IL6, opinions on what to do with it, w/pic of damage

[ziggy]

hi folks, boat and engine listed below. <br /> history. had a blowed headgasket between 1 & 2. was gonna do valve job and R&R gasket. ended up finding a crack in the #13(front port)headbolt hole. i'm tryin to figure my options. heres what i'm contomplateing. <br />1) have head done, w/hardend seats, $300 abouts, fix crack in block. $300-$500. engine is out now. to have block welded, everything has to go except cam brgs. bein cheap, i am thinkin of reusein all brgs. if they look good. recon i'd at least have to do rings too as they are suspect from overheating. hone it as i don't feel any ring wear( though i aint micrometerd it and should to be sure). engine was rebuilt, remanufatctured, whatever in 98. i have many obsticals too. like no garage. so at this point i'd be doing this in a filthy dirty outside environment. <br />2) remanufactured longbolock($1500 for a whoever reman-$2500 for a jasper). or shortblock (can't find any, yet) as the head i got is servicable.<br />3) rebuild what i got after the welding is done. bet i'll exceed $ on a remanufactured though. + have not found anyone willin to do the rebuild yet. short of my reg. auto mech(yikes) but think i can get him to be ontoit marine wise. he also said he will pull all my old parts out for me and put back if they appear servicable for abouts $300-$400. might be worth it for just for his steril environment + he would have the right tools for the job...ring compressor comes to mind, bet i'm missin other specialty tools too that i'd need for the project. <br /><br />man this is gettin expensive. i reckon i will have to do a coupler on general purposes + i suppose i should be onto the bellows and gimble brg, ujoint, shift cable etc too. bellows had quite a bit of oil in it too, no water though. gimble brg. feels smooth. think my (know my) leg aint holdin pressue. i suppse the oil in the bellows is from the front seal. i got so many issues with my model 1 drive i'm thinkin that i should just do a sei....hum, front motor mount screws took most of the wood out with them, reckon i can epoxy or marine tex them though. lastly, transom and floor are good, best of my knowlege. they've been redone in about 98 too. bad thing is that i assume whoever did it didn't pull the top off so i have a mildly soft floor right at the windshild, right before the front bucket of the fiberglass bow rider area.....rest of floor is solid and transom seems solid, though i didnt' stand on the drive yet and is too late as it's off now.<br />i don't know, perhaps i should be over in the boat restorein section. i suppose thatd be the way to go, boat 1st, then motor, then drive. <br /><br />opinions, other than get a new boat.... i guess right now i'm thinkin about doin everything but the soft floor issue. suppose i'm thinkin wrong about that but want opionions. even if i don't do the floor, i bet this will take till next year to get it back on the water as funds are minimal like usuall don't know if i can afford a longblock and a sei drive all in one season....<br />oh, i suppose the last option would be. get a different hobby... not happenin i don't think.....just gonna have to take a few years if thats what it takes..... thanks for readin my like usuall long post......

 

[FreeBeeTony]

Re: IL6, opinions on what to do with it, w/pic of damage

I rebuilt my IL6 not long ago. Pretty easy job: bored 0.030, new pistons, rings, bearings, lifters, oil pump, etc......ring compressor and spreader were the only special tools I bought (I think).<br /><br />I would attempt it as long as you can get the block fixed and you really like the boat.<br /><br />I also replaced the front seal on the drive. I would recommend replacing the yoke at the same time (probably has a groove in it).<br /><br />Lower shift cable is much easier to get to with engine out.<br /><br />I don't have a garage either........carried the block into my basement (outside entrance) on a handtruck!<br /><br />Good luck if you decide to do it.........I thought it was kinda fun!

 

[tommays]

Re: IL6, opinions on what to do with it, w/pic of damage

I think the welding has a LOT of maybe in it with money spent that cant be recovered <br /><br />As the maybe wont happen until the whole thing is back toghter and running its a risk<br /><br /><br />I dont know what a boat out there with a more modern driveline would cost that might just need Hull repiars ?<br /><br /><br />tommays

 

[Bondo]

Re: IL6, opinions on what to do with it, w/pic of damage

I'm Sorry Ziggy,.......<br /><br />But I gotta Agree with Tommy on this 1,........<br /><br />You've been Beating your head against the Wall for Awhile on this boat, with Issue after Issue,.....<br />And,... It appears that the End is Nowhere in Sight......<br /><br />Adding up All the things you mention in just this post alone,.. <br />Makes me think it Might be time to Bite the Bullet,+ Bone This Ship........<br /><br />For what it's going to take to Float This Boat,...... You could be boating in a Newer Barge........... <br /><br />Unless you've got some Great Love for This particular Hull,..?..?..?..?..?..?..?..?..?..

 

[rodbolt]

Re: IL6, opinions on what to do with it, w/pic of damage

or hunt the bone yards for the non-intergrated head 250 chevy six. rebuild/repair it and reuse the marine camshaft .<br /> cleanliness is higher than godliness at reassembly.<br /> I have done them in the living room as a young man and carried the assembled block out the door with beer buddies.<br /> there was not a lot done to marinize the 250 six for marine use from the base truck production unit.<br />mostly electrical and fuel and the addition of a water cooled exhaust.<br /> that motor was in production from sometime in the mid sixties to the mid 80's and almost all GM divisions used it.<br />there were two versions, a non integrated head and an integrated head, the blocks were interchangeable.<br />and the 230 will work with some minor tweaking as long as its the non integrated head version.<br />to use the 292 will require the 292 flywheel and balancer.<br />its all fuzzy memory but there are many books on the 230,250 and 292 interchange.

