Did Water Enter My Engine Via Exhaust?

[BroadCove]

If it did, what's the best way to determine if so?

Background: I was reading various posts yesterday re: hydrolocking, while in my slip down in the Florida Keys with a wicked northerly rolling 2' swells perfectly inline with my port exhaust outlet (corner of the stern).

The exhaust elbow is well above the waterline (approx 18") and the run from the stern to the engine is about 12' total, with about 4' slanted up to the elbow. I could hear water sloshing into slanted run. But there was no evidence (dripping, any sound, no change in oil level) that water made it "over the hump" and into the engine.

Reading the horror stories, I don't want to start up on Sunday (scheduled departure) with the potential for having had seawater intrusion. There is probably a simple answer to the question - disconnect the pipe at the engine and see if water drips out? - but I wanted to gather the received wisdom here before doing anything.

I'm probably fine. But paranoia comes with the territory!

 

[psneeld]

I doubt it as it sounds like your exhaust was similar to mine and I saw the same conditions with no issue.

Once I did disconnect my exhaust at 3AM as the conditions started to worry me.... but that was just once. Not to see if water was in but to prevent it...once up in the head, taking the exhaust off won't do anything

If in doubt about hydrolock, try to rotate the engine slowly by hand, preferably with the injector out (water will squirt out....if injector in and hydrolocked, it should be near impossible to get to turn over (most suggest shutting off your fuel supply while doing this)

 

[Greg QS]

Sounds like you have a good design. I would not take anything apart. Just bump the engine. If it bumps your good.
The longer the run with the elevation and the hard down turn are all good things. Remember you also get back pressure from the engine that builds pressure and helps stop ingestion.
I have seen on exhausts ( including mine) a small plugged drain in the bottom of the elbow before the turbo. See if you have one.

 

[psneeld]

A problem with some if not all engines, bumping with a hydrolocked engine can bend things, have seen plenty of reports stating this.

 

[kapnd]

Sounds like you have a good design. I would not take anything apart. Just bump the engine. If it bumps your good.
The longer the run with the elevation and the hard down turn are all good things. Remember you also get back pressure from the engine that builds pressure and helps stop ingestion.
I have seen on exhausts ( including mine) a small plugged drain in the bottom of the elbow before the turbo. See if you have one.

I think you’re looking at the port for the sensor (thermocouple) of an exhaust gas temperature gauge.

 

[Bmarler]

I second the suggestion to bar it over by hand. You’ll feel it right away if there’s a problem.

 

[Cigatoo]

No muffler on that boat? Just hose from the elbow to the stern?

 

[chriscritchett]

On my Cummins you can see right into the turbo if you pop the air filter off, is that a good option? Or maybe loosen / disconnect an exhaust hose connection near the engine? Somewhere there shouldn’t normally be water standing…

 

[Southern Boater]

No muffler on that boat? Just hose from the elbow to the stern?

That’s what I was wondering?

 

[Arc]

Why not just unbolt the exhaust from the turbo. I do it every year not for water inspection but just to keep the bolts from getting jammed up. This way you can see if there was ever any water. While you are at it put some juice on the bolts

 

[Larry M]

I second the suggestion to bar it over by hand. You’ll feel it right away if there’s a problem.

I’m #3 on this. You can’t compress water.

 

[BroadCove]

Thanks all for the responses! I'll be in the engine room tomorrow morning and will report back.

Regarding muffler: from the stern, there is a bit more than 4' of exhaust pipe, to a 4.5' long soundown exhaust system (muffler), both of which run through the cockpit lazerettes, then a short section of pipe through the aft bulkhead, to about 4' of pipe running up to the elbow at the high point.

 

[Caballero II]

Thanks all for the responses! I'll be in the engine room tomorrow morning and will report back.

Regarding muffler: from the stern, there is a bit more than 4' of exhaust pipe, to a 4.5' long soundown exhaust system (muffler), both of which run through the cockpit lazerettes, then a short section of pipe through the aft bulkhead, to about 4' of pipe running up to the elbow at the high point.

So, are you saying there is no hydro-lift muffler, like I have on my GB 36? Also, do you have a flap on your exhaust outlet at the stern. That should help.

