Why is there water gushing from behind my flywheel?

[Hollis]

I head out across the lake in my 1978 checkmate 460 and looked in the engine compatment only to find water gushing out from behind the flywheel and bell housing! How is this possible..? A leaky frost plug?
cracked engine block? or brocken seal around the berckley jet drive shaft..? Any oppinions would be appreciated.
Troy Hollis

[spectras only]

Troy , I don't know where you boat,but if you go to the ocean occasionally,I would suspect the rear frostplug ,if it isn't a brass one.I would check all your frost plugs now ,to make sure the other ones aren't going too !Check your oil,if it isn't milky coloured you should be allright with the block.It's easy to see if the packing glands leak at the pumpshaft,a few turns on the two nylock nuts on the retainer would stop that.If you run wet log type manifolds ,check your hoses on the riser elbows if they're tight.

[Oldsquirt]

Hollis, the most likely cause is a leaking freeze plug. You can check for this by simply hooking up a garden hose to your engine and run some water through.No need to run the engine. If you have headers you need to shut off the water injection system, so as not to fill cylinders up with water via exhaust valves! I'm going to take Spectras advice one step further. If you find one leaking...replace them ALL and only use brass.
If the leak is not from engine, I'd take the boat back to the launch ramp and check for leaks (while on trailer, but in water)coming from pump shaft,pump intake or from anywhere else in hull.If the lake is too far away, you could put a few inches of water in hull and watch for it to leak back out from below. It is possible that the flywheel was just stirring up water in bilge that entered from another source. Hopefully it is just a freeze plug.
[This message has been edited by OLDSQUIRT (edited July 15, 2001).]

[jroos]

I`d check the intake and the packing gland. The way you described it I would think that a freeze plug and/or hose/fitting would have been quite noticable.

[Hollis]

Spectras,
It's the Ford 460 w/ a Berckley,I run it in fresh water, Is there a frost plug near the fly wheel?
[This message has been edited by Hollis (edited July 15, 2001).]
[This message has been edited by Hollis (edited July 15, 2001).]

[Hollis]

Jroos,
whats the packing gland..?

[Oldsquirt]

Hollis, the packing gland is what seals the front of your pump shaft.

[Hollis]

Oldsquirt..
Is there a frost plug in that vicinity, near the fly wheel?

[Oldsquirt]

I'm not a Ford guy so I can't say for sure.Some V8s have plugs inside bellhousing area, some don't. I'm sure MISTER460 can answer that question. Did you try the garden hose test?

[Hollis]

much Thanx to Jroos,Oldsquirt and Spectras for responding. I feel much better.

[Hollis]

No I haven't, I may not be able to until next weekend. Frankly, I'm not sure where to attache the hose..?

[Oldsquirt]

Troy, look at the water hose where it connects to the jet pump. It should screw onto a gate valve at that point just like a garden hose. Remove hose from valve and connect garden hose to coolant hose. Easy!

[spectras only]

Troy, there are two oil gallery plugs and a cam plug behind the flexplate.Fords sit really deep in jetboats ,and yes they throw a lot of water around [the flexplate submerged in the bilgewater]if your bilge has accumulated too much water.
[This message has been edited by spectras only (edited July 16, 2001).]
[This message has been edited by spectras only (edited July 16, 2001).]

[058]

A 460 has no frost or freeze plug in the back of the block. The only plug that is there other than oil galley plugs is the cam plug. If you have water coming from the back of the block it could be due to a crack in the water jacket from a cold weather freeze. It happen to one of my 460s.

[spectras only]

058,thanks being a watchdog http://free.***boat.net/ubb/biggrin.gif.We must correct fatal mistakes like this.I wanted to go boating today,and a downpour all day stopped me,it must have had some effect on my brain sheees!

[Hollis]

It ran fine the day before,The full distance of Graham lake here in Maine.
whats the water jacket..?

[Hollis]

Spectra,
What is the flexplate there for, or what deos it do..?

[spectras only]

It's the flywheel,only much ligther,letting your engine rev quicker,and if it warps,makes nice sounds like a circular saw, http://free.***boat.net/ubb/biggrin.gif http://free.***boat.net/ubb/biggrin.gif http://free.***boat.net/ubb/biggrin.gif

[Dimarco Kid]

Yeah, we got Hollis all figured out. I went for a ride today in his boat and what looked to be a geyser coming out of the bilge was just the flywheel slinging water up. One of you guys mentioned that, but I can't remember who. One question we do have, what does he have to do to convert to a "top mount starter"? His bellhousing has provisions for it, can we just change the snout on the starter? Do we have to completely replace it? I'm not a Ford guy, so any help will be appreciated. Maybe mister460 can help with this one. Thanks alot guys.
Dimarco Kid

[Oldsquirt]

That was me that mentioned water in bilge. Where was it coming from? I suspect you will have to buy a complete starter as I believe it rotates the opposite direction as the low mount type.

[spectras only]

Yes ,there's a top mount starter with reverse rotation,more expensive than the regular one.I can find out the part # tomorrow and send it to this forum

[RiverToysJas]

Mine flywheel was slinigng water one time and I think I figured out it was bilge water. I have low mount starter but have never had a problem with it getting so wet it didn't work. Besides, a top mount would be all in the way in my boat.

[Dimarco Kid]

The only place water is blowing out is up at the top mount starter hole. The rotation of the flywheel slings up and out the hole, kind of a pain in the ass cause it's getting everything soaked in that area. We're gonna rewire his boat and get all the electrical away from that hole, that's where it is now. If he dosn't want to change to a top mount starter can he buy a blockoff plate for the top mount hole in the bellhousing? It would be easy to make, but easier to buy!! I like spending other peoples money!!! LOL Take care guys,
Dimarco Kid

[spectras only]

Hollis,Marine listed top mount starter,two bolt part#19010615 358$ CDN =233$US.Do your research if you can get it cheaper,or call Dave at 604-278 1880

[Hollis]

Dimarco, You spend my money any way you want. Towards the boat that is..!
much Thanks to every one.

[Hollis]

Thanks Spectras, Thats not out of the question at all.The starter was listed where?
[This message has been edited by Hollis (edited July 18, 2001).]

[Erik]

I recently had a bottom mount starter die on me. Not an easy job when the boat is in the water! I don't think it was because it got wet, I think it just died of old age. Anyways when a starter gets wet is it dead or will it work once it dries out again?

[froggystyle]

Silly question here, but wouldn't the smart thing to do here be fix whatever is causing so much water in the boat the flywheel is hitting it? That is a ton of water, and in addition to being heavy, it is also hard on your floor, carpet, etc... If the bilge pump will not drain the bilge that far, re-locate your bilge pump. If it is just a matter of forgetting to hit it, buy an automatic.
BTW Hollis, the flexplate/flywheel, in addition to providing balance and inertia, has the ring for the starter on the outside of it, so is neccessary to start the engine.

[spectras only]

Hollis,you can e-mail Dave at sales@californiamarine.com with sales inquiry

[Dimarco Kid]

Hey Froggy, we are definately gonna fix the leak, it's a slow one but it still leaks. Problem is, the lake he's on get's drained and he's running out of water quickly. He just got the boat and I would like to see him get some use out of it before he pulls it, which will come soon enough. Gonna rewire it and possibly redo the starter setup. When we do we'll put the bilge pump as low as we can get it. And actually there isn't alot of water in the bilge, maybe an inch at the most in the very back, but the motor sets so low in the boat you can't even get your hand under it. No more water than usual, really. If there was a concern for too much water we would definately pull the boat, but right now I think he needs to enjoy his "INVESTMENT" (I use that term loosely! LOL) Thanks for all the input, you guys are really helping out.
Dimarco Kid