Evinrude 175 V6 questions

[sphelps]

Hello all ! I have acquired a 175 V6 and I don,t really know the condition it,s in or if it's worth saving /fixing .. It came with a project ski boat that I will be restoring over the next few years.. The model # is 175849C .. It's not frozen up . I can turn the flywheel fairly freely ..
It seems that it's missing a starter and it came with no controls .
So before I start sinking a lot of money into it I'd like to know if it's worth the time and money ..
Can I check the compression with a rope or will I need to find a starter for it ? I do have a older 50 hp rude that I can take the starter off of just to test it but not sure if it will work or not .. I only paid 200 bucks for the B/M/T so if this motor is salvageable it would be fantastic !
Here is the only pic I have down loaded at the moment ..
What year do you think it is an 84 ? Thanks for any help you can give !

 

[kennywaynem]

I recently bought a boat with one of thos mine is a 1980 but I cant really tell from that pic to vompare to mine

 

[Barnacle_Bill]

It is a 1978 and yes you can use a rope to check the compression. At least it will give you an idea where you are at with it.

 

[sphelps]

With checking it with a rope ... Do I need to ground the plugs or will it not hurt to check ungrounded ....

 

[emdsapmgr]

This has the old-style coils and power packs. Barnacle Bill has the right year. The starter would probably yield the best compression results as opposed to rope pulling. Unlikely the small 50 hp starter will bolt up to the engine. Agree, if you remove all the plugs when you take the readings-you should get at least some type of idea about the compression. A normal starter cranking at 250 rpm's should yield compression in the 110+ range. I'd also be shining a pencil flashlight into each plug hole to see if you can determine the condition of the piston crown and cyl walls. That engine probably has the pistons with the high-mounted top rings-which do not have a good track record with today's lousy fuels. You can remove the 6 bypass covers and look right into the combustion chambers. Esp look to see if the rings are all intact. All you risk is 6 cheap bypass cover gaskets.

 

[sphelps]

Thanks for the replies ! I will try with a rope first just to see if I can get a reading .. And do the other suggested thing . If I were to get a service manual which should I get . Clymer ,Seloc, or a factory one . I,m not positive but it may be missing a starter bracket ? A parts diagram would be nice ..

 

[racerone]

The starter dies not need a bracket.----Based on the cosmetics of the motor I would do some checks on the overall condition before spending a penny.

 

[emdsapmgr]

You can get the original factory service manual from the original publisher: Ken Cook Co. Either call them in Milwaukee or go to their website: outboardbooks.com. Don't buy any other service manual. Sometimes you can get original used ones cheaply on ebay. These are specific to just that engine and completely cover all the engine systems. You will find your 175 is a 150 with bigger carbs.

 

[sphelps]

I wonder if this one covers the V6 ..http://www.ebay.com/itm/1978-evinru...-hp-/111478032864?hash=item19f49bc9e0&vxp=mtr

 

[BoatingCop]

I wonder if this one covers the V6 ..http://www.ebay.com/itm/1978-evinru...-hp-/111478032864?hash=item19f49bc9e0&vxp=mtr

Yes. Looking at the cover, it looks like it pertains to a 1978 175. A good price too!

 

[sphelps]

Ok , I checked compression using the pull rope .. Consensus numbers after reading them many times over and over are ..
63
63
60
63
63
60
These were averaged numbers pulling the rope 3 or 4 times on each cylinder releasing the pressure after each pull ..
Are these numbers good enough to go ahead and buy a starter for it ? Tomorrow I will see if I can find a small flashlight and look into the plug holes . I wish I had one of those inspection camera thingamajigs ...

 

[vasy]

If you are rebuilding the boat over the next couple of years, why not take your time and rebuild the motor as well just to be sure?
Sounds like time is not of the essence here, and you would at least be 100% sure that internals are all good.

 

[racerone]

????----explain releasing the pressure after each pull.---Normally you would pull on the cord untill pressure stops rising.----Remove the 6 bypass covers to inspect pistons and rings.

 

[sphelps]

Well The first round of test I did it like you said . Pulled the rope over and over without releasing the pressure and the readings were pretty much the same within a pound or two .. Then I went back through releasing the pressure after each pull of the rope . It seemed the numbers I was getting more consistent as I got better at pulling and turning the motor over .. My shoulder still hurts .. . I will check again doing as you suggest if that will give a more accurate reading ..
As you can tell I am not the best at doing anything mechanical . My working on o/b skills are pretty/very limited . But that doesn't mean I can't learn !
The bypass covers are the flat covers around the plugs correct ?

 

[boobie]

The bypass covers are on the sides of the motor.

 

[sphelps]

Are these the covers ? One for each cylinder ?

 

[racerone]

There are 6 identical covers on the motor with 6 screws each.-Not hard to find

 

[emdsapmgr]

Your compression readings are pretty low. Probably as a result of pulling by hand. The good news is that the numbers are all really close. That's a good sign. I'd be encouraged to get a working starter and recheck the compression numbers when cranking with the starter and a known strong battery. Any further inspection that you do, confirms the condition of the engine: Yes, your arrows point to the bypass covers. Pull them off for a visual on the ringsets and piston sides, crown.I'd also shine a pencil light into the spark plug holes and see if what the piston crown looks like, also to see if there is any visual "scuffing" of the cyl liners.

 

[sphelps]

I got the motor mounted on newly built stand ..

Looks like there is the power packs? That will have to be removed to take the bypass covers off .
I ordered a manual . Should show up later this week ..

It was a little stiff but I was able to shift it in forward and reverse . The prop seemed to lock into gear ok ..

 

[sphelps]

I got the starboard side bypass covers off and made a short video . Not really sure what I,m looking for as far as scratches or wear but they looked at least to me like they are in not bad shape ..Sorry for the vid quality not enough light or hands ..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTPqbi824tc&feature=youtube_gdata
Probably take the covers off the other side tomorrow .
Thanks !