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Help with a 215hp mercruiser ford 302 small black

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phatty123

Member
I have gotten a 1972 caravelle

I have gotten a 1972 caravelle with a for 302 mercruiser engine and frive system. While I was towing it home we hit a freak storm and it got cold enough to pop out 3 of the freeze plugs. I have a few questions about fixing this issue. What is the likelyhood that my block is damaged? I thing if I suspend the engine a littlebit and remove a motor mount I will have enough room to replace them. Should I do it this way or pull the engine? Do I need to pick up an alignment tool if I'm going to do this? How big of a pain would it be to pull out the engine? One more thing does the mercruiser ford 302 share the same parts as a regular ford 302 Like the freeze plugs and intake manifold etc...

Thanks in advance.
-barry
 
"[i]What is the likelyhood tha

"What is the likelyhood that my block is damaged?
are you sitting down?

Your engine block, and exhaust manifolds are all very likely cracked and need to be replaced.
If you pull the engine dipstick you will notice the oil level is high. That's because it is floating on a gallon or two of water.
Those aren't freeze plugs. They're core plugs used in the casting process."
 
"If no water is present on the

"If no water is present on the dipstick I might be ok right? I did have a crack my exhaust manifold witch I was going to have repaired.
The engine had time to thaw so I will check the dipstick when I get home from work on the 11th. Can the block be repaired if it is damaged? Is the mercruiser block the same as a regular 302? Can I just buy a used car engine or do I need a specific marine ford 302.

Second set of questions. Since I got the boat and trailer for free it isnt a huge deal for me to buy a remanufactured engine. Is this a direct replacement for the 302? 351W 5.8L Marine ENGINE 1970 to 2002
This is a completely remanufactured 351W 5.8L TRUE marine engine.Cam specs are Intake 206 at .050 lift 445, and Exhaust 221 at .050 lift 453.Will work with all MerCruiser, OMC, Volvo Penta, Pleasure Craft, Crusader, Chris Craft, Yamaha & more



http://www.marineengine.com/cgi-bin...tion=editpost&postid=181909&page=12486/221977

-barry"
 
"[b]"I did have a crack my

""I did have a crack my exhaust manifold witch I was going to have repaired."

Ayuh,... That is probably a Bad Idea,...
Replace them...

"Can the block be repaired if it is damaged?"

Nope,... Replacement is again the answer...

" Is the mercruiser block the same as a regular 302?"

The Bare Block,..?? Yes, of the proper Vintage of course...

"Is this a direct replacement for the 302? 351W 5.8L Marine ENGINE 1970 to 2002"

Ayuh, but there may, or may not be a few fitment issues,but they can be overcome..."
 
"As I remember from a boat I w

"As I remember from a boat I worked on with the same motor and problem ,they ARE freeze out plugs,but they are not steel,we replaced ALL the block plugs,drained and flushed the motor and replaced the manifolds and risers,as far as I know she still runs fine at least that was as of 2 weeks ago when I winterized her.As far as auto/ marine motor question,there MAY be mounting differences,I really don't think there are ,the main concern is the cam and head configuration,they differ from auto/marine"
 
"Oh yeah,did I mention its my

"Oh yeah,did I mention its my boat?
rofl.gif
Great boat 18' ski ,bought it for a $1000 18yrs ago,would'nt trade it for ANYTHING like it made today,thinking of going big block merc. this winter.I got this THING for being different."
 
"[b]"they ARE freeze out p

""they ARE freeze out plugs"

Ayuh,...

Actually,.. They're Core Plugs, used to fill the Core Holes, left over from the casting business to create the Block....
Depending on the Speed of the Freeze,.. They can be a Saviour...
But,...
That's Not by design....

Btw,.. Marine motors use Brass Coreplugs,+ automotive motors use Steel Coreplugs...."
 
"My mistake for not clarifying

"My mistake for not clarifying that,I was not sure if they were brass or bronze"
 
[i]If no water is present on t

If no water is present on the dipstick I might be ok right?

You won't see water on the dipstick.
Oil floats on water.
Pull the drain fitting on the bottom of the pan - only way to really tell aside from a pressure test.
 