 

[FreeBeeTony]

Re: IL6, opinions on what to do with it, w/pic of damage

Maybe I'm being too optimistic because I solved my problem (finally!).......... <br /><br />Hope it works out for you though.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: IL6, opinions on what to do with it, w/pic of damage

most rigs I see that grew up and lived in the midwest are clean as a button even if neglected. in my area a rig that old would have corroded away some years back.<br /> we do get a few transplants that bring their antique stuff with them.<br /> it gets a bit interesting to work with and baffles some of the younger techs.

 

[FreeBeeTony]

Re: IL6, opinions on what to do with it, w/pic of damage

I just remembered something..........<br /><br />I have an IL6 250cui block in my basement........<br /><br />It's the one I took out of my 20' Grady. I believe it's a truck block (Chevy orange paint).<br /><br />I know it's a long way........but it's yours if you want it!<br /><br />Or you could go this way or this way .<br /><br />Think I have too much time on my hands.........

 

[ziggy]

Re: IL6, opinions on what to do with it, w/pic of damage

thanks guys for all the comments. my head is realin as to what to do so i am procrastinatin right now. to bad to me its all about how much bread i got. bread will fix anything. it probalby does boil down to how much i love this hull. and i have always liked it, it rides right in the water, has engough power and handles like i think a boat ought to. + its the boat i skiied behind as a kid and i have many fond memorys of those days. gee, i think im gettin old. <br /><br />in workin with mech. things. i am very concered about the above statement about cleanliness is higher than godliness too. as i believe that. <br /><br />i too am worried as tommay is that the final out come won't be know till it's running. that distresses me too. will the weld hold to torque up the headbolt. welder assures me it will. but???<br /><br />if the floor was good all the way around, it would make a simpiler descision too. still, in the end gonna have to contend with that. + even if i did say a diffent engine, diff. drive, did the reg. stuff to the gimble and bellows i still have many old parts left to break. some of them nla. + the hull. <br /><br />to me it almost seems that i should be starting at square one with the hull. and proceeding from there. <br /><br />bondo, yer right. i feel like i'm beatin my head agaist a wall right now with it with one issue after another. <br /><br />thanks for yer alls expert advise. i'm sure it will help me make a desicion one way or the other...<br />i have been limpin this boat along for some time too. guess it's time to pay up or not play...back to that darn money thing again.....<br /><br />my gut feelin is i want to save 'this' boat.

 

[ziggy]

Re: IL6, opinions on what to do with it, w/pic of damage

BB, thanks for the block offer. very nice gester. you are a long ways away, i will agree with that. but i think at this point all options are on the table...thanks for the leads too....

 

[olbuddyjack]

Re: IL6, opinions on what to do with it, w/pic of damage

I'm thinking like rodbolt.<br /> <br />Look through the Bargain Hunter for an old rusted out, good running Chevy/GMC pickup, give em 250-300 bucks or such, junk the rest of the truck and get back on the water.<br /><br />It may not run as long as the original but you can get a little more boating in while your getting your ducks in a row, maybe even pick up a coupla extra trailer tires with the deal...

 

[ziggy]

Re: IL6, opinions on what to do with it, w/pic of damage

well, i've been tearning down still. figure i got nothing to loose, gettin close enough to see the problem, here it is. <br /><br />

<br />front port side of IL6 block. <br />

<br />looking down on ft. port side of block.<br /><br />any body know what caused this kinda damage. was i negligent in winterizin. i did't think so.

 

[Don S]

Re: IL6, opinions on what to do with it, w/pic of damage

Look in the cylinder <br /><br />That block is known as "Junk". The crack alone makes it junk for a marine engine. Might work in a demolition derby car.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: IL6, opinions on what to do with it, w/pic of damage

that motor was used by pontiac,chevrolet,buick,GMC,oldsmobile and some industrial applications with no changes to the basic block head assy other than some had the exhaust manifold integrated into the head and some did not from the mid sixties or so until the mid eighty's or so.<br /> I used to go to Adairs scrap iron in Cleburne TX and buy heads and blocks and such for scrap iron price, then take them to the machine shop and have it checked. if it failed they bought it back at that days scrap iron price.<br /> you would not believe the deals I made .<br />your block is good for a couple pennies a pound.<br /> a good running block assy should run less than 250 or so at any junkyard. strip it down and see what ya have.<br />last 6 I did was maybe 20 years ago but the crank was 75 dollars to turn and the vatting,cam bearings and boring was about 150. the rest you can buy from sources other than merc like sierra.<br /> have the machine shop check the connecting rods, I reccomend new rod bolts on marine stuff. bearings can be plain jane models. rings are about the same.<br /> good valve job adds anothe 150 or so but there again plain jane stock job. no need for porting or multi angle stuff.<br />if your cam measures good reuse it with new lifters.<br />my advice would be new manifold and riser as a matter of course.<br /> I am fairly sure that with careful shopping and attention to detail and no labor you can build a sweet lil ol six for less than 1200.<br /> most large autoparts places will rent a ring compressor, I have done it with butter knives and the wifes assistance.<br /> but if the macine shop properly bores the block and mounts the pistons to the rods and correctly grinds the crank,if nessasary there really are no special tools needed. torque wrench and basic hand tools, plastiguage and feeler gauges and its all fun.<br />most useful tools in the box will be your service manual and a good scrub brush and dawn dishwashing liquid. I have used the hot water drain tap on the hot water heater to wash blocks with.<br /> years and years ago I had to do what I had to do. I found out how to get around obstacles yet still do a quality job. ya cannot do it for a living that way but for one off jobs for yourself it can be done.