Assembling a 4.3 MerCruiser v6 - Parts check needed

[Gibbles]

I'm also thinking about doing the Edelbrock intake, I believe this should be the correct one to make use of the actual vortec heads?

Edelbrock 2519 Edelbrock Performer Vortec Intake Manifolds | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - Edelbrock Performer Vortec Intake Manifolds with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Intake Manifolds, Carbureted at Summit Racing.

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And per my fsm, I do appear to have the factory webber 4-barrel carb on there now.

 

[Scott06]

I'm also thinking about doing the Edelbrock intake, I believe this should be the correct one to make use of the actual vortec heads?

Edelbrock 2519 Edelbrock Performer Vortec Intake Manifolds | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - Edelbrock Performer Vortec Intake Manifolds with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Intake Manifolds, Carbureted at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

And per my fsm, I do appear to have the factory webber 4-barrel carb on there now.

yes that is the correct intake - vortecs always have 8 vertical bolts on intake

with the webber carb it should bolt up as I dont think any of them used heated chokes.

 

[Pmt133]

yes that is the correct intake - vortecs always have 8 vertical bolts on intake

with the webber carb it should bolt up as I dont think any of them used heated chokes.

I think some may have? The one I inherited came off a 94 and the choke linkages were set up like it had the heated stove pipe choke and it had the external vacuum pull off... I drilled the carb for a later edelbrock style electric choke and ditched the pull off. It does bolt to the 2519 otherwise but there are no provisions for heat crossover on a vortec head if memory serves.

 

[Gibbles]

Well, there is this weird thing hanging lower than the carb that's held in by a single Phillips screw on the starboard side.
I do have a vacuum hose connected to a diaphragm as well.

I didn't see any electrical connections going to the carb either.

I'll get some pictures once I have the carb off.

 

[Scott06]

Well, there is this weird thing hanging lower than the carb that's held in by a single Phillips screw on the starboard side.
I do have a vacuum hose connected to a diaphragm as well.

I didn't see any electrical connections going to the carb either.

I'll get some pictures once I have the carb off.

that sounds like a hot air choke, as mentioned above you would need to convert to electric which is no big deal

 

[Gibbles]

that sounds like a hot air choke, as mentioned above you would need to convert to electric which is no big deal

I'm thinking this is the kit?

Edelbrock 1478 Edelbrock Electric Choke Kits | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - Edelbrock Electric Choke Kits with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Choke Kits at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

 

[Pmt133]

Yes. I used an ebay kit and flipped the choke arm in my vise instead as it was quite a bit cheaper at the time. There is a hole you have to drill for the internal pull off.

 

[Gibbles]

More fun with the engine.

I chatted with the seller, i went for a $400 refund. Pretty much to make up for my time to deal with it.

Filthy ass block and assembly, he isn't sure how it happened due to their hot tank machine or whatever...

Anyways, more $$ towards making this thing nice.

The spin failure still concerns me, but if it's a bent crank i should have a donor from the old engine.

 

[Scott06]

More fun with the engine.

I chatted with the seller, i went for a $400 refund. Pretty much to make up for my time to deal with it.

Filthy ass block and assembly, he isn't sure how it happened due to their hot tank machine or whatever...

Anyways, more $$ towards making this thing nice.

The spin failure still concerns me, but if it's a bent crank i should have a donor from the old engine.

Send the whole thing back , it’s not a matter of swapping cranks. Something is machined wrong if it binds probably thrust surface .

 

[Gibbles]

It definitely feels like it's thrust related.
I popped the rear/thrust bearing cap off to see if it changed, it did not.

I'll save my decision on what do do with it after i finish tearing it down.
I'll also dust off my dial indicator for more science.

The engine was about $1300, the rest was shipping and sales tax.
I would hate to loose some of that if i return it...

I'm also sitting on an entire gasket set and valve train.


The adventure continues!

 

[Scott06]

It definitely feels like it's thrust related.
I popped the rear/thrust bearing cap off to see if it changed, it did not.

I'll save my decision on what do do with it after i finish tearing it down.
I'll also dust off my dial indicator for more science.

The engine was about $1300, the rest was shipping and sales tax.
I would hate to loose some of that if i return it...

I'm also sitting on an entire gasket set and valve train.


The adventure continues!

I would call the seller and say it binds up should not bind up at all. If you put it on a credit card you can always dispute the charge.

Bottom line if it binds up something is wrong machining wise. Had an issue one time where the big ends of the rods when resized were at an angle to the rod face , engine would barely turn over and had marking on the opposite sides of rod bearings. I would look for contact markings on all bearing surfaces.

 

[Gibbles]

I yanked the crankshaft and the mains, everything was dirty as hell.
I cleaned and checked the main clearances, looked like the tighter end of the spec per my factory merc manual for this engine but good.

Pulled the crank and lubed it with some fresh 30w and reinstalled.
I used my dial indicator to check the crank main journals, no movement. Looks good.

