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Pulling my 1977 omc 351w out of my boat

T

texas60

Contributing Member
Hi all,I am getting ready in a week or two to pull out my old 351w out,I have the outdrive off already but just really dont understand how the motor motor mounts unbolt they look greek to me,I have a manual but it kinda vague on when it comes to unbolting the motor mounts,I have pulled plenty of car engines in my life but these are something else!!!!!!!!thats pretty much all I need help with Thanks for any help, I have a reman Jasper engine that I am putting back end and I already put brass freeze plugs in........
 
Without seeing it, I can take a SWAG at how it is installed...
There should be a thing that sits on top of the stringer which is a combination rubber isolator and adjustment bolt. This might be into the stringer with two lags or bolts, so removing the fixings for those should detach the boat from the engine assembly.
Ford mounts bolt to the engine with two bolts that go up through the underside of the mount casting. Worst case is to unbolt them from the block and not worry about getting them out of the boat.
 
Thanks alot yes it does has a combination rubber insulator and adjustment bolt,I"ll try that first ,if not I"ll just unbolt from the block It does have 2 lag bolts!that might do the trick!!! its just such a wierd setup
 
you putting another 351 in ?

If yes leave the stringer lag bolts alone, and unbolt the block side. Use alot of pb blaster. Et it sit and hit it again.

When the motor is out it's easier to transfer what you got to the other motor also out.

When the motor is swinging to be dropped in just go real real slow.

You taking out the bell housing also?

Side note i almost bought a Cobalt bow rider but i really wanted a cuddy.
 
yes I"m taking the bell housing out also............yes mine is a 19ft closed deck lil cuddy small enuff to store very little LOL but wow these Cobalts are Built damn good!!!!!!!!!!I just love it
 
Hey chief, I left the bell housing in.....it just seems more easier that way,I did pull the out drive,but really it does not appear I had too.........if I have to ever pull the engine again god forbid would it have been possible to leave the outdrive in and just make sure the splines are lined up right when attaching the engine and lining it up when I drop the engine back in? I know on autos I have had to leave the transmission in and just made sure the clutch plate was lined up so it wouls slid right in.........I used a flat bed trailer to set the cherry picker on for the height to remove the engine becuz the boat was to high,but it worked out good,I thoght about taking the tires off the boat trailer to give it some more clearance but a friend of mine loaned me his trailer to ste the trailer on
 
There is no need to remove the drive on a stringer boat.

Just place some flat wood under the skeg of the drive fully down and crank the bow up till the skeg sits on the wood. See this stops the drive from dropping when you remove the motor, and iit takes the stess off the coupler.

Thats how i removed my motor left the bell housing in place.

There must be 6-8 inch's in front of the motor to move it forward so the splines come out of the coupler.
 
Thanks Chief, I really appreciate all your knowledge and help!Damn I wished you lived down the block from me I would me your worst nusiance! LOL Oh on my Cobalt floor in front of the engine I have a panel that goes over the 50 gallon gas tank that is screwed down that is about 20" wide and 2 ft. long that I took up,so there was no problem about pulling the engine forward for clearance,,,,,,,,ya just gotta love Cobalts design features.In my opinion Cobalt builds one of the best Boats even back in 1977 such as mine,after sitting in the weather after 20 years with no cover not one soft spot or rotted wood in the whole boat,the only thing I have to do to it cosmetically is to clean all the teak wood treat it and clean up the seats
 
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so the splines look good on the shaft to the coupler, and the coupler splines look good also ?

You changed the water pump in the drive ? Those shaft splines look good ?

Quick story for you. If you want i can post the long post on what happened to me all in a couple of weeks.

Coupler splines go and leave me dead on the water.

Then after replaceing the coupler next time on the water the saft splines go in the drive.

It's a long post if you want i can post it here.
 
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]Aug 5 2008 Tow of shame ! Posted on another website by me.

Ok I just clear the sail boats at Keyport NJ.

