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Post by hawker63 on Nov 27, 2020 18:47:36 GMT -5
While driving our Regal 4460 (2007) with Mercruiser 8.1 gas engines, I got an alarm on my starboard engine. Shut it down and checked the bilge. Water had sprayed out of the drain port of the cool fuel module. We limped it home on port. Has anyone else had a failure of the drain plugs on the cool fuel module?
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Post by hawker63 on Nov 28, 2020 18:47:30 GMT -5
I checked my port engine abs it was also close to failure. The tabs on the drain were sitting in the bilge. I read on SeaRay forum of others having same issues. Unexpected failure. I ordered a set of EZ outs and spare drain plugs in case this happens again. Some on SeaRay speculate it’s vibration or heat leading to brittle. Regardless, having a few spares seems like cheap insurance for an unexplained failure.
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Post by hawker63 on Nov 28, 2020 19:59:08 GMT -5
I checked my port engine abs it was also close to failure. The tabs on the drain were sitting in the bilge. I read on SeaRay forum of others having same issues. Unexpected failure. I ordered a set of EZ outs and spare drain plugs in case this happens again. Some on SeaRay speculate it’s vibration or heat leading to brittle. Regardless, having a few spares seems like cheap insurance for an unexplained failure.
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Post by kdubya on Nov 29, 2020 7:11:10 GMT -5
We were running in a poker run and my bilge switch lit up. I looked rear port and saw water pouring out. I shut down and opened the engine hatch. A plug failed, the plastic tabs were off. I limped back to the dock and backed the remaining theaded plastic out. Several other plugs were brittle as well upon inspection. We keep spares in the glove box now and my dealer changes these out every year now as it started to become a common issue for customers.
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Post by hawker63 on Nov 29, 2020 22:23:20 GMT -5
I was doing some research and there’s the Hardin stainless steel substitutes and some have suggested brass.
The cool fuel module body is aluminum so I am worried about the galvanic corrosion with stainless. The engine block is steel so maybe the block ones can be stainless. The fuel lines go into the fuel module are brass so maybe brass replacements would work on fuel module. Seems lots of people have had failures with the plastic drains. Seems split on whether to throw away yearly or go to different material. I wonder if the plastic is a sacrificial piece in case water did freeze in the block and changing to stainless or brass means risk of engine damage in the event a freeze occurred.
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Post by gofast24 on Nov 30, 2020 10:51:49 GMT -5
I would get rid of the plastic, go with the brass, just like the fuel side fittings. Put some Never Seize or Teflon tape on the plugs when installing. Goodluck!
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Post by hawker63 on Dec 2, 2020 15:07:51 GMT -5
Do you think that Merc went plastic drains on the cool fuel and engine so that they would be the sacrifice in the event of a freeze and that protects everything else that’s more expensive?
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