plugs in the block

Yah know the plugs that are in the block??/ They look like they are brass and never needed for anything...simply holes in the block that are plugged...then the block is coated during marinization....I had one go-front..right side...just under the front right motor mount...causing a giant water fall into my engine compartment, and filling up the entire back of my boat...barely making it back to the marina...and pretty much beaching her on the launch...then pulling it out ... now..water int he oil and everything...I had run her for the first time this year,,,ran fine...pulled it out..changed the oil..put it back in...idled for a while..checked everything..then..ran nice and progressive...starting slow and then ramping it up as it warmed up to about 30 mph for a while...still all good...then up to 40 mph...all good...then the engine temp started shoeing really low....then the auto bilge went on...I slowed down to check....upon opening the engine hatch...water water water...then limped it back to the dock!!!
that plug blowing.....is that waruntee...as it seems to me to look like something that should never go..as being as...it was running fine and dry for the initial period...it was something that went as the motor heated up..???
COMMENTS FEEDBACK

The plugs on the block are called frost plugs. They're put there to help cast the motor and are where an engine block heater would be installed in a car. They also might pop out if you freeze the block in a frost instead of the block cracking but I've never seen that happen.

If your engine is under warranty then a frost plug blowing out is absolutely a warranty issue. So is damage to the engine as a direct result of the plug blowing.

There is nothing you could have done to prevent it and although it almost never fails it can.

Edit: You want to check damage that might have occured from water in the oil, like bearing damage, and from overheating because the water was not circulating.

(Message edited by rallyart on May 13, 2007)

freze plugs

thanks for the feed back...
it was solid and all good..with a proper winterization as well as being stored with a heater the whole winter...as well it was running fine for 1/2 hour prior to anything bad happening...I will have to make sure the dealer goes to bat for me on this one...will keep you updated!

Sounds more like the engine froze and that is not covered under warranty. Also sounds like the block is done for. Water got in the oil from the inside not the outside. Unless you sunk your boat completly.

My cousin lost a freeze plug in his Sport Nautique last year but he did a poor job of winterization. His didn't lead to any water in the oil, but he noticed it in the driveway and took care of the plug before starting the engine at all.

RallyArt is right they are in the for the casting process, a lot of people have the misconception that that are there to prevent the block from cracking during the winter.... NOT THE CASE. Like Art said lots of people claim that a "freeze plug" cracked or blew during the winter saving there block, but I've never seen this first hand either. However I have had a plug just drop out on me...I was doing some minor work on it out of the water with the hose on my I/O and all the sudden I noticed water pouring out of the drain plug, I looked in the engine compartment and sure enough a plug had fell and water was running right out of it. I shut the motor down took it in to the shop and no further damage was done, just put in a new plug and has been fine ever since.....Hope one only fell out and did no damage to your block but there is more than likely other damage from the drive back to the dock without water circulating.

i thought freeze plugs , if broken, voided any warranty. it means the engine was to hot and to much pressure was inside the block that could crack it. also if it freezes and crack the block again....