Can anyone help me identify my boat and engine?

No offense taken at all my friend. I appreciate your honesty in the situation. I'm not very boat inclined, but I am automotively skilled. As far as I can see, there are a few areas of the body itself that need to be adressed, but nothing that I can handle, I'm a bodyman/ mechanic, so I can handle all that stuff no problem. I've restored like 3 fiberglass boats body wise, but never done any engine work. The engine is not really a problem for me, because I deal with car engines similar to this everyday, with the exception of the marine applications added on to this setup. Then the inside is really in prett good shape, just need to put down some flooring (also not an issue for me).

How do I test the propulsion system? The prop turns freely, and I'm guessing that the steering is fine because when I let the transom down and spin the wheel then the transom also seems to move with it properly. I've looked through the wiring, and with the exception of a few dry krinkled wires, all the others seem to be in really great shape, but rewiring is pretty easy though with this because everything is still hooked up where it's supposed to be. I haven't hooked up a hot battery to it yet though.

But I'm thinking an engine rebuild or replacement, replacing the hoses and wiring, and hopefully just be able to overhaul the transom and with any luck it'll be fine to run then I can focus on the body.

Although, I know where 3 similar boats are that have about the same drivetrain setup as mine. Would I be able to take the 3.0 out of one of those boats and hook it right up to my transom? I think they're all still connected to their transoms though, so in theory, would I be able to just take out one of those setups and put them in my boat?

 

You might consider converting it to Outboard. Can be done for little cost compared to a new outdrive and used outboard engines seem reasonably priced on E-bay.

 

are you on drugs.

 

Think the old Merc 470 3.7 was the one made from half a Ford 460.

 

The number in the photo is that of the drive leg, not the engine, as I previously mentioned.

Yes, a 181 block can be dropped in if your 153 turns out to be trash, but I don't think this will be the case, as most of these can be rebuilt easily enough. Generally it's best to work with what you have. Also swapping out engines from different drives will usually cause some comparability issues, in regard to the parts. Bell houses, transom plate and gimble ring differences will cause you headaches. In short, you need to stick with the drive you have and adapt the engine or toss the drive, in favor of a newer one (Alpha) and convert the pre-Alpha attachment to an Alpha attachment. This would be fairly simple if you found a spent 181/Alpha setup, you could swap it out wholesale or just the drive, changing over the 153's attachment to the 181's attachment.

Of course you'll have to change control and throttle parts too, not to mention alter the wiring for the various drive switches.

Anything can be done, it's just a question of is it worth it. Pull a compression check on the 153 and see where you are. Place the lower leg in a cut off drum full of water and see if you can get it to fire up. Preform the standard assessments you would normally on an engine, check for leaks, etc.

If you do plan on keeping her, then you have to pull the drive and change out the transom parts (bellows, seals, hoses, etc.) as these are the biggest issues surrounding the drive, assuming it's gears still have teeth. Rotted out bellows are the most common way to sink a stern drive powered boat. The transom kit repair parts aren't that costly. Install and new impeller too.



Get the book . . .

 

If you do that, use the whole drive, not just the leg. Mercuiser changed some minor details, like a bore for a speedometer and one for an oil monitor. Your transom housing has nothing to connect to these.
The Alpha-1 transom housing almost fits the hole in your transom, there are 2 rounded corners you have to sharpen a bit, that's all.

 

Ok, thanks a lot I haven't tried to turn the motor over yet, hopefully it isn't locked up. Gonna go put some oil in the plug holes and let it sit for a while then try and manually turn the motor.

If this ends up being a no good project, then I know I can scrap the motor, and probably make a few bucks off the transom parts (if they're any good). But what about the body? Is there a certain way to dispose of it, or is there some sort of place that would just take it?

 

Put a sign on it, "free to good home" and someone will pick it up. If not, they make good garden planters, if not then drag it to the land fill.

 

my two cents is never rebuild an engine unless it has some kind of historic value. Get a crate motor from the manufacturer, its going to be built correctly and it comes with a guarantee. Engine problems solved. If you can transfer any of the old bolt ons to the new block then go for it.

flood the cylinders with motor oil for a few days and then use a big wrench on the crank shaft bolt to see it if turns over. If it doesn't wait another week and keep filling the cylinders with oil. Break it loose slowly if possible. If its frozen, throw it away. Its not worth the time and your money ahead to just get a crate motor. If it spins ok then contemplate firing it up after doing only the basics to make it run, do a compression test and if its good then your in. If its bad, and it usually is with sitting around rusting for who knows how long, then forget it and just save yourself a lot of time and trouble. I'd never recommend anyone rebuild an old motor. Between the costs of machining, cylinders, rings, bearings, pump, heads, assembly, disassembly, cleaning and reasembly, bla bla bla, your miles ahead just buying new from the manufacturer

Have fun with it.
Cheers
B

 

Dan have you been unable to rebuild an engine successfully? I can rebuild an old GM 4L for just a few hundred bucks, assuming I don't need to do a bunch of machining or replace major components, like a crank. Rings, bearings and gaskets aren't that costly, if you're comfortable with a rebuild, which this poster seems to be. I also don't know of any GM 4L crate engine suppliers, though I suspect there are a few. I can do the rebuild for just what the typical crate engine supplier wants for the core and shipping charges (commonly, $700 - $800 core charge and $100+ to ship).

