1975 Mercruiser 302 after 20 years of sitting

[TriHullNoob]

Alright I am fairly new to the forum, started out over in the boat restoration section and that has led me here for the first part of my (hopeful) restore. Based on serial I believe this is a '75 ford 302 engine. It was properly winterized and all water drained prior to storage, as well as fresh oil etc. However now 20ish years later I would like to work on getting this thing back in the water, the boat is going to be a complete restore, which I don't mind IF I can get the motor back up and running for not a ton of money. I received some great advice from a member on my other post for the motor, pulling plugs and adding some mystery oil letting soak and such before trying to manually turn the engine. As well as of course dumping fuel etc, I got in there today and was able to pull one of the plugs out with pretty decent ease which surprised me, oil on the dipstick looks clean as a whistle, the 6 freeze plugs I can see are all still in tact so the major things seem to be okay.

The engine has some rusty areas which if this engine is to be kept I would like to get a coat of paint over, but before I start working in tight quarters in the boat I wanted to know how hard is it to work on these engines? Will it be easier taking the motor out and is there a guide to making an engine stand on here? I don't have a ton of big engine experience and I don't have a spotless place to be working on it either, I guess my question is whether or not it seems like a good idea for me to do the work to the engine or if maybe it might be better to let a shop take the engine out and freshen things up a bit (hoping that it is in running condition) I am attaching some photos just so everyone can see the condition on the outside of the engine! Thanks for any and all advice!!

 

[Scott Danforth]

before worrying about paint, yes, make sure the motor turns over and runs.

yes it would be easier to remove the motor to paint it. the motor has to come out anyway for a boat restoration. however that little rust shown in the pictures is nothing to worry about.

 

[Grub54891]

As Scott said, once you get it running you can diagnose engine issues and things like that. I'd be a bit more worried about transom/stringer rot. I see a lot of wood chips in the bilge.

 

[TriHullNoob]

before worrying about paint, yes, make sure the motor turns over and runs.

yes it would be easier to remove the motor to paint it. the motor has to come out anyway for a boat restoration. however that little rust shown in the pictures is nothing to worry about.

Haha you could tell I was worried a bit about the rust huh?

So I guess my main question for now(knowing the engine has to come out for boat repairs) is should I take the engine out just to see if it's working or will I be able to work with it enough in the boat to test to see if it's running?

Also in the 3rd picture, what is the glass bubble sitting next to the fuel filter?

 

[Scott Danforth]

that is the fuel filter / sediment bowl on the fuel pump. the other is a water separating fuel filter.

 

[Bondo]

Also in the 3rd picture, what is the glass bubble sitting next to the fuel filter?

Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard,..... I believe you'll find that's a safety sight-glass, if there's fuel in it, the fuel pump diaphragm has failed,....

 

[TriHullNoob]

Appreciate all the quick responses everyone! Got to do a little work on it today, got the alternator loose so I could get to that spark plug, got all 8 spark plugs out with minimal issues, poured a little mystery oil down each hole (spilled some down the side of the engine from each hole as well... gonna grab a funnel of some sort or a little pump can for the future) put the plugs back in (which was the hard part) and letting it sit for the night. I did put a little pressure just with my hands on the crankshaft and no movement at all, but it i need to check to see if its in gear as well, mosquitos came out so I went inside! Any tips at this point as far as hand cranking the crankshaft? just keep on putting mystery oil down there and letting it soak it up?

Thanks everyone!

 

[glennj3]

There should be a bolt in the front flywheel area. Put a socket on it (with the plugs out) and pull the engine over several times. Use a strong battery and make sure it has a good ground, turn the engine over with the battery and the plugs out. Remove all of that old gas, replenish with fresh fuel and see if she will crank up. My need to check the fuel filter and you may have some carburetor problems i.e. overhaul it.

 

[harleyman1975]

Yeah, uh, don't use the crank bolt to turn it over...I know lots of people do it but it can break and then you is in much deeper hole. they make a special socket for this that fits on the crank. If engine is seized up then best to pull engine and fix it right...JMHO.

