Stern drive

[ElyFishing]

I have a 1995 Crestliner 1750 Sportfish with a Volvo 3.0 liter stern drive in it. All season it has run great. I have been out about ten times so far this year. I tried to start it at the public boat landing last Sunday, and about two miutes after it started, it was spewing black smoke from the exhaust. I shut it off, and checked the oil and it was fine, clean and up to the full line, where it had been since I changed it. So I started it agian, and it would only idle at about 450 rpm, 650 is where it typically idles. I left the dock for a short run under power, and it promptly died, and it wouldn't start agaig. I got back to the dock with my trolling motor, and tried it again, and it wouldn't turn over. I brought it home, and charged tyhe battery. I tried it again, and the starter just clicked, so I tried another battery, and that did the same. I am afraid my engine it seized up. Does this sound right? Could I have blown a ring? Any thoughts? Thanks.

[upnorth]

You may have fried the starter or could even have lost some sort of relay.. You could pull the starter and see if spins on it own.

The black smoke sounds like it was running too rich. Is that a carberated or injected motor, if it is a carburator, check to be sure the choke is opening.

[Ufatz]

When was last time you replaced water pump impeller?

[Valv]

Water impeller check it mandatory, and I think you had a stuck choke plate too.

It takes a lot to seize a motor like that, if overheated rings will expand and lock motor, but usually is you let it cool completely it loosens up again.

You could remove starter and turn motor prying on flywheel teeth, you'll find out immediately if it's frozen.

Let us know.

[Capt. Don*]

Put a socket and breaker bar on the crankshaft bolt on the front of the engine and see if the engine will rotate by hand. If it won't, pull the spark plugs and try again.

[boatfixer]

Pull the plugs and check for water in the cylinders. Could be hydra-locked. Steep ramps, waves hitting the back of the boat, suddenly stopping. All can cause water to enter the cylinders. There is a flapper valve in the exhaust to help with this but sometimes they hang up, or if the motor has ever over-heated, they can burn out. As for the black smoke, like Valv said, the choke may be stuck shut.

[ElyFishing]

Thanks for all of your input. I was really sweating about having seized my motor . I talked to a Volvo dealer in Grand Rapids, and they said, just like you guys, that the choke flapper gets stuck on the carb, and will make it run rich, with lots of black smoke. And the starter must be shot. I didn't have time to pul it toinght, but tried turning the flywheel by hand, and got it to move some with the plugs out of the motor, so maybe it is only a choke problem and a starter, plenty expensive, but not as bad as a seized motor. Thanks Guys. I will let you know if the dealer finds anything different. It goes in tomorrow. I was hoping to hit Superior this weekend, but I think it wil have to wait for another weekend.