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bones774

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Someone wants to give me a 84

Someone wants to give me a 84 century mustang with a merc 470 engine I believe it is called. It has a closed cooling system. Can I start the motor with coolant in system and isolate the outdrive in neutral so as not to damage it?If I put the earmuffs on would that circulate enough water?Hearing not so good things about this motor. Thanks
 
cooling water must be supplied

cooling water must be supplied to ALL engines regardless of type.It cools the rubber exaust components.You engine is fresh water cooled (A/F). The A/F is in 1 side of the heat exchanger and the cooling water is in the other half.
From the drive=thru the heat exchanger= out the riser/elbow.
 
I would never start my engines

I would never start my engines without at least being on the muffs Your just asking for problems if you try it.....
 
"Boats are the only "Gift

"Boats are the only "Gift Horse" that I would look in the mouth. You don't want to start dumping money into an old "Glue Factory Horse" w/a swayed back. Check the condition of the transom, floor and stringers for rot. Ask to take it for a sea trial so he can show you how to operate it.

The 470 is a good powerplant; like any engine it must be maintained and not neglected."
 
"Guy is chocked full of great

"Guy is chocked full of great boating advice. Yes even a free boat can cost you way more than it's worth in the end if it's a lemon. From my experience I will never buy another boat with a real sea trial A sea trial lets you test several things like overall runability of the boat itself. First how easy does the engine start? Then check the temp gage after it's warmed up while driving it to check for running hot or large swings in temp. Also listem for peculiar noises, difficulty steering, does the trim work, does the engine run at proper RPMs and how fast does it get on plane. Then after the trial and the engine is warmed up you can check the internals like compression and pressue test the cooling system. Also while the boat is in the water and you're testing the trim make sure there isn't an oil sheen surrounding the stern which might indicate a leak in the trim cylinders. An d don't forget to check the electrical system, do all gages work? Does the engine sputter when it's warm? After all that then check the condition of the boat itself like Guy said, floors stringers, stern for dry rot. If you buy a boat without a good sea trial you may think of worst case scenario which means dumping a lot of money and/or time into it. My 470 is 26 years old with 780 hours on it but I have complete confidence in it after I ran all the tests I could think of. Also it was a fresh water boat and the previous owner had all maintenance done at a local marina with receipts."
 
"PS:

Thanks for the vote of

"PS:

Thanks for the vote of confidence; many members have great advice but not all run their gums like me.
crazy.gif
"
 
"Ira-

I have the exact same

"Ira-

I have the exact same boat you are speaking of. I love it. Excellent ride, and I have no trouble out of my 470. But I must say- Pay very colse attention to the transom! the rear hull design with that inset outdrive on this boat seems very suseptable to water rot. Don't know why, but I personally think that the drain plug location has something to do with it. I often find alittle water that seems to stay in the back behind the drain in mine,I have had trouble with it twice. the first time I did the repair with wood and fiberglass like most do, and 2 years later it seemed to be getting soft. So I researched, and found the pourable transom called sea cast. It was a pain to get the mixture into the cavity since I didn.t want to seperate the 2 hull half's, but I got it, and no trouble since.
My only other issue with my boat is it seems a bit off balance when on plane. even with an empty boat, and only me driving it tends to lean to the left like there is more weight on that side of the boat. So I offset my fishing gear and coolers to the right, and solve the problem

I have had mine for a few years, and simply won't part with it. a good PM on the motor and attention to gauges is all it takes. Mine runs for miles at a time on Lake St. Clair, and I have all the confidence in the world every time I turn the key."
 
"Good posts. My 470 worked wel

"Good posts. My 470 worked well, but i built it and took care of it. They have a lot of Ford 460 parts in em.

I have 8 of em powering the MY to the left. Ok... that was a joke."
 
"Hey Jeff,
I assume the boat

"Hey Jeff,
I assume the boat in question has a deep-V hull design as my boat does. Try a set of trim tabs, it makes all the difference in the world especially if you have a boat full of people or gear."
 
"PugetSounder-
Yes it does h

"PugetSounder-
Yes it does have a deep v-hull.is there something in the shape of the hull that tips it, or some oddity under the floor? I always wonder about that, I just don't care to pull the floor for a look! that job will be coming soon enough!

Is there one brand better than another if I decide to go with the trim tabs?

I have looked online only breifly at them, and am saving the real research for the winter."
 
"thanks for all the help guys.

"thanks for all the help guys.
After taking a good hard look at boat, some hull perforations repaired, no interior seats, and unknown if engine works, I think it would be best if I parted it out. Please anyone need parts email me and lets see what we can do. Engine is intact."
 
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