Removing 4.3 Mercruiser Engine

[D265]

Howdy Fellas,

I'm needing to pull my engine to deal with an oil leak at the timing cover. Did try the lazy way with gasket maker but it didn't work out. So I gave it a shot doing it the right way, but couldn't get the engine out all the way. Here is what I did do far:

1. Remove battery
2. Disconnect main wiring harness
3. Disconnect power steering lines (what a mess)
4. Disconnect fuel line coming out of fuel tank
5. Disconnect water hose running over the engine from the back of the boat
6. Disconnect throttle and shift cables
7. Removed outdrive
8. Loosen exhaust hose clamps on both sides
9. Removed lag bolts from engine mounts

After looking at some diagrams I think I missed a couple of bolts that mount the engine to the transom in the back. Haven't laid eyes on them yet but looks like they're going to be under a bunch of hydraulic lines and whatnot on the back of the engine.

Other things I think I still have to do before trying again are removing engine grounds which I couldn't find but ought to be there and taking the gear oil reservoir off the front of the engine.

Can you guys give me an idea of where to look for those grounds? Anything else I've missed before trying again?

 

[Bt Doctur]

most grounding and bonding come from the transom housing ans=d attach to a stud on the flywheel cover port side, 2 bolts at the rear of the flywheel cover takes a 3/4 socket anda long extention

 

[Rick Stephens]

Two bolts at the back of the engine. And make sure the drive is removed.

 

[D265]

So does the gear oil reservoir need to come off?

 

[achris]

So does the gear oil reservoir need to come off?

No. You disconnect the hose at the transom assembly, then plug it so it doesn't leak everywhere.

Chris......

 

[Scott Danforth]

normally, just unbolt the power steering pump and leave it in the boat (no mess)

sometimes I take the exhaust manifolds off the motor prior to pulling it, simply because normally I am pulling V8's and at close to 50# for a manifold and elbow, the stuff adds up.

 

[D265]

One more question, tomorrow night is the big pull, I looked all over and can't find any ground wires on the flywheel housing. Is this always a thing?

If it is always a thing, is there anything I can trace to that mount point? Boat is a 2007

 

[D265]

normally, just unbolt the power steering pump and leave it in the boat (no mess)

sometimes I take the exhaust manifolds off the motor prior to pulling it, simply because normally I am pulling V8's and at close to 50# for a manifold and elbow, the stuff adds up.

This would've been a lot smarter way to go

 

[D265]

No. You disconnect the hose at the transom assembly, then plug it so it doesn't leak everywhere.

Chris......

I never know what to use to plug something like that with. Can't think of anything I might just have laying around in the garage

 

[Scott Danforth]

small bolt, golf tee, saran wrap and a rubber band

 

[D265]

I've got this engine in the air right now and the oil pan won't come off. Doesn't look at all like the manual. Any ideas?

 

[achris]

They are quite solidly sealed on, front and rear corners. The last one I removed broke the timing cover.

 

[D265]

So I wound up getting this done, here are some of the takeaways that would've been useful in hindsight I thought I would share for others.

1. A great way to plug lines and whatnot is a corner of a plastic bag and some electric tape.

2. My oil pan had 10 bolts (5 on each side) and two nuts in the back way up in there on studs. It had these weird flares on each side that meet up with the flywheel housing, I almost took the flywheel housing off thinking there might be some bolts back there, this would've been a huge waste of time.

3. There are ground wires on the port side of the engine. If you're looking at the front of the engine, they're on a stud on the flywheel housing just down and to the left of the ignition coil. There's a few on there, but I only had to pull 1 eyelet which was the first thing you could pull off. This is an important ground, that wire ran back to the transom which had a bunch of other wires tied to it at the transom mount point.

4. Expect to take some other stuff off. Both the exhaust tubes had to come off completely to clear the engine bay as well as the power steering pump. As suggested earlier in this thread, it would've been a lot easier to unbolt the power steering pump and leave the lines attached.

5. If you need a hoist, there's equipment rental places that have them. The one I got was towable and made the job pretty straight forward.