350 Mag - Air Actuated Single Point Drain System Q

[jayson1980]

It is going to freeze in my part of Oklahoma this week so I went down to my new boat today (new to me, it is a 2006 Funship) to drain the water out of my 350 Mag. The manual I have is a SELOC, and it tells me that when I activate the air actuated system with the pump, that water will drain from the distribution housing and the seawater pump. I only noticed water draining from the distribution housing. Is my drain system not functioning properly? When I find videos of this system online (single point - either manual or air actuated), I only see water draining from the distribution housing - which makes sense to me since it is called a SINGLE POINT drain system. So am I good?
Thanks!

 

[thumpar]

Re: 350 Mag - Air Actuated Single Point Drain System Q

Just use the Seloc as a knee pad as you do the job and get your manual from the links in the adults only section.

 

[alldodge]

Re: 350 Mag - Air Actuated Single Point Drain System Q

It is going to freeze in my part of Oklahoma this week so I went down to my new boat today (new to me, it is a 2006 Funship) to drain the water out of my 350 Mag. The manual I have is a SELOC, and it tells me that when I activate the air actuated system with the pump, that water will drain from the distribution housing and the seawater pump. I only noticed water draining from the distribution housing. Is my drain system not functioning properly? When I find videos of this system online (single point - either manual or air actuated), I only see water draining from the distribution housing - which makes sense to me since it is called a SINGLE POINT drain system. So am I good?
Thanks!

If your doing it according to the manual you should be fine.

 

[thumpar]

Re: 350 Mag - Air Actuated Single Point Drain System Q

If your doing it according to the manual you should be fine.

But he is using a Seloc manual.

 

[thumpar]

Re: 350 Mag - Air Actuated Single Point Drain System Q

This manual should cover your engine Boatinfo - Mercruiser Service Manual nr. 31 - 2001-Up - 5.0L (305), 5.7L (350), and 6.2L (377) Engines

 

[Fun Times]

Re: 350 Mag - Air Actuated Single Point Drain System Q

The manual I have is a SELOC, and it tells me that when I activate the air actuated system with the pump, that water will drain from the distribution housing and the seawater pump. I only noticed water draining from the distribution housing. Is my drain system not functioning properly?

Hi there, If/since you have the air actuated system, with everything working correctly, 99% of the water should come out of the distribution housing while your only draining the sea water pump assembly and related water hoses to make up the 1%.

The system should drain for a minimum of 5 minutes. Also be sure to remove the blue vent plug off of the thermostat housing or it may not drain properly.

Since you're not sure if any water came out, your best alternative is to try and remove both blue plugs at the sea water pump housing and crank the engine over ever so slightly to help purge out any remaining water.

You'll want to be careful with the sea water pump air actuator system as sometimes when doing an new impeller, the air actuator hose fittings can be damaged so that the hoses will not reinstall correctly thus not allowing the water to drain this time of year.

Here's some pages you'll want to see in the OEM service manual.

Boatinfo - Mercruiser Service Manual nr. 31 - 2001-Up - 5.0L (305), 5.7L (350), and 6.2L (377) Engines

Hope this helps, Good luck.

 

[jayson1980]

Re: 350 Mag - Air Actuated Single Point Drain System Q

Thanks for the responses. I went down today to pull hoses to see how well the air actuated system worked.

When I finally located the blue wingnuts on the pump (man it was way down there), I pulled those and only a trickle came out.

I also wanted to check the drains in the block to see how well the air system drained the block, but on the air actuated system, the block drains actually have hoses coming out of them (that are on quick disconnects), so I disconnected those and not even a trickle came out.

Since those quick disconnects connect to a brass fitting that screws into the drain hole, I wanted to unscrew those fittings to make sure the hole wasn't clogged with gunk, but my socket set didn't have a long 9/16ths that would fit those fittings.

My question is, if I stick a screwdriver up into those brass fittings to make sure the fittings' passageways are open and not clogged, I won't hurt anything will I? Those fittings aren't part of the air actuated system with any high tech valves or anything inside of them right?

Thanks!

 

[Bondo]

Re: 350 Mag - Air Actuated Single Point Drain System Q

Thanks for the responses. I went down today to pull hoses to see how well the air actuated system worked.

When I finally located the blue wingnuts on the pump (man it was way down there), I pulled those and only a trickle came out.

I also wanted to check the drains in the block to see how well the air system drained the block, but on the air actuated system, the block drains actually have hoses coming out of them (that are on quick disconnects), so I disconnected those and not even a trickle came out.

Since those quick disconnects connect to a brass fitting that screws into the drain hole, I wanted to unscrew those fittings to make sure the hole wasn't clogged with gunk, but my socket set didn't have a long 9/16ths that would fit those fittings.

My question is, if I stick a screwdriver up into those brass fittings to make sure the fittings' passageways are open and not clogged, I won't hurt anything will I? Those fittings aren't part of the air actuated system with any high tech valves or anything inside of them right?

Thanks!

Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard,.... use a nail, or piece of wire, or coathanger, or weldin' rod or,...???.....

That'll be the true Test of the system,... That's the worse, most likely choke point,....

I leave a deckscrew layin' on the intake to poke, 'n prod those holes when drainin',...

 

[Fun Times]

Re: 350 Mag - Air Actuated Single Point Drain System Q

My question is, if I stick a screwdriver up into those brass fittings to make sure the fittings' passageways are open and not clogged, I won't hurt anything will I? Those fittings aren't part of the air actuated system with any high tech valves or anything inside of them right?

Thanks!

No you will not hurt anything by poking the fittings. And now that you have discovered the quick disconnect fittings, you should every year pull them and poke them to ensure there is no sand build up in the engine block.

Probably should have told you the two blue plugs on the sea water pump will be a joy to both remove and reinstall.:mad-new: