Immersed Outboard

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CJ13

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Last night anchored in Syracuse a huge thunderstorm hit with winds of 46 knots. Our dinghy capsized immersing the engine. We recovered it fairly quickly and it's now back aboard. I've hosed it down with fresh water and am leaving it the air dry.
What else should i do before trying to restart it?

Thanks,

John
 
Ah! I was in Syracuse in 95, winds can get up there.

Anyway, its not so much the outside of your outboard you should be concerned about. I would remove the spark plug and empty a can of WD40 in, turning the engine over at the same time, same squirt lots in through the carb. You cant start it to soon, especially if its 2T, the oil in the mix will help lube everything.

You dont say how long it was under, if its 4 Stroke, I'd get the cover off the valve gear to see if there is any water in there, maybe drain the sump oil and put fresh in.

The key thing is to get rid of the water INSIDE the engine as quick as possible, good luck.
 
JFowler said:
Last night anchored in Syracuse a huge thunderstorm hit with winds of 46 knots. Our dinghy capsized immersing the engine. We recovered it fairly quickly and it's now back aboard. I've hosed it down with fresh water and am leaving it the air dry.
What else should i do before trying to restart it?

Thanks,

John
Click to expand...

Depends on whether it is 4cyc or 2cyc. I will assume it is 4cyc.

  1. Wash outside with fresh water. Dry completely. Use forced air to get all of the water out.
  2. Check Oil reservoir for water, or a higher than normal oil level. Some dipsticks do not touch the bottom and since oil floats on water, a high level will indicate water in the oil. If water is in the oil, drain everything completely and rinse with kerosene, then drain completely. Pour in about 100cc of light oil or kerosene and agitate the engine to try to coat everything inside...drain this fluid, then add oil as you would for an oil change, replacing any filter, if there is one. Do the same thing with inside valve cover.
  3. Remove the spark plugs in search of more sea water. Invert the engine to see if any sea water comes out the spark plug hole. If any seawater is present rinse the cylinder with kerosene followed by rinsing with some light oil or diesel.
  4. Open the fuel filter to check for seawater...if any is present, rinse it with kerosene then open the carburetor fuel bowl to check for water...same thing.
  5. Take a new spark plug and crank the engine with the spark plug wire attached and the base of the plug grounded (touching) the engine. If you have a spark, secure the plug into its position. You likely have more than 1 spark plug and 1 cylinder...be sure to do the cylinder lubrication and spark plug test on all cylinders.

The engine may be difficult to start...be sure it is primed with petrol. If it is difficult to start, you may want to spray some carburetor cleaner into the air intake of the carb. Be sure that you test your engine in the water if it is water cooled and that you let it reach its normal running temperature slowly...do not run at high RPMs...let it idle for about 10-15 minutes so that any remaining seawater evaporates.

If all goes well, be sure to check for external rust and corrosion in about a week.

Hope this helps,

Bill
 
BeBe said:
Depends on whether it is 4cyc or 2cyc. I will assume it is 4cyc.

  1. Wash outside with fresh water. Dry completely. Use forced air to get all of the water out.
  2. Check Oil reservoir for water, or a higher than normal oil level. Some dipsticks do not touch the bottom and since oil floats on water, a high level will indicate water in the oil. If water is in the oil, drain everything completely and rinse with kerosene, then drain completely. Pour in about 100cc of light oil or kerosene and agitate the engine to try to coat everything inside...drain this fluid, then add oil as you would for an oil change, replacing any filter, if there is one. Do the same thing with inside valve cover.
  3. Remove the spark plugs in search of more sea water. Invert the engine to see if any sea water comes out the spark plug hole. If any seawater is present rinse the cylinder with kerosene followed by rinsing with some light oil or diesel.
  4. Open the fuel filter to check for seawater...if any is present, rinse it with kerosene then open the carburetor fuel bowl to check for water...same thing.
  5. Take a new spark plug and crank the engine with the spark plug wire attached and the base of the plug grounded (touching) the engine. If you have a spark, secure the plug into its position. You likely have more than 1 spark plug and 1 cylinder...be sure to do the cylinder lubrication and spark plug test on all cylinders.

