mercruiser 7.4L engine replacement project

[mr300z87]

So it has been since October that I have worked on project Sea Ray. My Invader is runing great and we have been spending lot of time burning gas in that. I am off from work this week and have set a goal to have the engine running in the Sea Ray this week. I started final assembly of the engine yesterday. Had a minor set back in the the Main Power from the battery switch to the starter was corroded and unusable. It is a 7 ft 2 Awg and is quite expensive, I then realized that I also need the negative cables as well. One of those will be 6ft and the other 7ft. At $5.00 at foot that is $100 . Dispite then power cable issue I did manage to start hooking up other wiring, installed power steering ram, steering hoses, pump, exhaust flappers and carburetor. Here of photo of some really slow progress.

Tomorrow morning I have dr apt and them Plan to go to the marine when the Invader is to do some work on it, but plan to be back on the Sea Ray in the afternoon. Stay tuned for more updates.

Mike

 

[mr300z87]

Update: I worked on the boat almost all day and am to the point where I need to go over all the fastener and double check to make sure everything is tight. I friend came through with a couple of 7 ft lengths of 1AWG welding cable with lugs at both ends for temporary connections to the battery. So now Its time for exhaust manifolds, power, fuel and then FIRE!!! eace:. Tomorrow in my travels I am going to stop at the auto store and pick up a couple of terminals so I can use the battery from my 68 Plymouth and maybe just maybe fire this think off over the weekend. Here are some photos of final assembly from today.
Bilge pump and floats reinstalled

Raw water/fuel pump assembled and ready to go in


Water pump pulley belts and fuel installed


New water intake hose. BTW install this hose before steering ram. Had to take the ram that I installed yesterday out to get to hose fittings


Stay tuned there are still some days left before it back to the real world and work.

Have a great night

 

[mr300z87]

With the weather report iffy today instead of spending the day on the boat in the water I found some time to work on project Sea Ray and I an happy to say things went well. Tightened up all fuel and PS fitting filled PS pump with fluid installed test battery from my 68 Plymouth.

Got fire Extinguisher just to be safe before I connect power to the boat. There is no fuel on the boat yet.

After connect the power cable to the battery I turned the battery switch to on. I was so nervous that I hooked something up wrong and things were going to go up in smoke. LOL Nothing happened :facepalm:. Any next I climbed up to the helm and turned the key, to my much pleasure the gauges came to life and the engine cranked. This is the first time since I have owned this boat that I have turned it on an had things work. A little while later my wife came aboard to see what was happening. I had to show her my progress, but I also went into the cabin and turned on the radio (it worked although the cassette deck needs to go) and I also tried a couple lights which also worked. Never got any further as family BBQ and a quick run on the Invader before the rains came took precedence. Next up I will get the exhaust installed and try to fire this beast. Hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th

 

[mr300z87]

I have a question. I bought this engine back in August 2013 and did a test run in late September 2013. After my test run it was fogged with fogging oil while running then a shot in each cylinder, then all water drained out for winter storage. In October of 2014 the still winterized block was installed in boat. Fast forward until today this is first time the engine has spun since 2013. So my question is while I have the exhaust still off and easy access to the plugs should I pull them out and squirt some fog oil or MM Oil and give it a spin? Or just add fuel and fire it up?

 

[achris]

A small squirt of 2 stroke oil in each cylinder wouldn't hurt.

 

[Hoosmatroos]

Glad to see that progress is made. Love to hear the beast running.

 

[mr300z87]

Maybe this weekend as Saturdays boating forecast is iffy.

 

[mr300z87]

Well here it is the 28th of August. My Invader needs an engine so no boating for us.
http://forums.iboats.com/forum/engin...at-need-advice
So we decided to scrap the remainder of boating season this year a concentrate my efforts on this project for 2017. Yesterday after a slow start since I had to run to the Merc dealer for the right gaskets as I bought the wrong ones the other day, the exhaust went on

all hoses and wires connected, oil check, PS fluid Check.

