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Improper trim and engine damage...

Hello,

I think I really messed up my motor last weekend. I just bought the damn boat and it's already in the shop. It's a 96 glastron gs185 with a volvo 4.3 gs. Anyway, we were cruising along and we heard a clang clang noise and the engine stopped. I tried to start it again and it sounded like the starter was getting plenty of power but it just couldn't turn the motor over. Popped piston? Broken connecting rod?

What I want to know is... could the trim have that kind of effect? I know it was only running around 3000 rpm at full throttle... overtrimed? I'm really new at all this, so I have no idea. The boat was handling fine and the speedo showed about 55mph, but 3000 rpm seems low to me at full throttle. Any thoughts here or anyone else make the same mistake? I also wonder if the boat was just overpropped? By the way, the temp was ok at around 150 and the oil pressure looked fine.

One more thing.. I haven't heard back from the shop yet, but I'm already assuming it's bad, really bad... so would yall suggest rebuilding the current motor, exchanging it for a rebuilt motor or just going with a crate engine from gm? I found a crate engine for around the same price as the other 2 options.

I appreciate any guidance anyone can give me... and would love you for life if you told me it didn't sound like anything major.. yeah right!

D

dennis.melanson
May 17
2006
I have to question your tach. I can't imagine that boat making 55mph with any kind of prop at 3000 rpm and a v6. Check the back of your tach and see if it has an 4-6-8 switch. If so it should be on 6.

<dennis.melanson@gmail.com> wrote in message

James
May 18
I thought of that as well, and it's a definite possibility. However, while the tach is possibly suspect, the speedo certainly deserves an equal amount of doubt. It could be that the tach was correct and the boat wasn't making anywhere near the indicated 55 mph. Either way, I agree that 3000 RPM and 55 mph don't add. Of course, neither one of these possible problems are anywhere near his biggest issue now. RG
May 18
Yeah, I figured that would be next to impossible. I wish that I was driving at the time it happened, but my friend who was at the wheel said he 'thought' he hit the kill switch right when it happened... might explain the clang clang? Backfires? I guess it does little to explain the engine not cranking over though... could it possibly have sucked in water? I dunno, I wish I'd gotten to know the boat a little better before anything like this happened. dennis.melanson
May 18
Oooh, possible major clue there. If the kill switch was hit while at cruise it just might be possible that the engine sucked water and hydro-locked, although I can't explain how.. Removing the spark plugs and turning the engine over would have answered the question of whether the engine ingested water. RG
May 18
Was there oil in the bilge? Rod sticking out of the pan? I agree it doesn't sound good. These days a new/factory rebuilt with a warranty is better than a field rebuilt, warranty or not. It is just hard to find real mechanics these days. gfretwell
May 17
Yeah, it doesn't sound good at all. There wasn't any oil in the bilge and I even checked the dipstick after a while and it was still good. I think I might go with the crate engine if I can get somewhere around the same price. But my fingers are still crossed that it's not that major. dennis.melanson
May 17
A relatively minor flywheel-vs-starter problem could produce this, so it is not necessarily the worst.

But do let us know the true diagnosis.

Richard
May 18
   

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