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Water in # 1 Cylinder

knuckle47

knuckle47

Advanced Contributor
"I have been trying to elimina

"I have been trying to eliminate the backfire I am getting on my port engine by systematically swapping parts from a known good source (starboard engine) and then finding the component causing the problem. Today, I switched the carbs. The starboard engine started better than the fuel injection on my 2005 Suburban ( which starts perfectly). When I went to start the port side she just cranked and cranked until it started to lock up. Having 6 gel batteries to link together I KNEW that the cranking voltages were not a problem.
I took out the # 1 spark plug and about 3-4 ounces of water poured out of the hole.

IS THERE ANY other reason besides a gasket that this might occur on fresh water cooled systems?"
 
"According to the Crusader Ser

"According to the Crusader Service Manual, this condition may be a circumstance of a valve, gasket or operating condition. Since the motor started and run perfectly a few minutes before I swapped carbs, I can WITHOUT YET doing other diagnostic tests, rule out a cracked block. I believe the gasket on teh left side of the head has a leak between cyclinder 3 and 5 and I hope to confirm this today...ANY other thoughts?"
 
"Al, A burnt or stuck valve wi

"Al, A burnt or stuck valve will explain both the water, and the backfire. If the exhaust valve is not closing properly during the down stroke it will create a vacuum and draw water back through the manifold and into that cylinder. Do a compression test to see if this is the case."
 
"LATEST: Replaced parts as yo

"LATEST: Replaced parts as you suggested Rick, THANKS...It proved to be a cracked spark plug AND I never even considered that. Did a lot of swapping the other day. Found that when I was swapping the distributor caps. Sunday, 55 miles of running, NOT a single backfire. However my oil has turned to GLOP....Not that there is water in it...Just crud from either stirring things up inside or a cyclinder dumping stuff in it? I did a compression test and found a cyclinder at 90. I know this is wrong but I should have re-tested since I do believe I may have not had a good seal to the head. I will re-test this week after work but IF it turns out to be normal, I will need to solve the mystery of the cruddy oil."
 
"Al, Change the oil and filte

"Al, Change the oil and filter, treat the engine with OMC Engine Tuner or Seafoam. Run the engine a bit and retest. You may just have some surface rust on the valve or seat, or possibly a stuck ring which would cause the low compression. The engine treatment should take care of this if it is the problem.

And always remember "Never overlook the basic things", they are where you will usually find the problem."
 
"I'll bet you have a leaky

"I'll bet you have a leaky exhaust manifold. That would explain how the water got in there, and that she'll run fine for long periods AFTER you get her going. But let it sit overnight, and water will slowly leak into the exhaust port to start the problem all over again.

Before you blow a piston or bend a rod, I suggest you do this: After it has sat overnight, pull the coil wire from the distributor and wheel her over on the starter. If you hear RRRRRRRRR, then all is well. But if you hear RRR--hesitate---RRR-hesitate, then pull the plugs until you find one with water on it. That'll be the one where the water is leaking in (if my analysis is correct).

Jeff

PS: A leaking manifold gasket in the riser can also cause this."
 
"New Results: Rick, I found

"New Results: Rick, I found the Seafoam...Wild Stuff too. Poured 1 can into the crankcase and another 1/2 down the running carb throat. She smoked quite a bit during the slow pour but cleared soon after. The crankcase however must have been stirred up a bit as the oil was very dirty and the filter seemd to weigh a bit more than usual. I ran another 6 qts. new of conventional oil thru the engine for about an hour and then drained the oil out and replaced the filter. This time using Mobil 1 Extended Performance synthetic. Drained the V-drive and trans replaced with synthetic oil and synthetic ATF for the transmission. Compression is very good on all cylinders at around 135 to 140.

Jeff, I think you may have a plan with the possibility of a leaking exhaust manifold. I replaced all the sparkplugs last week and she starts just as you describe...RRRRRRRRRRR....HOWEVER, IF I either flood the engine by over pumping the throttle ( I do not have the chokes wired in but have them fixed full open...so starting for the first time needs a short pump of fuel) AND THEN need to keep cranking for several minutes, I do get ON RANDOM OCCASION, a tablespoon of water from # 1 cylinder...YET, the engine manual describes some of these conditions as NORMAL ???. Funny thing is ...IF you knew none of this and got on, started and ran all day, you could easily believe things are perfectly fine. The oil did clean up a lot but I am sure whatever got loosened up and stirred in, may need another change to completely clear up. Either way, This winter I am guessing it is a good idea to redo the intake gaskets and redo the manifolds and risers. About 700 hours on these blocks so far and when we are out there moving thru the water, they just seem to run so great..."
 
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