14 replies to this topic

[KrazyKid]

I need to get my 95 Speedster back out in the water...the last time it was afloat I found that the engine compartment was filled with water....so I revved (dragged) the boat back to the dock with the bilge pump on and when trailered, I realized I forgot to put the drain plugs in...so that lesson is learned...I presumed that the oil skim was from just spillage or from the previous owner mishaps...

I ran the engines for a few seconds and throttle revs to purge the systems and lazily stored the boat in a insulated garage throughout the Michigan winter.

Now that summer is here, I did a quick look in the engine compartment and it looked OK on first glance so I thought..let's see if it will crank!

But, the battery is dead! (2 batteries removed one battery replaced thanks to this forum!)

Anyways I put a charger on the battery as it would not crank and found that the bilge pump was on (even though the switch was positioned to off!)

Blue tinted Water started spewing from the boat!! Amsoil I presumed right away! ;(
So I got out the flashlight and noticed that the bilge on the starboard engine side is pooled with "some" oil.

I found that the oil tank is almost empty (about an inch of oil up the tank, but the hoses all have oil in them) and the gas tank is also almost empty...way below the "e". I remember that there was plenty of gas and oil in the tanks prior to forgetting about the boat for the winter!

Here are the questions:
1. How can I tell what/where the fluid(s) leak is?
2. Is the gas/oil tank/hose connection(s) leaking?
3. Is one of the engine seals bad and how can I confirm?
4. What would cause oil and gas to both leak out (if indeed they are leaking)?
5. Is it possible that the fluid only pooled to one-side because it is truly a leak affecting one side and the fluid just didn't flow to one side?

I am no mechanic, but I know the right answer when shown...most times!

Thanks in advance for any tips/tricks/how-tos/etc...

[Saturday Morning]

Curious, did the engines ever turn over? Try pulling the spark plugs just in case water in the cylinders?


Regarding no fuel in tank - Were the fuel shutoff valves @ the driver's seat closed?

FYI:
The shop manual says to check for fuel leaks: Detach the vent hose from the right side of the boat and connect to 5 PSI air (no more). Use a soapy water solution to check for air bubbles (air leaks) in the hoses and connections.

[Bob86ZZ4]

I can address the issue of the bilge pump running with the switch off. When you first hook up the battery after storage the bilge pump will run for several seconds even with the switch off. Mine does it every spring when I put the batteries back in the boat. Must have something to do with the computer or something. No big deal. Good luck tracking down your other possible leaks.

[KrazyKid]

Thanks for the replies thus far...the information on why the bilge pump kicked on does satisfy my curiosity!!

First off, I am too much of a novice, and I must humbly admit that the "e" level indicator is not for the gas....but for the oil tank...it helps to read the manual now doesn't it....I known always RTFM!!!

I believe that the fuel shut off valves near the driver's seat were closed in storage, I am pretty sure that I turned them off when I put the tarp on it (even though it was stored inside...) the problem is that the prior owner must have removed the knobs because when in the correct position one knob indicates that it is facing the incorrect position...

I have placed the battery on charge and I hope that it will take because it will be a pain if I have to remove the big battery! I am actually a little scared to see if the engines will ever turn over.

I will pull the spark plugs just in case water in the cylinders on the first couple of tries...I should ground them correct...?!?!?

Regarding the the shop manual and how to check for fuel leaks, I looked every where for a tool that can be used to inject pressure into the fuel/oil lines to ensure that there is no leaks and to verify pressuirzation...

Where can I get a pressure pump/valve gauge? So far the only tools even close are for brake vacuum and radiator pressure...

I bought a bunch more Amsoil to refill the oil tank and hopes of seeing where it is leaking, but I do not want to waste any more oil or $$$ just to clean it up or pollute the lakes...I may have to rename my Doo to the "Exxon Valdiz" if I take it out (ever again) without finding the leak...I do not want to NOT find the leak!!

Keep the tips coming, I really appreciate your time and input!
Thanks in advance!

[KrazyKid]

Well, I finally got a chance to start taking things off the intake carb area short of removing the carb and dried the area out as best as I could, I would bet that I siphoned about 3 quarts of oil from the bottom under the starboard engine.

I think that the oil is accumulating directly under the motor mount plate first then seeping/dripping onto the bilge area…still not sure as to the source of the leak!

The hoses still have oil in them and the crank can be turned using my hands.