The engine may be difficult to start...be sure it is primed with petrol. If it is difficult to start, you may want to spray some carburetor cleaner into the air intake of the carb. Be sure that you test your engine in the water if it is water cooled and that you let it reach its normal running temperature slowly...do not run at high RPMs...let it idle for about 10-15 minutes so that any remaining seawater evaporates.

If all goes well, be sure to check for external rust and corrosion in about a week.

Hope this helps,

Bill
Click to expand...

more than likely a 2T 2 pot around 6 > 15 hp
 
2T 2 pot = 2 cylinder 2 cycle?

sailorman said:
more than likely a 2T 2 pot around 6 > 15 hp
Click to expand...

OK, I really have no idea what a 2T 2 pot is??? I will take a SWAG and assume that you refer to 2 cylinder 2 cycle??

If it is 2 cycle, the job is somewhat more difficult.

If it is 2 cycle you need to

  1. Remove the spark plugs to check for sea water in the cylinders.
  2. If none is present, replace the spark plugs without replacing the wires, then pull the starter 10 times...now remove the plugs and check again. If any water is present, you should remove the carb and the reed valve plate. Then rinse the inside of the crankcase with kerosene and the inside of the cylinder.
  3. Reassemble
  4. Open the fuel filter to check for seawater...if any is present, rinse it with kerosene then open the carburetor fuel bowl to check for water...same thing.
  5. Take a new spark plug and crank the engine with the spark plug wire attached and the base of the plug grounded (touching) the engine. If you have a spark, secure the plug into its position. You likely have more than 1 spark plug and 1 cylinder...be sure to do the cylinder lubrication and spark plug test on all cylinders.

Hope this helps,

Bill
 
I watched an adjacent boat drop a running two-stroke generator into the water in an anchorage in Mallorca. He made no effort to recover it and on the following morning he had gone. Rowing over to the place he had vacated I could see the generator on the bottom. Within an hour or so I had dived down, recovered it and had it in the cockpit. I washed the electrics with fresh water, took out the spark plug, turned it over on the pull cord a few times, drained the carburettor, drained the tank, separated the fuel from the water and put the fuel back in the tank. Put the spark plug back in and it started after about three pulls. Back home several months later I stripped it and cleaned up some rusting of the steel case but it was basically still perfectly OK.
 
Engine

Mine was left submerged for 2 weeks before i managed to retrieve, as others have said washed everything with water, then wd40. filled cylinder with oil etc. One problem that i recently had was a blocked carb, admittedly i didn't completely strip post submersion but all now working fine and in a better maintained state than she was prior
 
WD40 is not a lubricant

oakleyb said:
Mine was left submerged for 2 weeks before i managed to retrieve, as others have said washed everything with water, then wd40. filled cylinder with oil etc. One problem that i recently had was a blocked carb, admittedly i didn't completely strip post submersion but all now working fine and in a better maintained state than she was prior
Click to expand...

I am by no means an expert, but I am fairly sure that WD40 is not a lubricant, and the thing a submerged engine needs more than anything else is a lubricant to replace seawater.

Although I am sure that it worked for you, I would urge you to do some independent checking on the properties of WD40 which is a great penetrating fluid.

BTW, if you can find CorrosionX (made in Texas), it is really a great lubricant for maritime applications. It does not attract dust, and it outperforms lubricants fortified with Teflon. CorrosionX repels water, and doesn't dissipate quickly or wash off in harsh saltwater environments. I also use CorrosionX in electrical and electronic applications. I have successfully revived 5 computers (not all of them were mine) that failed after 3 or 4 years due to internal corrosion. I know this is hard to believe, but it is a fact. I have no connection with the company whatsoever.

Bill
 
My advice re WD 40 is based on personal experience. What WD40 will do is to displace water and lubricate.

The experience I refer to, the bloke on the boat in the raft next to us went over the side trying to lift his outboard from the dinghy to his boat, we found him hanging onto the boarding ladder, outboard under his arm. We poured brandy into him and WD40 into his outboard, after a short while using the procedure I describe above got the motor started again.
 
WD 40 wases/evaporates off very quickly leaving a lovely clean surface which rusts beautifully.
WD 40 should find no place on a boat, in fact it is banned by some navies.
Use something else with longterm protection qualities. 3in1 oil spray is quite good but even it does not last too long.
 