Moved onto the thrust surface, no movement whatsoever.
now the non thrust side of the thrust bearing was a different story.
good on the main surface, but a slight deviation on the upper part.
Probably barely catching the thrust bearing.

Slapped the main caps back on, and it spun pretty free, but I could still hear some scratchy sounds where it would bind.

So, caps off again, I took some medium and fine 3m scotch Brite and cleaned the non thrust side of the thrust surface up the best I could.
Cleaned everything, and reinstalled, reset the thrust bearing with the ol deadblow.

Reinstalled and it's fixed?!

I checked the endplay, .002, a little too tight IMO but still spec.

More to come later...

 

[Gibbles]

Here is an image of the thrust bearing.
Rough as fk, the surface feels like when I was a kid and would use a brick or concrete to sharpen a knife.




Groves in the bearing appear to be related to some grit between the crank and the bearing due to sloppy ass assembly.
And some of it almost feels like a manufacturing flaw, I need to still straight edge that thing.

The seller also told me "they spin these engines hundreds of times to ensure it's good".

I'm pretty sure that was a load of ****, if it wasn't they are dumb IMO.
He went from saying i'm full of **** to offering a refund in the same sentence.

I also found it odd that the back sides of each bearing appeared to have a layer of oil and more dirt?!

I know i should have returned this ****, but in the end the seller gave me back $421 (shipping).
Making the before shipping and sales tax price $900.

Machining overall looks good, just the assembler must have been having a bad day and didn't give two fks about his work.

anyways, I'm pulling the oil gally plugs to really scrub this thing.

 

[Scott06]

Here is an image of the thrust bearing.
Rough as fk, the surface feels like when I was a kid and would use a brick or concrete to sharpen a knife.


View attachment 396982

Groves in the bearing appear to be related to some grit between the crank and the bearing due to sloppy ass assembly.
And some of it almost feels like a manufacturing flaw, I need to still straight edge that thing.

The seller also told me "they spin these engines hundreds of times to ensure it's good".

I'm pretty sure that was a load of ****, if it wasn't they are dumb IMO.
He went from saying i'm full of **** to offering a refund in the same sentence.

I also found it odd that the back sides of each bearing appeared to have a layer of oil and more dirt?!

I know i should have returned this ****, but in the end the seller gave me back $421 (shipping).
Making the before shipping and sales tax price $900.

Machining overall looks good, just the assembler must have been having a bad day and didn't give two fks about his work.

anyways, I'm pulling the oil gally plugs to really scrub this thing.

have you measured the bores? you are practicing the age old art of turd polishing....

 

[Pmt133]

I've slapped together some junk but that's rough... I'd probably bail if they are offering....

 

[Gibbles]

I started wondering if i should have just gone through the return, mostly with that weird hangup.

But I'm weird, i like this **** for some reason.
But then I'm weighing in the whole "get it done and go boating/fishing" aspect.

I have some cylinder measuring tools that i haven't touched in years.

I also have a guy that's probably going to install a fresh set of cam bearings and a balance shaft bushing... lol

Pretty much it feels like the cam bearings should come out to clean underneath it.

I believe he is on a jeep safari thing right now, but he should be back by the time i have the parts available.

I'll have him check the bores and give it a once over while he is at it.

 

[Scott06]

I started wondering if i should have just gone through the return, mostly with that weird hangup.

But I'm weird, i like this **** for some reason.
But then I'm weighing in the whole "get it done and go boating/fishing" aspect.

I have some cylinder measuring tools that i haven't touched in years.

I also have a guy that's probably going to install a fresh set of cam bearings and a balance shaft bushing... lol

Pretty much it feels like the cam bearings should come out to clean underneath it.

I believe he is on a jeep safari thing right now, but he should be back by the time i have the parts available.

I'll have him check the bores and give it a once over while he is at it.

Yes you should have returned it. Now you have seen enough chit you have to verify everything that was done.

At this point you are probably better off getting a 4.3 out of a wrecking yard that is unmolested.

 

[Gibbles]

Oh and I pulled the balance shaft last night, this builder !@%#&%.

 

[Gibbles]

Yes you should have returned it. Now you have seen enough chit you have to verify everything that was done.

At this point you are probably better off getting a 4.3 out of a wrecking yard that is unmolested.

Meh, the hard parts are fine, feshly bored cylinders.
Just sloppy assembly.

The jeep guy has better tools than i do, I'll let him make the final assessment.

 

[Gibbles]

And to the orignal engine.
I started making progress getting everything stripped off last night.

I'm hoping to get a nice reference point to where the distributor points to when the timing marks are lined up before i yank the distributor.

Less adjustments when firing this thing up for the first time is preferred.
(Pictures, make some marks, and take measurements)

I also want to measure the distributor gear.
The standard is a .500 size, but i see smaller sizes available as well.
I'm not sure what those are referenced to, so I'm planning to just copy what's there.

Once i have that, I'll be ready to press the order button.