Not a whole lot has happened on the boat recently. I have a guy lined up to do some work on it but trying to find a time when he is available has been tricky.
One thing I don't think I have touched on is the importance of documentation. Photos, notes, videos, etc.
When I first began disassembling the motor, thinking it was just the heads that needed replacement, I didn't do a good job of documenting. We took off the heads there were some bolts and an hold gasket. Those few things became a larger assortment of bolts. What went where? What is this? What is that? Trust me... document.
Luckily some items I put in a zip lock bag and labelled it. This has been helpful even on parts I intended to replace. Its not easy to find 30+ year old bolt kits so you find yourself hunting around for certain sized bolts at your local hardware store and its helpful to have a reference.
Even keeping old parts is helpful. I wrote down the part number of a few items but found myself looking at the parts and comparing them to online pictures to be sure I actually got the correct item. Some part numbers have different versions/revisions. Fuel pump is a good example.
Lastly, never underestimate what you should take a picture of. When I notice some rot on the helm seat I took it out to fix it and the rot was bad enough the seat fell apart. Since I didn't have good reference photos I couldn't figure out how to get the back seats to work like the original one did. Ultimately, I decided to buy a new helm seat rather than struggle with recreating the broken one.
The project boat in question...
Friday, December 2, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Engine Oil
The stamp on the valve cover of my engine says it uses SAE 30 oil. I found that its hard to find this weight oil locally and ended up ordering some from Summit Racing.
One key issue here is older engines that use flat tappet cams need a higher Zinc (ZDDP) content than modern engine oil. This is an anti-wear additive that is essential to keep your cam from being damaged. Newer engines use roller cams which allow them to use a lower ZDDP content in the oil which is important because ZDDP is hard on catalytic converters.
I've read several online discussions and posts which suggest that oils have come a long way since some of these older engines were designed and that while SAE 30 works it is recommended you user 25w-40 (the standard 4-cycle engine oil) in your 4-cycle instead. That is good news since 25w-40 is easier to find.
Bad news is you still need the ZDDP but there are products and additives that provide the extra Zinc which might be easier to procure than SAE 30.
While I wouldn't tell anyone to do this without doing their own research it is something I am going to try and look into more closely.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Nothing New
It has been hotter than hell in TX recently, regularly over 100 degrees out. Once it cools off I will get back to the motor.
One interesting event we had rain last week. I forgot about making sure the engine was covered but luckily it was.
One interesting event we had rain last week. I forgot about making sure the engine was covered but luckily it was.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Get a manual!
Engine was out and I went to install the exhaust (its a U shaped piece that has to be in before the engine) of course I got concerned bout how many lines were supposed to run from the outdrive and into the boat.
As it turns out, it should be 2 hoses (one from trim up and one trim down ... IE an in and out hose for the hydraulic fluid). These hoses need to be in place and secure before installing the exhaust on these older boats because otherwise you can't access that area again.
I ended up buying a Clymer manual for that model year range (mid 60s - 80s) which has provided a fair bit of detail that really helps the re-assembly process. [How many hydraulic lines wasn't included, I had to scour the internet to figure that out.]
I'm also finding manuals to be lacking in terms of bolt sizes and lengths. That has taken some research and trial and error to resolve. Best advice I can give is label everything in a zip lock bag and keep it all together!
As it turns out, it should be 2 hoses (one from trim up and one trim down ... IE an in and out hose for the hydraulic fluid). These hoses need to be in place and secure before installing the exhaust on these older boats because otherwise you can't access that area again.
I ended up buying a Clymer manual for that model year range (mid 60s - 80s) which has provided a fair bit of detail that really helps the re-assembly process. [How many hydraulic lines wasn't included, I had to scour the internet to figure that out.]
I'm also finding manuals to be lacking in terms of bolt sizes and lengths. That has taken some research and trial and error to resolve. Best advice I can give is label everything in a zip lock bag and keep it all together!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Engine in and back out!
So the gantry was built a while back and the engine was placed in the boat. Since it has been about 2 years since I started this project I couldn't remember all the details of the tear down of the engine, etc.
After the engine was in the boat there was some question if there were some type of rubber stops on the engine mount to reduce vibration noise. I ended up finding some steering wheel bushings that looked like they would work.. but... ultimately found that they were not required. The front engine mounts on this boat just had two screws on the top and two on the bottom to hold the engine at the proper angle. If anyone reading this blog is curious the bolts I needed were 3/4" fine thread (16 threads).
Getting the engine lined up to drill the new motor mounts was relatively easy... the bolts that attach the bell housing to the outdrive basically get you aligned correctly left to right and front to back. The only real adjustment was getting the engine level and at the correct angle for the outdrive shaft which is done by adjusting the aforementioned bolts.
In my mind this was the correct thing to do (getting the mounts drilled) before finishing engine assembly. But as it turns out these older Mercruisers use a "Y" (mine looks more like a U) shaped exhaust pipe that has to be installed BEFORE the engine (there isn't enough clearance to just slide it under the engine). So the engine has to be taken back out, the exhaust pipe installed, and the engine can go back in.
One trick I've found is stacking two 2x4s and laying them across the boat (under the rails) provides a simple yet effective mini-gantry to lift and position the engine. This was extremely useful when trying to get the engine level on the mounts.
One issue I am seeing in my future is that with the exhaust manifolds installed and hoses it will be difficult to access the valve covers to adjust the valves (if needed). It would have been better if the engine was on a test stand. I can't remember if I mentioned or not but the engine was originally a long block but the guy who was supposed to finish building the motor for me stripped it down to inspect it first and when he refused to work on a manufacturered motor... I got it back in pieces. Otherwise, this would have been less of a concern.
