Ok I have important questions for those who know because I milkshaked my 455 Olds over the weekend at Havasu. I know this this has been discussed before but I'll ask anyways.
I'm attributing the milkshake to the fact that the gate valve on my pump was open 8 full turns. Is it possible for it to vibrate and turn on its own? I normally have it set at 1.5 turns and my motor runs at about 140 degrees.
while idling through the channel I noticed water coming out of the headers at 800 rpm so I pulled the boat out of the water and checked the Bassett T-fitting. The spring and ball seemed fine so then I pulled the dipstick. The whole pan was full of water!
The motor didn't seize but I need to figure out what caused the problem. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
Pressure check all your cylinders for a blown head gasket. I just went through all that. I dont know much about Olds, but the whole gate valve thing sounds like a coincidence. I could be wrong, but I think it would hydro-lock if enough water was running through the heads and cylinders due to valve overlap to fill the oil pan with water.
yeah but if it wasn't the gate valve, then what blew out the head gasket? I thought that maybe the excess water pressure from the valve being all the way open did it. The motor has never even been hot.
I also would like to know why there was water coming out of the exhaust at such a low rpm.
You probubly got some crap in the t-valve and wel you pulled it a part it disapeared bofore you could see it. Or on the bad side you blew a gasket or worse....How much water you say the hole pan was full??? That doesnt sound good
I say the whole pan because by the time i got to the launch ramp, milkshake was coming out of the oil filler tube at the front of the motor.
When i pulled the T-fitting apart, there was nothing in it. it was all clean and the fitting and headers are brand new.
One: Check your head gasket. Too much pressure from the gate valve will surely cause it to blow. That is the weakest area of the engine where water travels. That happened to me and I blew a piston and bent a rod. Not Good.
Two: Check your exhaust flaps and make sure they are in good condition. Water will travel backwards. Replace if necessary.
Three: Install a water separator to prevent condensation from getting into your fuel.
Read the thread about the Kachina and BRE engines. Too much water pressure was the culprit there. I think you found your problem. Good Luck
Originally posted by cyclone:
yeah but if it wasn't the gate valve, then what blew out the head gasket? I thought that maybe the excess water pressure from the valve being all the way open did it. The motor has never even been hot.
I also would like to know why there was water coming out of the exhaust at such a low rpm.
On my BBC, I dont even have a valve to regulate water off the pump into the motor. There is a valve on the back side after the water has left the motor. The more that valve is closed, the earlier the water starts running through the headers. My head gasket blowing had nothing to do with any of that. I found out after the fact that when it was put together someone used cheap ass gaskets. Unfortunately, my motor locked up due to the motor milkshake. You may want to take a look at your main and rod bearings while you are at it just to be on the safe side, especially if there was that much water in it.
cyclone, are you running a valve on the water exit? If so a full open inlet valve and a cranked down exit valve would for sure cause some problems. It seems to me for water to inject into the pipes at 800, there must have been some restriction on the exit side of the water system. Hey by the the way I cooked the Rewarders I bought from you by taking apart the T-valve to clean it and reassembling in the wrong order(ball first, then spring) I feel like a total dumb ass!! I guess dry chrome headers at 4000 rpms is a bad thing. Good luck with your problems.
cyclone...I have a 455 olds in my jet and got water in the oil last spring..It ended up being the front plate..They will rust over time and allow water to seep into the oil..I talked to dick miller an oldmobile guru and he said he replaces the front plate on every rebuild on a marine 455. I bought a new plate from him, pulled my old plate off and I could see where water was getting in. Don't know if this is your problem but something you can check....Brazos
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