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1976 Ford 302 Tilt problems

Most of that line is under the deck. I looked at some of my pictures of the deck re-build and it goes right along the fill line and is pretty level, until it goes up the transom. I probably blew it out when we were dissecting this problem before when I put on the new vent.
Here is a link to the fuel filter that I was looking at:

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www.amazon.com
 
On the water separating filter, you want the inboard version...it should have a metal bowl, no t the plastic bowl...
 
Okay, I found the metal kind with 3/8"NPT ports. Also, on the fuel pump, I was trying to remember where I bought it from, I thought it was Sierra Marine, but it has an extra 1/4" NPT port for the glass bulb instead of the clear tube, so it is a very limited selection, unless I use the tube, but not sure where to find this or if it will work with my set-up.
 
My big blocks have run for decades on 3/8" hose using 1/4" NPT fittings so what you have should be fine...

You really don't want to run any sustained period of time at WOT...the engine won't last long doing that...
 
Well, I am really striking out here. I forgot to flush out the engine after my trek on Sunday, so after a hard day's work I set up the hose and turned on the ignition and pushed the tilt switch down, and nothing. No down, no up. I didn't bother to troubleshoot it. I did get some water in the bilge, as going in reverse for a few miles, water was leaking in the vent pipes on the transom, right above the tilt motor. but it did tilt up at the marina.
I don't usually have these kinds of "troubles".
 
An update: On the tilt, I jumped the tilt solenoids from battery side to the motor side, to bypass the solenoid, which produced no reaction. But I jumped directly from the Batt terminal on the assist solenoid to the tilt motor wire and it worked. Apparently, my new wiring between the Batt terminals of the solenoids is faulty. And I thought I did such a good job. I didn't pursue that any further but glad it wasn't my tilt motor. I hooked up the water hose and started my engine and blew the saltwater out of it. Then I checked the shift electrical, and had 12 volts to the forward and back, so it wasn't just an electrical problem. I tilted the out drive to about 30 degrees so I could it take off. So, I took off the outdrive and brought it to my garage for dissection.
 
Another update: I got the outdrive apart and so far, it is looking eerily like the last time. When I pulled out the prop shaft and all the reverse stuff, the snap ring that holds forward drive gear on was just lying there under the pinion gear and the pinion gear and the forward gear are all chinked-up. Lots of metal flakes over everything and the spring magnets were chuck full. I am again having a problem with that nut holding on the pinion gear, and the driveshaft. There is only about a sixteenth of an inch of bolt to try to grab onto, so no open-end wrench is going to stay on that. I have that 1 - 1/16" socket that I hacked so that I could get it in there and not bump into the forward drive gear, but I don't seem to be able to get a grab on it for some reason. I've ground down the edges of the socket, as the bolt is kind of counter-sunk into the pinion gear, but it is like the socket is too small. I can't see in there or can't get a micrometer in there. Not sure what they were thinking when they designed this nut.
Anyway, that is my problem to resolve.
I suspect I will find the same thing behind the forward gear as last time, a broken clutch spring - or maybe it just came loose.
The last time I did not take out the forward coil, as it checked out good at 5.6 ohms, I believe, as it takes kind of a special set-up with a slide hammer and a heavy strap with some bolts in the coil to pull it out, so I just put the prop shaft back in. Also, that is where you shim the forward gear, and I didn't have the shimming tool, so I just stuck the prop shaft back in there, which is likely my mistake, as it did the same thing.
I don't know how I will get the shimming right. Any ideas on that? Or what else may have gone wrong? It is fairly catastrophic for a half hour run time.
 
I would suspect the snap ring is distorted or the groove is worn. If you look closely at the snap ring, 1 side should have sharp edges & I would think you want them to face outward towards you as you install it. If rounded edges point out it can possibly walk up the groove.
 
The snap ring may have been installed backwards. It was new, and the groove is probably worn after two such incidents. Do you think that would cause my catastrophe?
On my other problem of the engine cutting out at high rpm, I had Grok do the math, and it seems I should be fine with 1/4" NPT fittings with 3/8": barbs, even if I upgraded to a four-barrel carb. He did suggest upgrading to the water-separating fuel filter, and to put it on between the pump and the carb, which mine is between the tank and pump.
So, I am thinking that maybe the carb reservoir wasn't empty, and it didn't start right away for whatever reason. which may mean that maybe it was a carb deficiency, and maybe I should put on the four-barrel.
 
To be honest, I don't know if the filter placement matters. On my Shell Lake I installed it before the fuel pump. It's been there 22 years. I placed it there because the copper tubing came aft under the gunnel & turned inboard. I just cut it shorter, put on a new flare & threaded right into the housing. I could bolt the unit to the transom then use hose to the pump. I'd think before would protect the pump from water & debris.
I don't have a MerCruiser with a factory water seperator handy to view its factory placement.
I use the MerCruiser (or Sierra equivalent 18-7983-1 kit). The filter element 18-7944 is the standard MerCruiser filter & easy to find.
OMC did have a similar unit but the thread size is larger & an oddball to find.
I know there were some recommendations about metal vs plastic units that could be drained. I would go metal if I wanted to go this way, but why? The replacement elements are reasonable price.

