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I have a 1995 rage15 with a omc 115 bubble back turbojet. The bottom two cyl take in water after about 20 min in the water. I was wondering what other motors would be a bolt in replacement. Any info would be great. This is my first Boston Whaler and this is the way I got it. Would like to get it going. Thanks

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Hi Jak, Not too familure with the set-up that you have. Try and get a parts manual and repair manual for your OMC jet to see if there might be a diverter plate or adapter plate thats corroded and letting water into the bottom 2 cyl. Let us know what you find, may help someone else in the future. I'll bet that RAGE will be fun!!!!

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I'll be interested to see how this situation develops. I have a 1995 Evinrude (OMC) 115 Ocean Pro. Since day 1, I would presume, my #2 cyl. had a water intrusion problem. The engine ran great, and it wasn't until I took it upon myself to swap out the spark plugs that I noticed a problem; the spark plug electrode was rusted. I brought it to the attention of the dealer during the next scheduled maintenance. They scoped and pressure tested the cyl and found everything 'normal'. As polite as I could muster I told them 'they were full of kimchi' and that sooner or later this was going to be a 'warranty' issue. They dismissed it. "Your engine runs perfectly, a powerhead swap would be unjustified". They knew damn well (I certainly didn't) the issue was a manufacturing defect on certain first year run Ocean Pro (OMC) 60 degree V-4 block castings, and with no fix coming from the soon-to-be defunct 'OMC', a powerhead swap would likely not solve anything. The only practical and fair recourse was to refund me all my money. Not going to happen. They claimed it were a water jacket gasket on the head and they did a repair. No improvement.

I should have brought suit, but the engine did run perfectly and since I had a three year extended warranty, I just used my boat. Foolishly I procrastinated until the dealer went out of business. I brougth it to the attention of 'factory' but in the interim Bombardier had bought OMC, several seemingly 100's of phone calls and a million dollars worth of 'passed bucks' later I gave up and just left it to Karma to take care of 'them'. Now the water intrusion (after seven seasons and out of extended warranty) was getting worse. Rough running after intitial start up was becoming common, but the engine still ran flawlessly after warm up and during the rest of the day. Spark plug inspection now however revealed the classic 'water fouling'; milky wet deposits on the elctrode. After ten years (still not bad service for any outboard) the cylinder pressure ring gave up and it was over.

I talked to many 'experts' on the subject and one of two things were possibly at play with those initial Ocean Pro runs, This was what I was told; there was an open air channel cast in the block that was supposed to serve in cooling on the exhaust side. I really don't have the engineering background to justify and explain the process, but more than one tech spoke of high rpm 'vibration' causing a capillary action, actually drawing moisture back into the cylinder through the exhaust port. A wierd trick of physics. Or, a flange on the block was not cast (honed) properly and at the point of assembly the torquing of head bolts cracked the block and ruined the integrity of the closed water jacket.

Anyhoo, I demured a new E-TEC repower for the cost of the darn things. I love my 17 Montauk, but I'm original owner since '82, and although I would never consider selling, I am more than ready for a 'trade up' to a boat better suited for off-shore. If I'm going to throw upwards of 9K at a boat, it's going to have a shower, head and a rack in it!!:P

I contacted a local tech who also works on the county's marine fleet as an independant contractor. He was aware of the anomoly of the early run cylinder issue on those Ocean Pros and did a rebuild, having a machine shop in Punta Gorda FL machine the block addressing manufacturing issues and defects. After a $2K rebuild the engine is BETTER than new. All's well that ends well. I guess.

Anyhoo, sorry for the rambling, a lazy Sunday morning and I procrastinating mowing the lawn:D

@jak,

If I were you I'd get a serial number off your block and do some research into it's run. You may be looking at a minor head-to-water jacket gasket situation, indeed a block swap, or rebuild.

Good luck!!

Doug

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Thanks for the replys. I'm going back to mi next weekand taking the boat with me. I'm hoping someone there will come up with a fix. I'm willing to go for the rebuid if that will fix it. I just don't want to put in a new motor and find out it is something else. The motor is just sitting in there half taken apart now from the other owner. They did relace head gaskets and still had the same problem. starts filling bottom 2 cyl first and will fill the top ones if you keep running it. I will do some leg work with the s# and check the bottom plate. I don't know much about these motors yet!!! Thanks

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Hello everyone, This is the s# JEO-03848441 if this helps. I have not found a site to plug this number into. Its a Turbo Jet 115T. The jet portion has been rebuilt. Any help with the s# would be great. Thanks in advance, Jack

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Thanks for your reply, I will check that out, thats what I worried about was fixing sometrhing that did not need fixing. I just want to get it fixed and have fun. I will find out whats going on next week in Mi and let you all know. Thanks much, Jack

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I forgot to say that if you ran it with a hose it would run for ever without overheating or getting water in the cyls. Thanks Jack

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MmmK Jack, that sounds encouraging. I know from my own experience with my 115, the water pick-up while running in the open water is through the bottom of the lower unit (as all outboards are) and cooling water leaves through the prop hub and through the check valve above the water line at the rear of the mid-section. The garden hose attachment for flushing the motor or running it on land is actually at the check valve. It never sat well with me; running the motor on the trailer with a reverse flush pattern. I could always tell when I needed a new set of thermostats when I removed the garden hose and ALL the hot block water ran out the hose attach point. One or both of the stats just were not opening and needed to be replaced. I've never gotten a hot horn aside one time when a plastic garbage bag wrapped around my lower unit water pick-ups.

Just a stab in the dark here; I would imagine you need a new set of thermostats, or a poppet valve is malfunctioning in your cooling system forcing cooling water back through your exhaust system while running in the open water.

Keep us posted. I'm sure you will be boating soon.

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Hi, thanks, that makes sense to me. Like I said, I do not know alot about these motors yet. From what I have been reading that would make sense. I was wondering if those would do something like that or just make it over heat if they were bad. Thanks alot for the info. I will check it out when I get back to Mi next week. I got the boat down here in FL but don't have a place to work on it.