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Ah Cr@p


Lance B. Johnson

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We bought our boat in used in August.........boat worked perfectly.......still does. Did not give any problems or signs of cracked block.

I pulled one the side engine panels to replace the impeller. I nearly had the impeller out when I looked back to grab the wrench and saw the block. Plain as day Cry.gif

So apparently it is just a very slow water leak........Internal parts are fine...no evidence of water in the oil. (I checked all of that when we bought it of course.)

I know I wont get anywhere with it but I am going to contact the previous owner. Buyer beware, as is agreement........ I know all of that. I will apeal to his integrity and see what happens. I am not the one that failed to winterize.

Okay so where is the good deal on Marine/ Industrial Blocks?

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Ouch. That really blows. Wish you luck with the previous owner.

If you don't have any luck with them, it almost sounds like a good candidate for JB Weld. Whistling.gif

We bought our boat in used in August.........boat worked perfectly.......still does. Did not give any problems or signs of cracked block.

I pulled one the side engine panels to replace the impeller. I nearly had the impeller out when I looked back to grab the wrench and saw the block. Plain as day Cry.gif

So apparently it is just a very slow water leak........Internal parts are fine...no evidence of water in the oil. (I checked all of that when we bought it of course.)

I know I wont get anywhere with it but I am going to contact the previous owner. Buyer beware, as is agreement........ I know all of that. I will apeal to his integrity and see what happens. I am not the one that failed to winterize.

Okay so where is the good deal on Marine/ Industrial Blocks?

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Ouch. That really blows. Wish you luck with the previous owner.

If you don't have any luck with them, it almost sounds like a good candidate for JB Weld. Whistling.gif

We bought our boat in used in August.........boat worked perfectly.......still does. Did not give any problems or signs of cracked block.

I pulled one the side engine panels to replace the impeller. I nearly had the impeller out when I looked back to grab the wrench and saw the block. Plain as day Cry.gif

So apparently it is just a very slow water leak........Internal parts are fine...no evidence of water in the oil. (I checked all of that when we bought it of course.)

I know I wont get anywhere with it but I am going to contact the previous owner. Buyer beware, as is agreement........ I know all of that. I will apeal to his integrity and see what happens. I am not the one that failed to winterize.

Okay so where is the good deal on Marine/ Industrial Blocks?

Thought about it.........believe me. But could I go day after day knowing it was cracked like that?

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Where is the crack? A person on our lake repaired a crack in his block due to freezing over the winter with JB weld and it has been fine for several years. The crack was not very long. Grind a small V groove along the crack and fill.

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The cracks run parallel about 4" just above the knock sensor. They look really bad, I have no idea how they DONT leak like crazy. There are a few marks left where water has dripped and then dried.

I assume these blocks are the 1piece rear mains, and the automotive applications would work just fine.

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Before I bought my Malibu we had a Bayliner. The block cracked on both sides of the engine and we fixed it with JB Weld. That was 3 or 4 years ago and it is still going strong. The guy that bought it took it out several times and has never had any problems. So, you could use JB Weld for now.

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Wow, sorry to hear about the cracked block. So you don't think the previous owner knew anything about the cracks? Did they winterize the boat? Maybe they had it winterized at a dealer?

Sounds like if you were running the boat with the cracks OK, that using some JB Weld would be a reasonable thing to try. Hey, at the worst it will leak and you could seize up the engine and then have to replace it, which you are thinking of doing anyway. At the best, it just keeps running without any problems.

I'll also be glad to give you some more pulls anytime.

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Wow, sorry to hear about the cracked block. So you don't think the previous owner knew anything about the cracks? Did they winterize the boat? Maybe they had it winterized at a dealer?

Sounds like if you were running the boat with the cracks OK, that using some JB Weld would be a reasonable thing to try. Hey, at the worst it will leak and you could seize up the engine and then have to replace it, which you are thinking of doing anyway. At the best, it just keeps running without any problems.

I'll also be glad to give you some more pulls anytime.

I emailed the previous owner and asked who winterized the boat. There is a good chance he did not know about it.......after all, I didn't know about it in 20 hours of use. But who could know?

