Remote Oil Reservoir Bracket for Gen+ Engines

I'm having a bit of a problem locating the correct bracket for the remote oil reservoir (for the lower unit). The LU is a Alpha 1 Gen 2 and the old engine was a 1994 5.7L (OF276159). On the old engine the reservoir bracket attached to the rear two bolts on the port side of the intake manifold. The new motor has Vortec heads so the bolt pattern is different (four bolts per side, but flat instead of angled like on pre-Vortecs).

I've been to the local Merc dealer a total of three times just to try to get the correct bracket. The last thing I was given was part #860065A1. The bolt pattern on this part does not allow its installation on the back of the heads.

Is there something I'm missing as far as where this thing goes, or does someone know the correct bracket I should be looking for?

Re: Remote Oil Reservoir Bracket for Gen+ Engines

This ain't rocket science. Just mount it anywhere inside the boat above the top of the drive. The transom offers a large enuff area.

Re: Remote Oil Reservoir Bracket for Gen+ Engines

jtybt said:

This ain't rocket science. Just mount it anywhere inside the boat above the top of the drive. The transom offers a large enuff area.

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LMAO. If it were rocket science I'd have it done already!

So I'd have no problems down the road with mounting it directly to the back of the cylinder head using only one bolt (since only one hole of the bracket will line up)?

While this definitely isn't rocket science, I'm making some effort at doing things as close to "by the book" as possible, not only for my sake, but also for the sake of whoever owns the boat next. I'm trying to avoid someone down the road having to deal with some of the stuff I've dealt with - leaking fittings (one of which leaked into the bilge) due to everything being sealed or bedded in household silicone, and dumb s*** like finding the ignition coil zip tied to a water hose.

Re: Remote Oil Reservoir Bracket for Gen+ Engines

A little hint! Manufacturers mount everything on the engine so as to have a drop in package.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with mounting things on the transom to un-clutter the engine

Re: Remote Oil Reservoir Bracket for Gen+ Engines

jtybt said:

A little hint! Manufacturers mount everything on the engine so as to have a drop in package.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with mounting things on the transom to un-clutter the engine

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Everything would be a heck of a lot easier if the boat was set up different, but the way the transom is setup makes it a bit hard to get the bottle back there in a manner that would also allow for fluid to be added. I know exactly what you're talking about as I've seen enough boats with much real estate on the transom, but I'm kinda limited in usable space back there. That's why I brought up using the back of the cylinder head, since it's free space and closer to the wiring.

Re: Remote Oil Reservoir Bracket for Gen+ Engines

Can't help, love your motto...
you stole it or was it a moment of enlightenment LOL?

Re: Remote Oil Reservoir Bracket for Gen+ Engines

proxyx said:

Can't help, love your motto...
you stole it or was it a moment of enlightenment LOL?

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It was a moment of enlightenment.

Welcome to being the son of a man who spent WAY too much time in construction and equally too much time around heavy machinery.

Ask him for a hammer to drive a nail, he gives you a 5 pounder. Leave him alone to tighten anything 3/4" or smaller and it would definitely get broken. The infamous "a quarter turn before it snaps" is a half turn too little, and there isn't a thing in the world that can't be held together with a generous helping of epoxy; even if said thing is threaded.

So yes, it's a weekly occurence for me to tinker with something until it fails, then spend the next hour kicking myself for not stopping when that little voice told me to stop...the third time .

P.S. - Good luck with the alignment tool thread! The old man got a kick out of it; then again he's the type that thrives on improvising even when there's a perfectly suited tool for the job. I guess some take satisfaction in doing it themselves, and others take satisfaction in doing it by the book every time. Like most other things in life the truth likely lies somewhere in the middle.

Re: Remote Oil Reservoir Bracket for Gen+ Engines

Haha, I had a good laugh. Sometimes we all fall victim to an urge to go a 1/4 turn further... and later wish we could kick the clock back just 1min. Great post... still laughing.

Re: Remote Oil Reservoir Bracket for Gen+ Engines

proxyx said:

Haha, I had a good laugh. Sometimes we all fall victim to an urge to go a 1/4 turn further... and later wish we could kick the clock back just 1min. Great post... still laughing.