I then connected an external fuel source and pulled out my handy fuel squirt bottle, fingers crossed. I hooked my hose up directly too the intake hose on the transom assemble and after a few tries squirting fuel in the carb, and a dead battery from my Plymouth. She fired and stayed running. It had a noisy lifter for about a minute but that quieted down and she sound great.

https://youtu.be/dLpjzwxgOjI

https://youtu.be/BW7kelqq7Pw

Next weekend I will start working on the transom assembly then a quick prop change on the B1 from the Invader,and if all goes well maybe a sea trial before October. I am sure it will still need to run time for test and tuning. All in all I a very pleased. Have a great night

 

[mr300z87]

More progress!! yesterday I was able to assemble the transom housing with new bellows and shift cable. It was a nightmare getting the bellows on to the bell housing, we wrestled with that for almost an hour. I do not recall it being that tough when I did it on the Invader a couple years ago. But I do suffer from CRS. Anyway here is a photo for the mostly assembled back end.

Now it of to marine store for the stupid plastic tapered insert for the water hose.

 

[alldodge]

Now it of to marine store for the stupid plastic tapered insert for the water hose.

Ya have the tool to put the plastic thing in?

 

[mr300z87]

Yes I have that tool, thanks for asking. Now it looks like I am missing the seal for the oil passage between the upper and lower drive sections. Another trip to the store tomorrow. Did not get much done today as the wife had me running around with her this morning. Although we did check out a cool marina for next season.

 

[mr300z87]

Found the seal Yeah!!! I knew I had it.

 

[alldodge]

Quad rings look almost like O-rings, don't they?

 

[mr300z87]

Update: Last weekend I was able to assemble the Bravo 1 Drive I have for this boat.

The 17 P Quicksilver Mirage prop I bought, install for the photo opp. This was the OE prop according to the Sea Ray documentation I found on their web site. I figure its at least a good starting point and it was a cheap ebay purchase. Before I filled with Merc HP gear oil i pressure tested and after a few leaky connections on my tester it held 13 PSI for over an hour.

So I figure it is good to go and pumped in the gear oil. Tomorrows plan is to finish up the transom assembly, connect and bleed the trim rams, mount drive, install new bilge blower, connect fuel tank, pour in some gas, and see if she will fire up on the boats tank. I can then do so carburetor and timing tuning in preparation for a possible sea trial next weekend. Unfortunately we have a my nephews birthday party Sunday afternoon so sea trial is out this week. Dang brother, how dare him have birthday party for his kid!!!!!! I will also need to take the wheels off the trailer and check/pack bearing for the 20mile road trip and dunk in salt water. I am getting kinda nervous about this this being in the water for real. BTW we still have not changed the name as I know that is back luck with out going through proper ceremony and I need all the luck I can get.

 

[mr300z87]

More progress yesterday, first up was trim rams and hoses, then on went the Bravo 1 outdrive with the help of my good friend and boating partner Don.

We then did a quick engine run on muffs, and engaged the drive into forward and reverse, Don shot a video of that but its on his phone so I can not share it at this time. I then installed a new bilge blower, and was going to mount the drive gear oil reservoir on the transom like to old round one that came on this boat, but then realized that the mounting bracket I had fit onto the fuel filter bracket so I mounted it and filled with Merc HP gear oil. Looks factory and the wires for the alarm were there as well. Lucked out with this as I think Merc made may types if brackets for the gear oil reservoir.

Then we started bleeding the trim cylinders and ran out of oil, so today before the wife and I went to the boat show to dream we finished bleeding the trim system and now have that working here is a link to the video of it.
https://youtu.be/efacFk2mHGA

So with a few more thing checked off the list we are almost ready for sea trial. Going to start working through the trailer bearings today, if all goes well and the weather here in NJ cooperates next weekend could be it. Fingers crossed.

