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Mercruiser 170

P

pugetsounder

Advanced Contributor
"Hey all,
I am looking at bu

"Hey all,
I am looking at buying an 86 Searay Seville with a MC 170 and I believe an Alpha One drive. Can anybody weigh in on what they think of this engine and drive? It has less than 1000 hours and from what I can tell it has been taken care of such as professional winterizing and tune ups every year. It has a closed cooling system and has been used in saltwater. BTW the guy just had a new carb installed. The boat seemd to run pretty smooth and quiet. What other MC engines could be bolted in place of the 170 if this one blows up on me? I will have it taken to the mechanic that does the work on it for a diagnostics just to make me feel better."
 
"I have an 83 470, which shoul

"I have an 83 470, which should be the same engine as yours. It's a big 4 cylinder. I bought the boat last Oct. Its an 18 ft Celebrity. Bottom line is I'm very happy with this engine. I just had it out all day today fishing with my wife. I can't believe she caught more fish than me!! My motor ran like a top. Since I run in salt water, I like the fact that it's fresh water cooled. Considering todays gas prices, its good on gas. Plenty of power for its size. This engine does have issues. Here is a link to explain its short-comings. Good luck,
Chris
http://www.breezeworks.net/cgi-bin/MBoard/forum/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumI D=1&TopicID=1066&PagePosition=1"
 
"I have a 1979 Mercruiser 170/

"I have a 1979 Mercruiser 170/470 in a 19 foot Bayliner Admiralty. It will show 46 mph on the speedo WOT and just me in it. Only motor problem I ever had was a burned exhaust valve when I first bought it in 1987. They are only four cylinder and quite high compression, so it takes a very good battery to crank them. The shaft broke on my starter once. The voltage regulator is water-cooled and about $400 if it goes bad. All in all, I guess it's a fairly decent beast. Good luck with yours. JW in Dixie"
 
"..."The voltage regulator

"..."The voltage regulator is water-cooled and about $400 if it goes bad. "

A better solution here is to install a conversion kit and use a conventional alternator. Commonly done, and far cheaper.

Jeff"
 
Thanks for the replies. I took

Thanks for the replies. I took it for a test run last night. It runs good and smooth. The guy has all the paper work dating back to 1994 since he owned. He runs it at least a few times every year if just to warm it up. That's good since the worst thing for a boat is let them sit.

I am going to do a compression test tonight what should expect to see? What should the range of compression be on this motor?

Also what about the Alpha 1 outdrive are they fairly durable or do they have their issues as well? This one has a lot of pitting and paint peel on it for some reason. The rest of the boat is fairly clean and has spent most of it's life on trailer or in freshwater with some saltwater. Is there a electrolosis issue? The zincs are worn although only a couple years old. Thanks again for the help.
 
"Hey, Jeffy, when my VR went o

"Hey, Jeffy, when my VR went out I was pondering an alternative solution when I noticed the extra belt sheave on the damper. Bingo! Went to the local auto electric shop and bought a new explosion-proof belt-driven alternator with built-in VR. Whipped up a bracket in the shop and beat Mercury out of big $$. Works like a charm. I didn't know Merc offered a kit. Cheers. JW in Dixie"
 
"I too have a 1986 SeaRay Sevi

"I too have a 1986 SeaRay Seville with a 170MC/Alpha 1.It's 19 1/2' Cuddy. I've had it since 1991. I raised my kids on the lakes with it,and spent countless hours pulling skiers, and tubes. Other than a coil(which I didn't need)and a couple sets of points, plugs, and wires, I really haven't put any money in it. Still runs strong, and like new. 170's produce tremendace torc for their size. Compression should be between 120, and 140 for the number of hours your'e talking. Be more concerned with a number that falls short of the others. Let me know how it works out if you decide to buy it. "Kritter""
 
"Concerning charging systems I

"Concerning charging systems I noticed a recent receipt for $1200 most of it for replacing the alternator and related parts. Lucky for me
"
 
"zincs are worn although o

"zincs are worn although only a couple years old"

The zincs are doing their job but I would closely examine the ground connections between the OD and the engine to be sure they are all still there. I just changed a few of my 20 yr. old zincs that had minor wear. The most that I would expect after 2 yrs. would be some discoloration and a less than smooth to touch finish of the zincs.
Guy
 
"Guy
Thats interesting about

"Guy
Thats interesting about the zincs (as you call them, we just call them anodes here ). My boat tends to be very hungry for trim tab anodes, My boat does live in Salt water for roughly 7months of the year and I would replace the trim anodes about every 18 months to 2 years.
The others only wear very slightly in comparison.
Whats your thought's
Cheers
Peter C"
 
"Yeh
I can buy that but why o

"Yeh
I can buy that but why only the trim tab anodes and not the rest of them.
Grounding circute between the leg, engine and associated parts is strong. I suppose it probably has a fair bit to do with that anode being so exposed to the action of the props.

Cheers
Peter C"
 
The bubbles exploding against

The bubbles exploding against the trim tab would have an detrimental effect on it.
 
Another factor is proximity.

Another factor is proximity.
The closer the two dissimilar metals are together in the electrolyte; the stronger the current flow.
In this case the trim tab is quite close to the prop.
Rod
 
"All Interesting.

My view i

"All Interesting.

My view is that as long as my Anodes are corroding away, they are doing their job.

I get no peeling of paint on the legs, or any signs of pitting in them, so I am quite happy to replace the anodes on a regular basis.

If I happen to pull the boat out of the water and the trim anodes are not getting eaten up, then I will start to panic.

Thanks Guy and Rod.

Cheers
Peter C"
 
"Hey, Warren, good to hear fro

"Hey, Warren, good to hear from you on this site as well.

Jeff

PS: Warren is a good guy with lots of knowledge."
 
"Aw shucks, Jeffy, you're

"Aw shucks, Jeffy, you're just too nice. I admit to having a fairly full ROM, but my retrieval mode is getting slower every day! :0) Cheers, JW in Dixie"
 
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