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 Post subject: Hydro-locked VP 5.0L
PostPosted: Sun Jul 17, 2022 8:14 pm 
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Guppy

Joined: Thu Jul 23, 2020 10:55 am
Posts: 5
A good day on the water ended badly. Rolling ocean waves, a boat passing with a large wake and my slowing the 298Vista created a surge that hydro-locked the Port engine. Limped back to the mooring, moved quick to pull the plugs, load them up with penetrating oil and the engine cranked. #1 cylinder was filled with sea water. Fogged from the carb down and hit all 8 cylinders with oil a 2nd time just to be safe. No water in the engine oil, i will be replacing that oil as well. Checked compression which was good at 150PSI. Replaced plugs, engine cranked but would not start. gave it a shot or two of starting fluid without any luck. Pulled plugs to triple check, all good. Checked coil which tested good. Spark at the plugs seems weak at best so getting new cap and rotor. Fingers crossed that does the trick. Checked the flappers at the start of the season when I replaced Manifolds and Risers, they looked good. Not taking a chance and planning to replace flappers on both engine exhausts. Beyond checking the coil, replacing plugs, cap and rotor, any thoughts on what might get the engine fired up? This is a 99 298 Vista with twin VP 5.0s. Thanks in advance for any replies.

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Current: FW 298Vista 1999 twin 5.0Gi
Past: FW 278Vista 1995


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 Post subject: Re: Hydro-locked VP 5.0L
PostPosted: Wed Jul 20, 2022 10:43 am 
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email admin your custom rank

Joined: Thu Jun 29, 2006 10:26 pm
Posts: 5661
Location: Long Island NY
V/P eliminated those flappers so you may not be able to get those parts from them, but OMC used the flappers til the end (they shared designs with the Cobra series and the Volvo SX) so if you can't get them from Volvo you can still get them from OMC. However, if the engine didn't overheat they are probably fine.
I'm wondering if the oil in the cyls fouled the plugs preventing it from starting, or another problem developed coincendentally at the same time. Check for spark, check for fuel....new cap, rotor, also check plug wires for resistance....
I never thought V/Ps decision to remove flappers was a good idea. You might also measure the static water line in your boat to make sure your exhaust elbows are tall enough. Should be 12-13" above the static water line. Add ons like heavy extended swim platforms and tables, etc, lower the stern of the boat enough to drop the height of the elbows low enough to cause hydrolock. V/P does sell a taller elbow/riser combination if needed.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II


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 Post subject: Re: Hydro-locked VP 5.0L
PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2022 8:44 pm 
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Guppy

Joined: Thu Jul 23, 2020 10:55 am
Posts: 5
Update on where things stand. Pulled the plugs as mentioned, oiled the cylinders and also from the carb down to reduce risk of corrosion. Not sure I mentioned before but I run in saltwater off Cape Cod. Engine cranks without hesitation, replaced oil, plugs, rotor, cap, ignition module under the dist. cap and then the coil. Stepped replacement and the engine did not start until i replaced the coil. There was spark but it was weak, so working from the cylinder back, made sense as no harm in these updates to the 1999 engine. In the end the end the parts cost about $200. Got the engine up to temp, heard an odd noise like a wobble, not metal. No smoke, ran smooth, got the RPMs over 3000 without issue. All good until i put the sterndrive in gear, the wobble became a rattling noise and increased 10X, forward and reverse. Back into neutral and the rattling noise remained. Still not sure if there is internal damage to the engine but I feel somewhat confident the engine is good. Next step, get the boat off the mooring and onto the hard. Remove the sterndrive and hope that I have a u-Joint or gimbal issue on the sterndrive. The SX has 2 u-joints. Once the drive is off I will run the engine and hope the engine is free of the noise. It makes no sense to me that a seized engine could cause damage with the sterndrive components but I was surprised when the engine wouldn't start until i installed the coil. It had been running flawlessly since i bought it 4 years ago. Updates forthcoming - but wondering if anyone else had a seized engine cause damage to the sterndrive. 1999 VP 5.0L - GM 305 engine, VP SX sterndrive single prop.

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Current: FW 298Vista 1999 twin 5.0Gi
Past: FW 278Vista 1995


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 Post subject: Re: Hydro-locked VP 5.0L
PostPosted: Fri Aug 19, 2022 12:10 pm 
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email admin your custom rank

Joined: Thu Jun 29, 2006 10:26 pm
Posts: 5661
Location: Long Island NY
I don't think that a seized engine will cause a failure in the sterndrive but it is possible to have 2 different problems happening at the same time. I would at least check the drive oil and check for water in the drive. Then see if there is water in the bellows and check the condition of the gimble bearing & u joints since both can make a LOT of noise. If all seems good there then feed water to the raw water intake hose and run the engine with the drive off (stick a rag in the drive shaft bellows to keep water from the exhaust passage below it from getting water in the drive shaft bellows) and see if the engine makes noise. If not, then its something else in the drive, gimble or u joints.
Sometimes if a motor really locks up hard due to hydro lock it can bend a connecting rod which will make contact with the block and can make a heck of a racket.

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II


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