water backing up into engine from outdrive?? help

[StormSplurge]

Hi all. Question for you self maintainers. I am attempting to winterize motors in a 2013 searay sundancer in the water. Twin 350 io bravo 3. When I close seacocks to motors, both of them, and the open the sea strainer, water keeps coming out. I thought it might just be water in the system, but it hasn't stopped for 10 min. It's a closed system, so there shouldn't be that much water in there. Any ideas?

 

[Pirate Lady]

Calling Lazy Daze!!!!!

 

[Jimmy Buoy]

There's a lot of water in the cooling system so let'r drain. I'm surprised that that much water is coming out of the strainer since from the sound of it (seacocks and water strainers) can I assume that you have thru-hull water pickups for the engines? The Bravo drives utilize a raw water pump driven off the engine's pulley system and that pump usually blocks the flow of water for the most part when the engine is stopped which should only be coming from the engine side with the seacock shut off.
Refer to the draining procedure for your engine for details on how to drain.

 

[Lazy Daze]

If it's truly been about 10 minutes and the water is coming out pretty strong... you likely still have a "double water intake". Meaning, your boat probably came with the water intake coming in through the drive and then somewhere along the line someone added the thru-hull. If this is the case, you are essentially siphoning the ocean into your bilge

 

[StormSplurge]

There's a lot of water in the cooling system so let'r drain. I'm surprised that that much water is coming out of the strainer since from the sound of it (seacocks and water strainers) can I assume that you have thru-hull water pickups for the engines? The Bravo drives utilize a raw water pump driven off the engine's pulley system and that pump usually blocks the flow of water for the most part when the engine is stopped which should only be coming from the engine side with the seacock shut off.
Refer to the draining procedure for your engine for details on how to drain.

Yes, I looked at the water routing pic for the engines, and I guess it could be a lot of water, but I seriously let it flow for, well, it felt like 10 mins. lol. i cant see any other way that sea water is coming in since it is exhausted through the exhaust manifolds, correct? Maybe i just didnt wait long enough. I wonder how much water that section holds? It has to be all the hoses, manifolds, risers, coolers, pumps. I guess it could be quite a bit.

 

[StormSplurge]

If it's truly been about 10 minutes and the water is coming out pretty strong... you likely still have a "double water intake". Meaning, your boat probably came with the water intake coming in through the drive and then somewhere along the line someone added the thru-hull. If this is the case, you are essentially siphoning the ocean into your bilge

It wasn't coming out strong, definitely not the thru hull not shut all the way. the thru hulls are original. I think I just might be not waiting long enough. Ill try again. bilge pump gets rid of the water so...

 

[Lazy Daze]

It wasn't coming out strong, definitely not the thru hull not shut all the way. the thru hulls are original. I think I just might be not waiting long enough. Ill try again. bilge pump gets rid of the water so...

Original... as in you bought the boat new like that? Did the dealer install them at time of delivery?

Still need to verify if you do/do not have the intake through the drive as well.

 

[scoflaw]

Even with the outdrive T'd into the thru hull pickup line, only 1 line leaves the sea strainer.

 

[mrsrobinson]

Even with the outdrive T'd into the thru hull pickup line, only 1 line leaves the sea strainer.

I was wondering about that as well.

 

[KevinC]

Even with the outdrive T'd into the thru hull pickup line, only 1 line leaves the sea strainer.

Unless they tee'd the through hulls into the inlet side hose from the sterndrive before the strainer. Then water could still enter via the B3 pickup even with a seacock closed.

-Kevin

 

[scoflaw]

Yes they do it on the inlet side

 

[StormSplurge]

You guys are talking a little above me now. I'm not super familiar with these motors and their cooling system. Last boat of 15 years was a raw water cooled volvo penta 7.4 lit. The motors have dedicated thruhull seacocks with strainers immediately after. I don't think there is any other raw water intake which wouldn't make much sense since there are strainers. I was talking to another guy and we think it may be siphoning the water fron the exhaust since the strainers are below the water line. I might disconnect a raw water hose from the heat exchanger and see if that stops it. Unfortunately, the maintenance doc for this motor has a water diagram, but it ain't very clear. Lol

 

[mrsrobinson]

Your configuration typically pulls water through the outdrive via a raw water pump on the front of your engine. Some owners will "improve" that and add a seacock with a strainer so water is not being pulled through the outdrive, rather directly through the hull. The folks here are asking you if that's how your boat was configured and if it is perhaps it's still pulling water from both sources.

If enough water is still draining requiring the bilge pump to continue to cycle over 10 minutes, I think that's more than leftover water in the engine block, manifold, risers or hoses.

