OK - Here it is. I've got a lot of questions but I'll try and go easy on you guys. I'll start with 3 main questions.
Background information:
Bought a 1984 Galaxy 226 Sport Express with a 140 Mercruiser inboard motor (Partly as a favor for an old fellow I know). I took one look at this thing and thought "Holy smokes!" or something to that effect. Its going to be quite a project.
It has been sitting in a field for years. But, hey, I just got back from overseas and military medical prison a bit ago and am stuck waiting on the med board and have nothing but time on my hands.
I've been working on it with a friend for a few days now, tore out all the rotten crap and am finally down to the basics. I was sitting there at the engine in kind of a daze and staring at some chewed up wires and and got to thinking, "Why did I buy this boat that doesn't even run!?" Then I remembered, "Oh yeah - It was real cheap and, yeah, got hit on the head."
Still - I think this can be done. The hull and deck are in good shape. The motor looks OK. The drive looks OK. It will certainly be an education.
Managed to restore power to the instrument panel. Ignition works. Guages seem to be working OK (Except for Tilt guage - Says drive is down when it is almost all the way up.) Hard to say just yet.
Starter solenoid clicks but starter probably needs rebuilding and/or the motor may be siezed up. Starter does not spin after removed from the motor. Sending to electrical repair shop next week for a rebuild.
All major electrical systems seem to be relatively intact (Except for a few things).
Trim tabs and some other systems still operable.
Throttle controls, linkage and steering all seem to be fine.
Pumped out fuel tank and checked fuel filter. All looks clean.
If ya ain't figured it out - I'm not faint of heart here.
Question 1: Manuals
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I would like to get a hold of the correct repair and service manual(s) for this motor and drive. If I post the model number of the motor and drive can someone direct me to the proper publications?
Question 2: Motor - May be cracked block or blown head gaskets or exhaust manifold? Engine may be siezed. (don't know yet)
---------------------
I took the plugs out and had a look see. They actually looked fine but - water poured out! Whoa! Is it possible that when my friend and his wife "washed" the boat out, they somehow managed to introduce this water into the motor? It was all very clean without rust or corrosion evident. Water was inside of the cylinders and in the oil pan. The water was not mixed with the oil but totally seperated.
Drained oil and water out. NOTE: Water in cylinders did not drain out of motor. Oil poured into the valve cover went straight to the oil pan. Pumped water out of cylinders and poured some sea foam in there then pumped it out a bit later. Filled cylinders and motor with oil to sit for a bit.
The motor mount on the front blocks access to the crackshaft pulley. Is there a way to move the crank shaft a bit each way to see if it is frozen up before I try cranking on it with the starter? Perhaps at the flywheel side (Maybe where the teeth would be exposed if you pull off the starter)? I did see that the crankshaft pulley turned just a grunt when applying tension to the belt (Before the belt slips).
Is there anything else I should do before trying to crank the motor with the starter? (Not start it yet - just crank on it a bit to see if it is siezed)
Question 3: Tilt/trim.
---------------------
The drive was in the up position for years. After some tinkering around with electrical connections and ensuring there was some oil in the trim motor reservoir, I managed to get the drive to move upwards about another inch.
The trim motor sounds fine but it will not move down. I turned the pressure release valve on the trim motor to manually tilt the drive down but it will not go down at all.
The switch is a 3 position switch (Up, Nuetral and Down). Up works. Down does not. 3 connectors on the back. Bottom is 2 red hot wires that supply current. Middle is a blue wire that receives currrent when switch is up. Top is 2 reddish wires (badly faded) that do not receive current when switch is down.
I noticed a wiring diagram for a single solenoid and a double solenoid trim circuit on another post and that may help me out here. This is a dual solenoid system.
There are two wires that are in the same bundle that goes to the trim motor that are chewed/rotted through and broken off. The same color/type of wires seem to disappear into the drive unit through the back of the boat. Anyone know what those go to? (These 2 wires and 3 wires below the circuit breaker but above the solenoid switch to the starter appear to be the only ones going to nowhere.)
Shouldn't I be able to apply current to the down solenoid or somewhere and manually activate the trim motor down or is this too simplistic? Or even release the pressure valve and manually drop the drive down? I just want to be able to bypass the switch for troubleshooting purposes only, in order to see if trim motor is working properly before replacing the switch.
---------------------
I know that was a lot of questions. I will endeavor to limit myself to single questions in the future. But, hey, I am new to working on boats and, well, this is a big project. I fully expect to have to do some rewiring, rebuild the carb. and replace the bellows and seals and bearings and such (We shall see about the drive system later). Its going to be a slow but complete restoration of the major systems. I would like to end up with a safe and dependable, no frills but serviceable boat.
I know, I should just buy a boat that works. But, where is the fun in that?