I'm not certain on your lower unit snap ring debacle but why else wound it pop out?
OMC has a special wrench for pinion nuts. I'll measure, get P/N & picture. Stand by.
 
Used on outboards too. 7/8" P/N 334455
Center is raised up to fit into the bottom of the pinion gear.
 

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I ordered a used lower. Maybe I can save my fishing season. I will have mine as backup and rebuild.
I also ordered a new filter base with 3/8" NPT fittings and a Sierra 18-7866 metal element.
My nut is 1-1/16". A wrench like that would certainly help. That wrench is $203.73 on this website! Sell it on E-Bay!
 
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It's been a long time since I've had one apart that far. I wonder what I used?
A reseal job doesn't require pulling a pinion gear/driveshaft.

The wrench is just part of my MerCruiser/OMC/Arctic Cat/pneumatic/automotive/ect in these drawers.
 

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FWIW, Racor clearly states their marine filter elements are most effective when installed on the suction side of the fuel pumps. And I have yet to see a factory install where they deviated from this approach.
 
Droid, it looks like you have a fortune on Ebay!
And Mark, thanks for your input. I'll put the filter on the tank side of the pump, like the old one.
 
Maybe but it will be my kid's problem after I croak. All my new parts & tools are on spread sheets so they can be identified.
 
The Battle of the Bolt - Round Two:
I bought an inch and one-sixteenth open-end wrench with an open-socket on the other side, hoping I could get some grab on the nut. I put the open end on the nut, or tried to, and I couldn't definitely even get it on the nut, as if the nut was too big. Maybe it is just deformed, but I can't get the socket on it, or the open-end wrench. And it is hard to see what is going on in there.
So, I thought I might tap it out with a large screwdriver and a four-pound mallet, hitting the edge of the hex-nut. It seemed like I could get a pretty good hit with the mallet, and sometimes a couple hits on the nut and dug out a little notch in it, but so far, no movement.
 
Interestingly, a friend called today & his '65 150 HP V6 gearcase us making unfriendly noises. I resealed it 2 years ago & has worked well until yesterday.

This is the very early drive with the oil level screw below the cavitation plate & uses a prop shaft with a ecentric that operates an oil pump to pump the oil up to the top bearing. I have a slightly newer unit on hand & hopefully we can make 1 from 2. All these units had the 4 bolt top cover & smaller aluminum water pump swivel housing.

So to his house & pull the gearcase from the trunions. Intermediate is OK.

Separate upper from lower. This thing is so early there is no drain on the upper. Take top cover off & dump out dirty oil. No metal.

Drain lower & full of metal. Disect it to the point of viewing broken pinion gear & chipped fwd gear. There is that precious nut you like so well. Definitely 1 1/16". Socket won't fit, maybe if you grind 1 side open (sort of like a 3/4 round crows foot) to clear fwd gear?
I had no problem slipping open end wrench on BUT I don't know if it will grab enough. It looks like yes it will. I didn't bring my spline socket to turn the drive shaft. So tomorrow he comes over & we pursue further.
 
Yes, I do have a 1-1/16" socket that I sliced up to fit but can't get a grip. I am considering doing that with other side of the open-end, cutting it with an angle grinder to clear the forward gear and then grinding it down to fit that countersink. Maybe pry it open a bit to fit the nut.
When you say reseal, what do you do?
 
He was getting water in the oil. So new seals at drive shaft, propshaft, inside the cover where the steering swivels & new gasket. Oil stayed clean until now. Still no water just metal.
 
Neil here's the resolution for the V6 broken gears.....
As I stated above it is a very early drive with 19:28 gear teeth (quite small teeth) used in 64 & early 65. Boat was delivered new in April 65.
I actually had 2 next generation drives that have the oil level screw just above the cavitation plate (still uses oil pump). These are late 65 thru early 67 4 & 6 cyl units. 15:23 gears (much larger teeth). 1 had prop shaft & reverse gear/spring/coil removed & coil robbed.
The other was complete, held pressure, no water or metal in oil & shift worked with power applied.
Long story short, gear ratio is almost equal so we used the complete gearcase, reassembled it all & ran it about 40 miles today. No issues. I sold him both for $400
We never even tried to take the pinion nut off, so IDK.
 
BTW, when the 5 bolt top gearcase happened, the oil pump was deleted & the oil level screw was moved up again about 1" to just below the spray fin.
The 15:23 gear set was used thru 77. IDK if same part numbers the whole production run but same ratio.
 
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