www.iFourWinns.com

OK I posted about a month ago explaining I had acquired a Freedom 160 with the 3.0l OMC I fixed the water pump (SOmeone had replaced it with an automotive type -steel impeller) and gave it some new ingiton and fuel I started great didn't quite idle but I dipped into the lake to try it in the water sounded good, Drive worked, Then I turned it off to push it off the trailer and went to fire it up started and ran, but worse than I had ever heard before. I shut it off tried to start it again and it wouldn't turn over (Sounded like water in the cylinder). SO I got it back on the trailer [pulled the pluig from the No. 1 Cyclinder and YUP it was full.

THE QUESTION IS:

What are my possible problems?
Head Gasket?
Manifold? (Does Anyone Have one of these?)
Block? (Does Anyone Have one of these?)

I don't think it is cost effective to re-power this beauty, It's not a big enough boat for me to hold onto for a long time.

What to do next?

Howdy,

Could be any number of "things"

Cracked block, leaking/cracked riser/gasket, manifold, etc.

It might be a head gasket but that is what I would check last.


The 3.0l engine is not an automotive engine meaning they didn't put it in a lot of (or any) cars/trucks etc. They did use it in forklifts, generators, compressors and other industrial applications.

I replaced one last summer using a longblock from http://usengine.us/omc.html

They did accept a cracked block as a core (reduced price for the core) and thy claim to be able to fix most cracked blocks.


Regards,


Rick

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1987 Four Winns Liberator 211, formerly OMC 460 King Kobra powered, replaced in 2006 by a 1997 Mercruiser 454/Bravo III

Thanks Rick I'm looking at starting small and working my way up (In regard to tearing this engine down) I believe you are right with checking the manifold first I noticed this is all one piece (Intake and Exhaust) So I'm sure it's not a cheap replacement but I'm open to any suggestions where I might find one. I thought about the long block but they look like a 1500 to 2000 investment.

Yes I'm a newbie... What' the "riser"

I'm thinking that a compression check of each cylinder might at least confirm that I'm on the right track and rule out the head or cracked block.

Thoughts? Comments?

Well you didn't say what year/model it is.

The riser is what usually keeps the water from the exhaust system out of the exhaust.

If it's a Cobra there's probably a shutter or "flapper" in there that helps.

Also, if you have a cracked head/block it's probably not worth fixing at all unless you can find a junk yard engine.

If it's a head gasket you might be able to make it all work. I don't know if you can buy a manifold for it.

The following picture is from Doug Russell marine for an 88 3.0L Cobra.

http://www.dougrussell.com/partscatalog ... 88,489,490

#48 is the riser and #81 is the "shutter" ....OMC calls it an "exhaust seal"

If you have to buy a manifold and riser you'll be into it for about $700 if you get it from Doug Russell (if they have it)..... There's a lot of sources out there for this stuff. OMC has been out of business for more than 10 years.
The 3.0L engine is a very good engine and is still well supported by Mercury and Volvo.

A compression check should rule out a cracked block/head or failed head gasket. It won't tell you anything about a failed manifold or riser.

If the riser gasket (#9) fails for example it can allow water to drain back into an open exhaust valve and into a cyl......that will cause a hydro-lock when you try to start it later.

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1987 Four Winns Liberator 211, formerly OMC 460 King Kobra powered, replaced in 2006 by a 1997 Mercruiser 454/Bravo III

The problem is water doesn't compress. If you turn over an engine that has water in the cylinder it'll usually destroy the valves, if not also the piston rings (and the cylinder walls in the process). It's one of those ghostbusters "that would be really bad" sort of events.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista