sand in the block

[OMEGA_BUBBLE_JET]

I'm starting to suspect I have sand in my block. With my valve all the way open at pump and running fresh water to engine my temp is up there around 200 when idling and comes down to maybe 175 when running. I think this is unusually high for an open system with no thermostat. Do you guys always flush the motor with fresh water after every day. I noticed I have a drain valve at the bottom of the block so I will open it and see if water comes out. If there is sand present how would you normally go about flushing it out? Would just hooking up the hose at the hose for an hour or so with engine off work or do I need to pull freeze plugs? I know the sand can be bad and lead to hot spots. Thanks in advance for any advice.
Omega

[Hallett19]

unfortanatley, I think the only way to get it out is to take out the freeze plugs and suck it out with a vaccum or something.

[spectras only]

Omega ,read my post on the top of this thread for Hollis. If you have a BBC you could do the same with it

[OMEGA_BUBBLE_JET]

Yep.....definitely got sand. Pulled the little drain plug out of the bottom of block and no water so I scratched around with a screwdriver and out came black sand. So I guess now off with the headers and out with the freeze plugs. One question though. Will flushing it from the outside channels clean any sand that may be on the lifter side of the engine. I guess it depends on how much is in there. I just hope the block hasn't developed hot spots. Wish me luck!!!
Omega

[Jim Hall]

Hey Omega, I was out at Sommerville about three or four weeks ago and beleive I saw you. I was
in the water next to ramp at Yeagua waved at you but no response! I have an Avenger, silver with black and blue stripe, engine cover with large scoop. It was the weekend when it was very windy. When are you going out again, trying to hook up
with some Houston jetter's.

[OMEGA_BUBBLE_JET]

Yep that was probably me. I think I remember you although I didn't know that it was you. I'm sorry I didn't see you wave but when I'm behind the wheel my mind is in the sky. We usually go down to Pecan creek down on the far end of the lake. Opposite end from the damn. there are alot of hot boats that hang out down there. You were hanging with all the family boats. There are a couple of jets that hang out down at Pecan. And alot of eye candy. They call it hot boat alley. Water is smooth out there too. We probably won't be out there for a couple more weeks. Got the interior out of boat now and gas tanks. Got to clean out the block too. I'm hoping 2 more weeks but I'll drop you a line before we go.
Omega

[Just Tool'n]

Maybe look at something else. My last boat I had had eating up a couple of bravo water pump vanes.
Boat would get hot at idle & then cool down when underway. Big block Bravo1 with no thermostat in the motor.
Then I got to thinking, where in the hell did the rubber go to that was part of the vanes of the water pump? I followed the hose that supplied the engine with the raw sea water & it leads to the oil cooler.
Pulled that end of the hose off & looked in there with a flash light, & low & behold all kinds of ground up rubber from the water pump.
Took needle nose pliers & pulled all of the rubber out of the oil cooler, went up to the lake & no more hot water problems, the boat then allways ran about 120-140 degrees after that!
Just might try & take a look at that problem!

[Hollis]

Spectra was right..I'm living proof wink

[GofastRacer]

OMEGA_BUBBLE_JET:
Yep that was probably me. I think I remember you although I didn't know that it was you. I'm sorry I didn't see you wave but when I'm behind the wheel my mind is in the sky. We usually go down to Pecan creek down on the far end of the lake. Opposite end from the damn. there are alot of hot boats that hang out down there. You were hanging with all the family boats. There are a couple of jets that hang out down at Pecan. And alot of eye candy. They call it hot boat alley. Water is smooth out there too. We probably won't be out there for a couple more weeks. Got the interior out of boat now and gas tanks. Got to clean out the block too. I'm hoping 2 more weeks but I'll drop you a line before we go.
Omega Don't feel bad, you are one of the hundreds that have the same problem, I see this all the time. Most people don't give no thought about this!. The motor is getting it's water from the pump, even when you're idling, if you're in 3 ft of water you're sucking dirt off the bottom and part of that goes into the motor. If you're in 6 ft of water and stand on it, you will pick up dirt from the bottom!. A friend got a real nice Southwind for dirt cheap because of that. This guy took it to the dealer and they told him that the motor was shot and it was going to cost him a bundle, so he sold it. All we did was yank the motor(don't want to do this in the boat) knock out all the freeze plugs and hook up the garden hose from his hot water tank to the top of the manifold, let it sit for a few hours and then we took a screw driver and start poking in the freeze plug holes and it started to flow, man we had shit all over the place, we let the water run thru it for an hour before it was totally clean. Put it all back together, ran like a charm!..