A quick look at the parts catalog (full retail) and a full ring and bearing job, with new lifters, cam, oil pump and timing gears is $465. Add a $100 or two for miscellaneous stuff and you're done. Assuming the usual parts are still serviceable. Toss in a few more hundred for manifold and elbow and another couple of hundred for bellows, and transom kit. Still way below the $2,500 to $3,000 for just a crate engine. Hell, throw on a new carb. (reman) for $250 and you're still doing good.

I don't know how many engines I've rebuilt, but it's quite few and all have had reasonable life spans, except the ones that I knew wouldn't (racers).

 

Several, but its the machining and heads that I always seem to get stung on. My last was for an old farm truck I had, I paid a fortune to have "a professional" rebuild the engine while I went through everything else. Guy completely robbed me. Engine failed within about 1k miles. Turns out he not only didn't use assembly grease, but didn't line the marks on the timing gears, nor did he clean the heads before he handed it off to me, just enough to make em look clean but apparently he left shavings in there somewhere, and claimed it was ready to run. We took him at his word and set the new engine and started it. Or at least tried to. At which point it was toast, I disassembled it, cleaned it out, greased and gapped everything, which I don't think the shop did either, and hoped the cam wasn't burned, it was. Then he wouldn't honor his warranty, actually he wouldn't honor his warranty once I realized he hadn't sold us a runner. Then he tried to sue me for harassment, He's lucky I wasn't standing there on murder charges. He lost the his harassment case by the way but got out of honoring his guarantee because he had asked me if I wanted to use a certain cam, but didn't mention that use of that cam voided the warranty. I was out about 6k. lesson learned, unless its something minor, like hone and reassemble. I dont ever recommend anyone have and engine rebuilt. Just buy a crate engine and enjoy. Saves a lot of hastles and once you've been good and burned, the easy way out looks pretty darn attractive.

Same guy sold a smoker as new to one of the best known farmers around here. Long story short. Unless its a really easy rebuild and those cylinders look almost perfect anyway, don't take the risk, just buy a crate motor

One thing almost all good rebuilds needs is a line bore and a fresh grind on the crank. without it, you just eat the new rings. Or at least thats been my experience. I just don't think its worth it, I've been stung on it to many times.

 

Yep, as I suspected, nothing based on real mechanical principles, just bad luck. There are actually trust worthy mechanics that can rebuild and stand to guarantees as well.

Line boring isn't usually necessary except in high output applications. If the block is in need of a line bore, it should a block that has some significance. Ditto over cutting a crank, only if you need to. Dan, it sounds as if your experiences are with older style engines. You know the type, the ones that needed plugs every 15,000 miles, new rotor and cap every other tune up, started smoking at 100,000 miles and tossed a rod at 150,000.

We've come a long way since those day and you can now get an engine, run it for 200,000 miles on the factory installed plugs and it will not be missing when you change them. When you tear these engines down, the rings are worn evenly on all cylinders and a 10 over will true it up nicely, if not just a good clean and careful hone. In fact, you can get away with doing just a re-ring and seal on most of these engines. Lap the valves, change the timing set, oil pump and a few other "consumables" and put it back together for another 100,000. Don't go pulling max loads or drag racing, but normal service will be just fine.

I pulled apart a 1995, 350 Vortec with 185,000 miles on it not long ago. It had regular oil changes and an occasional "ZMax" treatment (2 twice in the life of this engine). The mains were worn, but still within spec. The rings were still within spec, though only had a .002" range to go before being out. The cam was shot, as were the lifters, but the valves just needed a "kissing", new seals and keepers. The timing chain was a tad stretched, but serviceable (it was changed). Hell, you could just barely feel a cylinder top ridge. So, I'm not sure of the engines you're usually working with Dan, but engines made in the last quarter of a century are probably considerably different then what you're use to.

 

Just been stung letting anyone do anything of any great importance on my projects. If you want something done right, well, you know the rest of it. I've kept an old cavalier going for about 300+k miles while I rebuild the truck. Which is back on the road by the way. I don't have trouble with engines, I have trouble with engine builders. I've yet to find an honest one.

anyway just have fun with it and try to do as much of it yourself as possible.

If it hadn't rained cats and dogs today I'd have been out working on my alternator. Its not alternating correctly ;-) Pretty sure I just have a wire mixed up. Had it tested and its still good, so I didn't blow the reg or anything. Batteries are good. Its just wiring. After that its a kill switch and I can start driving it home.

cheers
B