first marinizing of my boat lots of questions

[dumbjarhead]

I purchased this bayliner saratoga last year the engine that is currently in the boat is out of a suburban. I have read speculation of the motors turning a different direction how do I tell without getting It running

[MikeJohns]

If you have no manual then just run the starter motor (short touch on a battery) the flywheel direction will be opposite.

[dumbjarhead]

sounds kinda stupid for me to say but I know nothing about the internal workings of a marine trans and outdrive so If the flywheel goes a direction the prop should also right?

[Poida]

Sometimes I wish I was a really rude person.

[dumbjarhead]

comments like that implying you should be rude are The only reason I ask a question like that because I dont know if there is any kinda of gear reduction system in something like that I am not stupid but if there were a gear reduction system in it like say a large gear turning a small gear would change the direction that it spins thanks for no help

[stonebreaker]

Normally a single engine installation will turn the normal way - a counter-rotating engine is usually only installed to balance a normal one.

There are a couple of ways to tell which way the engine rotates. The easiest, if you can see the balancer, is to stand at the front of the block, facing it, and bump the starter over. The balancer should rotate clockwise from your viewpoint. Another way to tell is to look at the firing order. Normal firing order is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2. So, go to the following website:

http://boxwrench.net/specs/chevy_sb.htm

And take a look at the firing order diagram. Cylinder 1 is the cylinder closest to the front of the engine on the port cylinder bank. Normally, instead of a counter-rotating distributor, they use a gear drive so that the cam still rotates the correct direction. This means that even though the distributor rotates the same direction on both types of motor, the firing orders will be different. Finid where the #1 plug wire connects to the distributor. The next plug wire in the clockwise direction on the distributor cap should run to cyl #8, which you can see from the diagram on the website is the cylinder farthest back on the starboard side (please forgive me if you already know this, I'm not trying to talk down, just don't know your knowledge level). From there, the next plug wire clockwise from #8 will run to cyl #4, and so on.

A counter rotating engine, then, will have a reverse firing order. Thus you can look at the order of the plug wires on the distributor and tell. Starting from the #1cylinder again, the firing order would be reversed - 1-2-7-5-6-3-4-8. This is the reverse of the normal firing order, but you always start with cyl #1. Thus, from the #1 plug wire, the next wire in the clockwise direction on the distributor would be #2, then #7, and so on.

Hope this helps.

[dumbjarhead]

I appreciate the help I think I must be wording the question wrong will the prop spin the same direction as the engine is what I am asking It kinda sounds dumb but I dont know if there is any kinda gear reduction which if it is only one step gear reduction changes the direction of spin from motor to prop or if it straight through. The boat is a bayliner maybe someone just knows if its the same rotation as a car.

[gonzo]

I assume you have an outdrive. The prop will turn the opposite way as the engine if it is a Mercruiser Alpha. If it is a Mercruiser Bravo or a VolvoPenta, it can be set to turn either way. The rest is like Stonebreaker says.

[dumbjarhead]

thank you much sir that is exactly the information I needed is there a way to tell which outdrive it is. The out drive just says 165 on the back of it

[dumbjarhead]

scratch that the back of the outdrive says 280 is that an alpha a bravo or a volvo-penta

[gonzo]

That's a VolvoPenta. The cover in the back has a screw on top to lock it. The shifter is hooked up behing that. Depending on which side of the arm you attach the vertical bar, the drive will turn right or left in forward. This can be an advantage if you find a good deal in a propeller of opposite rotation.

[safewalrus]

NO! Poida, I'm staying outa this one - I am a rude person remember!

[dumbjarhead]

thanks alot gonzo for being about the only truely helpful person in this fact is I really dont know alot about boats I do know a good deal about cars but like I have seen you say in alot of different threads there not the same.