Challenger 4tec Upgrade
- Thread starter IDoSeaDoo
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IDoSeaDoo
Well-Known Member
Well, I have good news. The problem is no starting died over lunch. Came back and the boat just ran. Also I made the world book of records for being least lucky guy ever.
After about several minutes running the boat, I found the oil milky. Somehow, I'm getting water in my oil. FML! Really? So looks like the maiden voyage is postponed another week. I have no words...
I'm suspecting water pump, but will be checking oil cooler as well as leak down of the head gasket.
I'm really upset about this. I was set on water testing LAST WEEK... this is ridiculous...
After about several minutes running the boat, I found the oil milky. Somehow, I'm getting water in my oil. FML! Really? So looks like the maiden voyage is postponed another week. I have no words...
I'm suspecting water pump, but will be checking oil cooler as well as leak down of the head gasket.
I'm really upset about this. I was set on water testing LAST WEEK... this is ridiculous...
Dr Honda
Well-Known Member
It's always the little crap on a project like this. I remember when I did the restoration on my old 96 Sportster... it was the same thing. I took it to the lake at least 4 times (after the initial rebuild) before I worked out all the issues.
Hang in there... you are very close to a VERY cool boat.
Hang in there... you are very close to a VERY cool boat.
IDoSeaDoo
Well-Known Member
Thanks doc. Hopefully this will be the last gremlin.
Put pressure on the oil cooler, it seems to be leaking down ever so slowly. I found that the coolant water has oil in it too, it's a bit milky, but the oil has water in it as well. I'm puzzled at the back/ forth exchange of fluids...
Kwik_uk
Active Member
The smell of being towed behind any two stroke is the best part!
I grew up with ski boats as a child, so tubing, skiing etc was always behind big Merc outboards. That smell *drool*.
My fav part of getting my ski boat ready for the summer is the smell of two stroke on the first crank. It's like an instant flashback to childhood on the Scottish Lochs.
Back on topic - looking really good. Can't wait to hear how it performs!
IDoSeaDoo
Well-Known Member
Ya, I love it too, I always say it smells like a good time.
I decided to boil the water out of the oil and reuse it to absorb the rest of the contaminated oil in the motor. Once it's all good, I'll change it.
I found a good use for those cancerous Teflon pans
Seems like it's working. Going to heat till the fluid temp starts rising past 220, that will tell me when all water has flashed off.
I decided to boil the water out of the oil and reuse it to absorb the rest of the contaminated oil in the motor. Once it's all good, I'll change it.
I found a good use for those cancerous Teflon pans
Seems like it's working. Going to heat till the fluid temp starts rising past 220, that will tell me when all water has flashed off.
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^^^^Things like this is what gets you in trouble. Just go buy new oil. The problems you had with your 787's and you're going to boil water out of your oil just to reuse it???????????? I think you need to step back and take a break for a few days, you're not thinking clearly.
IDoSeaDoo
Well-Known Member
There is actually aprocedure in the manual to boil out water, but this i feel it's much safer for the motor. Also, I'm not keeping this oil. I will run it just for a few min so it can mix with the rest of the contaminated oil. Then it's all getting sucked out again and getting fresh oil and new filter. Don't think I'm going to keep this stuff.
jhjesse
Well-Known Member
Speaking from first hand experience, you are going to have to change the oil several times to completely get all the water out. I had to change it 4 or five times to get all the water out of the crankcase.
Remove the oil filter and put new oil in it crank it and run it for 30 seconds or so. Check the oil and pump out the milky stuff. You will have to repeat this several times until the oil stays clean. Then reinstall a new oil filter.
Remove the oil filter and put new oil in it crank it and run it for 30 seconds or so. Check the oil and pump out the milky stuff. You will have to repeat this several times until the oil stays clean. Then reinstall a new oil filter.
jhjesse
Well-Known Member
Change the oil and do not install the filter as it will get clogged with milky water. Run for 30 seconds or so and shut off then check the oil. It will probably be milky again. Pump the oil out and repeat several times to get all the water out of the oil, then install the filter.
jhjesse
Well-Known Member
^^^^Things like this is what gets you in trouble. Just go buy new oil. The problems you had with your 787's and you're going to boil water out of your oil just to reuse it???????????? I think you need to step back and take a break for a few days, you're not thinking clearly.
