# Water in my engine



## jhrudkaj (Nov 11, 2013)

Just as the title says, I have water in my engine. I stored my snowblower under my 2nd level deck all summer...basically parked on the walkout basement patio. At the end of the season, I put some seafoam in the tank and ran the engine out of gas. There it sat until yesterday. I put fresh gas in it and tried to start it with the electric start but it didn't go. I tried pulling it and the piston was seized. Being stored uncovered under the deck it was subject to moisture and some dripping through the deckboards. I pulled the spark plug and the end was wet. Upon further inspection there was some ice buildup around the end of the spark plug. I feared the cylinder was full of water and worried it may have cracked the block somewhere. I was able to heat up the block to melt the ice and much to my relief it wasn't full. I was able to get probably a couple ounces of water out with a siphon pump and shot some more out once it thawed enough to pull the rope. 

I believe the water was getting in where the spark plug threads into the cylinder. I think that because there was ice build up at the top of the cylinder when I pulled the spark plug AND the cylinder wasn't full of water. 

Obviously I am going to drain the oil and replace it. Other than that how concerned should I be? What other things should I do?

Usually I store it in my storage locker during the summer and it's in the garage in the winter. I moved storage lockers this summer and for that reason I didn't take it to storage in spring, and after I moved storage lockers, I didn't take it to the new one either. Dummy me didn't even cover it (other than the porch)...lesson learned. I just need advice on how to get this engine in order before I start it up. I have no issues taking an engine apart.

It's a newer Briggs 4-stroke 11hp Intek OHV IC 

Thanks! 

Joe


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## Blue Hill (Mar 31, 2013)

Welcome to the forum Joe! Wow, that's quite the problem. I can't see how water would have seeped in along the spark plug threads. After all, they keep the expanding gases inside the cylinder while the engine is running and that would be at fairly high pressure, not zero pressure rain water just sitting there. That being said, I can't tell you how water would have found its way in, other than through the carburetor. There are a ton of experienced people on this forum who will have some answers for you though.
Good luck.
Larry


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## td5771 (Feb 21, 2011)

wind blowing in the right direction if the engines rotation was with the exhaust valve open it could go through the muffler or through the carb. could even just be a great deal of condensation.

doesnt matter. lets fix it back up. 

If it were mine I would pour marvel mystery oil into the cylinder and pull it over a few dozen times.

let it sit in there over night, change the oil, dump the carburetor bowl out.

get a couple spark plugs. use the old one first and try to start with fresh gas. use the old plug first because when it fires it is going to smoke and probably foul out at least one before you burn off the marvel mystery oil. but any oil or even sea foam would be acceptable.

you should be fine if it is already turning and not stuck.


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## loneraider (Oct 26, 2013)

If you have any compressed air I would shoot some down the spark plug
hole, throw a little bit of oil ( not a lot ) down into the cylinder and pull it over a few times. like you said ,change the oil & add fresh gas
it should be ok..When it fires up it might smoke a little bit to burn off the oil & then put a new spark plug in.


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

I agree with all of the suggestions above. A little oil in the spark plug hole and pull it over several times, let it sit overnight, change the oil, clean the carb bowl, put fresh gas in and use the old plug to start. After you get it running replace the spark plug with a new one and you should be good to go.


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## Colored Eggs (Dec 7, 2012)

As long as the inside is not badly corroded I would think it would be ok. I would however follow the suggestions above with the oil, fogging oil can help as well. 

You will definitely want to check the carb bowl for condensation as well as If water got into the engine its very likely it got into the carb as well.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

I agree, probably the muffler and carb.

This is one of the reasons it is suggested that you fog the cylinder with oil before putting it away for the season, and then replace the spark plug and and pull the engine over until it hits top dead center which will be when you feel the most resistance. That will have both valves closed.


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## jhrudkaj (Nov 11, 2013)

First off, thank you for all your advice and help. Last night I changed the oil, which was full of water by the way. I made sure the carb was cleaned out. I filled it with fresh oil and reattached the carb. I put a fresh plug in and fresh gas. I primed it up and hit the starter. It will fire but not run. If I prime it good, it will fire strong for a couple cycles and then weaken. The big thing is, it's blowing white smoke out of the muffler and the carb. 

Is something out of time? When I was looking it over initially I was looking under the valve cover and checking the articulation of the rockers. I guess the push rod came off of the rocker arms. I noticed when I was pulling it over with oil in the cylinder. It was making a pinging sound. I took the cover off again and noticed the push rod came off. I pushed on the valve side of the rocker arm and reseated the push rod. Could the engine have gotten out of time when I did that?


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

That shouldn't affect the timing, but if they valves came off you might have bent the push rods or damaged the rocker arms. Did you take them apart and see if everything looked straight? Also the only reason they should have come off is if the valves are way too loose. You should adjust them.


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## jhrudkaj (Nov 11, 2013)

I shouldn't say it "fell" off I guess. When I was originally looking at it, I pushed on the valve side of the rocker and the push rod came unseated from the other side of the rocker arm. I thought I had it seated back in where it was supposed to be, but obviously not. It popped out or slid off or something when I was pulling the starter rope. I reseated it again and since then, it's stayed in place and the rocker arms are both moving when I have the valve cover off and pull slowly on the rope. I can't said I paid close enough attention to make sure when one is opening the other is closing, but that kind of leads to my question..well one of them. What I think I'm asking is, when that push rod wasn't connected to the rocker arm, and the camshaft was turning while I was pulling the cord, could the pushrod have gotten out of sync or time, however you want to say it? I hope I'm using the right terms and not confusing anyone. 

I never had the engine running when the pushrod wasn't seated. I don't think I could have affected enough force by slowly pulling the starter rope to bend the push rod. 

The big and more important question is, why do I have white smoke coming out of the muffler and the carburetor?


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

having the push rod not under the rocker will not cause any timing issues. White smoke comming out of the exhaust is probably an oil/water combination from when the engine got flooded with water and should clear up once you get the engine running. If it runs on prime but will not stay running you need to clean the carburator better or you have a vacuum leak between the carb and the manifold.


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## Colored Eggs (Dec 7, 2012)

Not sure if this is answered yet. Does the engine have compression? or is one of the valve stuck. I had an engine that had gotten water into it and the valve was stuck open so maybe one is not closing completely or opening. Then again this engine also set for a long time like this as well. Possibly over a year which could have made a difference but If you have a compression tester I would give that a shot.


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## jhrudkaj (Nov 11, 2013)

I don't have a compression tester and I didn't get a chance to borrow one from anyone, but I did pull the cylinder head off and I don't think my valves are seating fully. I've attached some pictures. 

A couple of questions I have are:

1. Can the valves be cleaned up and used again?
2. Are the valve springs ok with the bit of rust they appear to have on them?


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## nt40lanman (Dec 31, 2012)

I wouldn't worry too much about the valves, etc. You can hold them open and get a little emery cloth in there to clean them up but the first minute of running will do that. Rust on the springs is fine too, maybe hit it with a wire brush so it doesn't end up in the oil but otherwise don't worry too much. Clean it up the best you can and let 'er rip.


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

no way to tell about the valves at this point. I would get a new head gasket, clean up the head and block, reinstall the head and set the valve lash and start it up. If you have some valve lapping compound and want to just give the valves a little lapping go for it, if not don't worry at this point. get the engine running and see how it sounds.


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