Testing 454 Crusaders in dry dock

"Hi All:
I have an '8

"Hi All:
I have an '88 Silverton 37C that I'm restoring. I have the boat dry docked and want to test the engines. I've been told that the engines should not be started at all if they do not have a source of raw water for the pump. I have a small boat that has a Cobra outdrive and have started it on occasion to see if the engine will run before heading to the lake. I know that with this engine that the water pump can be damaged easily if run without water but it seems that running it for 10 or 15 seconds does not do any harm. Should the same reasoning apply to the Crusader engines? If not, then I will have to use a storage tank for water so that I will have a water source to be able to run the engines. If I do this, I was thinking that I could try to recover the water and return it to the storage tank so that I would not have to keep refilling the tank. If I use the storage tank and use the recovery method, how hot could the water get before I would want to stop running the engine?
Also, if I am able to safely run the engines, is there any reason that I should not try to engage the transmission to see if it is working properly? I hope to do as much testing of the engines and drives as possible before launching the boat so that I will be fairly confident that it is in good working order before hitting the water.
Thanks in advance for any and all help.

Regards,
Richard"

"You can make some type of tan

"You can make some type of tank to catch the water, then feed it back to the engine if necessary, but how long are you planning on running this thing? You can see if it runs by simply removing the pump belt and running it for a very short time, maybe 30 seconds for RWC and maybe two minutes for FWC. I would definitely NOT put it in gear unless you have someone under there wetting your cutlass bearing, otherwise you can add that to you list of things to restore."

"Hi Rick:
Thanks for the

"Hi Rick:
Thanks for the info. The engines do have fresh water cooling so removing the belt to the raw water pump would allow me to run long enough for the engine to warm up. I also want to check the engine compression and have read that the engines have to be warm to make an accurate test. Any thoughts on that?
With regard to the cutlass bearing, should water be applied to the bearing for any period of time before engaging the transmission? Also, I've read that you can check the bearing for wear simply by trying to move the shaft. Any suggestions on how to determine wear?
By the way, the boat has 750 hours run time but I don't have any info on past maintenance.
Thanks again.

Richard"

"Richard,
I am with Rick a

"Richard,
I am with Rick all the way.Get a few friends together so there is no screwing around and no need to take very long to see whats going on.I understand your intent to make sure things are right.Water is your friend...need lots of it and send a little to the packing area too.Think I would pull thermostats and let the water run free as you are only running for a bit and new ones are a good idea.Hate breaking down with hot parts and bouncing over a few bucks.After run...pull plugs,analyze,open carb for air to enter,pull coil wire,run your compression test.Hope all is well for you...Todd"

"Hi Todd:
Thanks for the

"Hi Todd:
Thanks for the comments and suggestions. All good advise. Once I have the opportunity to run and test, I'll post the results and any further questions that crop up during the process. If you think of anything else I'd appreciate hearing from you.
By the way, do you have any experience with replacing gas tanks? I've been told by the manufacturer of the aluminum tanks that they only last about 25 years. There are two 150 gallon tanks in the boat and they look good on the exterior. Any suggestions for testing them for integrity, especially for internal corrosion? I'm thinking about just replacing them 'cause they are 22 years old.
Thanks again.

Richard"

"Richard,
I try to give my

"Richard,
I try to give my opinion only on what I know and think is the right thing to do.As far as your tanks go, I must bow out to more knowledgeable people as I have not been down this road of replacing fuel cells and do not ever want to lead someone astray.Others will help if you ask around a bit.Looking forward to seeing the answer also as mine are 91's....Todd"

Hey Todd:
I appreciate th

Hey Todd:
I appreciate that sentiment. I'll let you know what I find out.

Richard

"Richard,

The way to test t

"Richard,

The way to test the tanks is with pressure. Unfortunately, at their age, the test may actually cause them to leak.

Silverton tests them at 4 psi both before and after installation. I don't know if I'd put 4 psi in 22 year old tanks unless I were ready to change them. I know, you'd rather have them leak now rather than in the middle of the season. They pressurize them, then let them sit with a gage on them and check for lost pressure over a period of a couple hours. With only 4 psi, it doesn't take long for a 5 psi gage to drop a pound or two.

Lead time from Florida Marine Tanks, who should have provided the originals, is 3-4 weeks right now, so consider that when making your decision.

Good luck,
Rick"

"Rick, interesting. My two 12

"Rick, interesting. My two 120 gallon aluminum gasoline tanks are 22 years old. I never thought about them going bad. What is the nature of the failure? Pitting, thinning of the metal, weld failure? What is the failure mode? Sudden and catastrophic or slow? Now I am worried.

Chuck"

"Weeping from corroded seams h

"Weeping from corroded seams has been the predominant problem. It is normally noticed in the spring, after sitting all winter. You'll know if they are leaking when you go into the cabin and your eyes start to water.

It has been more prevalent over the past few years with the changes in the gasoline formulas.

Some of these guys are a real project to get the tanks out of."