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Mercruiser 5.0 Water Leak at Flywheel

Tahoe_User said:
yeah...I am very hesistant to pull motor because I feel like that will lead to like 30 mini projects...however, it does not look as bad as I thought. I will stand down my other plans and go rent an engine hoist and follow your direction and bondo's direction. Pics to follow. I am thinking if I am removing stern drive that I will replace impeller and do a few other bits and bobs while I am in there....like moving bilge pump etc
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If you have done it in a car it is much easier to pull in an average small boat than a car... Check the hoist height as most engine cranes do not go high enough. Can be done with a chain fall off a beam or tree just have to lift it up of the mounts and rotate it 90 degrees to access flywheel and flywheel cover.

Just remember that people call them freeze plugs but they really are not for freeze protection ....... yes you can get lucky and not have an issue with water in oil just keep an eye on it. My former neighbor at the lake (more money than brains) didn't winterize his mastercraft until after the first freeze- pushed out a plug pushed it back in and idling at first seemed like no water in the oil. Next summer after 2-3 uses getting good and hot found water in the oil... He did the same thing to his jetski years before ... just bought a new one must be nice
 
Dieter said:
If you have done it in a car it is much easier to pull in an average small boat than a car... Check the hoist height as most engine cranes do not go high enough. Can be done with a chain fall off a beam or tree just have to lift it up of the mounts and rotate it 90 degrees to access flywheel and flywheel cover.

Just remember that people call them freeze plugs but they really are not for freeze protection ....... yes you can get lucky and not have an issue with water in oil just keep an eye on it. My former neighbor at the lake (more money than brains) didn't winterize his mastercraft until after the first freeze- pushed out a plug pushed it back in and idling at first seemed like no water in the oil. Next summer after 2-3 uses getting good and hot found water in the oil... He did the same thing to his jetski years before ... just bought a new one must be nice
Click to expand...
thank you Dieter....this is really helpful...you probably just saved me several hours of getting a hoist and then finding out it is the wrong size. I am sort of "getting it" now with respect to the plugs...I understand you just have to get engine up to work them and that they are NOT hidden beneath the fly wheel. the other "good" news here is that I can just run hose into the front coolant hose and it will recreate the problem so I should know real quick if this is fixed or not.

Thansk again....going to get a lift by end of this week.
 
Tahoe_User said:
thank you Dieter....this is really helpful...you probably just saved me several hours of getting a hoist and then finding out it is the wrong size. I am sort of "getting it" now with respect to the plugs...I understand you just have to get engine up to work them and that they are NOT hidden beneath the fly wheel. the other "good" news here is that I can just run hose into the front coolant hose and it will recreate the problem so I should know real quick if this is fixed or not.

Thansk again....going to get a lift by end of this week.
Click to expand...
I think they are behind the flywheel and would be prepared to remove it. Easily done with an impact gun
 
Dieter said:
I think they are behind the flywheel and would be prepared to remove it. Easily done with an impact gun
Click to expand...
ok...well this project hit a wall real quick. Got an engine hoist from a friend and the arm is just not long enough to get over swim platform to engine. We looked at engine proportions and it looks like there is no way it comes out without 90 turn....if they got it in there, I am sure we can get it out...just nothing straightforward on this. So, now looking for sturdy tree to use chain lift. thats tomorrow's project
 
Tahoe_User said:
yeah...I am very hesistant to pull motor because I feel like that will lead to like 30 mini projects...however, it does not look as bad as I thought. I will stand down my other plans and go rent an engine hoist and follow your direction and bondo's direction. Pics to follow. I am thinking if I am removing stern drive that I will replace impeller and do a few other bits and bobs while I am in there....like moving bilge pump etc
Click to expand...
Clean out the trash while you are in there. I suggest a 500 GPM bilge pump. Two of them to make sure it empties the bilge quickly.
 
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