First Boat - Engine Surgery!!

evansjw44 · Post by **evansjw44** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 6:26 pm

I looked at the thread and saw that you couldn't find a place to turn the engine by hand. Since a "Q" is flywheel forward, you can bu a tool the grabs the flywheel ring gear teeth and gives you a handle to turn the engine. Its a common tool, I have one I used to turn the engine of my car over when the trans was o9ff. A big bix auto parts store will have one but I don't know what to call it.

Wood Commander · Post by **Wood Commander** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 9:04 pm

That's great about the Henry Ford and the right handed thing! Just remember, when they were cranking an old car engine, they were cranking it clockwise while standing in front of and FACING THE FRONT of the car AND LOOKING TOWARDS THE BACK, not sitting in the driver's seat looking forward. So the crank still turns to the left when sitting in the driver's seat of the car.

Yeah, Smokey Yunick is one of my heros. I've said it before on this site, he authored my three favorite quotes- "The sun don't shine on the same dog's a_ _ all the time", "I don't consider it cussing, I consider it punctuation" and the best and most important- "If your gonna deal with a Son A Bi_ _ _ , you gotta talk Son A Bi_ _ _".

Yes, put 12 volts to the starters (carefully!, it's never good when you here "the cackle of uncontrolled amperage" when it's in the neighborhood of 500-600 cold cranking amps) and see how the starters turn. And it should be opposite of the direction you want the flywheel to go when the starter is in the same position as it would be on the boat.

Bill Basler · Post by **Bill Basler** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 9:24 pm

NoGin, as an aside, please use the "Add Image to Post" link to add html code for your images. You can still use hosting service like Photobucket. The Add Image to Post link will create a small thumbnail image for the body of your post...which links out to the full size version. Using this method will keep the page load times down for others on slower connections.

NoGin · Post by **NoGin** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 9:31 pm

Ok great. I will be headed to the boat in the am to work on the starters. Once I bench test them to see which direction each goes, I will install them if I find the bolts. Otherwise I will spend some time at local shops and hope to find the correct bolts and brackets.

NoGin · Post by **NoGin** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 7:17 am

Bill Basler wrote:NoGin, as an aside, please use the "Add Image to Post" link to add html code for your images. You can still use hosting service like Photobucket. The Add Image to Post link will create a small thumbnail image for the body of your post...which links out to the full size version. Using this method will keep the page load times down for others on slower connections.

Sorry - Will do!

NoGin · Post by **NoGin** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 5:56 am

So here is where we stand:

1. Was able to crank both engines by hand.
2. Was able to electronically crank both engines.
3. Weak battery resulted in low compression on the questionable starboard engine of 150 lbs throughout with the exception of the back 2 cylinders at 125. A miss was found in one of the cylinders. We think, and HOPE, it's just from sitting from so long and may be a spring sticking.

This morning I am returning the crappy West Marine batteries and buying 2 new Interstates from my boat mechanic. He is also giving me fogging oil to spray into the starboard engine to hopefully loosen things up a bit. Tonight (if the rain stays away) we will be doing another compression test with hopefully some better results.

NoGin · Post by **NoGin** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:39 am

Just to clarify my virgin boating knowledge a little.

Starboard Engine

Cylinders

1 150 lbs. 2 150 lbs.
3 150 lbs. 4 150 lbs
5 150 lbs. 6 Mis
7 125 lbs 8 125 lbs

Oberon01 · Post by **Oberon01** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 8:47 am

I am no mechanic, but the fact that the other holes all had good and reasonably consistent compression suggests a bad valve - stuck, burned - I couldn't say. Probably not wear related, as the other cylinders would also display similar wear and consquent low compression. Could also be a piston problem, but most likely valve related.

NoGin · Post by **NoGin** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 12:43 pm

That's what we are hoping for. The mechanic thinks it may be a spring sticking in the valve. We will see later on when we do another compression test. I fogged the engine earlier today so we'll see if that loosens anything up.

ed laning · Post by **ed laning** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 8:17 pm

Good to hear you're going to get some different batteries. While I doubt they are a big issue, good strong cranking batteries are good to have. I stay away from deep cycle marine/starting battery combo ones for starting the engine.
There may come a time that you will want to do a leakdown test. This test is helpful for determining whether a compression problem is valve related or rings. If you're not familiar with this test your mechanic likely is. A brief description is as follows. Most usually follow the firing order of the engine. Set the first piston at top dead center, so both valves are closed. A threaded coupling attached to an air pressure measuring gauge is screwed into the spark plug hole. Compressed air is fed into the cylinder taking it up to maybe 80 psi. Watch the gauge to see how much air is lost over the next several minutes. A cylinder in great condition should lose only 5 to 10%. One that is in good condition will lose up to about 20%, no more than 30%. Greater than 30% leakage indicates trouble. The neat thing about this test is that you can carefully listen to where the air escapes. Coming out the exhaust would mean the exhaust valve is leaking. Coming out the carb would indicate the intake valve is leaking. Air leaking into the crankcase or out the breather vent indicates worn or broken rings or worn cylinder wall. Ed

NoGin · Post by **NoGin** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 6:10 am

U P D A T E..

All cylinders up to 180 on the compression and the MIS is gone. I guess to fogging oil did a good job inside. Once we actually fire her up and get the engines hot we are hoping for that 210 mark!

Now that we have moved to the Port engine as well, that starter solenoid is bad. I am going to just buy a new starter so there is not question here.

The Interstate batteries did a very nice job helping crank the rusted and tired engines over!

NoGin · Post by **NoGin** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 5:54 pm

Turned out that starter solenoid was fine just had a loose terminal. Tightened it up and re-installed.

NoGin · Post by **NoGin** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 8:01 am

Since I am going to ix-nay the mechanic and try to work on her myself from here on in, I need a good reliable parts supplier. I know I will be replacing both manifolds and all risers and many other smaller cost items.

Where do you guys get your parts from that you are happy with?

Thanks!

First Boat - Engine Surgery!!

Turning the Engine

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