 

[StormSplurge]

Your configuration typically pulls water through the outdrive via a raw water pump on the front of your engine. Some owners will "improve" that and add a seacock with a strainer so water is not being pulled through the outdrive, rather directly through the hull. The folks here are asking you if that's how your boat was configured and if it is perhaps it's still pulling water from both sources.

If enough water is still draining requiring the bilge pump to continue to cycle over 10 minutes, I think that's more than leftover water in the engine block, manifold, risers or hoses.

It may not have been 10 min. Just felt like 10 mins. I would think it would drain in just a few min if that. I have also thought that because the strainers are below water level, that when opened, they are creating a syphoning effect, pulling water up the outdrives, through the exhaust and hoses, back down to the strainer. Im going to pull a hose up top at the heat exchanger and see what happens.

 

[Lazy Daze]

It won't be the exhaust. It doesn't work like that. If it did, you'd have cylinders full of sea water.

Storm, you've said you don't "think" there is another source for raw water intake because it doesn't make sense. It actually makes a lot of sense. Please, instead of "thinking", go look. It's the only way to know for sure.

Questions in post #7... answers?

 

[StormSplurge]

It won't be the exhaust. It doesn't work like that. If it did, you'd have cylinders full of sea water.

Storm, you've said you don't "think" there is another source for raw water intake because it doesn't make sense. It actually makes a lot of sense. Please, instead of "thinking", go look. It's the only way to know for sure.

Questions in post #7... answers?

Oh, i'm sorry, I thought cooling water entered the exhaust manifold and the riser for cooling and exited with the exhaust gasses into the water. I must have been mislead. And to think, Ive been touching my risers all these years to ensure they were not hot, to verify the impeller in the pump was working.
And no, unless the water is still being pulled into the motor from the out-drives, like motors with no thru-hull supplying the water, there are no other water inputs. And my comment about "doesn't make sense"; The thru-hull goes straight to the strainer, and then straight to the raw water pump, so if water entered anywhere else would not make sense because why would you even bother having a strainer if the engine is going to suck water from another source and introduce material that a strainer is supposed to remove.
ps. btw, I looked. Thanks for your help, I appreciate it. In the future, be less condescending.

 

[StormSplurge]

Your configuration typically pulls water through the outdrive via a raw water pump on the front of your engine. Some owners will "improve" that and add a seacock with a strainer so water is not being pulled through the outdrive, rather directly through the hull. The folks here are asking you if that's how your boat was configured and if it is perhaps it's still pulling water from both sources.

If enough water is still draining requiring the bilge pump to continue to cycle over 10 minutes, I think that's more than leftover water in the engine block, manifold, risers or hoses.

No, I get it. I dont believe so. Id have to get in contact with SeaRay and find out the original configuration. Im pretty sure, looking at the way its set up, that is the way it was originally set up. There are two water pumps on the engine, closed cooling and seawater. The seawater pump is connected only to the strainer, which is connected to the thru-hull. When I get it out of the water, I will look a bit harder.

 

[Fill Ess]

Can you post pics of the setup?

 

[StormSplurge]

Can you post pics of the setup?

I will when i get back out to the boat.

 

[Lazy Daze]

Oh, i'm sorry, I thought cooling water entered the exhaust manifold and the riser for cooling and exited with the exhaust gasses into the water. I must have been mislead. And to think, Ive been touching my risers all these years to ensure they were not hot, to verify the impeller in the pump was working.
And no, unless the water is still being pulled into the motor from the out-drives, like motors with no thru-hull supplying the water, there are no other water inputs. And my comment about "doesn't make sense"; The thru-hull goes straight to the strainer, and then straight to the raw water pump, so if water entered anywhere else would not make sense because why would you even bother having a strainer if the engine is going to suck water from another source and introduce material that a strainer is supposed to remove.
ps. btw, I looked. Thanks for your help, I appreciate it. In the future, be less condescending.

No, you are correct about the exhaust gas mixing with the cooling water. But think of the manifold elbow as a one-way valve. It's fine going out - but if water came backwards, it would be a problem.

FYI, it's not condescending - or at least not meant that way - just trying to respond with facts. It wasn't clear that you were actually checking the hose and inlet which was why I asked again. It would be easy if I was there with you - but it's hard to see your setup from where I am

Just to be clear... there are many cases where the inlet from the drive is T'd in AFTER the strainer. Which, again, is why I was curious to know "for sure" in your case.

If you are positive that the inlet hose from the drive is not T'd into the system (possibly further back where you can't readily see it?), then it's just a matter of not waiting long enough to drain. Often what "feels" like 10 minutes in cases like this are actually much less. It's like waiting for a pot of water boil - it seems to take forever.