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I have a cylinder head in the garage that was tonight's victim. I was pulling out the press fit rocker studs so I could tap the head for screw in studs and when I got to the last stud I decided that I had enough of doing it the right way (the tool made for that purpose and a ratchet). Out came the impact wrench and 10 seconds later I have a junk head. It turns out, and is no surprise, that the boss those studs press into aren't built to stand up to an impact wrench. Trying to save myself five minutes cost me a couple hundred bucks.

Re: Remote Oil Reservoir Bracket for Gen+ Engines

I used dremel brush to get into the corner to clean the aluminum window frame... standard thing, easy... wife said fuggetboutit, no, just 1 minute... scratched the window quite bad and in such spot that to get it out Lucifer would get shivers... no way to fix it. Need to remove windshield. I know the pain. **** happens but shouldn't it happen first to my neighbor...?
Good luck with the bracket. I have one on the boat, never thought it can be a ***** when repositioning.

Re: Remote Oil Reservoir Bracket for Gen+ Engines

This link is for your year for the square bottle.http://www.mercruiserparts.com/Show...=OIL+RESERVOIR+COMPONENTS+(SQUARE+OIL+BOTTLE). But you may need to move the bottle up to the front of the engine with one of these brakets and A longer hose.http://www.mercruiserparts.com/Show...=2686&bnbr=270&bdesc=OIL+RESERVOIR+COMPONENTS. Good luck to you.

Re: Remote Oil Reservoir Bracket for Gen+ Engines

boat teck said:

This link is for your year for the square bottle.http://www.mercruiserparts.com/Show...=OIL+RESERVOIR+COMPONENTS+(SQUARE+OIL+BOTTLE). But you may need to move the bottle up to the front of the engine with one of these brakets and A longer hose.http://www.mercruiserparts.com/Show...=2686&bnbr=270&bdesc=OIL+RESERVOIR+COMPONENTS. Good luck to you.

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Thanks for the follow up. To close this out, I ended up taking the bracketry I had and simply using one bolt and a lockwasher to affix it to the back of the cylinder head. I've had the boat out in 4 footers and the bottle is still in position. Unless my gear oil gets heavy without my knowledge, it should be fine.

Re: Remote Oil Reservoir Bracket for Gen+ Engines

StevNimrod how come everything you have just explained on how you tend to go about things sounds exactly like what I have been experiencing and how I go about things for the last 6 years never want to take the time and stay on the path you know is right even when you have the knowledge and tools to do it with no hastles. But anyway glad to hear yor bottle bracket worked out. Do what I do tell yourself to take your time but I never listen and end up paying for it sooner than later.

Re: Remote Oil Reservoir Bracket for Gen+ Engines

fat fanny said:

StevNimrod how come everything you have just explained on how you tend to go about things sounds exactly like what I have been experiencing and how I go about things for the last 6 years never want to take the time and stay on the path you know is right even when you have the knowledge and tools to do it with no hastles. But anyway glad to hear yor bottle bracket worked out. Do what I do tell yourself to take your time but I never listen and end up paying for it sooner than later.

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Fanny, you aren't too far from me. I fish a lot of lakes near Alliance during the summer. How about this recent string of weather?

I was to the point where time was not on my side. My mechanic friend was getting ready to start breaking ground for a new rack storage system and my boat was in the way. After I found the correct bracket I realized why most people who have had the engine out take off the bracket - the only thing it's really good at is getting in the way.

Earlier this summer I fabricated a bracket for my ignition coil (since the PO attached it to, of all places, the water intake hose!) so I'll take some of the leftover stainless and make a bottle bracket if I need to invent a project to get me out of the house and into the garage. For now, the one bolt system is holding well.

Re: Remote Oil Reservoir Bracket for Gen+ Engines

Lived here all my life and the weather is predictable warm today snow tommorrow. My seasons done for Belin is about 2' deep now and I don't bother with West Branch and the river is to far for a late season trip. But I do know what you mean abut the bracketry location this spring the lube resivior is being relocated to the sub-transom of my bimini locker just enough hose to reach. Just remember if your on Berlin any time after the 4th of july stay as close to the middle as possible or you'll be shopping for a new prop the Army corp starts draining off about 6" a week or so after the 4th. Good luck with the garage time. If you need any tech help let me know via PM I don't know everything but I keep my 3.0 perring.