Engine overheated on first Lauch. Almost a disaster/fire

[Vector]

I have a 2010 Nautique with a 2014 PMC Excaliber engine. I launched the boat and notice the temperature climbing as a motored to our slip. Over a 5 minute time period, the temperature rose to 175 and then to 250. I barely made it to the slip. There was smoke coming from the engine (photo). I have a marine heat exchanger system. All the values were in the proper position and my dealer just replaced the impeller. When I was doing the trouble shooting, I noticed there was no water flowing through the transparent filter (se photo). One person thought my water pump was not working. It is very difficult to find mechanics at my location in CT so I am asking for advice to fix this issue. Incidentally, there was no engine damage. The engine started right away and sounded normal. I really appreciate your help.. Thank you.

[jmo]

Candlewoodeast marina is the Nautique dealer in CT is that who winterized it? No MA dealer unfortunately. Where in CT are you?

start from the pick up off the bottom of the boat and verify everything yourself. If you unscrew the filter housing on the strainer there’s no water in there?

1. make sure the emergency shutoff valve/seacock below the strainer is open.
2. Make sure all drain plugs are in (did you have excessive water in the bilge?), some dealers will store the boat with the plugs out intentionally.
3. Inspect the impeller and o rings for the RWP housing and the bolts holding it in place. Even if the impeller was new, after running it dry it’s now toast and needs to be replaced. If it’s not intact when you take it out, you will have bits of rubber in the cooling system you will need to clear out.
4. Make sure all of the hose fittings are tight, if one is loose and you getting air in, that will interfere with the boat priming the water flow.
5. Inspect the serpentine belt and it installation, as that’s what turns the RWP.

possible the RWP needs to replaced, but that’s pretty uncommon in my experience.

in the Spring I always run my boat in the driveway with a water feed hooked up to ensure everything is working before launching it for the season.

hope this helps…

jmo

[NautiqueTim]

Inspect the color of the oil. Go ahead and get some head gaskets. If the impellor is shredded, look for parts around thermostat housing and each side of the exhaust where the water enters.

[Kmayotte]

I second checking the seacock fitting at the hull. Betting they closed it when they serviced your boat.

[bturner]

Man, this is like the third or fourth one of these I've heard about this season.

I'm getting the feeling that if you're going to have a shop do the winterization, you better have them put it in service as well. Every one of these I heard about all had a dealer/mechanic do the winterization then dropped the boat in without any further dealer/mechanic assistance themselves.

I do all my own work so I know what needs to be done to put the boat back into service or at least who to blame for bad service skills.

Past the rant....

Well, it goes without saying that part of your new in service launch procedure should be checking strainer for waterflow. I know everyone can't do this but on my first launch for the season I pick a day/time when the ramp will not be busy. Before disconnecting the boat from the trailer I do a full warm up and make sure the temp settles before pulling away. We're talking something like 10 minutes which also gives me time to check the bilge and the strainer, oil pressure and charging status.

As to what went wrong....

Arm chair, 1000 mile diagnostics are rarely accurate but the above advise certainly all good places to start. If it wasn't broke last year and all that was changed this year was the impeller, that and anything associated with the replacement would be my first areas of interest along with these (which have pretty much been covered)....

• Make a check list of all the items to check and verify. Sure you can do this in your head but making a list and checking them off works best for me.
• Shut off valve for raw water pump. This has been mentioned but put it on the list and check it off.
• Belt and belt rotation. Get the routing diagram for the belt and make sure the belt was put on properly. Start the engine briefly and make sure everything is turning in the correct direction and without unusual noise. Document and address any areas of concern.
• Pull the strainer off, clear any debris wash out cup, inspect O ring, lubricate with plumber's gears (silicone grease), reinstall and check cup is sealing properly.
• Pull of line to first upstream connection to trans cooler. Inspect for debris/obstructions. The strainer should be catching everything but your having flow issues so....
• Check every hose clamp in the raw water cooling system to ensure they're tight. It wouldn't be the first time someone left hoses loose after winterization.
• If you've gotten here with no joy, it's now time to address the raw water pump impeller. It may have been new when you put the boat in the water but it should be a melted mess now. Get on YouTube, embrace your inner mechanic, and do the replacement yourself or find someone with some mechanical boating experience to help you do this yourself. Order the part, get all the tools you need to do the job BEFORE you start the project. Resist the urge some people have about reusing O rings and gaskets (my dad did this and it drove me nuts. I resorted to cutting up everything he took off so he would stop doing this).

The raw water cooling system is not complex or difficult to work on but it can be intimidating for those new to turning a wrench. Most issues are related to the impeller however any loose connections or damaged gaskets/fittings that allow air into the system will decrease the system's ability to pull a vacuum and thus water into the system. Unless you're seeing water leaking from the raw water pump I doubt this will be the problem. My money (from a 1000 mile away) would be on a loose hose, closed valve or improperly executed impeller replacement.

[bturner]

Here's a link to replacement on a 2009....

https://www.planetnautique.com/vb5/f...-pcm-excalibur

This should be the proper impeller.

https://nautiqueparts.com/pcm-impell...ines-rp061022/