But what happend to the bloke?

galadriel said:
We poured brandy into him and WD40 into his outboard, after a short while using the procedure I describe above got the motor started again.
Click to expand...

It had the makings of a great story, but begger the motor, what happened to the bloke you poured brandy into? Did his motor restart too? Did he get drunk and hostile or mellow and grateful? How much Brandy did it take exactly?
I only ask in the spirit of scientific enquiry.
Cheers
John
 
WD40 is exactly what you want to spray into an immersed outboard, or onto damp electrical equipment. The clue is in the name:- the WD stands for "water dispersant". It's not a lubricant although it does have a small capacity in that area. If you need to shift a rusty nut, use penetrating oil. 3-in 1 is a fine light oil, the spray cans get it into places an ordinary oil can won't but you don't get much oil in a squirt, which is why it doesn't last long. Lubricating oils are not thixotropic so tend to run off under gravity. If you need this, use a Waxoil or grease. Even these "flow" over time.
 
Sorry to be a spoilsport, but brandy isn't the thing to pour into someone in danger of hypothermia (anyone who went into UK waters this year?). Give 'em a hot drink and drink the brandy yourself.
 
John the kiwi said:
It had the makings of a great story, but begger the motor, what happened to the bloke you poured brandy into? Did his motor restart too? Did he get drunk and hostile or mellow and grateful? How much Brandy did it take exactly?
I only ask in the spirit of scientific enquiry.
Cheers
John
Click to expand...

Both motor and owner survived, we didnt give him too much brand, have you seen the price of that stuff:eek:
 
Topcat47 said:
It's not a lubricant although it does have a small capacity in that area.
Click to expand...

From their web site:

"Whether you’re a fisherman, cyclist, pool shark or anything in between, WD-40® can help protect the equipment you use and ensure you continue doing the things you love. Use America’s favorite multi-purpose product to lubricate, protect and drive moisture from your gear and help avoid costly repairs later."
 
+1 for soaking everything in loads of WD40 first. Not just a little squirt from an earoslo, but a half litre can of the stuff. I have retrieved two engines using this stuff. It mixes with water and flushes it out of bearings etc if used liberally - like half filling the crankcase with it. drain off, repeat, drain off, then refill the crank oil, or with a 2T get it started asap with a rich oil mix.

I ran my drowned 2T Johnson for nearly an hour. It actually worked better and started easier than it had before its dunking, and went on for many years afterwards. The important thing after WD treatment is to get oil thoroughly onto engine internals ASAP to stop any residual moisture causing rust. The engines own heat will help to dry it out, once its running again.
 
Having revived various motors, both outboard and motorbike, 2 stroke and 4 stroke, after immersion in water, the basic drill is the same for both except for replacing the sump oil first on the 4 stroke. (If its had a long dip, then flush through with alcohol (meths) to remove the water. Yes, I know it'll remove all the oil as well but you're going to replace it aren't you?) Spray the whole motor assembly with WD40 or similar to displace the water from the electrics.

Remove the plug and turn the engine over a few pulls. If you're lucky, there won't be much water in there. If there was lots of water in the cylinder, then give it a quick alcohol treatment and then administer either WD40 or light lube oil - your choice. Put to one side.

Remove and clean carb, fuel lines and pump/reed valve. Remove fuel tank and discard fuel. Often looks like there's no water in it but don't bother keeping it.

Reassemble, refuel and start engine. It should start after a few pulls. If it doesn't, go through the normal fault finding checks to determine what isn't working properly and fix.

The trick of all of this is to do it as soon as possible after removing the engine from the water. Left too long, corrosion sets in and that brings all sorts of extra fun in its wake.
 
What one needs to remember, if the outboard gets a dunking, you are going to have limited resources on the boat. Most boats (wont they?) will have a can of WD 40, but paraffin, meths, alcohol etc are unlikely to be found in the average cockpit locker.
 
From their web site:

"Whether you’re a fisherman, cyclist, pool shark or anything in between, WD-40® can help protect the equipment you use and ensure you continue doing the things you love. Use America’s favorite multi-purpose product to lubricate, protect and drive moisture from your gear and help avoid costly repairs later."

but then they would say that, wouldn't they? It really does have very little performance as a lubricant. Try a drop test with a ball bearing and compare it to, say, 3in1 if you doubt it.
 
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