X2x2x2x2........
IDoSeaDoo
Well-Known Member
Well FEDEX let me down yesterday. All day they were promising that the part would come in by END OF DAY. Well, I prepped the motor, had it all jacked up in the air hovering inside the hull, ready for me to bolt the oil cooler on. 9pm comes and goes, still no part.... I'd rather it come in later, than get a false promise...
So I spent some more time on the seats and wiring under the front console. Nearly done with the wiring scheme, and it's going to be a little different than before:
Main Power: I will have a light-up halo switch near the steering wheel that will power a relay, which will provide ground to the fuse block, powering the bilge pumps, blower, lights and DESS post (provide ground). If the power is off, the boat is off. So you get in the boat, you push the switch, put on the key and go.
Bilge Switch: Bilge will be on a two-position switch, just like the lights. One position will be Auto, where the small bilge operates off a float switch, the other will power both, the float switch (small bilge), and the big Emergency pump.
Radio: Radio is special, it gets its own switch
I can listen to radio when everything else is off.
Dual batteries: The cranking battery will be isolated to running just the engine. The 800W sound system and all accessories will run of a large Deep Cycle battery under the storage tray. The two batteries will always be connected with a thick negative cable, allowing me to connect and disconnect the DESS post with the relay. I have a battery disconnect switch that will remain off, unless I manually turn it on to connect the two batteries. This is for insurance: if my cranking battery dies, I can get a little boost from the accessory battery.
Flood warning sensor: I used a tested and working oil level sensor from another ski, which is a normally closed switch to power a small Radio Shack buzzer under the dash. If the level ever comes up to about 3" off the bottom, the sensor will close and start a distinct two-tone beeping, alerting me to water intrusion in the hull. Never again will I have my motor half-submerged before finding that my cooling hose clamp failed.
LED: my rear Nav light will hadve a low-draw LED to preserve the battery. At night, that light stays on. The running lights will be conventional, because the LED I found for up front makes the front light Blue instead of green. It's not perfect, but eh, neither is life.
VTS: I used a '96 xp VTS system I had laying around to control the trim on this boat. The old cable system was a joke, and the cable never held trim while under way. The 787 jet was too powerful, this one even more so. So I ditched the cable system. I put switches on the control levers and ditched the fuel gauge for a VTS gauge. I had to correct the output from the VTS brain by 20 or so OHMs in order for it to register the range in the middle of the gauge. The old unit would go from very low to about the middle of the gauge before. Anyway, pushing on the VTS lever makes the trim down, while pulling on it tilts it up. Two stiff springs always return the lever to the center
Blower: exchanged the old noisy fan for a new, more silent one. Might put it on a variable resistor later so that I can keep air flowing through there at all times and not annoy myself to death.
Eventually I will install an LED string all around the outside of the boat. But that's for later, baby steps for now.
So I spent some more time on the seats and wiring under the front console. Nearly done with the wiring scheme, and it's going to be a little different than before:
Main Power: I will have a light-up halo switch near the steering wheel that will power a relay, which will provide ground to the fuse block, powering the bilge pumps, blower, lights and DESS post (provide ground). If the power is off, the boat is off. So you get in the boat, you push the switch, put on the key and go.
Bilge Switch: Bilge will be on a two-position switch, just like the lights. One position will be Auto, where the small bilge operates off a float switch, the other will power both, the float switch (small bilge), and the big Emergency pump.
Radio: Radio is special, it gets its own switch
I can listen to radio when everything else is off.Dual batteries: The cranking battery will be isolated to running just the engine. The 800W sound system and all accessories will run of a large Deep Cycle battery under the storage tray. The two batteries will always be connected with a thick negative cable, allowing me to connect and disconnect the DESS post with the relay. I have a battery disconnect switch that will remain off, unless I manually turn it on to connect the two batteries. This is for insurance: if my cranking battery dies, I can get a little boost from the accessory battery.