I'm running at about 3500 rpm 20 mph everything is perfect, oil pressure, temp, charging, all is perfect.

I'm in about 25 feet of water per my fishfinder/depthfinder.

It's a great day to be alive. I have my 13 year old son the fishing machine with me. Weather is perfect, tide is coming in, slight chop.

I get to the middle of the bay oh maybe 15 minutes, and boom, it happens.

A loud boom the boat feels like i hit a wall and it revs high like i'm in neutral.

Temp. goes to 200 and i shut her off.

I know i didn't hit anything.

I call my friend, he says i'll be there 2-3 hours.

Ok I throw out the anchor. And were fishing.

Put up the Bimini top, and wait.

I calm down, and start thinking, what happened, maybe not in those words.

After all this is a family site.

My friend gets to me and I pull the anchor and he starts to tow me in.

Longest ride in at maybe 1 mph past maybe a 100 boats.

Never been so red faced in my life. Dejected don't even comes close to how i feel at the time.

I get the boat on the trailer and home ok. I's in the driveway now.

OK thats my tale of woe it happened yesterday. Oh by the way i got a keeper and one short the fishing machine nothing.

Now to the question! I need the minds of omc owners and mechanics.

Never easy for me to ask for help!

Ok motor off throttle in gear, Drive fully down. I turn the prop and the ball gears move both of them.

I'm thinking what the ---. No way got to be the water pump shaft stripped out got to be.

I'm turning and turning the prop the ball gears both of them turning.

Has anyone ever heard or seen the ball gear strip on the shaft coming out of the intermediate housing. I don't think the shaft is turning just the gear.

I have not gone out to the boat this morning yet except to walk the hot dog, dog we have. I walked past it but have not touched it yet this morning.

Aug 16-here we go again. Same thread same website 2 weeks latter.
Ok a update and a tip for all stringer owners.

Was the coupler, very, very unusual for it to go. But got a used one and worked great.

Started it in the driveway no problem. Shifted good, Tattle-tale stream strong on the ball gears.

Go out to the bay cause i'm itching to see if i got any mechanical skills left.

Have on the boat me my 16 year old son who is the deer slayer but he don't like the bay to mush. His boy scout friend and farther, 4 people in all.

A perfectly gorgeous day 6:30 in the morning, Bay flat.

Boat is running perfect.

Get to spot one drop the lines, no fish, start her up, get to spot 2 about 1 mile away, drop the lines, no fish.

Start her up go 100 yards, and she strips out the water pump shaft. Shut her off 2 seconds.

Did I as a reasonable person bother to check the water pump shafts, when i was waiting for the coupler in the mail? No. I have to find out on the water.

Throw out the anchor.

Same guy in his bayliner comes for me in 8 hours cause he's working.

Heres the warning guys. If you have a stringer.

CHECK YOUR WATER PUMP SHAFTS EVERY YEAR.

Mine were good 3 years ago. I know i checked them.

Out drive apart waiting for the shaft i ordered. One goes they both go.

One i had.

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WOW! you should write a book! that had me intence! good gawd Chief ever thought about writing a book LOL Steven King on have s.......t on you! thanks Chuck
 
Ok heres some more. So far there is not one piece of the outdrive i have not had in my hands.

The rest of the year went ok.

The next year i'm on the boat in the middle of the bay and i hear another boom, with the motor running i open the dog house.

Water and oil is spitting out the little hose from the valve cover into the carb. Also the whole dog house cover is covered in oil water, milkshake.

I take the hose off the carb and point it down. and putt into the dock. Takes over a hour that takes usually 15 minutes or less from that spot.

So in the driveway, i look at everything, and finally i decide the head gotta come off.

Take it off and the t-stat housing off the head, and what do i find?

I hole behind the neck from the water jacket, into the first pushrod hole, that is allowing water to mix with the oil.

So after finding a head i redo it on my bench and polish the valves and seat in my garage.

If anyone wants to learn a old timer trick just ask.