 

[TriHullNoob]

Alright well before I read that last post I had already gone out and started working. pulled all the plugs, added a few squirts of mystery oil(picked up a squirt can) then let it sit for a bit and put a socked on the bolt. Took some force but finally it slowly turned and started going pretty easy. Had a couple snags but got through I think all of them. Added some more oil, it almost seemed like one of the plugs was full of oil thought maybe I put too much down there? Idk but anyways put all the plugs back in for now. Next gonna work on the fuel tank and find the muffs for this thing before trying to fire it up. If it'll just run like it is for a minute that'll tell me what I need to know.

For gas will I be able to just pull the like and put it in a gas can so I have fresh gas to test?

 

[Alumarine]

You can run a hose from a gas can to the fuel pump if that's what you mean.
Best if there is a fitting on the can that you can put a hose on.

 

[TriHullNoob]

You can run a hose from a gas can to the fuel pump if that's what you mean.
Best if there is a fitting on the can that you can put a hose on.

Well I guess my question is really am I able to remove the hose that connects to the fuel tank and instead dip it in like a gallon gas can and is that to supply fuel to the motor. Like I said I just would want it to run for 30-60 seconds so not much fuel is needed.

Also when I get to that point, can I just use a car battery since I'm doing this in my yard? Don't want to go buy a big marine battery for 30 seconds.

 

[flipbro]

car battery is fine.

 

[Alumarine]

Well I guess my question is really am I able to remove the hose that connects to the fuel tank and instead dip it in like a gallon gas can and is that to supply fuel to the motor. Like I said I just would want it to run for 30-60 seconds so not much fuel is needed.

Also when I get to that point, can I just use a car battery since I'm doing this in my yard? Don't want to go buy a big marine battery for 30 seconds.

Yes, you can just dip it in a gallon can.
I suggested proper connections just to prevent any accidents. Like the gas can tipping over when things get exciting and someone knocks it over.

As flipbro said a car battery is just fine. That's all I use for starting batteries.

 

[harleyman1975]

Well did it start? I gots to know! LOL

 

[TriHullNoob]

Well did it start? I gots to know! LOL

Haha it'll probably be Sunday before I can give that a try!

I did get the fuel tank out of the boat, had my first run in with fiberglass, about half the tank has some well I'd call it pretty poorly done fiberglass. Tank seems to be in good shape, tell me if my plan for it is wrong but I'd like to sand it all down and give it a few coats of rustoleum paint to seal the metal up (and repair any holes prior to this of course) and run some sort of tank cleaner through it.

 

[fishrdan]

I did get the fuel tank out of the boat, had my first run in with fiberglass, about half the tank has some well I'd call it pretty poorly done fiberglass....

give it a few coats of rustoleum paint to seal the metal up....

Is this a metal (steel) tank, fiberglass tank, or a steel tank someone fiberglassed to fix it? An old steel fuel tank could be rusty inside and clog fuel filters, or have pin holes... Ethanol can dissolve fiberglass fuel tanks and cause another issue. If in doubt about the tank's integrity, replace it. A fuel leak can turn the boat into a bomb, so for safety's sake, swap the tank if it looks sketchy.

My ol' 73 Seaswirl's fuel tank didn't leak, but it was riddled with rust inside and I had to carry extra fuel filters as they would get plugged up with rust particles.

 

[bbook83]

This winter, while doing other repairs, I pulled the steel tank from the bow of my 1974 Jolly Roger for the first time since I bought it new. Perhaps like yours, it was glassed into place and I had to cut it out. It has only been run in fresh water and has been stored inside every winter and it didn't leak. I bought a "kit" from NAPA made by Por15 that includes a solvent, metal prep that etches, and a sealant. It takes some time and you have to follow the instructions exactly, but the result for me is a a tank that Is back in service and doing the job. I glassed wood mounts to the hull to which I attached Moeller metal hold down straps, so the tank is more secure than original and can be more easily removed, although I hope to not need to do it any time soon. Perhaps my kids will thank me for the installation some years down the road when I am gone.

 

[TriHullNoob]

Well did it start? I gots to know! LOL

Just had a chance to see if it would turn and sounded like the starter tried (no movement on the front end) couple clicks and nothing so gonna pull the starter I suppose is my next project, any tips on what to be looking for?

 

[TriHullNoob]

Okay took the starter off, seemed fine put it back tapped the solenoid a couple times tried again and bam turned right over! Now this is me holding the key for a fraction of a second not actually trying to start it!

Now is it safe being outside in the breeze no cover on engine to try and start it without a blower motor?