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Help!! Coolant on cylinders

77Silverton26ft

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Ok so I guess I didnt do my homework as well as I thought..
I recently bought a 1987 wellcraft 250. Been fixing up things on it a bit at a time. We ran the boat finally last week and noticed water coming from one of the joint hoses on the exhaust elbow. I ordered new risers, hoses and flappers since they were completely melted away.

Boat is closed cooling and in my ignorance had no idea I need to drain the coolant from manifolds before changing the risers. Now I'm sure you know where I am going with this.

I finished all the work yesterday, new cap rotor and wires also. When I went to start it I just bumped (hard) and stopped. Starter just freespins. Which is another issue since I cant find a socket that will fit the bolts to remove it. 9/16 is too big and 1/2 is too small.

I pulled the plugs and I can turn motor by hand and of course I have coolant pouring out the plugs on starboard side. Am I baked?? No coolant in oil. Can I hand crank the coolant out of the cylinders and fill them with oil and save this or am I dead??....smdh

Motor is a 85 I'm assumed replaced block since it was a 87 boat.
260hp 350

Just to update

I have no water on port side as the gasket and stainless blocking plate remained attached during riser swap. I have removed all plugs and hand cranked it over 4 times and does not appear to have any more coolant coming out of plug holes. What should I put into the holes to help prevent corrosion??
 
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ok so i guess i didnt do my homework as well as i thought..
I recently bought a 1987 wellcraft 250. Been fixing up things on it a bit at a time. We ran the boat finally last week and noticed water coming from one of the joint hoses on the exhaust elbow. I ordered new risers, hoses and flappers since they were completely melted away.
spacers/risers seldom wear out.... By chance are you talking about exhaust elbows?


boat is closed cooling and in my ignorance had no idea i need to drain the coolant from manifolds before changing the risers. Now i'm sure you know where i am going with this.

I finished all the work yesterday, new cap rotor and wires also. When i went to start it i just bumped (hard) and stopped. Starter just freespins. Which is another issue since i cant find a socket that will fit the bolts to remove it. 9/16 is too big and 1/2 is too small.
gm sbc starter motor mounting bolts will be 3/8" with a 9/16" hex head.

i pulled the plugs and i can turn engine by hand and of course i have coolant pouring out the plugs on starboard side. Am i baked??
no... Not yet!

no coolant in oil. Can i hand crank the coolant out of the cylinders and fill them with oil and save this or am i dead??....smdh
better yet, get the engine fired up asap.

engine is a 85 i'm assumed replaced block since it was a 87 boat.
260hp 350

just to update

i have no water on port side as the gasket and stainless blocking plate remained attached during riser swap. I have removed all plugs and hand cranked it over 4 times and does not appear to have any more coolant coming out of plug holes. What should i put into the holes to help prevent corrosion??
as said.... Fire the engine up asap.
if any of this made it past the piston rings, the heat will dissipate the h20, and the oil will help remove the ethylene glycol.
after running it up to temp, change the oil/filter.


fyi:

Exhaust riser spacer vs elbow explained.jpg
 
Thanks for the response, yes the hose that connected the elbow to the y exhaust was leaking. The risers weren't completely blocked but replaced them anyway. Manifolds were aftermarket and looked fine. As far as starter 9/16 wont work it's just too big. But after hand cranking the coolant out I can turn the motor over with the key so starter must have broke free. Still would like to replace it just can find a socket to fit them. Will get everything back together and try and fire it up.
 
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Thanks for the response, yes the hose that connected the elbow to the y exhaust was leaking.
That would be an exhaust coupler.

The risers weren't completely blocked but replaced them anyway.
Like said earlier.... spacers/risers seldom go bad, unless you are talking about the transfer ports, of which can become thin.


Manifolds were aftermarket and looked fine.


As far as starter 9/16 wont work it's just too big.
I can't imagine that back in 1987 Metric bolts would have been used.
The use of Metric bolts would require the 3/8" threads to have been changed to Metric.


But after hand cranking the coolant out I can turn the motor over with the key so starter must have broke free. Still would like to replace it just can find a socket to fit them.
If/when you do replace the starter motor, go with a HTGR/PMGR unit.
These spin the armature approx 3 Xs faster, turn the crankshaft faster, and use less amps to do it.
 
Well I have it all back together but the starter is toast. I assume either bent or may have busted a tooth. It tried a couple if times, but now it just clicks. So I have to figure out how to get this starter off.
 
Well looks like they may be 1/2 inch. I have gotten one side off but it's a nut on a stud not a through bolt. Other side is a bolt think it's just rust keeping me from getting the 1/2 inch socket on.
 
Got the starter off. Would appear that they must have stripped out one side and just dropped a long bolt through the hole with a nut. The other side had the corrent bolt but was still a half inch drive. Tops of the teeth were definitely recently worn off. Off to get a replacement so I can get this thing started. Thanks for your help.
 
Check the teeth on the flywheel while you are in there, they maybe chewed up too. Likely the starter alignment is off due to bolt issue and that is what’s roaching the teeth
 
SBC starter motor bolts are knurled near the threads to serve as alignment dowels.
If incorrect bolts are used, the nose housing will not be aligned correctly.
When/if not aligned, the starter motor pinion gear may damage the flywheel ring gear teeth.

 
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