Accepted Answer

XXXX-Thanks for asking.

The longer the engine has been under the worse. The longer it sits after being under the more difficult to get the engine to run again. Salt water is worse than fresh water. If the engine was running when it went under it could have sucked water and damaged the engine internally.

To fix, bring engine to a warm, dry place. Lift bonnit and spray down everthing with freshwater. Pull the sparkplug hole and spray with WD-40. Drain oil. If oil was full of salt water then rince with fresh water water and then fill with oil. Change filters. Pull carb, fuel filter, fuel line and check for water intrusion. Rebuild carb if any water has gotten into it.

Put it all back together, and try to start. If you get the engine running let her run for about five miutes, then change the oil and filter and all filters. Run again and check for water in the oil. If no water in the oil run the engine for about two hours and change the oil one more time.

Generally as a rule if the engine was underwater for less than a day or two it will come back to life.

Couple more hints-If the enigne was under salt water for a few days sometimes people will submerge the complete engine in a barril of fresh water for about six hours to dilute the salt.

Thanks for asking

Scott

Expert:	Yachtwork
Pos. Feedback:	100.0 %
Accepts:
Answered:	10/24/2009

Marine Engineer

MEC3 and RYA Yachtmaster Ocean