It isn't fatal but may take a little more time to adjust the lash on the valves if needed.
After the engine was in the boat there was some question if there were some type of rubber stops on the engine mount to reduce vibration noise. I ended up finding some steering wheel bushings that looked like they would work.. but... ultimately found that they were not required. The front engine mounts on this boat just had two screws on the top and two on the bottom to hold the engine at the proper angle. If anyone reading this blog is curious the bolts I needed were 3/4" fine thread (16 threads).
Getting the engine lined up to drill the new motor mounts was relatively easy... the bolts that attach the bell housing to the outdrive basically get you aligned correctly left to right and front to back. The only real adjustment was getting the engine level and at the correct angle for the outdrive shaft which is done by adjusting the aforementioned bolts.
In my mind this was the correct thing to do (getting the mounts drilled) before finishing engine assembly. But as it turns out these older Mercruisers use a "Y" (mine looks more like a U) shaped exhaust pipe that has to be installed BEFORE the engine (there isn't enough clearance to just slide it under the engine). So the engine has to be taken back out, the exhaust pipe installed, and the engine can go back in.
One trick I've found is stacking two 2x4s and laying them across the boat (under the rails) provides a simple yet effective mini-gantry to lift and position the engine. This was extremely useful when trying to get the engine level on the mounts.
One issue I am seeing in my future is that with the exhaust manifolds installed and hoses it will be difficult to access the valve covers to adjust the valves (if needed). It would have been better if the engine was on a test stand. I can't remember if I mentioned or not but the engine was originally a long block but the guy who was supposed to finish building the motor for me stripped it down to inspect it first and when he refused to work on a manufacturered motor... I got it back in pieces. Otherwise, this would have been less of a concern.
It isn't fatal but may take a little more time to adjust the lash on the valves if needed.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Gantry it is
So putting the shop crane in the truck be didn't work. The boom wasn't long enough to reach into the back of the boat.
Instead, I ended up building a gantry and was able to place the engine inside the boat. However, this took up a good part of the afternoon and the weather hasn't been cooperating (I'm writing this June 1).
Maybe this weekend I can chisel out some time and start working on engine mount placement. I had scheduled to do this on Monday of this week but that didn't pan out.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Engine this weekend?
My last post was at the end of January and not much has happened with the boat since then. I bought a new house so moving and getting settled in has taken a priority over the boat.
This weekend I plan to drop the motor in. With a boat like this it is a bit of a process because of how tall the boat is sitting on the trailer. As with most DIYers, I don't have (or have access to) a large crane, gantry, etc. Nor do I have a large tree that is readily accessible to use.
The solution I'm attempting is to take my shop crane and put it on top of a flat bed truck to give me enough height to drop the motor into the boat. Basically, the crane wasn't quite tall enough to reach into the boat on the ground. Additionally, I purchased a vertical chain hoist to allow me to raise/lower/position the engine without having to move the crane up and down too much.
I will try and get some pictures and document the trials and tribulations of this approach soon.
This weekend I plan to drop the motor in. With a boat like this it is a bit of a process because of how tall the boat is sitting on the trailer. As with most DIYers, I don't have (or have access to) a large crane, gantry, etc. Nor do I have a large tree that is readily accessible to use.
The solution I'm attempting is to take my shop crane and put it on top of a flat bed truck to give me enough height to drop the motor into the boat. Basically, the crane wasn't quite tall enough to reach into the boat on the ground. Additionally, I purchased a vertical chain hoist to allow me to raise/lower/position the engine without having to move the crane up and down too much.
I will try and get some pictures and document the trials and tribulations of this approach soon.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Misc. Updates
In my last update I mentioned that the fiberglass work was done and the engine was coming along. The original plan was to have the fiberglass shop also install and wire up the engine. I ended up modifying my plan slightly after the fiberglass guy called me while I was out of town to say he was worried about my boat getting impounded because the shop owner was an alcoholic and either had or was or might not make the rent payment on the facility. Not really the thing you want to hear especially if you were going to cut a reasonably large check to have additional work done. Plus, the time it takes to resolve legal stuff like that could potentially take months (or more) to resolve.
So the boat is back at the storage place and the engine is still in the garage but a lot has happened. I was able to get the heads installed, lash set, and intake installed.
The intake was an interesting story. Apparently an aluminum intake on cast iron heads is not quite a bolt-on procedure. I found that there were 4 center bolts (which stick into the heads) that needed bolts that were longer than what was in my bolt kit. And because they stuck into the heads they had to be just the right length or they could interfere with some of the push rods. A trip to the hardware store and some meticulous searching fixed that. Next problem was one of the bolt holes in the remanufactured cylinder head as being stubborn. I ended up going through a box of parts from the old engine and finally found one that was agreeable. However, I also found that some of the bolts would not thread properly into the holes. I'm not sure if its due to the deck height from remanufacturing the block/heads or if it was due to the machining of the intake being a little off, etc. But... luckily some time ago I realized a day would come where I would need a die grinder! I was able to bore out the holes in the intake just enough to get the clearance I needed. Interestingly enough... the holes for the bolts (more like an oval slot) offer a fairly large range of motion up and down for the bolts but not side to side like I needed.
My next step will be to finish off attaching the accessories and then I'll be ready to drop the engine into the boat and start getting the drive system going which means... actually being able to drive the boat! I want to make sure everything runs and the boat performs before I start redoing the cabin interior.
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