Starting engine on the hard! HELP!!

[seafox67]

My boat is ashore and doing some engine maintenance! I thought that I would run the engine for a minute by putting a hose pipe up the the intake!

It started ok for 30 seconds and I stopped it to check the hose was still in the intake. But now it won't start!

Is is possible that my engine might a seized somehow with me pushing water up the intake?

Cheers
Paul

 

[VicS]

By continuing to push water into the intake you would have flooded the exhaust system which then overflowed back into one or more of the cylinders

 

[seafox67]

By continuing to push water into the intake you would have flooded the exhaust system which then overflowed back into one or more of the cylinders

I did noticed when the engine wasn't running, the water was still coming out the exhaust!

I can hear the starter motor slightly turn the engine but then cut out!
Is there an easy fix? or is it a major mechanic job?

Cheers
Paul

 

[VicS]

I did noticed when the engine wasn't running, the water was still coming out the exhaust!

I can hear the starter motor slightly turn the engine but then cut out!
Is there an easy fix? or is it a major mechanic job?

Cheers
Paul

You don't say what engine but if it won't crank it is water locked.

If you have the tools, the ability and confidence remove the injectors, or glow plugs if appropriate, or perhaps operate the decompressor if there is one.
Turn the engine by hand to expel the water. Then crank with the starter to get it all out
At this point probably best to change the engine oil if you have it available otherwise refit injectors/ glow plugs and get it started ASAP.
Stick your hose in a bucket and draw water from the bucket once it's running. Stop the water flow before you stop the engine.
If all seems OK change the oil again.


Take note of other contributions

If you cannot sort it yourself get help NOW.

 

[earlybird]

What engine is it? Does it have decompressors which will let you spin the engine over to eject water? Sounds as if probably not. Can you remove heater plugs to do a similar job?
Best to work fast to avoid corrosion. Get the engine running if you can and change the oil. Here's hoping there's no damage to head gasket or con. rods.

 

[jamie N]

As Vic says, it's not terminal provided it's addressed immediately, as you're doing.
I've done this and not had any long term consequences as I basically did what Vic suggests, and got the engine running whilst underway, (it's a long story). and as soon as it was practicable, I did an oil change. The engine had had seawater in it for a couple of days as I'd left the seacock open, and the engine had syphoned; a totally avoidable FUBAR.

 

[seafox67]

You don't say what engine but if it won't crank it is water locked.

If you have the tools, the ability and confidence remove the injectors, or glow plugs if appropriate, or perhaps operate the decompressor if there is one.
Turn the engine by hand to expel the water. Then crank with the starter to get it all out
At this point probably best to change the engine oil if you have it available otherwise refit injectors/ glow plugs and get it started ASAP.
Stick your hose in a bucket and draw water from the bucket once it's running. Stop the water flow before you stop the engine.
If all seems OK change the oil again.


Take note of other contributions

If you cannot sort it yourself get help NOW.

Thanks your reply Vics... The engine is a Volvo D1-20... Only 5 years old
I'm so gutted for doing something so stupid!!!

 

[seafox67]

What engine is it? Does it have decompressors which will let you spin the engine over to eject water? Sounds as if probably not. Can you remove heater plugs to do a similar job?
Best to work fast to avoid corrosion. Get the engine running if you can and change the oil. Here's hoping there's no damage to head gasket or con. rods.

What would the decompressor look like? I've got a volvo pents D1-20

Cheers
Paul

 

[earlybird]

Don't know the engine but I don't think it has decompressors. It has glow-plugs though and taking them out would allow clearance of the water. Not a trivial job but shouldn't take too long I'd hope unless access is a problem. Do you know someone handy with the spanners?

 

[seafox67]

Don't know the engine but I don't think it has decompressors. It has glow-plugs though and taking them out would allow clearance of the water. Not a trivial job but shouldn't take too long I'd hope unless access is a problem. Do you know someone handy with the spanners?

There's a little lever on the engine saying 'Stop'... I'm wondering if that is also the decompressor lever... I'm in a boat yard so hopefully there is a mechanic in tomorrow with a tool to remove the injectors!