Anyway new gasket, and i torque down the head, run it on the water all is well.

Why would i re-torque the head on a warm motor in the middle of the bay i don't know.

But i pull up the rear starboard hole. Tried everything sent a crack right down the back i could not overcome.

Sooo mind you the boat sat over eight years and i get 3 years out of it before the drive went now cause of my stupid move i am casting around for a 140 / 3.0.

I want the same series bloc.

Boat doctur gives me a 120 but there was a hidden crack behind the water pump.

So i am looking at ebay thinking it's time to move up and what do i see.

A $400 start bid handyman boat. Merc outdrive, 140 86-87. Can't remember i got the tittle locked in my box even though the hull is long gone.

Soo crafty me let it sit and sit for 4-5 day's. No bids, one day to go so i call him up.

Boat seller - Hello

Me- You got that boat for sale on ebay no one bid on ?

Boat seller- Yes.

Me- What you want for that piece of chit ? " Thinking please please if the motor runs i'll take it "

Boat seller- Oh it's a great hull it ran last year no problems , floor is f--ked up other then that it got a great trailer.

Me- Yea, yea, yea, if the motor runs in your driveway good i'll take just the motor. Again what do you want for just the motor ?

Boat Seller- it all got to go blah,blah, blah, i had a gas station my driveway is full of stuff bring money and buy the stuff.

ME- How mush ??

Boat seller- 600

ME- 400 your lucky it will cost you over 2 hundrend to have the hull ground down.

Boat seller- 500 everything on the trailer got to go.

Me- 400 one hundrend dollar bills straight from the bank put into your hand have the tittle ready i will be there in a hour.

Get there flat tires on the trailer the drive is split on the lower end but the oil was clean in the drive go figure.

Put water to the drive and with his new battery hooked it cranks but don;t start.

I sandpaper the points, and used a matchbook cover to check clearance. Good.

Sandpaper all the connections under the cap. made sure i had spark to the plugs, and clean the fuel filter at the carb fitting. And bring on board a tank of gas and put the fuel hose off the onboard tank into the tank.

Fires right up, oil seeping from the pan lip, not a deal breaker.

Good compression tad low but i know the motor could not have been run for a few years maybe 2.

So air in the tires and pull it home. So now my wifey for lifey is totally please cause i have 3 boats in the back yard and another pos in the driveway.

X-19 open bow. What a nice hull. What to do.

I was looking for a trailer for my 16 foot open bow Arrow Glass 1976 70 hp lake boat. The old trailer boat new with the boat had it. Only used 1-2 weeks a year in fresh water only never kissed saltwater.

I see on the side of the road a old boat for years, and i stop one day, turns out to be a good friend owns it and he says 400 i say 300 all i want is the trailer.

He says ok 300 but it all got to go boat and all. I take it home.

So here i am now looking at the x-19 But it will need about 3 grand as it sits to get it back on the water, new drive, floor and seats people know what it cost, i figure 3 grand at least.

My wife comes out and says whats with that pos, and i say i need the motor. She says ok keep the motor get rid of everything else.

Soo i lash a 2 x 10 between 2 trees in the backyard wide enough for both boats can fit between about 6 feet above the floor enough for me to get the motor to clear the transom I left the boat level.

I i tied up the drive so it wouldn't move when i pull the motor so i can pull the trailer out from under the motor when dangling.

Both motor on a pallet side by side, i transfer the mani' and riser, new motor is a merc.

I transfer the oil pan and oil pump from the 120.

Into my boat goes the new old motor.

What button it up and the motor won;t turn with the starter.

WTF.

I changed the coupler but not the omc bolts that hole the flywheel. one stuck out just enough to contact the bell housing and not let the flywheel turn.

So after removing and correcting the problem and install the motor again.

One 12 hour day, till the motor is purring in the boat with water going to it.
 
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WOW! I thought I was going threw alot OMG! LOL this is why I ask people like you for advice !ya"ll already been there done that Thanks Chief
 
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