Logo
FULL SITE MENU

Sorry Guys

P

perch_pirate

Member
"Sorry for loosing my train of

"Sorry for loosing my train of thought. Pressing matters at home. Anyway, to continue my ramblings, I am new to I/O ownership and aquired this boat for free (ie: sweat equity) to get it running. I am now on my third season with it. Please excuse my excess of questios but here I go:
Oil: I have been using 10W40 Castrol with Lucas oil treatment.
Change plugs, condenser, points, distributer etc every year. Changing wires this year. Suggestions welcome on brand.
Winterize fuel with Stabil and fog cylinders
Anti freeze water jacket
Remove battery for storage
Keep up lube Etc.
Check all wiring and clean as needed.
Have not replaced water pump impeller
New Lower unit just before I aquired due to some sort of stupidity and an insurance claim.
I know it's a lot to ask, but should I be doing/replacing anything else from a practical standpoint. We use this boat mostly 5-20 miles from home mainly for fishing, mainly jigging and drifting, no trolling and 5-6 days a year for tubing, sking. Of course always infused with beer, responsibly of course

Thanks again,
Jeff"
 
"[ Change plugs, condenser, po

"[ Change plugs, condenser, points, distributer etc every year. ]
Why? Does it run that many hours? I usually change spark plugs at about three year intervals and could probably go five. In my previous boat, I checked points gap every season and lubed the cam, but went about three seasons before replacement. I assume you meant distributer "cap", not distributer. Again, this item should definitely last several years. I would just carry a spare points set and condenser and a small file rather than replace every year, as these items are easy to dress or replace on the water (if not offshore).

[ Lucas oil treatment ] Does it burn oil if you don't use this additive?

Water pump impellers are good for two or three years before blades start cracking. Maybe longer if you are lucky, so I would consider a two or three year changeout schedule unless you observe overheating earlier. Dirty water will shorten life.

Except for running a little low on beer, it sounds like you have the right idea. Happy boating!"
 
"Thanks David,
I will heed yo

"Thanks David,
I will heed your advise and save some money. No overhaeting pooblems but am unsure of previous maint schedule. My brother the previous owner is a great guy but mechanically challanged. Will change just to make sure. We are blessed with 20-30 feet visibility claen water.
No oil burning, just a Lucas fan. Am I doing any damage or wasting money? Also am I on track with my oil?
You are correct on the cap. How about wires?
As you can probably tell, I am all about preventitive as opposed to crisis maint but also am not interested in wasting money. How about drive PM?
Again thanks for your time and valued experience,
Jeff"
 
"Scott,
I have a 1985 Mercrui

"Scott,
I have a 1985 Mercruiser 140 I/O in a Larson Citation Bowrider. I do my own PM's and repairs. I am looking to purchase a manual. I have seen many on the market and the Merc OEM manuals as well. The "generics" seem to run about $35.00. The OEM runs about $75.00. I will not be doing actual motor rebuilds but more of the backyard / frugal type repairs and troubleshooting. I am very technical as I am a service tech for the Trane Co on there very large hospital/process chillers. Any suggestions on which manual I should purchase? Also my data is as follows:
Engine SN: A6677208
Transom Assy: A695693
Drive Unit: OA682919
Do these seem like valid numbers. I took them from the data plates on the appropiate parts. I seem to have some difficulty with these numbers when trying to reference parts from local dealers"
 
"the factory manuals are much

"the factory manuals are much clearer, and easier to follow. recomended if you can afford it. also they are more specific to your engine, drive. the seloc manuals are O.K. but cover a lot of different models, and can be confusing.
Your engine serial number has too many digits. was that a typo? otherwise add the 0 as in the drive number.
your drive should be removed every year. grease/inspect the u-joints, gimbal bearing, and bellows. also check alignment, and coupler. grease the coupler splines liberally. (if you don't have access to an alignment tool, if the drive removes, and installs without binding, and you don't see a lot of wear in the coupler, you're probably O.K.)
it is recommended to check/replace the impeller yearly in your drive. people have gotten several years service without doing this, but it's cheap insurance. and of course, change the gear oil.
remove, and grease the prop splines while you're at it.
that may sound like a lot to do, but it can be done in an hour or two. not much for a trouble free season.
if you make a stand from a small piece of plywood, and some 2x4's servicing the drive is much easier.
sounds like you are committed to preventive maintainance. that's good. keep it up, and have lots of good boating seasons. S."
 
"I agree w/David "Change p

"I agree w/David "Change plugs, condenser, points, distributer etc every year" is overkill. The only thing I would do different would be to get rid of the points and install electronic ignition. For plug wires I would get a "GOOD" set of sprial wound stainless conductor wires."
 
"Jeff...

I'm not sure a

"Jeff...

I'm not sure about the oil that you're using. That may not be good for it. My book says 25w40 Marine Grade Oil (4.3L), or if not easy to get, 20w40 automotive oil.