I can fix it for about $1000-$1200. But who wants to do all that work?

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Down at the bottom of the block where you describe your cracks location is the lowest pressure spot of the cooling system. Using a drain hole on the other side of the block, I had a pressure gauge installed for one season. The pressure down there never exceeded 7psi, which was the pressure at near full throttle just before the thermostat opened. During normal running (skiing speeds) it runs at 4-5 psi. A good J/B weld job should work, and you can't beat the price.

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Down at the bottom of the block where you describe your cracks location is the lowest pressure spot of the cooling system. Using a drain hole on the other side of the block, I had a pressure gauge installed for one season. The pressure down there never exceeded 7psi, which was the pressure at near full throttle just before the thermostat opened. During normal running (skiing speeds) it runs at 4-5 psi. A good J/B weld job should work, and you can't beat the price.

Good point electric.......the coolant pressure of marine engines is a lot less then automotive engines. probably why I was expecting a bigger leak in the first place.

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wow I am suprised at the responses suggesting JB weld. Well the boat has at least 20 hours on it with the cracks!

Yea, do a little digging on the net, talk to a couple of mechanics. It's not usually the preferred method to repair a cracked block, but it's a lot less expensive, and based on the location, it might work out for you.

Best case scenario, you run the motor for a couple more years & never have a problem with it.

Worst case, it breaks the crank or throws a rod thru the oil pan or something & you end up replacing the block, crank, rod, pan, etc.

It would be one thing if you were doing this to sell the boat (and not tell the buyer). But to do it & run the boat yourself...... almost seems like a slam dunk.

I believe that would typically be more than just $1000 or $1200. So you must have some connections or skills yourself. So maybe the JB Weld gives you the time to save money & shop around for a block & get things in order for the pending engine rebuild.... and still be able to use the boat occasionally.

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wow I am suprised at the responses suggesting JB weld. Well the boat has at least 20 hours on it with the cracks!

Yea, do a little digging on the net, talk to a couple of mechanics. It's not usually the preferred method to repair a cracked block, but it's a lot less expensive, and based on the location, it might work out for you.

Best case scenario, you run the motor for a couple more years & never have a problem with it.

Worst case, it breaks the crank or throws a rod thru the oil pan or something & you end up replacing the block, crank, rod, pan, etc.

It would be one thing if you were doing this to sell the boat (and not tell the buyer). But to do it & run the boat yourself...... almost seems like a slam dunk.

I believe that would typically be more than just $1000 or $1200. So you must have some connections or skills yourself. So maybe the JB Weld gives you the time to save money & shop around for a block & get things in order for the pending engine rebuild.... and still be able to use the boat occasionally.

I believe that he teaches auto mechanics and has a degree in diesel.

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Bill,

No intent on selling the boat. Yes I would do all the repairs myself and with a new block, gasket set and rings, I am guessing less than $1200. Actually the boat is in really, really good shape. One of my fears is the wear and tear that occurs naturally when doing an engine job. I would have to take a lot of precautions.

I am still debating the jb weld. After all the boat has more than twenty hours on it with no repair made on the cracks. By the time the JB fails it might be time to pull the engine anyway. Or Give me time to build up a 383? :) I would not go that route though.

OB- you got it right and thanks for the offer for the pulls.

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Dawg,

I'm so sorry to hear this happened to you! I really hope the previous owner had no idea about it, if he did....that's pretty 'low' of him. Either way it is a bummer (to say the least). As you know, I have absolutely no mechanical advise for you :).....Just wanna wish you luck with the repair. You've always got a pull waiting behind my boat, although I don't know how many more times I'll be out, if any. Keep me posted on the repair and give me a call if you see some sun coming our way......I'm always looking for an excuse to get out, and the next month is going to be fairly slow for me at work so weekdays might even be an option.

Let me know if you need an extra 'untrained' hand with anything! :)

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Biggrin.gif Ya BS001 we'll keep our eyes out for that miracle weather. It was pretty cold last time though eh? So youve got a deal but i want to get better so your going to have to be ready to do some coaching.
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