I would appreciate any advice or information you may provide.
Thanks,
SSG B
Background information:
Bought a 1984 Galaxy 226 Sport Express with a 140 Mercruiser inboard motor (Partly as a favor for an old fellow I know). I took one look at this thing and thought "Holy smokes!" or something to that effect. Its going to be quite a project.
It has been sitting in a field for years. But, hey, I just got back from overseas and military medical prison a bit ago and am stuck waiting on the med board and have nothing but time on my hands.
I've been working on it with a friend for a few days now, tore out all the rotten crap and am finally down to the basics. I was sitting there at the engine in kind of a daze and staring at some chewed up wires and and got to thinking, "Why did I buy this boat that doesn't even run!?" Then I remembered, "Oh yeah - It was real cheap and, yeah, got hit on the head."
Still - I think this can be done. The hull and deck are in good shape. The motor looks OK. The drive looks OK. It will certainly be an education.
Managed to restore power to the instrument panel. Ignition works. Guages seem to be working OK (Except for Tilt guage - Says drive is down when it is almost all the way up.) Hard to say just yet.
Starter solenoid clicks but starter probably needs rebuilding and/or the motor may be siezed up. Starter does not spin after removed from the motor. Sending to electrical repair shop next week for a rebuild.
All major electrical systems seem to be relatively intact (Except for a few things).
Trim tabs and some other systems still operable.
Throttle controls, linkage and steering all seem to be fine.
Pumped out fuel tank and checked fuel filter. All looks clean.
If ya ain't figured it out - I'm not faint of heart here.
Question 1: Manuals
---------------------
I would like to get a hold of the correct repair and service manual(s) for this motor and drive. If I post the model number of the motor and drive can someone direct me to the proper publications?
Question 2: Motor - May be cracked block or blown head gaskets or exhaust manifold? Engine may be siezed. (don't know yet)
---------------------
I took the plugs out and had a look see. They actually looked fine but - water poured out! Whoa! Is it possible that when my friend and his wife "washed" the boat out, they somehow managed to introduce this water into the motor? It was all very clean without rust or corrosion evident. Water was inside of the cylinders and in the oil pan. The water was not mixed with the oil but totally seperated.
Drained oil and water out. NOTE: Water in cylinders did not drain out of motor. Oil poured into the valve cover went straight to the oil pan. Pumped water out of cylinders and poured some sea foam in there then pumped it out a bit later. Filled cylinders and motor with oil to sit for a bit.
The motor mount on the front blocks access to the crackshaft pulley. Is there a way to move the crank shaft a bit each way to see if it is frozen up before I try cranking on it with the starter? Perhaps at the flywheel side (Maybe where the teeth would be exposed if you pull off the starter)? I did see that the crankshaft pulley turned just a grunt when applying tension to the belt (Before the belt slips).
Is there anything else I should do before trying to crank the motor with the starter? (Not start it yet - just crank on it a bit to see if it is siezed)
Question 3: Tilt/trim.
---------------------
The drive was in the up position for years. After some tinkering around with electrical connections and ensuring there was some oil in the trim motor reservoir, I managed to get the drive to move upwards about another inch.
The trim motor sounds fine but it will not move down. I turned the pressure release valve on the trim motor to manually tilt the drive down but it will not go down at all.
The switch is a 3 position switch (Up, Nuetral and Down). Up works. Down does not. 3 connectors on the back. Bottom is 2 red hot wires that supply current. Middle is a blue wire that receives currrent when switch is up. Top is 2 reddish wires (badly faded) that do not receive current when switch is down.
I noticed a wiring diagram for a single solenoid and a double solenoid trim circuit on another post and that may help me out here. This is a dual solenoid system.
There are two wires that are in the same bundle that goes to the trim motor that are chewed/rotted through and broken off. The same color/type of wires seem to disappear into the drive unit through the back of the boat. Anyone know what those go to? (These 2 wires and 3 wires below the circuit breaker but above the solenoid switch to the starter appear to be the only ones going to nowhere.)
Shouldn't I be able to apply current to the down solenoid or somewhere and manually activate the trim motor down or is this too simplistic? Or even release the pressure valve and manually drop the drive down? I just want to be able to bypass the switch for troubleshooting purposes only, in order to see if trim motor is working properly before replacing the switch.
---------------------
I know that was a lot of questions. I will endeavor to limit myself to single questions in the future. But, hey, I am new to working on boats and, well, this is a big project. I fully expect to have to do some rewiring, rebuild the carb. and replace the bellows and seals and bearings and such (We shall see about the drive system later). Its going to be a slow but complete restoration of the major systems. I would like to end up with a safe and dependable, no frills but serviceable boat.
I know, I should just buy a boat that works. But, where is the fun in that?
I would appreciate any advice or information you may provide.
Thanks,
SSG B
