3.7 mercrusier 165 horse engine

[Teldred]

i have a 1987 bayliner i just baught it didnt even have pounts in it when i got it but i finally got everything to give it a full tune up and i have good spark but still could not get it to fire even with primi g it or starting fluid i started rechecki g my firing order 1342 and from the dampner pulling 1234 to the back everything seems to check oyt untell. I googled my firing order it say the direction or my rotor shoumd be clockwise but my engine turns over counter clockwise. My roter is also cou ter clockwise infact i cant find one single 4 cyl engie that has a counter clockwise rotation but the starter on my boat is lime brand new could someone have put the wrong starter in my boat before i got it because my engine from the front standing in front of the dampner pully also turns countercrockwise can so eone please help me

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Engine rotation is determined by observing flywheel rotation from the rear of the engine looking forward. Propeller rotation is not necessarily the same as engine rotation. This engine will be/should be a left hand rotation.

The Distributor rotation will be clockwise looking top down with firing order 1342, with 1 being closest to the front.

 

[achris]

Yes you can have a starter motor that turns the engine the other way (it's called 'counter-rotation'), but you should only find them as inboards, not stern drive engines.

 

[Scott Danforth]

is it firing on the correct stroke? if you had the dizzy out, easy to get installed 180 out

 

[Bt Doctur]

did you rep[lace the starter and what one did you use
a 470 being a rear entry stater comes in both rotations.
with rear entry starters a standard rotation engine uses a reverse rotation starter

 

[Teldred]

View attachment 348032
View attachment 348033

Yes you can have a starter motor that turns the engine the other way (it's called 'counter-rotation'), but you should only find them as inboards, not stern drive engines.

That looks like my engine ive never heard or seen it run i have put alot of time and money into trying to get it to run but have had no luck when i stand at the back of my boat and have someone turn over my engine it cranks over clockwise and looking down at the top of my distributer w/ cap off it rotates counter clock wise
Is it wrong ??? Ive never touched the starter but the guy i perchased the boat from may have idk
Does anyone know if there is a such thing as a mercrusier 165 3.7 liter engine in board out board running in a clockwise direction ?
And how do i know if it is a sterndrive ? Thank you for your help

 

[briangcc]

True inboard - prop mounted on a shaft under the keel of the boat. Will have a rudder for steering completely separate from the prop. Motor is generally mounted towards the center (front to back) of the boat.

Sterndrive - prop is mounted on a "leg" which also provides steering for your boat. Motor is mounted close to the transom of the boat.


Unless you have some really oddball Bayliner, you have a sterndrive (i/o).

Going off your description, I'm with everyone else....your firing order is off. Find TDC for Cylinder #1 and go from there.

 

[Teldred]

True inboard - prop mounted on a shaft under the keel of the boat. Will have a rudder for steering completely separate from the prop. Motor is generally mounted towards the center (front to back) of the boat.

Sterndrive - prop is mounted on a "leg" which also provides steering for your boat. Motor is mounted close to the transom of the boat.


Unless you have some really oddball Bayliner, you have a sterndrive (i/o).

Going off your description, I'm with everyone else....your firing order is off. Find TDC for Cylinder #1 and go from there.

Okay thank you yes my prob and stearing is all one piece with the inboard mounted just inside the boat
So i found top dead. Center on my dampner pully i marked it with chalk and also made sure its was on the compression stroke by removing the #1 spark plug and then i went 1342 from in a counter clock wise rotation because when i crank my engine my dizzy turns counter clockwise and i am getting spark but its still not starting or even popping nothing everything ive tried to look up shows the dizzy is suppost to be spining Clockwise not counter clockwise and mine is rotating counter clockwise looking down at it i guess i need to find a book to know forsure i really appreciate your help and advice im a pretty desent mechanic but have never worked on a boat before

 

[Teldred]

Okay thank you yes my prob and stearing is all one piece with the inboard mounted just inside the boat
So i found top dead. Center on my dampner pully i marked it with chalk and also made sure its was on the compression stroke by removing the #1 spark plug and then i went 1342 from in a counter clock wise rotation because when i crank my engine my dizzy turns counter clockwise and i am getting spark but its still not starting or even popping nothing everything ive tried to look up shows the dizzy is suppost to be spining Clockwise not counter clockwise and mine is rotating counter clockwise looking down at it i guess i need to find a book to know forsure i really appreciate your help and advice im a pretty desent mechanic but have never worked on a boat before

I might add that this boat has traded ha d a few times and when i got it was told it had a bad distributer but it was just missing the points and condenser it has good compression and is getting fuel and for the first time in two years is getting spark but noone has been able to get this engine to run but the starter has been replaced before i baught it could they have put the wrong starter is it ? Could that be the problem ?

 

[achris]

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

In order for us to help advise you, we need to know what that engine is connected to, between it, and the propeller. Using Achris' photo, what set up do you have? It is not an outboard.

 

[Teldred]

Yes my boat is defiantly a sterndrive and my engine is definatly cranking over the wrong direction

 

[Teldred]

That is the starter i just pulled out of my boat it has been replaced before i baught the boat and the two owners before could not get it to run they thought it needed a distributor but ive put all new parts in it and am getting spark it still would not start so when i verified the firing order online it said my rotor spin in a clockwise rotation but mine when cracking it turn counter clockwise so my starter must be my problem thank everyone who has helped me learn about my boat thank you so very much i was so lost

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

That's what it sounds like. The starter should be a CW starter, and the engine is CCW.

Here is a link to a page from Arco marine, who makes electrical components, to help determine which you have there. The wear on the starter gear should be on the left side of the gear for a CW starter.
Page 23: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0110/9521/2098/files/ARCO_Catalog_2020.pdf?v=1583937987

 

[poconojoe]

I'd like to follow this.
Are there starters that spin left hand and ones that turn right hand?
Could that be the problem? The starter spinning the wrong way? I never gave that thought. I never heard of an engine cranking in the wrong direction. I guess it's possible.

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

I'd like to follow this.
Are there starters that spin left hand and ones that turn right hand?
Could that be the problem? The starter spinning the wrong way? I never gave that thought. I never heard of an engine cranking in the wrong direction. I guess it's possible.

Yes there are, and it sounds like what he has. Some older inboard engines ran opposite rotation when there were twins. All sterndrive engines turn the same as automotive.

 

[poconojoe]

Yes there are, and it sounds like what he has. Some older inboard engines ran opposite rotation when there were twins. All sterndrive engines turn the same as automotive.

Geeze....so maybe the previous owner replaced the starter with the wrong one and the engine is cranking in the wrong direction.
He couldn't find the "problem" (that he created), so he sold the boat.

I hope it's that simple for the OP, so he can just swap it out and go boating!