Mericruiser 165 starter removal - need help

[ImperialV184]

Iboats experts, need some help. I am in the process of starting to repair a few items on my Merc 165 inline 4. The starter is completely rusted. Went to remove it, got all bolts out and the front bracket, and the starter will not budge, used a mallet and a wood block against the solenoid and it moved a bit, maybe 1/32" Nervous to keep hitting it, I did take a large socket wrench and turn the engine slightly to see if that helped. BUt not sure if i was doing that right. Appreciate any help, don't want to make the repairs worse. Is this normal?

 

[ImperialV184]

Here is a picture of it

 

[Bondo]

Re: Mericruiser 165 starter removal - need help

Ayuh,... Looks Nasty Rusty....

If ya got All the bolts out, Wack it a few more times to bust loose the Rust....

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Mericruiser 165 starter removal - need help

Smaking the solenoid is a good way to ruin it but if you are repairing the starter, install a new solenoid as from the looks of things, it needs one anyway. Make sure you are removing the correct bolts.

 

[ENSIGN]

Re: Mericruiser 165 starter removal - need help

Use some WD-40 and a bigger hammer

 

[ImperialV184]

Re: Mericruiser 165 starter removal - need help

Thanks guys, wow, i beat the living daylights out of it. but would not budge. Then i removed the fly wheel cover and had to git it from the inside. Finally came loose, it must have expanded in their because i must have hit it 100 times with a 3 pound mallet. is there supposed to be grease on the flywheel, mine was bone dry and rusty. will Post pictures shortly

 

[ImperialV184]

Here are some pictures, spark plugs look bad too, you can see the water path, the boat had no cover on it before I inherited it. A costly mistake.... For me.

 

[Oshkosh1]

Re: Mericruiser 165 starter removal - need help

I'd soak the bejeezus out of those plugs with some PB Blaster before I even put a wrench on them. From the looks of things...I doubt whoever had it used anti-seize on the threads.

 

[ImperialV184]

You mean like liquid wrench? Yea I am real nervous about taking them out, not to mention I can't even get the socket in, it is too long and hits the exhaust manifold, it is the strangest thing and looks like I will need a special socket to even be able to take them out. I want them out so they do not degrade further. Will I need to put new plus in right away or is it ok to leave them out, feel like I need to plug the holes with something. I have do very little in engine repairs and rebuilds this is all
New to me.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Mericruiser 165 starter removal - need help

#4 plug? Yeah a real pita. What I do is get a spark plug socket with a hex top and get a box wrench on the top of the plug socket. The reason the starter would not come out is that when things rust they expand and the rust will lock things in. The flywheel looks OK, No grease on the flywheel is a good thing, means that the rear engine seals are OK, the flywheel should be dry. A little oil in the plug hole, turn the engine a couple of revolutions by hand if you can, and then screw the plug back in finger tight, just to keep moisture out.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Mericruiser 165 starter removal - need help

When you go to replace your starter you might consider a 2-2591-DR-2 permanent magnet gear reduction starter, about the 5th down here:
http://www.armatureserviceco.com/SubCategory/Marine Inboard Starters/Mercruiser/2.aspx
They are only about 2/3 th3e size of the OEM starter. Worked fine for me.

 

[ImperialV184]

Thanks appreciate the help, will try to get plugs out tonight. Going to be a chore I am sure.

Will check out the starter you mentioned, not sure when I will replace, I have a lot of work on the boat as well, rotten to the hull. Never thought I would use that saying, and truly be referring to a boat I am rebuilding. I am trying to get the engine to at least be in a state that it is no longer degrading. I drained the coolant this weekend, fresh system looked good, and nothing in the sea water loop, which is also good, the stern drive on the other hand cracked in the lower, their was not a drop of oil in it, but as far as I know it was not operated in this condition.

 

[ImperialV184]

May need to start a new thread, starter done, spark plugs went great until number 4 just barley turned and it broke off leaving the bottom of the plug in the cylinder head, is there any way to fix this on my own. And there was so much rust I think some fell in as well. Am I screwed????

 

[vincechig1975]

Re: Mericruiser 165 starter removal - need help

that first plug looks terrible, I can only imagine what's to come here. I have a 3.7 l I just took out of our boat and swapping in a 4.3l chevy. After all I have heard about these things well they are a pita, but this one seemed strong....looks like pulling the head and inspecting and removal of debris.....then puttin it back together again. Best of luck,personally I would take it to a machine shop and have them take a look see might be expensive in the end

 

[ENSIGN]

Re: Mericruiser 165 starter removal - need help

Try soaking it and use a E-Z out,you have nothing to lose.use a vacuum cleaner to remove the loose rust.

 

[ImperialV184]

Got the easy out bolt remover yesterday, got it wedged in real good, put a lot if torque on it, broke the cheep wrench I was using, it did not budge, going to try heat cycling. May need to remove the head and take to machine shop but that has a nasty looking bolt as well,.

 

[riskibusiness]

Re: Mericruiser 165 starter removal - need help

you have to use P.B. blaster nothing else works as good as that stuff. It will start foaming on contact with rust like peroxide on a wound

 

[ImperialV184]

Pb blaster it is, is it available at
Most hardware stores or autozone?

 

[riskibusiness]

Re: Mericruiser 165 starter removal - need help

Pb blaster it is, is it available at
Most hardware stores or autozone?

walmart,autozone,advanced auto parts, oreily carries it too I think

 

[telstar1]

Re: Mericruiser 165 starter removal - need help

You could fool around for hours with pbblaster etc and most likely wont get it out. REMOVE CYL HEAD. Its easy, and will solve a whole lot of issues at once like dirt down the hole. Youll get to see what cond. eng is really in as a bonus. Once cyl head is off what I did was welded a bolt to bottom end of plug and then attach wrench to bolt .Worked well for me esp. once I remembered to turn wrench"wrong"way(you will be loosening it from the opposite side remember.)