Boat Forum / Building / May 2006

Wiring will be shorted.. Rinse and dry first... Be very careful, a good
battery will be able to set the wire insulation on fire (at least it'll
be dry then)... Use a VOM to sniff out the shorts and cure before
hooking up that 900CCA NeverSayDie battery...

Obviously, drain the engine oil... Also drain the fuel tank, blow the
fuel lines dry of fluids clear back to the tank, remove the carb tops
and empty them and spray with WD-40 to remove water and stop
corrosion...(which is what is was designed for, but not what people use
it for)... Then fill the tank with fresh fuel and purge the fuel lines
of air and crank the engine until the bowls fill, work the accelerator
pump to be sure water is displaced, then put the carb top back on with
a fresh gasket... (DO NOT CRANK until the engine is empty of water and
lubed, see below)
Pull the distributor, rinse in fresh water, do the WD-40 on it's
internals, bake it in the oven, change the points and condensor (if
any) and lube the wick, ...
Pull the spark plugs and wires (do not crank or rotate the engines with
spark plugs in as a hydraulic lock will break your motors)... Rinse the
plugs and wires with fresh water and dry in the oven...  Spray the
electronic ignition box (if any) with fresh water, bake with a heat
lamp, and spray  the terminals with WD-40... If you have a coil
resistor, make sure it is cleaned and dried.. Same for the coil...
Pull the end of the starter, flush and clean, etc...  River grit will
score the commutators and the bendix, and eventually ruin them... (I,
personally, would pull the starters, disassemble, clean, lube, bake,
and replace - but that's me)
In the meantime spray WD-40 into the cylinders as soon as you pull
plugs, then fill the motor with light oil (5 weight flush, fuel oil or
diesel will work until it runs out of a plug hole ( plug the crankcase
breather for this - remember to unplug after).. Yes, FILL IT...  Then
carefully turn the motor over by hand 100 revolutions to purge water
from the oil galleries (you may want to have the distributor back in if
you are not experienced at timing an engine, before turning)...  Drain
this flush oil and fill with normal operating oil to the 5 quart
mark...  The purpose of this oil flush is many - lubrication, displace
water from ferrous surfaces, displace water from seals, refill lube
passages, etc...
Now before replacing the plugs and starting the engine - once I know
there is no hydraulic lock - I would crank it with the starter until
you see oil pressure...
Then plugs and wires and fire it... IF you do everything correctly the
engine(s) should fire right up and be happy...

Or you could just have Bubba go beat on the engines till they start -
scored cylinders, bent con rods, bent push rods, etc... It's done every
day by the Bubbas of the world...  And then peddle the boat ASAP...
Your call...

What about the trannies?  They need purging and fresh oil...

denny