Water in Oilnew engine

"I need assistance. I just re

"I need assistance. I just recently bought a 1999 Stingray with a Mercruiser 4.3 liter sterndrive engine. I used it for about 3 weeks with little problems except some difficulty with cold starts. I took the boat to a mechanic on another issue and the mechanic told me I may have a cracked engine block. He said he had water come out of the spark plug holes and there was an oil and water milkshake mixture in the engine casing. He suggested the engine be broken down and scoped by a machine shop for cracks. As I understand it they scoped the block, heads, and manifolds and didn't find a crack. He now says that even with there not being a crack, the amount of rust on the parts and the other work he would have to do to get the engine back together is almost as much as buying a new engine and dropping it in. Does that sound right? How many hours labor does it normally take to break down and rebuild and engine? Can't rust be sanded or steel wooled off? Sorry for the long post. Still not sure how the water got in the engine."

"the engine may not have a cra

"the engine may not have a crack at all.
the exhust manifolds could cause the same problem, or may just one of them or both moreover even one of the exhaust risers could be the problem.....

This about 40hrs or less for the mechainic, and not only there is time sending those things out for cking...and inspection"

"The previous owner probley di

"The previous owner probley didnt winterize it or didnt do a good job. Water left in an engine over the winter could cause alot of damage to the block, manifolds even your outdrive if there were a leak in it. If there was water in the oil and cylinders, the parts in there such as bearings, pistons, rings, cylinder walls. It wouldn't be wise to put old parts back in. If you were doing it yourself it would be cheaper for rebuilt. But the marine shops charge lots of green for labor. Now i haven't priced a replacement engine. From what i hear it would be cheaper. So i would he's not bsing you."

"Could be a $5 exhaust riser g

"Could be a $5 exhaust riser gasket...or, as Kevin says a manifold issue...need to find a mechanic that knows how to pressurize the cooling system to find the leak...I suspect the mechanic that wants to tear the engine down is not one..."

"Thanks to all for the respons

"Thanks to all for the responses. I am not sure if the mechanic did a pressure test before sending everything off to be scoped. I'll find out today. He told me he felt certain I had a crack in the "V" wall of the engine block because of the amount of water that he found in the engine. After the block came back without a crack he said he thought the engine had been sunk and because of the rust, which I haven't seen yet, I should replace the engine. I didn't sink it and I am pretty positive the guy I bought it from (a work peer with a great rep) would have told me if he had. With just rusty parts, am I better off buying a complete new engine ($4200)? A new engine is more than half the amount I spent on the boat! Can I have the rusty parts cleaned and still have some years of life left in the engine? My big concern is the mechanic trying to bilk an amatuer boat owner."

"I suspect the mechanic is jus

"I suspect the mechanic is just ignorant about how the exhaust system works and how a $5 gasket can cause this. Sad, but I'm 95% sure your issues are exhaust related and this guy will throw your old exhaust on a new engine and wreck it too... it's a story we've read on these msg boards over and over..too bad there's no way now to really pressure test it once it's apart..If the risers are still undisturbed on the exh. manifolds, that can be pressure tested "

The mechanic is going to have

The mechanic is going to have all the rusty parts cleaned and put the engine back together. He said he thinks it is the manifolds but isn't sure. He obviously doesn't know how to pressure test or does and just wanted get more money. With new gaskets I guess time will tell if it is the manifolds. Any recommendations how to run the boat once I get the boat back since I don't know for sure?