Water in piston chamber

[drpepper1885]

Well, I probably did it this time...

I went out tonight to see if I could loosen up the head bolts (so that I could change a head gasket for the first time this weekend) and was successful on all of them. In the process of trying to gain clearance to the passenger side of the head so that I could loosen up the bolts, I removed the spark plugs. I was successful in loosening up all of the head bolts until I noticed...that I had water seeping up from the back bolt and it had filled number four piston hole.

I did not think about what I was doing when I loosened up the head bolts and its impact on the water in the engine. I had forgot to drain the engine of its water.

I immediately drained the radiator and grabbed every towel I could find and sopped up the water as best I could. I cranked the engine and out came the water out of number four cylinder. I think I got most of it out.

Did I completely screw up my 1912 engine?

I cannot believe I did this. It makes me so sick.

 

[40 Deluxe]

Nah, I'm sure that engine has endured worse in it's lifetime. If you're not pulling the head right away, you might take a blow gun and blast air into the cylinder to blow the water out and dry off the cylinder walls.

 

[Jack Innes]

In this case WD40 is your friend. Named from its military spec origins- Water Displacer compound attempt no. 40.

The water will not hurt anything as long as you get it out quickly. It would be wise to get the new gasket on right away & run the engine a while. Check the oil to see if it has gone white after running, indicating water has made its way by the rings & into the oil. If so, change the oil until there is no white showing.

Murphy's law has given me much experience in successfully drying out inboard marine engines that have been right under water. If they go down running the result can be very different.