Water In 3&4

[redwitch]

My freash water cooled atomic started running real bad 3 days before my weekend trip, I started with a tune up, new pionts, plugs, cap rotor, cleaned carb, runs the same bad like on two maby three cyliners, I checked compression, 1-3 about 120 #4 100, then noticed #3 and 4 spark plug wet with water, I think its coolant, Now 1 day before my tripp, figured in my head its a head gasket?, replaced head gasket, looked in exhust manifold found coolant in manifold? did it just spill from the head gasket job?. WHEN A MANIFOLD GOES BAD WILL IT LET WATER IN #3 AND 4 CYLINDERS???

[Don Moyer]

Hello,

A leak in the manifold can preferentially manifest in the rear two cylinders because of the slant of the engine. You can check a manifold quite easily by removing the hoses from both ends and blowing in one end while holding a finger over the other.

Regards,

Don

[redwitch]

I did blow in the water lines, it was hard to tell, I was thinking of pressure checking coolant system with about 20lbs of pressure?? This should work right? thanks Ed

[Don Moyer]

Ed,

Twenty psi is a good pressure to use in checking the block, head, and manifold.

Don

[redwitch]

Hello well I have sea salt water in 3 and 4, also water in throut of carb, my A4 is fresh water cooled, Seems to me the only place water can enter my cylinders is threw my exhust, I removed my exhust pipe from my manifold and found water in my manifold, also water in my exhust pipe, I wonder if my sea water exhust is mounted to high and splashing over the elbow and running down the exhust and in to my manifold????

[Don Moyer]

Redwitch,

I think you're on the right track. Discovering that the water in your combustion chambers and manifold really was sea water is somewhat better news than that it was anti-freeze.

The sea water could be getting up and over the high point in your hot section while sailing in rough weather, or (probably more likely) it could be siphoning into the exhaust system if the through-hull is left open while the engine is not running, as it did in the boat belonging to a good friend of mine a couple weeks ago.

Regards,

Don