Check E-Bay for a factory manual. I just got one for mine in mint condition for $19.99 + $12 shipping. Compare that to $71.50 for new. The Seloc ones aren't quite as good. Manuals are available to order from this site as well. Pick one up and see what it tells you to use for oil.

Wrench"
 
I agree with Guy G on the Pert

I agree with Guy G on the Pertronix ignition system. Do away with points and condensors and never have to set anything again. Plus they run in high moisture situations where points have problems. That's the first thing I did when I bought my boat with the 470/Alpha 1 set up. Starts like a dream everytime. And the two times it didn't start for me I knew it was a fuel related problem which it was.
 
"Great info guys,
I love talk

"Great info guys,
I love talking to people with practical experience and not just "book learned". Today I pulled and cleaned and checked gap on plugs, Cleaned bilge ( last year I drained oil by just pulling the plug and catching oil from bilge drain plug, NEVER AGAIN) rookie mistake. Also checked and cleaned all electrical connections, flame arrester, polished boat, changed trailer wheel bearings, ground any rust from trailer and spot painted and rewired trailer with submersible lighting system. All with one helper. I am tired and quit for the day. Sunday I am changing oil in motor and drive unit, replacing bulging hose from trim unit. Next weekend on the water chasing my beloved perch and wallye. One more question though. When I discovered the bulging hose on the trim motor, I cut the outer covering and found a red low vis type of fluid. Looks, feels and smells more like trany fluid. The factory sticker on the trim motor says use only 10W40 oil to mark on dipstick. Where in the heck is the dipstick and what do you suspect the fluid is. Has there been a "rethinking of the fluid to use or has someone messed up". The trim works fine and has never shown any sign of problems.

Thanks again,
Jeff"
 
"You may not have a dipstick -

"You may not have a dipstick - I don't. Merely a non-identified mark on the side of the plastic reservoir. If you have one it may be part of the reservoir caps, like used on the power steering unit.
Basically keep it fairly full with some air space on top. Fill with drive unit down so it does not overflow when lowered.
Oil in mine when new was red. But all refills have been with oil that is yellow-brown to almost clear. My manual calls for Quicksilver powersteering fluid (probably red) or 10W-30 motor oil."
 
"if it's red, it's atf

"if it's red, it's atf. thats fine. you can also use tilt trim fluid.(clear) power steering fluid.(also clear) just don't mix. the atf is fine."
 
On older model trim units the

On older model trim units the dipstick is the vent screw which should be snugged and then backed out 2 turns. ATF works best in cold climates and is a good choice all around.
 
"Again thanks for the time and

"Again thanks for the time and info,
She is an old boat and was not taken care of properly but runs good and last year towed 2 2000/yr plus boats as they lay motionless with the owners distraught and their suntanned younger beauties not happy. One of them my neighbor. Pretty cool to have the old ugly comming to the rescue. All it takes is a little grease under the fingernails and some good old fashioned work ethic. OK, I will get off of my soapbox. Just get a kick out of the neighbors asking me "why do you waste your time working on that old boat when you could be on the water".

Jeff"
 
"Thanks guys,
All spring PM i

"Thanks guys,
All spring PM is DONE!!! All ready for the water. Finally and just in time for snow on Monday and 20's during the night and lower 40's during the day, not to mention high winds for the next week. Talk about timing. I would not take even my own advise on buy/sell in the stock market judging by this timing.
Seriously though I could not have done it all without your help and suggestions.

See you on the water,
Jeff"
 
"Help again!!
How in Gods gre

"Help again!!
How in Gods green earth do you change a trim hose from pump to transom? I looked at my downloaded OEM stern drive manual and could find nothing.I can;t even see where it connects at the transom. Any help would be apprecated ASAP as I am currently in the garage with my laptop up and running. Pictures or diagrams would be nice. Please don't tell me that I should be on my way to rent a engine hoist to remove the engine although that looks like a real possibility.

Thanks,
Jeff"
 
"It is a real pain! Outside bo

"It is a real pain! Outside boat on bottom of transom mount is a removable chamber where the four external trim hoses mount. On bottom of this chamber ar two bolts that attach the chamber. Remove bolts and pull the chamber down - it will be reluctant. If you can get it down slightly, you can get a wrench onto the internal trim hose connections and detach them from this chamber,
Then lower the chamber out of way letting it dangle, or else detach all the external hoses to have easier working room. After detaching hose inside, it can be pulled out thru the rear. It will not be a super smooth task. To replace, tape the opening of the new hose so dirt will not enter ther hose during the real pain of getting it worked back up thru the rear and into place. I had pulled both - the first was not too bad, but the second (with less free room) was about a 3 hour job. All told, my total removal and replacement took about 5 hours as I had never done these internal hoses before and they fought me every inch of the way.
Note which hose is which and its specific mounting locations - original hoses were black for the high pressure "up" hose, and grey for the lower pressure "down" hose. Both of my replacements were grey, but not same pressure rating."
 
