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Hey everyone,
I am the same person who posted about our new (well new to us) 82 whaler Montauk with a 84 2stroke johnson 115 whose engine would start but would not stay on...taking the advice, i replaced the spark plugs. It did do a little better.
I was running it with the muffs on (the thing on the hose) and my girlfriend noticed there was water coming out around the bottom right spark plug. I know this is not normal, so I have a couple questions

is this an easy fix and how?

and i am worried with this being an older motor which i do not know the total history behinde, if i should just go ahead and get a 4 stroke motor before i throw more and more money at this one?

any help would be appreicated ...

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Not sure what the problem is, but pretty sure there should be no water coming out of the spark plug...........Sounds like you have a cracked head or water jacket...........are you sure it's coming from the spark plug and not somewhere near it and spraying into that area?

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If you're not exactly sure where the water is coming from, take it to a mechanic.

Do not run the engine until this is fixed.

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I would suggest firing it up and taking a look see. As Tom suggests it might not be what you think. I have had bad head gaskets, split hoses, bad clamps etc. All of which looked to be major problems until closer inspection. Except for the head gasket all were fixed while on the water with a little patience. Hopefully yours is something simple. Good luck

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I would bring it to a mechanic 1st, see if they can repair it at not too much cost. Then I would shop around for a new engine.

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I'm not sure how mechanically inclined you are. You need to make the determination wether you want to attempt to make the repairs yourself or have a tech do the work.

If it were my engine I would be a bit more methodical about my dilema.

a; I would do a compression test on all 4 cylinders. If the compression readings are all 100psi or better and the readings are all within 10-15 psi of each other than your water leak is most likely not your cylinder head gasket. There is a water jacket on the head of these engines. That would most likely be the source of the water around the spark plug. The gasket is about $4.00. In the event that the head cover itself needs to be replaced they are about $60.00.

b; How old is the fuel your trying to use?

c; If I were unsure of the history of the engine I would try mixing (in a clean tank) a product called "Techtron" and 2-3 gallons of fresh fuel. Crack the drain screws loose on the carbs, then using the primer ball force this fresh fuel/"Techtron" mix into the carb bowls until I was sure that this mixture had reached the carbs. Close the drain screws and squeeze the ball until it gets hard. Now I would have full carb bowls. Let this mixture sit 24 hours. It will help clean away years of built up varnish that has accumulated on the high and low speed jets. After 24 hrs, using the flush muffs and a garden hose try starting the engine. It will start ruff but after a bit I think you'll see the idling improve. This is of course if the rest of your engine is healthy.

By the way, was your boat predominantly a fresh or salt water boat?

Hope this helps,

Norm

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I know that you are having other running issues but the water may be coming from a leaking gasket. There is a cover on the head that houses and allows water to circulate over the head and the gasket may be leaking.

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Thought I would post an update..

ended up taking the boat to a local boat mech. turns out the water leaking out was the least of the worries.. the good news is its a LIVE engine when the compression test was preformed.. we found out that the left cynidlar is not running, which the guy said bc it was a live engine that wouldnt be a huge deal.. he is also going to clean out the carb and do something about a carb kit (sorry i do not know all the specs.. this is the girlfriend) the cool thing is he said we could come help him fix it, so we would know how to do things in the future... well we wanted to restore the boat.. i guess we are starting wit hthe engine! thanks for all the help :)

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If you found a mechanic that is willing to let you help and learn, then by all means cater to his every desire.............Those are rare to find!
I had one with a sign that stated
Labor
$10.00 per hour
$15.00 if you watch
$25.00 if you help

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I use to charge double when an owner stood behind me...

Just kidding.

Good luck,

Norm