I still have not attempted to crank/start it with the plugs in or out.

I am hoping that most of you will stop chuckling and offer some more tips, I truly do appreciate your time and pointers on what I should or shouldn’t do!

Thanks in advance!

[Saturday Morning]

Hmmm, good luck. if the oil had been collecting on the other side i would've guessed a leak @ the resivouir or faulty one-way air valve. (both of which i have - so i never top it off) If you get down to specific items you need looked up in the shop manual i'll try to help. I'm currently repairing the cable and linkages that control the oil injection pump for the starboard eng on my '95 (waiting on parts) so i have a pretty good feel for the area your looking at (upside down and standing on your head no-doubt)

[KrazyKid]

Thanks I appreciate the info on the tank/valves...I think that I have narrowed down the hunt to somewhere beneath the carb. I will upload some pics that we took of the mess…

After it sat for 16 hours, I could see a small pool of oil and I was just able to “feel” some oil directly under the carb on the mounting plate on the starboard side so I am still leaning towards a leaky hose, but I am afraid I will have to remove the carb, I plan on ordering some gaskets, but I don't know the number...

Any other tips or information that I should be aware of when it comes to the hoses/gaskets for the carb/oil injection if removed?!?!?

BTW: Is there any easier way to work on a Doo than standing on your head with your feet in the air?!?!?!

Thanks in advance for any more tips/information!

Attached Files

•  shaft_view_MVC_001S.JPG   58.84KB   19 downloads

[Bob86ZZ4]

What about just removing all of the oil injection stuff and mixing the oil and gas in the main tank? I know it's not the best way I suppose but wouldn't it be a lot easier and still work okay? There are sure a lot of outboard motors running around with pre-mix oil/gas in their tanks and many have been doing so for years and years.

[KrazyKid]

What about just removing all of the oil injection stuff and mixing the oil and gas in the main tank? I know it's not the best way I suppose but wouldn't it be a lot easier and still work okay? There are sure a lot of outboard motors running around with pre-mix oil/gas in their tanks and many have been doing so for years and years.

I suppose that not using the oil injection system is an option, but I am not sure if that is the best route to go, maybe if I read some success stories, I might be more inclined to consider it...Thanks for the tip though!

[Bob86ZZ4]

Seems to me I remember reading on here about somebody doing that. Anybody else remember reading that one?

[Saturday Morning]

It's probably not that bad, toys break. Hope it's just one of the hoses or a gasket like you said. be sure to check the adjustment of your oil injector pump cable when you put her all back together. throttles down (throttle plates closed) mark on oil pump cable arm should align with mark on housing with idle screw turned (2) turns past contact. don't ask how i know.

[stevo]

The easiest way I found to work on the engines in my 95 was to just take them out...all it takes is undoing the hoses and 4 motor mounts. Hardest part is remembering where all the hoses go...I'll put labels on them next time

[Saturday Morning]

Hmmm, I've thought about that, but how did you align them afterwards? I remember seeing the deflection angle tolerance between the eng. & the pump in the service manual i think it was pretty tight. maybe if you scribe some marks between the eng. and the mount to make sure you get her put back together exactly right it would work...

[KrazyKid]

Well, I appreciate everyone's input and thoughts about my problem, even if you didn't reply!

My friend whom is a person that does have a clue when it comes to mechanics helped me out again tremendously by removing the carb, but found nowhere that it was obviously leaking!

What he did find was that the spring on the lever that allows the oil to flow was off!

Could the spring being popped off cause so much oil to overfill over a period of about 10 months?!?!

Now to read up a bit more and make some new posts about the other probs w/the boat!

BTW: I was contemplating removing the engine entirely as well, but I figured that it would have meant more of a hassle, but I will take the scribe tip into consideration if it ever comes to that...

Thanks again!

[Saturday Morning]

What he did find was that the spring on the lever that allows the oil to flow was off!

Hmm, exact same thing happened to me too. Lucky I had the other engine there to figure out how it was supposed to work otherwise I might never have figured it out. Mine had the cable guide missing might have cause it. -$3 at WOP and you don't need the E-clip with the new one. they redesigned it to just snap in.

BTW, i also found another small spring sitting way down deep in the bilge. - couldn't figure out where it came from - maybe foreign? it's a tension spring about 5/8" long and looks like this: O))))))O but the ends aren't closed loops. If you know where it goes - i'd really appreciate it.