I want to thank all the members who provided help and advice regarding the removal of the Westerbeke engine from my boat. It was a sad day when I discovered my engine was seized tighter than a drum because seawater made its way through the exhaust system back into the engine. The source of the problem being the "loop" in the exhaust system as specified by the marine surveyor to prevent a following sea pushing water into the engine while sailing. The loop was higher than it should have been. The salt water had been sitting in my engine for nearly 5 months. Nearly 4 liters of salt water had mixed with oil and run in the engine. I extracted 9 liters of this grey mixture from the oil pan!
A mechanic who told me he has "saved" 3 seized engines said I should spray a penetrating oil called Moovit into the cylinders and let it sit for 24 to 48 hours and then gently work the shaft from the transmission (the Paragon beast) by hand back and forth. He told me I had nothing to lose and there was a good chance the engine would run again. After 48 hours I was able to get 3/4 of a turn on the engine before it locked up again and the clutch slipped. I spoke with another mechanic who figured the source of the problem now maybe a stuck valve. Again I sprayed the Moovit into the valves, although I know the seals were going to prevent the penetrating oil from getting in. I let it sit overnight and the next day removed the rocker arm assembly with a mechanic. He checked the pushrods then he pressed on each valve spring to ensure the valves were moving. He told me to hit the start button: she spun over twice, fired up and ran as smooth as if nothing had ever happened.
Several oil changes are necessary to remove the dirty oil from the engine but compared to the cost of removing, rebuilding or replacing an engine..... My costs: Moovit $22, 10 litres of oil $26, 2 oil filters $11.
Yes, I know I dodged a bullet here. :)
Wow!
Check back with us after you put 10-20 hrs on it. Babitt is not forgiving at all and you say it ran with water in it? A former boat partner had a similar episode. Even after the oil changes, it eventually threw a rod.