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Small ports in block what are they

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baytro23

Regular Contributor
2006 Mercruiser 350 Magnum. 2

2006 Mercruiser 350 Magnum. 2 brass hose fittings (1 on either side) screwed into the engine block. 1 inch above the oil pan and roughly in the center (front to back). They stick out 1 inch and it looks like you could push 3/8 i.d. fuel line onto them. Are they some sort of water drain for the block????? Where do they normally connect to??
 
"Ayuh,...

They Don't Co

"Ayuh,...

They Don't Connect to Anything,...
They're the Block Drains..."
 
"no wings, just open ports. If

"no wings, just open ports. If they don't connect to anything, won't whatever is on the backside of these ports drain into the bilge? Are you saying these blocks have a void separate from where the cooling water flows?"
 
"[b]"Are you saying these

""Are you saying these blocks have a void separate from where the cooling water flows?"

Nope,...

I'm saying, that By Your Description,...

Those are the drain ports for the cooling jacket...

Got a Picture,..??"
 
OK - I don't have a pictur

OK - I don't have a picture right now but they definately lead into the cooling jacket. The heads are off and I stuck a small wire into each port and with a flashlight could look down between 2/4 or 3/5 cylinders and see the wire. I don't know if the motor came out of a closed cooling boat but I plan to use raw water cooling. Do I need to just remove these 2 hollow ports/sleeves and install 2 brass plugs? or should I plumb these 2 ports somewhere?

thanks for your help
 
"Ayuh,...

Regardless the co

"Ayuh,...

Regardless the cooling choice,..
They take brass pipeplugs...

It might have had a single point draining system on it,...
Those are a Disaster just waiting to happen..."
 
"Bondo, not to get off topic b

"Bondo, not to get off topic but what do you mean by disaster waiting to happen. Our new boat has the single point draining system of which I thought was very slick when I winterized this past fall. Are there issues with this system that a person should know about?"
 
Brass plugs it is. Good idea o

Brass plugs it is. Good idea on the heater but don't really need one. I will be winterizing the same as always I guess.

Thanks for everyones help
 
"[b]"You could use one as

""You could use one as a hot water source for a heater."

Ayuh,.. I suppose you Could Guy,..
But there's Hotter water available at the Intake Manifold,+ You'd have Issues trying to drain the Block....
And,.. It's only a 1/4" port, rather than a 1/2" port...

"Bondo, not to get off topic but what do you mean by disaster waiting to happen. Our new boat has the single point draining system of which I thought was very slick when I winterized this past fall. Are there issues with this system that a person should know about?"

Ayuh,... The Problem Is,....

Just say for instance, that 1 of the ports is boogered up with Sand or other crud...
If you are taking plugs out of Each drain port,...
You'll Know it's Plugged,+ cram a screw or something into it to Clear it, so it'll Drain properly...
With those Single Point Drains,...
You could Easily have a motor 1/2 or more Full of Water,+ Blow it to Scrap with the 1st Freeze...
You open it,+ See water, but you'll have No Idea exactly Where it's coming from...."
 
"Sorry Bondo, I must have been

"Sorry Bondo, I must have been confused. Our draining system has the two hoses with the t-handle so I don't have to unscrew any plugs to drain. Sounds like the single drain system is different then ours."
 
"[b]" Our draining system

"" Our draining system has the two hoses with the t-handle so I don't have to unscrew any plugs to drain."

Ayuh,...

That is Exactly what I'm talking about...

When you turn that T handle,...
There's absolutely No way to know if you've drained just 1 side of the block, or Both...

If I were You,...
I'd strip All that $h!t off there,+ install simple brass Plugs...
But,..
Hey, it's Your motor....
When it Freeze Cracks,... You've been Warned...."
 
I've got the same single p

I've got the same single point system which is why after you flush the block it is imperitive that you fill it with RV antifreeze just to be sure.
 
My older boat just had the two

My older boat just had the two drain plugs to open where my newer boat has the single point drain system. When I winterized a few months ago there was alot of water that came out of both hoses when I pushed them with the t-handle below the motor into the bilge area. Nothing in the manual said anything about using antifreeze. It's to late now if I mucked up the newer boat since it's been very cold here for about three months. Guess I'll have to update everyone about April if I screwed up.
 
"Thanks a million guys for the

"Thanks a million guys for the info. I will give an update in a few months after I de-winterize. All being done with my fingers crossed.
"
 
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