1999 GSX Water inside engine - help needed

[Walston]

My son and his buddy came home with a 1999 GSX and said it would only run at full idle and wanted me to help them look at it. They hooked a water hose up to the back and turned the water on and proceeded to remove the air silencer to clean the "air filter" After a few minutes I came outside so I could start looking it over. The water from the hose was shooting out the back a few feet and this seemed OK to me. I asked them to fire it up so I could hear it run and it would not turn over. I looked down and water was coming out of the air intake. If this was a car I would say the water was coming out the throttle body. This seems like a really bid deal to me. How did hooking water up to the flush put water inside the engine. I removed the head and found water in the one cylinder, looks like it came in through the intake port. I removed a big screw near the rear of the engine that looks like an oil fill port and a bunch of water came out.

Did the boys screw up with the hose? Do we have a cracked block? Bad gasket?.........

How big of mess do we have here?

I am a motor head (as described by my wife) and can repair about anything, but I have to admit, most things I have worked on had wheels.

Thanks in advance for the help and Happy Independence Day!

Walstonatriot:

 

[ski-d00]

You never turn the water on unless the engine is already running. The water cools the exhaust but will backflow into the motor if it isn't running. You need to get it running right away or the motor will be ruined. look up or search water flooded engine on how to fix. you don't need to take the head off, just remove the plugs and water will shoot out when cranked over.

 

[Walston]

Well worked on the rascal all day. Turns out the starter was jammed and once we got it freed up (holly crap you have to remove half the engine to remove the starter) thing started getting better.

I was able to drain all the water out of the crank case.

We cleaned everything (this motor had not been loved), set things to OEM specs and finally got her back together. We cranked her a few times without plugs to get the remaining water out.

After we put the plugs back, she fired on the first crank and started on the second. Turned the water on AFTER she started this time and she ran like she was new. Boys (just recently home from Iraq) were smiling from ear to ear.

To the lake they went, hopefully they enjoy the end of the holiday. I did, got to help out a couple of America's finest. Last thing I did, I again thanked them for their service and hope they enjoyed their freedom as much as I do.

Happy independence Day Folks!

Thanks for the help, I learned a lot this weekend.