New 470 Mercruiser Owner

[achris]

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

...But I love the feeling of building something and making it work the way it should, it is like a drug sometimes.....

It's a pity we couldn't get a few more people to feel like that.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

But I love the feeling of building something and making it work the way it should, it is like a drug sometimes. Now I am just rambling......

Then you should LOVE your 470.

 

[Don S]

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Don, link to outdrive manual #4 is not valid

A new link is now posted. You may also want to download manual #8. It's the 85 to 89 version of the 470. But it may have some better pictures and explantions of things that are similar to your engine.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

But I love the feeling of building something and making it work the way it should, it is like a drug sometimes. Now I am just rambling.......

I'll second that! I think that's probably the best (and only) reason to own one of those........I have had people tell me the same thing about owning an OMC 460 King Cobra!!!


You'll get it running and you'll have a BALL on Shasta, Trinity and Whiskytown!


(I had an RC helo too at one time)



Cheers,


Rick

 

[pcmpete]

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Whiskeytown is my favorite out of the three lakes, local, clean and easy launching.

Are the 470's head gasket, intake gasket and exhaust gasket all the same as the ford 460 gaskets?

plus, I would rather worry about how to fix an old engine than worry how I can keep up on my payments on a new boat

 

[pcmpete]

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Don, thank you for fixing the links

 

[stonyloam]

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Are the 470's head gasket, intake gasket and exhaust gasket all the same as the ford 460 gaskets?

The holes are the same, but the head gaskets are not. The OEM Mercruiser head gasket is designed specifically for that engine and much less prone to failure than the automotive gaskets (470's are used in some race cars, and they use the Mercruiser head gaskets). I would recommend that you stick with the OEM. I would guess that the others are for the Mercruiser only, but they are not very expensive.

 

[pcmpete]

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Before I start working on the 470 here is what I have found so far, so maybe someone can help narrow down the problem before I go any further.

1. Milky oil way up on the dip stick

2. Seal between the manifold and riser looks like sealant has been used.

3.White stuff on the join between manifold and coolant tank.

4. Coolant overflow tank is nearly empty with brown stuff in it.
]

5. Rust on some of the rockers, there are water puddles or oil puddles of water and puddles of milky oil in different parts of the head between the valves.

6. When I took the flame arrester off some water came out.

The PO said that is was a blown gasket, call me old fashioned, but I don't believe people 100% sometimes. So with the info and photos above does this help narrow the problem.

I have not done the following yet:

replaced the oil, milky stuff has been drained.

compression test, waiting until new oil and filter.

leakdown test.

On a plus note, the outdrive trim works and so does the horn

 

[stonyloam]

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Hmmmmmm.... interesting. Water (or antifreeze coolant) in the oil. Not likely to be a cracked block, because it is (should be anyway) filled with antifreeze. Not being an expert, the first thing to determine is where the "water" in the oil came from. Can you smell antifreeze in the oil? If so the only logical place where coolant could get in is past the bad head gasket. If it is water, the only place to get in is the exhaust riser (I think). Pulling the head should tell you a lot. Good luck.

 

[pcmpete]

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Would coolant in the oil be the same milky color and water in oil?

Looks like it is time to take the top off. will post findings.

 

[bomar76]

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

At free that boat is severely overpriced.
Part it out and find a worthwhile project that actually has a future.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Would coolant in the oil be the same milky color and water in oil?

Looks like it is time to take the top off. will post findings.

I would think so, but you should be able to smell the antifreeze. Agree, time to take the top off.

 

[pcmpete]

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

At free that boat is severely overpriced.
Part it out and find a worthwhile project that actually has a future.

So you are not a fan of the 470 I take it? Thanks for your input

 

[guyaverage]

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Water may have gotten into the oil from bad water pump seals. Dont worry, you will be replacing those anyway.

I starting to agree with Bomar76. This one may have been overpriced. If this thing has ever been overheated, what you are finding already is just the tip of a very large 470 iceberg.

You could probably part out the various guts and make a few dollars. I'm not sure I would spend much trying to salvage this one.

 

[bomar76]

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

So you are not a fan of the 470 I take it? Thanks for your input

Roll your eyes all you want.
Sooner or later the money and patience will run out and there still will be a boat that has no end of problems with the engine and no future.

Come back and roll your eyes at me then.

 

[pcmpete]

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Roll your eyes all you want.
Sooner or later the money and patience will run out and there still will be a boat that has no end of problems with the engine and no future.

Come back and roll your eyes at me then.

Considering you don't know how much money i have and how much patience I have, plus ALL engines will have problems and no future in their lifespan I find your opinion more of a personal one than an informative one, but at this stage I want to help this 470 back to life until I change my mind.

Don't get hooking up on someone 'viturally' rolling their eyes, that sounds like a bigger problem than owning a Merc 470

 

[achris]

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Hi Pete,

If it was me doing that engine, the first thing I'd do is a simple cooling system pressure test and a compression test. That will give you some baselines to work with.

Next I'd pull the head, sort out it's problems. While the head's off, pressure test the exhaust manifold and exhaust elbow too. Once those problems are sorted, I'd put them back on, and replace the water pump/camshaft seals. Oh, and while the cooling system's in bits, put in a new thermostat.

I think you said you have the 3" heat exchanger, so I'd get a 4" unit, have it professionally cleaned and put that on.

Then I'd move to the leg. Pull it off, split it and service the water pump. Also have a really good look at the water pocket cover (pressure test it!) and the lower driveshaft seal in the top box. Check (with a view to replacing) the uni-joint bellows and shift shaft bellows. Also a good check of the gimbal bearing and the lower shift cable and the seals at the bottom of the exhaust chamber of the bellhousing, where the shift shaft passes through (if it isn't the new style, then change it). Once it's all back together, check the shift interrupter switch adjustment. Make sure that's right.

Then you're good to go....

Chris...........

 

[stonyloam]

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Water may have gotten into the oil from bad water pump seals.

Actually since it is obviously a lot of water, probably not, unless the weep hole was plugged. The way it is designed, the outside (front) seal, keeps the pressurized coolant from leaking. The second seal is a backup. When the seal wears the pressurized fluid will leak past into the space between seals, but if the weep hole is working properly it simply leaks out and is under zero pressure when it contacts the second seal. So if it is working properly you should not get a significant amount of fluid in the crankcase even if you see a lot of it coming out of the hole. If the weep hole becomes plugged the space between the seals can fill with pressurized coolant, and can dump it into the crankcase through the second seal, big problem.
P.S. Chris made some really good suggestions.

 

[pcmpete]

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

achris and stonyloam, sounds like a good plan of action. I will try perform those test before the week is out, then pull the head and report back with my findings

 

[pcmpete]

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Re: New Mercruiser Owner

Update, I pulled the exhaust manifold and riser off today.
But between the manifold and riser I could only find a plate (#46 in diagram below) and the rest was covered in silicone.No sign no #45's anywhere.
What would the results of those two gaskets not being there.

Please explain why the #45 gaskets have holes for the jacket but the plate #46 does not. Both the riser and manifold have outer jackets. Surely the #46 plate would block the flow, or am I missing something here??

Plus the plate on my riser has no jacket holes, just the big one in the middle.

Thanks

P