 

[earlybird]

No, the stop lever is not a decompresser and will not help.

 

[jwilson]

Your engine has no decompressor. Get competent professional help......

Engine is probably waterlocked, at least it is with fresh water. It is a bit unlikely that you have done major damage as rather than ingesting water whilst running (which often wrecks an engine and usually means a new engine) you tried to start AFTER waterlocking. Needs water removed and then a sequence of more than one oilchange and run till hot.

 

[VicS]

There's a little lever on the engine saying 'Stop'... I'm wondering if that is also the decompressor lever... I'm in a boat yard so hopefully there is a mechanic in tomorrow with a tool to remove the injectors!

No, the stop lever is not a decompresser and will not help.

There is no decompression system on the engine.

Go for the glow plugs ..... You will need a 10mm socket, I think. (Maybe a deep socket.) My 3/8" drive socket is not deep enough but my 1/2" socket is .

Take care removing the glow plugs you don't want to panic and break one! Insulate the wiring before you attempt to crank it on the starter... You don't want a short circuit

( the stop lever you see is the emergency stop lever for when the electrical stop system fails !)

 

[madabouttheboat]

There's a little lever on the engine saying 'Stop'... I'm wondering if that is also the decompressor lever... I'm in a boat yard so hopefully there is a mechanic in tomorrow with a tool to remove the injectors!

From memory, the injectors in a D1 just screw in like a spark plug. A deep 22mm socket is all that’s required to remove them.

 

[Tranona]

There's a little lever on the engine saying 'Stop'... I'm wondering if that is also the decompressor lever... I'm in a boat yard so hopefully there is a mechanic in tomorrow with a tool to remove the injectors!

Get it done quickly. wise after the event, but the correct way to do it is to pour the water in the top of the water filter (with the lid off). I have a bucket with a nose that sits on the bridge deck which I top up with a hose that has a tap on the end. The engine then takes the water that it needs.

Hope it turns out OK.

 

[NormanS]

Get it done quickly. wise after the event, but the correct way to do it is to pour the water in the top of the water filter (with the lid off). I have a bucket with a nose that sits on the bridge deck which I top up with a hose that has a tap on the end. The engine then takes the water that it needs.

Hope it turns out OK.

There are several "correct" ways to do this. Yours is not the only one. For example, I have a bucket with a hose connection. I hang the bucket outside at about the waterline, and stick the hose into the appropriate skin fitting. A hose keeps the bucket topped up, and the engine pumps its water as required - all automatically.

 

[seafox67]

Guys, thank you so much for your replies and support... This afternoon has been something I never want to repeat!

It has to be one of the worst feelings to know that I might have caused thousands of pounds of damage just because I didn't stop for a minute, have a cup of tea and think through what I was about to do!

Thankfully, my boat is in a yard called RB Marine services (Rosneath). I managed to find their mechanic working on Sunday! After I explained what I had done, he stopped the jobs he was doing and said 'better get that water out quick!'
He took all the injectors off and manually turned the engine pumping out a large amount of water! Cleaned everything out and got the engine running again! I'll change the oil tomorrow!

A big shout out to James at RB Marine services! thanks so much.

Cheers everyone
Paul

 

[yotter]

I made this schoolboy error once with a MD2030. This forum helped me sort it out. I slackened off the heater plugs and cranked the engine over using a large lever on the crankshaft pulley, there are 3 boltholes which assisted with this. Once all water has been ejected, the heater plugs were retightened and the engine started smoothly. All was well and still well. Hopefully the same for you. The correct procedure is to remove the intake pipe and place in a bucket of water which is topped up via hose, the Volvo manual details this. This means the SW coolant is at atmospheric pressure and not forced pressure. Every day a school day

 

[Poecheng]

Excellent news, well done to you and the mechanic

 

[WoodyP]

I don't understand what went wrong. I have often run the engine ashore but I put the intake into a bucket that was being fed by a hosepipe. The engine then pulls in what it needs, however the water cooling system is separate from the cylinders, so don't see how it caused a hydraulic lock?.