Flood warning sensor: I used a tested and working oil level sensor from another ski, which is a normally closed switch to power a small Radio Shack buzzer under the dash. If the level ever comes up to about 3" off the bottom, the sensor will close and start a distinct two-tone beeping, alerting me to water intrusion in the hull. Never again will I have my motor half-submerged before finding that my cooling hose clamp failed.
LED: my rear Nav light will hadve a low-draw LED to preserve the battery. At night, that light stays on. The running lights will be conventional, because the LED I found for up front makes the front light Blue instead of green. It's not perfect, but eh, neither is life.
VTS: I used a '96 xp VTS system I had laying around to control the trim on this boat. The old cable system was a joke, and the cable never held trim while under way. The 787 jet was too powerful, this one even more so. So I ditched the cable system. I put switches on the control levers and ditched the fuel gauge for a VTS gauge. I had to correct the output from the VTS brain by 20 or so OHMs in order for it to register the range in the middle of the gauge. The old unit would go from very low to about the middle of the gauge before. Anyway, pushing on the VTS lever makes the trim down, while pulling on it tilts it up. Two stiff springs always return the lever to the center
Blower: exchanged the old noisy fan for a new, more silent one. Might put it on a variable resistor later so that I can keep air flowing through there at all times and not annoy myself to death.
Eventually I will install an LED string all around the outside of the boat. But that's for later, baby steps for now.
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Hers sine shopping wisdom.......If the package is out for delivery and you have to have it, call the local hub and tell them you have an emergency out of town and you need what's on the truck to take with and ask where can you meet the driver to receive the package early. They should be able to pin point the driver, contact him and set up a meeting point. Simple, no more waiting for a package not delivered.
Racerxxx,,, I have done that myself. They seem to take more "responsibility" if you talk to them in person..
dcia3231
Member
Not to back track but i honestly thought you were going to boil the water out of the oil and reuse it as well. I was going to call you up! I had a few words to say about that. Like.... you spent 2 years and countless dollars/hours to cheap out on OIL!!!!!!! From the man who tried to talk me into amsoil for my skis for years.
Glad this is almost done. On another note.....sometimes these shipping companies really piss me off. I just had that happen with my speedster sk stickers. Showed delivered and i didnt get it for 2 MORE DAYS!!!!! i was so pissed.
Glad this is almost done. On another note.....sometimes these shipping companies really piss me off. I just had that happen with my speedster sk stickers. Showed delivered and i didnt get it for 2 MORE DAYS!!!!! i was so pissed.
IDoSeaDoo
Well-Known Member
I plan to use the old boiled (dry) oil to absorb the remainder of the dirty oil left in the nooks and crannied then see what it looks like. At that point I'll either drain and boil again, or perform the boil out procedure from the manual. Once the oil looks good, I'll change it for new oil. No sense contaminating new oil. Are you guys thinking I'm going to leave the boiled stuff in there?
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dcia3231
Member
I assumed you were boiling the water out to reuse the oil for break in !!!! Seems like something you would be tempted to do. That makes sense to me. It will "help" flush out moisture. Since its a new engine i would change it early. maybe 5 hours. ( new oil / filter ) at which point you would think most of the moisture would be removed. Recall my sinking fxho you towed back to shore???? exactly what i had to do for it. Changed the oil a few times before all the milky nasty oil was out.
Just so you know Walmart Super tech Full syn 10-40 is only $18.00 for a 5 quart jug. Perfect for washing out milky oil. How much do make an hour and how many hours will you waste boiling the used oil? And if you smoke cigarettes, how much is a pack of smokes these days? Just trying to put some perspective on it, albeit twisted.
IDoSeaDoo
Well-Known Member
Well, most of the time is spent waiting for it to suck out, meanwhile I'm working on something else. I only get about 3 quarts out at a time with the oil sucker. The sucker is attached to two online oil filters, so whatever I recover is scrubbed. Boiling takes a while too, and gives me time to do other stuff. It's not like I'm standing over it and waiting. This is a simple chemical procedure. I've already poured oil into it twice today and again, it came out still milky, though not so much. I use the sucker to put oil back in as well, so again it's filtered. It's noticeably less milky, so It's working, but slowly. It will probably take 2 or three more iterations before I will feel good enough to do the boil out procedure. Might use clean oil for that and throw it away...
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