 

[Max1]

Not sure about your engine, but you might want to try to hand crank it before you hit it with the starter. I know when I did my valves, the manual stated that I should pull the engine kill lever and wire it in place while I crank the engine by hand using the nut on the flywheel and a socket wrench. I figure if you can gently turn it over at least two full turns by hand, you'll have the confidence to hit it with the starter.

 

[BruceK]

Been through this with a Volvo single cylinder sailboat auxiliary engine. 3 hours heeled into a beam sea, exhaust to the heeled side. Broke the crankshaft after starting.
The boat had a swan neck Vetus thing the exhaust went through plus a loop. I raised the loop, but even then, in the challenge situation, I`d hit the starter(of the replacement engine) and "feel" a repetition occurring. So I would disconnect the exhaust line from the Vetus "thing" water spat out, and all was well. Guessing my "blockage" was in the exhaust line, and undoing the exhaust relieved the pressure.

 

[BroadCove]

Thanks again all, no water ingress. I started simply, first following the advice from chriscritchett and pulled the air filter off. It was clear no water had entered. Continued with my normal checks, and am on my way north from the Keys.

 

[KnotYet]

Thanks again all, no water ingress. I started simply, first following the advice from chriscritchett and pulled the air filter off. It was clear no water had entered. Continued with my normal checks, and am on my way north from the Keys.

Very happy that your engine stayed dry but merely looking
into the intake side of the turbo is no proof (for next time).
There is no way to see into the exhaust side from the intake side.

 

[Greg QS]

FYI
the air and exhaust side of the turbo are separate. An inspection on the air side dose nothing.

 

[porman]

water in cylinder

FYI
the air and exhaust side of the turbo are separate. An inspection on the air side dose nothing.

Thank you for posting that. The water travels up the exhaust pipe, through the exhaust side of the turbo, through any open exhaust valves, and into the cylinder.

 

[jbbmillar]

If it did, what's the best way to determine if so?

Background: I was reading various posts yesterday re: hydrolocking, while in my slip down in the Florida Keys with a wicked northerly rolling 2' swells perfectly inline with my port exhaust outlet (corner of the stern).

The exhaust elbow is well above the waterline (approx 18") and the run from the stern to the engine is about 12' total, with about 4' slanted up to the elbow. I could hear water sloshing into slanted run. But there was no evidence (dripping, any sound, no change in oil level) that water made it "over the hump" and into the engine.

Reading the horror stories, I don't want to start up on Sunday (scheduled departure) with the potential for having had seawater intrusion. There is probably a simple answer to the question - disconnect the pipe at the engine and see if water drips out? - but I wanted to gather the received wisdom here before doing anything.

I'm probably fine. But paranoia comes with the territory!

I've hydrolocked the Yanmar on my Mainship 390 twice - the first nearly catastrophic, the second not so bad but had to pull injectors. I've posted about it before. A large swell on the aft stb quarter can force water into the engine. There isn't room to add any rise to the exhaust.
I found a much simpler and cheaper solution: a 2.5 quart paint bucket stuffed in the exhaust whenever the boat isn't running and is exposed to the sea. The drill is whenever we pick up the mooring or drop the anchor, we stopper the exhaust. Easy.

 

[ronobrien]

If it did, what's the best way to determine if so?

Background: I was reading various posts yesterday re: hydrolocking, while in my slip down in the Florida Keys with a wicked northerly rolling 2' swells perfectly inline with my port exhaust outlet (corner of the stern).

The exhaust elbow is well above the waterline (approx 18") and the run from the stern to the engine is about 12' total, with about 4' slanted up to the elbow. I could hear water sloshing into slanted run. But there was no evidence (dripping, any sound, no change in oil level) that water made it "over the hump" and into the engine.

Reading the horror stories, I don't want to start up on Sunday (scheduled departure) with the potential for having had seawater intrusion. There is probably a simple answer to the question - disconnect the pipe at the engine and see if water drips out? - but I wanted to gather the received wisdom here before doing anything.

I'm probably fine. But paranoia comes with the territory!

Get in the engine room, put a wrench on the balancer bolt and roll it 720 degrees minimum. You will notice a resistance during the compression cycle (one compression cycle for each cylinder) but a hydrolock will be noticeably different, with much higher resistance.