Bought a boat that sat without rinsing after being in saltwater.

I hope you can help with the limited amount of information that I can provide. Here is what I know: We just bought a boat with a 1975 165 HP Mercruiser I/O motor. It will only 'click' when we try to start it. It has new batteries. We were told that it was used in salt water and then left sitting for several months without having been rinsed. Are there any things that we, being not terribly mechanically inclined, can try to get it running before having to resort to taking it to a mechanic? We were told to try to 'break loose' the flywheel with a crow bar because the salt exposure may have caused it to freeze up, but we wanted to hear more opinions before we tried that. Thanks so much!

Re: Bought a boat that sat without rinsing after being in saltwater.

Not "rinsing" for a few months does not lock up an engine. That is caused by problems with the cooling system leaking into the engine.
Pull the spark plugs and see if any of the plugs are rusty.

PS: If there is salt water in your cylinders that has been there more than a week, you need a new engine.

Re: Bought a boat that sat without rinsing after being in saltwater.

Are you sure the starter solenoid are working properly?

Re: Bought a boat that sat without rinsing after being in saltwater.

First thing is remove the spark plugs and then put a socket on the crank shaft bolt and then try to turn the engine over by hand.

IF you can turn it:
Then spray some light oil in the cylinders through the plug holes and turn in over by hand a few times.
Then check all the conections at the batt and the starter to be sure they are clean. if not then clean them. Try to crank it again with the starter. You may need to pull the starter and have it checked at a starter/alt shop, NOT autozone!!

If you can NOT turn it by hand then its time to call the mechanic as there is bigger problems. You can try shooting PB Blaster in the plug holes and then let it sit for a day and try it again. But at this piont its doubtful that it will run or atleast not run good.

After you get it cranking on its own then you will have other steps to go through to get it running. You need a manual and a friend that knows a little about motors.

What ever you do, dont just throw parts at it. This a waste of time and money and you will become discouraged fast. I have bought many cars that people have just given up on, one of them took me 5 mins and a 6" piece of gas line to get running again, they had spent 2 months and a couple hundred dollars on it and it still didnt run. I got it running right in thier driveway and drove it home. they were not happy. But i was..

Re: Bought a boat that sat without rinsing after being in saltwater.

Thank you all SO much for the wealth of information! We will take the weekend (well, Sunday and Monday is our 'weekend') to go through everything and see how it goes. I will be sure to let you all know.

Re: Bought a boat that sat without rinsing after being in saltwater.

I would also pull the out drive and then try turning the engine over by hand. If it turns over your problems are in the drive.