"Thanks for the help both of y
"Thanks for the help both of you. I had the belt pulley off once before (when I put a new timing belt on), and your right, it just came off. Unfortunately, I didn't get the saltwater system sealed up as well as I should have, and now it get to do it again. When I pulled the belt pulley a few weeks ago, I did have to use a 3 leg puller. This time I'm doing it right--following the wise advice I've read on this forum many times--and replacing the timing pulleys instead of just the tensioner and belt.
While I had everything apart, I decided to replace the exhaust manifold (mostly to check the # 4 port, and it already has the insert). I also pulled the head and intake manifold off to clean everything up. Their weren't any leaks, so I'm pretty sure everything is true. What's the best way to prep the surfaces for the new gaskets in this case?
I'm also taking the opportunity to put in the pertronix ignition. Before I do that though, is their a way to test the function of the coil off the boat? The start of this project was a backfire during a cold start, which I think caused my new belt on old pulleys to slip again. I reset the timing with the old belt, just to get the boat from the slip to the ramp, but wasn't able to get it to start, so I think I may have an ignition issue from the salt water too. Just to be sure, I'm replacing all of the wiring, and have a new alternator. I have no real reason to think the coil is bad, but if it's possible to test it somehow, I thought it would make sense."