Blew a hole in the block 30L4 cyl mercruiser io

"Hey

Long story short …. I

"Hey

Long story short …. I had my 2002 boat (3.0L / 4 cyl mercruiser i/o) serviced at a local boat center with 133 hours on the clock. First time I took the boat out after the service I blew a hole in the block after about 10 minutes in the water (of which about 7 minutes was at a slow idle in 3 to 5 feet of water to get out into the deepwater). I got out in the deep water, opened her up and before I got to 3200 rpm it was all over.

A little bit of oil spilled into the bilge. On checking the next day the dipstick was bone dry. Not a drop on it. Will the engine through a rod through the block if it has no oil in it? If it had oil in it, can it lose almost 5 quarts at once through a 1 inch hole and leave the pan dry?

Your response will be greatly appreciated.

Tx
Alfrid"

Ive seen them go thru the bloc

Ive seen them go thru the block and thru the hull
how much oil was in the bilge. none?
Dealer forgot to refill the crankcase

"I am guessing you did not che

"I am guessing you did not check your dipstick before starting it up.
Did you have oil pressure at all?

If they forgot to fill the oil up you would have had zilch for oil pressure and your warning alarm should have been squawking.
I don't think it would have run for even 10 minutes without any oil pressure.

I wonder if the shop test ran it after the service? That should be a standard check for any kind of service.

Bearings that are dry of oil put excessive side loads on the rods, that they are not designed for, and they can break and destroy the block.
Sounds like you are in for a new short block and now it's just a matter of who is going to pay for it.

Rod"

"That is what I’m suspecting …

"That is what I’m suspecting … they are blowing me off though. Agreed with the service manager the day after it happened that they would take out and open up the engine and that we would split the cost of the labor. I was told that the inside would show exactly what went wrong.

Eventually got a call from them yesterday that I could bring in the boat today (did not want to leave it with them and wanted to be present when they did it). They left the boat sitting outside till late this afternoon. I eventually came home and 20 min later they gave me a call. Said they took pictures and had sent it to Mercury. Mercury advised them that the only way this could have happened was due to a bad rod therefore they deem it unnecessary and useless to take the engine out and open it up. Wanted me to make the next call. I went and picked up the boat. Not sure what to next? These are the same guys I bought the boat from and had it serviced there a couple of time before. I cannot believe they are treating me this way. This is not a big town I live in, good honest old school people …. Or so I thought ….."

"No I did not check the dipsti

"No I did not check the dipstick. And as I said, from where I launched to where I get into the deepwater is a small narrow shallow creek. No excuse, but I was not paying attention to the gages but rather to where I was going. The boat I have, a 2002 Crownline 180 does not have a warning alarm for low oil pressure ….."

"Alfrid van den Heever
When

"Alfrid van den Heever
When you get a look at the interior of the engine, check the bearing surfaces on the cam and crank. If they are blue and burnt you were running without oil.
Bert"

"Sounds like the shop is doing

"Sounds like the shop is doing a great CYA job to avoid having to foot the bill for an engine rebuild.
I suppose that 133 hours is past warranty time on the engine, so you are left high and dry.

The real question in my mind is, is there 4-5 quarts of oil in total with whats left in the crankcase plus the little bit that spilled in the bilge? That should be easy to determine. if not, why not?

If not, then they did not service your engine correctly and they should be liable to replace your engine at their sole cost.

You may have to get the input of another dealer, or the local area Merc service rep on this, because it sounds fishy.

Rod"

"Bert makes a good point.

"Bert makes a good point.

Another thing: If it was running without oil all the rest of the connecting rod bearings and likely the main bearings will be shot. They will show obvious signs of metal to metal contact, ie discoloration, metal shavings, scoring, gouging, etc. It will also be obvious when removing the bearing caps as to whether or not the bearings had fresh oil at the time of the mishap.

If none of the above is apparent, then perhaps it was just a fatiqued rod that just happened to let go at that particular time.

Rod"

"Alfrid van den Heever:

All

"Alfrid van den Heever:

All of what these boys have said is on the money. The shop should have insurance to cover shoddy work; failing to put oil in engines is a common insurance claim according to my wife who has worked nearly 40 years in the insurance claims business.

Advise the shop owner that did the work that since they aren't taking responsibility for their negligence--4 to 5 quarts of oil should have been all over the bilge--you will have to have an independent disassemble the engine to determine the cause of its failure. If it turns out to be a lack of lubrication, you will give the shop the opportunity to make good on their negligence by replacing the engine at no cost to you. If they balk, ask them if they are sure they won't reconsider and don't threaten them. Just present the findings to your attorney for further action.

Business is business; there are NO FRIENDS when it comes to damage claims. Speak up politely and loudly if you want to be heard."

"Alfrid
You could investigate

"Alfrid
You could investigate the possibility of getting another repairer to give you an opinion on what has happend and ask the guys who said that Mercury has deemed it to be a faulty rod to put that down on paper for you.
If its lack of Oil, you should be chasing the repairer for compensation, if by mercury's admission it is a dicky rod you should be chasing them but I will bet money that your repairer is trying to cover his backside.

Cheers
Peter C"