Locked up 1991 4.3

[remauto1187]

Ok I picked up a fairly nice 1991 Rinker Captiva 206 with a 4.3L Mercruiser in it. Story goes that the owner for some reason had the arrestor off and it rained into the intake. Water obviously got into the engine and the rest is history. I picked up the boat and pulled all the plugs and could NOT turn the crank with a ratchet. Pulled the dipstick and 8" of water showed on it with oil floating on top.

So I bought with the plans of it needing a rebuild...good thing too!

Gotta say thanks for the ideas of pulling the boat engine out with all your pics! They were hilarious! I think im gonna go with either a huge white oak and a come along OR cherry picker outta the back of my Sierra!

So here is my question:
Master Engine Rebuild kit-- Automotive application kit OK except for the Cam ?

Im gonna bore it at the min required, new pistons, rings, rod and main bearings, cam, lifters, timing set. I will determine once engine is apart if the crank can be machined undersize and reused.

Anyone that has been down this road with a GM Mercruiser wanna chime in and tell me of your experience? Where you got your parts?

Appreciate your time!

Mike

 

[wca_tim]

Re: Locked up 1991 4.3

you might be better off picking up a reman or new longblock for somewhere from 1500 to 3000 depending on what you get. That way you get a warranty and by the time you wind up paying for internals and machine work on yours it's going to cost that much anyhow... Just a thought....

 

[remauto1187]

Re: Locked up 1991 4.3

I have weighed that in for thought..... But the way i see it the kit minus crank with gaskets is gonna cost me $350 and machine work another $350 or so which is assuming the crank is usable. Then the cost of a cam. So thats way under what a reman is. I dont need a warranty...I'll be building the engine myself...i do it right the first time.

I haven't inlcuded any costs for the heads since I am assuming that a simple valve reseat will do and rockers and springs should be alright...if not then then i can add another $100 to the bill.

This still keeps me well under the cost of a reman.

 

[boatguya1]

Re: Locked up 1991 4.3

At a minimum, marine head gaskets.

How long did it sit with water in it? I'd be tempted to clear the water, add fresh oil and crank it up if it hasn't been to long.

James

 

[remauto1187]

Re: Locked up 1991 4.3

Im guessing 2-3 years. Engine will not budge right now. I have been spraying Break Free in the cylinders and no luck yet. I haven't put the 1/2" air ratchet on the crank YET.

 

[wca_tim]

Re: Locked up 1991 4.3

Im guessing 2-3 years. Engine will not budge right now. I have been spraying Break Free in the cylinders and no luck yet. I haven't put the 1/2" air ratchet on the crank YET.

How much water came out the bottom? and what is going to be reusable without major work? Surely the valves are toast, and if it was where it could freeze... water in the runners that didn;t have valves open to let the water down into the cylinders... Sorry, I may just be the eternal pessimest, but I was thinking above that it was going to cost significantly more, require more new parts and machine work than you're thinking, etc... to rebuild after having water in it for so long... I could be wrong though..

 

[boatguya1]

Re: Locked up 1991 4.3

2-3 yrs full of water=bad. I thought you said you could turn the crank in the original post. Marine head gaskets are a must.

James

 

[remauto1187]

Re: Locked up 1991 4.3

2-3 yrs full of water=bad. I thought you said you could turn the crank in the original post. Marine head gaskets are a must.

James

You are correct I did indeed leave out the NOT in could not.
edited....

She's locked up tight.

 

[boatguya1]

Re: Locked up 1991 4.3

If it doesn't freeze where you are I'd go for rebuilding what you have. Can't hurt to tear it down and look.

James

 

[remauto1187]

Re: Locked up 1991 4.3

Oh this boat was in Indiana so its been definitely frozen.

Guess there is a remote possibility that I have a cracked block on my hands here. Guess I'll know when i get it out and tore down.

So now I gotta decide between who is most important...the C4 Corvette in the garage in the middle of a restoration or this Boat.

 

[imported_TheMan]

Re: Locked up 1991 4.3

Corvette can wait till winter.. Boat is no good in the winter.

If the block wasn't drained check the cylinder head mounting face around the water jacket on both sides. Also check the sides of the block. These are the areas that I have seen cracks in my limited experience...

I would recommend that you check your local craigslist and consider getting a used 4.3 motor. There are usually quite a few available and can be had for 200-400 dollars and usually don't require a whole lot of work.

 

[JustJason]

Re: Locked up 1991 4.3

if its had water in it for that long, saltwater or not. The lower end is going to be trashed. The crank, the mains caps, etc. More than likely its not even going to be a machinable core.

 

[IVAZ]

Re: Locked up 1991 4.3

Gotta say thanks for the ideas of pulling the boat engine out with all your pics! They were hilarious! I think im gonna go with either a huge white oak and a come along OR cherry picker outta the back of my Sierra!

The come along could get dangerous. A chainfall and the oak would work good. Good luck with your project.

 

[screamingjedi]

Re: Locked up 1991 4.3

I have a question related to this situation I'm going through myself.

a month ago a buddy of mine gave me his boat (1986 28' Bayliner 2850 Contessa Command Bridge w/Volvo engine) because he moved out of state. this is my first boat and It's been on blocks (dry dock) for 6 years, the marina manger tells be the motor is "locked-up" and I should buy a new long block for about $2500 and pay them $1,600 for labor to get it running plus extras.

The boat is super clean on the inside and all electoral worked when i put a new battery in. the question i have is, am i being raped?

what do you recommend i do?

My wife and I have been cooped up with our 5 year old daughter for 5 year we really want to make this work but only have about $5,000 MAX to put into it. I would prefer to spend $3,000 all in. please give me some advise, we really want to spend the summer with our daughter on the boat but dont want to be taken for a ride by the marina.

Thank you so much for your insight.

matt

 

[IVAZ]

Re: Locked up 1991 4.3

I have a question related to this situation I'm going through myself.

a month ago a buddy of mine gave me his boat (1986 28' Bayliner 2850 Contessa Command Bridge w/Volvo engine) because he moved out of state. this is my first boat and It's been on blocks (dry dock) for 6 years, the marina manger tells be the motor is "locked-up" and I should buy a new long block for about $2500 and pay them $1,600 for labor to get it running plus extras.

The boat is super clean on the inside and all electoral worked when i put a new battery in. the question i have is, am i being raped?

what do you recommend i do?

My wife and I have been cooped up with our 5 year old daughter for 5 year we really want to make this work but only have about $5,000 MAX to put into it. I would prefer to spend $3,000 all in. please give me some advise, we really want to spend the summer with our daughter on the boat but dont want to be taken for a ride by the marina.

Thank you so much for your insight.

matt

You should start your own thread about your issue so it does not get confused with this one. To answer your question, In my opinion you need to do the labor yourself if you only want to spend 3k. Some guys say that their marina is charging them 5k for the same job. I dont think they are taking you for a ride if they are willing to put it in writing.

 

[cannonford57]

Re: Locked up 1991 4.3

in my opinion of course if its been in in. for the winter sides of the heads are gonna be pushed out the block at the least will be busted wide open in the lifter galleyand probably have a cracked cyl or 2....maybe the side of the block strangly enough,right above the "freeze plugs"...the person who named those had a wierd sence of humor huh...ya might walk away with a set of manifolds.....