 

[mr300z87]

After we went to look at all the new boats we can not afford at the boat show. I came home to started working on wheel bearings. Now as those who have done this know it is a very dirty messy job, fun fun!!!! What I found was not what I was hoping for. Wheel 1 outer bearing perfect, inner bearing toast. Here is a photo of the race :grumpy::grumpy:

On to wheel 2, both bearing are marginal, I did not have time to get to wheels 3 and 4, but with the way things were going I decided to order 4 sets bearings. With work always getting in the way, unless I decide to take a day off this week a Saturday splash is not looking good. All have a good week.

 

[Pete104]

Nothing like a little progress. It all adds up eventually!

 

[mr300z87]

So in between the rain we had all weekend I was able to replace the races/bearings and seal in all 4 trailer wheels, 3 of 8 bearings were trashed like the one photoed above. Greasing bearing is a really messy job and I did not take any photos since my hands were pretty much covered in old and new grease :faint2::grumpy:. But it is done, brakes will be next year hopefully while the boat is off the trailer. It is only a short relatively flat smooth ride the the boat ramp and my friends F250 power stoke should have no problems. The other thing I did over the weekend was go to NJ Motor Vehicle Commission and registered the boat, I had switched the title back in 2013 when I acquired it but never registered it. Next up is trailer lights, I will start working them tomorrow after work, but there is so little daylight left when I get home that I only have an hour before dark. Small steps to the big prize!!!! Right now the plan is to try for sea trial this Friday as long as I can get to the short list of stuff that still needs to be done and Hurricane Matthew stays away from NJ. I will keep the thread posted. Have great evening.
Mike

 

[mr300z87]

Quick update, got a few more things checked off, including transferring insurance and making sure I have towing coverage, just in case. The plan as now is a Friday Splash. Weather forecast as of earlier today was sunny and 70 with light winds out of the east. I am sure I will have trouble sleeping tomorrow night going through everything in my head. Things that still need doing are, finish installing new trailer lights, test lights, connect fuel tank and put some fuel in, (would love to fill it before our wonderful governors 23 cents a gallon tax goes into effect I but don't have a spare $200 at the moment) run engine to operating temp on hose and check timing, clean up tools and junk laying around the deck and I am sure there are few other things to do that I can not think of right now. Days are short now so I am going to try and get out of work a little early tomorrow to check off a few more to dos . I am not religious at all nor superstitious but a some good thoughts from all the iboats forum family for a successful sea trial could not hurt. Friday night I hope to post pics of a beautiful fall day on the Barnegat bay.

 

[mr300z87]

So today was not a total failure but not a success either. First we went through final prep including engine run, then hooked up to my friend's F250 Power Stroke and off to the boat ramp some 25 miles away. The Trailer towed great with no issues, it took a little bis of an effort to get her off the trailer, but she floats and no noticeable leaks . BTW I bought $50 worth of gas today and put 10 gallons in I bought last night and only had a 1/3 of a tank, she holds 100 . She fired right in the water and ran idled nice with every one on board, 2 friends no wives, I put her into reverse to pull out her Bravo drive shifted very smooth but I noticed the steering was kinda funny but though maybe it was just the way she handles in reverse. I get her point out of the marine and realized that the steering reverse turn left go right not good. We looked at it for a few minutes said a lot of bad words, stared at if hoping it would fix it self then said more bad words and finally pulled her out and went for a boat ride on my friends boat before we pulled his out.

After I got home I climbed in the to Invader to have a look at it steering, it turns out that I put the steering back together upside down when I replaced the helm. This a kind rack and pinion system where the flat gear attached to the cable makes with a gear on the helm with 4 very hard to get at bolts. Apparently the cable housing need to mount on top of the helm gear and I have mine mounted on the bottom. So tomorrow I will be crawling under the dash removing the 4 miserable bolts and figuring out how I went wrong??? If the weather holds we might try again next weekend.

I am encouraged that she did not leak and moved under her own power.