine is running a small amount of seawater goes outboard.



For few days it's fine so far. Just in case I've added a rubber flapper to exhaust outlet.

[Shaneesprit]

Fill the oil sump and cylinders with Diesel ASAP
Injectors out obviously.
I would fill it to the top of the dipstick tube using the oil filler cap.
Crank Engine on starter. Through the oldest clothes or rags over the injector holes while you do it.
Change oil filter
Drain and refill with oil in the normal way -
If your lucky put it back together and hope there is no mechanical damage from the water.

[nofacey]

The only way to insure you won’t see this reoccur in all rough weather conditions is to install a gate valve on the exhaust.
- water in the sail drive is a different issue - have trouble imagining how any significant amount of oil/water could work it’s way between aft shaft seals.

Does your sail drive have an oil cooler? Unusual for a sail drive, but number one source of water contamination for a std marine tranny.
Otherwise….lower shaft seal.

[malbert73]

Originally Posted by colonel

The engine was flooded again in flat seas. So it was not because of rough seas pushed through the exhaust.

This time I didn't have any more oil left. So I filled it with diesel fuel.

Actually some people even run petrol engines using diesel fuel as engine oil for short period of time. It's called a diesel flush. I've even found some guys on youtube who run a petrol car like this for a whole day.
I didn't run it though. Just started and immideately stopped.
After arriving to Bermuda I've changed oil 3 times more. Engine is fine now. Even better then before.
Before the turbo was not working at full power because it was clogged with carbon. Now it works as new.


I beleive that the cause was the anti siphon. I removed the valve inside and connected it with a small hose to a builge pump discharge. At the same level above water level, almost straight line. Now when the engine is running a small amount of seawater goes outboard.



For few days it's fine so far. Just in case I've added a rubber flapper to exhaust outlet.

Your exhaust needs to be redesigned. This is not backwash into your exhaust outlet.

I assume the engine is under the waterline like most sailboats.

Your anti siphon loop needs to raised be as high above waterline as possible. Hopefully the issue was that this was clogged.

But also, how far below your exhaust elbow is your water muffler? You may want to install a high rise elbow so you have at least 30 cm drop from elbow to muffler.
Finally- make sure you don’t have a forward facing scoop/strainer on your intake underwater. If so, you need to close the intake seacock every time you sail until it’s reversed.

If you are not able to evaluate all 3 things (anti siphon loop, exhaust elbow/muffler, intake) I highly suggest getting a marine engine tech to evaluate all of these

[sinnerman]

Originally Posted by malbert73

Big thing is that no engine should flood with a properly designed exhaust - so you need to figure out how to prevent it from happening again on your passage…

Or an undersized water muffler.

The Catalina 30 uses an larger-than-necessary muffler so the water in the muffler will not (be less likely to..) flow back into the engine when on a heel.