need help with new engine block...

[hippie2]

Men, here is the question. I bought a brand new long block from Michigan Motorz 1 month ago. A 1987, 350 mercruiser, at 270hp. After a discussion with the people at Michigan Motorz we got the starter straight. Now, after having installed the engine in my boat I realize the dip stick tube won't go into the oil pan. It appears the same on the outside but the tube will only go into the hole 1/2 inch. The other hole at the top of the front motor mount which is where a "clip" attaches the tube has no hole in that area to bolt the tube fast. Any suggestions? I contacted Michigan Motorz but have not recieved any response from them. Must I pull the new pan off and put my original oil pan on the new engine? Thank you, Bob

 

[Kainon]

Re: need help with new engine block...

The pan shouldn't be blocking the hole, its towards the inside edge of the pan mating surface. the pan curves around the hole.

your mounting clip is welded eh?.. thought it might've bolted to an engine mount bolt.

Do you still have the old block to check against ?

 

[hippie2]

Re: need help with new engine block...

I'll have to look and see but I thought these oil pans have ballastists in them which I thought it may be hitting.

The bracket is not welded to the tube. It's a piece of metal about 3/4 inch in length and bends around the tube. It has two holes which when bent around the tube meet and become one hole with a 1/2 inch long bolt through and into the pan or block. This stabilizes the tube and dip stick. I have pics of both blocks and the tube and holes but I'm certain I am too stupid to up load them. Please keep any ideas coming. Thank you, Bob

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: need help with new engine block...

You need to remove the engine and remove the pan to see if it has a car engine lower half.
try probing with a snake to feel of a tube is in there

 

[hippie2]

Re: need help with new engine block...

BT, good explaination, I now understand. So if I determine there is a tube in the block hole then all I need is a shorter dip stick. That would also coincide with why there is no hole for the bracket to bolt into on top of the motor mount. A car dip stick would fit into the hole and I wouldn't need the bracket for the long tube and stick. That really is very good thinking! That would be different from the old block and pan. ( I bet I'll play hell finding the exact dip stick and hopefully the tube goes to the bottom of the oil pan so I can suck my oil off the bottom of the pan when I change it.

Now that is good news if that is all that's wrong. Thank you both, Bob

 

[Hillbilly38]

Re: need help with new engine block...

you dont have to find a short dipstick just use the one you have, figure out how many quarts of oil your engine is suppose to hold full, put dipstick into hole and see where it measures cut it off about 1-1/2" and make a heavy scratch in the dipstick at the full level and about 1" down for the add line. you can cut the outer housing down if it goes into the engine at least 1/2" it will be fine

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: need help with new engine block...

Another Butcher

Car dipsticks do not go to the bottom of the pan.You really need to pull the engine to find out why. Crude description: think of what might be there as the female side of an socket extension. the dipstick tube as the male side of an extention , it inserts into it.
Marine tubes are 1 piece and extend down to the bottom of the pan.

 

[cannonford57]

Re: need help with new engine block...

and thats why we call him doctur.

 

[hippie2]

Re: need help with new engine block...

Also, on a boat, the very end of the dip stick tube is flared and threaded to accept the oil pump that draws the oil out when doing an oil change. If there is a tube in the new block it does not have the threads nor flare which does lend credence to it being a standard car engine. It will be out this coming Monday.

BTW; What do I look for when I pull the pan off in, addition to the short dip stick tube, inorder to determine if it is a car engine.

Thank you again, Bob

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: need help with new engine block...

Marine motors usually have a windage tray that the dipstick fits thru.It`s attached with extended main cap bolts that are threaded at the end for the tray and nuts.Other than that there all car motors at birth. cam, core plugs and head gaskets are different.

 

[hippie2]

Re: need help with new engine block...

BT, I'm with you now. I'll pull the engine and then take the pan off. I'll look for those extended bolts holding the tray. If those bolts or the tray are not found, the engine goes back to M.M. along with a call to our Atty General. I'll post on Monday what I find.

Thank you again for your help, Bob

 

[hippie2]

Re: need help with new engine block...

OK men, we pulled the engine today to get the dip stick tube problem straightened out. It was a factory defective oil pan. We pulled the engine and left it hang in the harness then put my old pan on and a perfect fit for the pan and dip stick tube and dip stick. Put the engine back in the boat. But, while we had the oil pan off I took some pictures of what was advertised and sold as a 4 bolt main HOWEVER, it is a 2 bolt main. So far, the engine was supposed to use a manuel fuel pump but no holes are drilled there. The oil pan is defective and it is a 2 bolt not a 4 bolt main.

This is a good company however, called Michigan Motorz.

 

[John_S]

Re: need help with new engine block...

While you may want to use the missing bolts for negotiations with supplier, rest assured Mercruiser never needed 4 bolt mains.

 

[Matt89GT]

Re: need help with new engine block...

Another Butcher

Car dipsticks do not go to the bottom of the pan.You really need to pull the engine to find out why. Crude description: think of what might be there as the female side of an socket extension. the dipstick tube as the male side of an extention , it inserts into it.
Marine tubes are 1 piece and extend down to the bottom of the pan.

Maybe the lower tube is already in the block, BT might wanna chime in here, in some of the older 350's they have a 2 piece tube: a lower that goes in to the bottom of the pan and its flush with the block and the upper inserts into the lower about a 1/2 inch. I might be totally wrong but its something to look at. I'm curious as to what BTs' opinion is.