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I am getting water in my engine block. It shows up after the motor has been used & not during use. Is it possible for water to leak out of the exhaust manifolds after the engine is turned off?
Optional Information: Make (of engine): Inboard Model (of engine): Ford 302 Year: 1984 Horsepower: ? Already Tried: I have run it hooked up to a water hose. The oil level is good & looks good. After the engine cools down. there will be water in the oil pan. I have drained the oil, replaced it & run the engine again. The oil level was good & & after it set for a day, there was water in the oil again.
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If your getting water in the oil pan thats going to be a pinhole intake manifold gasket leak or a pinhole crack in the block.
The reason you do not see it when running is because the heat of the engine and engine oil is vaporizing water as it gets in there in real time. When the engine cools and the heat goes away, the water starts to pool then.
It's not the exhaust manifolds, if it was water would fill the cylinders and hydrolock the engine.
Thats that your looking at. I would re-do the intake manifold gasket, and carefully inspect the manifold itself for cracks when it's off and put it all back together and hope for the best. If you still get water after that there is a problem/crack/rot in the engine block.
Feel free to post back with questions
Regards
Jason
If it is the engine block, will a standard 302 block work for a rebuild?
Yes as long as you get the year right. There are basically 2 generations of the 302. 1980 to 2002 is one generation, pre 1980 blocks are different. If your block is the 84 you said it is, then any automotive block from 80 to 02 would work as a core.
Post back with questions
Experience: Degree in Marine Technology. Gas and diesel marine mechanic.
I take it the same would apply to the gasket kits as well?
They have different gasket kits for the marine engines.
Now if you have a heat exchanger with antifreeze, and this is a closed cooling model, you can use automotive gaskets, that is not problem.
But if you have just your basic raw water cooling, where sea/lake water circulates through the engine, then you do want to use the marine gaskets, the automotive gaskets would not last.
Will it hurt the engine at this point to use it as long as we keep an eye on the oil?
The correct answer to this is yes, yes it can possibly hurt the engine. Water does not make a good lubricant, and if you get enough of it in the oil, then the engine will eventually either sieze or wipe out the bottom end (crankshaft) bearings.
What's the difference in the gaskets?
What's the difference between marine gaskets & automotive?
Sorry for the delay, had to run out. We do this out of our houses on the side, and do not work in some office for Justanswer.
The biggest difference between marine and automotive gaskets the amount and the kind of metals inside of them.
Automotive gaskets can afford to have things like iron and copper in them, because antifreeze is non-corrosive. Marine gaskets, if they circulate seawater through them, would rot in a heartbeat.
What if the boat will only be used in fresh water?
Freshwater still causes rust, just not as fast as saltwater does.