I meant if the oil level remai

I meant if the oil level remained the same its probably ok.

If I pull the engine do I "need" to buy the alignment tool? I have a shop on base where I have all the tools I need minus the alignment tool.

-barry
 
Yes; either buy it on eBay or

Yes; either buy it on eBay or beg a local boat service shop to use theirs.
 
Ok cool thanks for the help. I

Ok cool thanks for the help. If my engine it toast I'm going to pull it and buy a new one during tax time and get the tool then to install it.

One more question does the mercruiser ford 302 share common intake manifold bolt patters? Could I purchase an aftermarket intake manifold for it?

-barry
 
"[b]"One more question doe

""One more question does the mercruiser ford 302 share common intake manifold bolt patters? Could I purchase an aftermarket intake manifold for it?"

Ayuh,...

It'll be the same as what Ford was putting on their Truck motors that year..."
 
"The engine is fully thawed an

"The engine is fully thawed and I got a chance to look at the dip stick. The oil level is at full, pretty much where it was the first time I checked it. I will change the oil on monday or so to see for sure if there is water in the crank case. If there isn't am I out of the woods?

-barry"
 
Capture about a 1/2 cup of the

Capture about a 1/2 cup of the motor oil you remove and place it in a clear plastic cup and cover w/plastic wrap. Set it in the house where it can warm up overnight and check it in the morning to see if any water separates out of the liquid.

Do you prime your oil filter before installation? I fill my new filter w/fresh oil before I install it.
 
"well I am new to boats but in

"well I am new to boats but in my car, suv and motorcycle I do fill it with oil before installation. I will probably pre fill my oil filter when I do an oil change.

So If I find no water in the oil maybe I will be in luck and will only need freeze plugs and an oil change.

-barry"
 
"Barry..

Nobody can say for

"Barry..

Nobody can say for sure if you are IN or OUT of the woods without looking at the engine first hand. All YOU can do is check for water in the oil or change the oil (as has been disgussed), get new frost plugs in the block and get it running. Its one of those things, you've got to fire it up and use your judgement on it. Just because there isn't any water in the oil doesn't mean that the block isn't craked somewhere else like around one of those frost plugs. If you can fix it up cheap enough, go for it. If it needs a new engine, make sure the rest of the boat is worth putting too much money into it. I know you got it for free but she's getting pretty old and may have alot of hidden problems.

Wrench"
 
"Sounds good. I can almost say

"Sounds good. I can almost say for sure that there is no cracks around the plug holes. I have inspected all visible areas of the engine and dont see any cracks. I will know more when I run the engine for the 1st time I guess. I need to get ahold of an alignment tool so I can remove the engine and closely inspect it. I want to just take the engine out for the winter so I can easly do what I need to it. I did find a place to get a long block remanufactured 302 for 1250 with 150 shipped with a 2 year warranty. So 1,400 for the whole boat still is good. The boat needs q little TLC. Its all cosmetics though besides the engine. The engine was fine until a freak storm hit me while I was towing it. The seats are faded and she is dirty but my father in law is anal about his vehicles. The drive and engine were gone through before it was parked. All the damage besides the engine are from sitting and like I said its cosmetic.

-barry"
 
"Well I finally was able to bu

"Well I finally was able to buy a new starboard exhaust manifold, exhaust manifold gasket kit, new freeze plug kit and an oil filter. Soon as the tempature stays above freezing for a few days Im going to do an oil change and inspect for water in the oil. If there isnt any water I will be removing the engine and replacing the freeze plugs. Then I guess I will try to run here and then further inspec the oil for white gunk. If there still isnt any I guess I am out of the woods. oh I also picked up an alignment tool.

-barry"
 
"Buy and install a remote oil

"Buy and install a remote oil drain hose kit while the engine is out. Take a close look at the splines on the engine coupler. They should not have rounded edges; a result of improper engine alignment. With the engine out of the way, climb in and sound the hull for rot especially near the bottom of the hull. Now is the time to fix a weakened hull, stringers, engine mounts and floor."
 
"Also check the transom, start

"Also check the transom, starting at the drain hole for delamination (tap with a mallet.. if it bounces, you've got delamination)."
 
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