I left the drain plug in my boat and it filled with rainwater, what should i have checked??

Question

i was in a hurry and forgot about the d**n plug. it filled with rainwater when i noticed it, i drained it out. the next time i took it to the lake it was having trouble starting. it is an i/o 4.3 liter by the way. anyways it is now at the shop and it turns out that the starting problem was the starter motor. should i tell the guy to check anything else?? like water in the oil? he said he can rebuild the starter. oh yeah the water level was about even with the floor so the motor wasn't totally underwater but most of the the bottom half was.

Answer 1

If there was water in the oil the mechanic can check that easily.  Just have him check the engine after the starter is rebuilt.  I've seen this often and in most cases, you'll be ok. It's a good  idea to spray everything with WD-40 then fogging oil. Be sure to lube the thrust bearing in the transom housing, it's not sealed well from inside the boat.  Most of the electrical is mounted high on the engine and probably was unaffected.   Good Luck!

Answer 2

check everything ,your gas your oil     if it costs you large you wont forget the plug again   will YAY!

Answer 3

varify no water in the oil, if so rebuild the engine because you have damaged bearings due to water intrusion,  any electrical the was underwater, the core material and under deck foam for water retension, and any other components that were either exposed or covered in water..

Answer 4

The Gumbel bearing in the intermediate housing> Pull the out drive grease the universals dry out the boot> all wires below the water level>Fuel tank capsule filled with water open up the deck and dry it out or the tank will get holes in it>Let dry open to the air might put a dehumidifier with a plastic cover over the boat to help dry the wood out before rot &  mold starts to grow>

Answer 5

Yes, tell them about this IMMEDIATELY.  Wires that sit in water with the metal exposed can corrode and fail.  Water can seep into areas where it should not be and corrode parts.

Secondly, you better let your boat AIR dry for a whole week in warm weather because you've completely immersed your boat's lower structure with water.  This means drying it cover off and leaving it in hot weather to dry out the water under the boat floor that can't drain out.

Failure to dry it out properly could lead to boat floor problems or stringer problems later on the future.  Fixing boat floors or stringer rot is also VERY expensive.