"David,
You are my hero for t

"David,
You are my hero for the day!!!!!!
1-1/2 hours and DONE!!!!!. Plastic electrical fish tape was the secret. Smooth and no chance of scoring plastic coating. Need new gaskets to complete but will have to wait till Monday to get to an open Merc dealer. Good thing I found this leak as there was some yukky looking fluid that needed desperatly to be changed.

Thanks again and have a great day!

Jeff"
 
Anyone out there have #10 Mer

Anyone out there have #10 Merc manual on their computer taht could be sent to me via e-mail. I know these were available until Merc got money hungry. If so please let me know.

May your boat bottoms always be wet and your bilges always be dry!

Jeff
 
"Guys,
Apparently I am the on

"Guys,
Apparently I am the only person in northern Michigan who has ever changed a trim hose as stated above. Which by the way was very expertly described by David. No marinia's in Traverse City, Gaylord, or Grayling had the manifold x gimbal gasket, so I made one from the appropiate material. Anyway, in hind sight when draining/flushing/purging fluid @ manifold until clear, the above mentioned "yukky" fluid should have been a red light but I blew past it. It was most certainly fluid mixed with water and was that gray milky look we have all seen. I am wondering if I should re-drain and perform any trim cylinder pressure tests or just leave it and check it after a few times in the water. Again, the previous owner (my brother) should not be allowed to own mechanical devices and never had any work other than crisis management. The trim has never given me any problems and I am wondering if I am being too hopeful that it is just years of condensation. This by the way is exactly what I found two years ago in the crankcase and after cleaning, proper maint and flushing has never appeared again.

Thanks,
Jeff
whistle.gif
"
 
"Jeff, just checked my old pri

"Jeff, just checked my old printed manuals. have a #10. unfortunatly, it's missing a lot of pages. I also have a # 13 (later models) complete. NEITHER of them addresses power trim. that is in #6.(I have) if you need specific info. (a few pages) I will e-mail, but a full #10 is not here. was going to offer to send a copy, but this town doesn't have a Kinkos. if I can help, let me know. S."
 
"jeff, appreciate the nice wor

"jeff, appreciate the nice words, but you are now the expert - 1.5 hours to do what took me 5! (including a few trips to beer cooler and the "new cuss words" dictionary. I had already pulled my hoses before I realized I should have attached a fishtape first! Oh well, its done now. Remember I also had advice from this excellent forum during my recent rebuild process, so just trying to pay back where I can.

Your contaminated fluid could have been from water ingested from the boat if it had been parked such that rain accumulated in bilge and flooded over the reservoir - the reservoir is designed to keep oil from sloshing out, but not to keep water from leaking in if submersed. I think I would wait until used a little more this early season, then suck the fluids from the reservoir and replace with fresh oil to assure that the water/sludge is out. Also you should inspect the small filter screen on the pump intake to make sure it is not coated with oil/water sludge inhibiting full oil flow when in use."
 
Bummer about the manual number

Bummer about the manual number 10 not being there. Unfortunately that's my only source.
 
"Sounds like you are on track

"Sounds like you are on track for this season.For next year I would think about outdrive issues-bellows,gimbel bearing,water hose,impeller and pump, not to mention shift cable etc. and throw in a new thermostat....Todd"
 
"OK,
One more time. I am havi

"OK,
One more time. I am having a brain fart. (Sorry if I have broken any language rules). Here is my info as taken from all and any stickers and data plates on my boat.

Engine ID: M01306RA
LH rotation




Motor / Drive #’s / Data
140 I/O 4 Cyl inline
Engine SN: A6677208
Transom Assy: A695693
Drive Unit: OA682019

Sticker on Valve Cover:
Drive Unit SN: 0A682019
Transom Assy SN: A695693

Data Plate Info:
SN: A677208
Mod: MCM140
181 CID
Fuel Octane: 88 Ave
Engine Oil: SAE30SE
Timing: 6 degrees BTDC
Plugs: AC-R-43T
Firing Order: 1-3-4-2
Rated HP: 140
Rotation: CCW
Max WOT RPM: 4200-4600
Plug Gap: .035
Point Gap: .018-.025
Dwell: 28 degrees-34 degrees

Boat Info: 9 Person / 1240 Max
Mod: CIT DC-1758R 10
Larson SN: LAR073 (or 2) 92D686

Is it in fact a # 10 engine manual I need. The one you told me about is still available on E-Bay but I want to be sure I have the right one. I know I am being a pain and asking for more of your time than I deserve and do not wish to take your time for granted, but if I could impose one more time.....

Thanks,
Jeff"
 
"Jeff...

When I was trying

"Jeff...

When I was trying to figure out what manual I needed for my boat (manual #25), I went on the Mercruiser web site and asked them which one I should have. I said "I think I need #25 but I want to be sure. Here is my engine number, year and type of boat (and a few more things)". They got back to me the very next day and told me that I did indeed need #25. I'm sure they'll do the same thing for you. Contact them and ask, that way you can be sure before you buy.

Wrench"
 
Back
Top