tjvallejo@comcast.net
Recruit
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2007
- Messages
- 4
Greetings folks,
I am new to the IBoats forum and have found it very informative. However I am at my wits end with this project.
To start, I have an '89 Thompson 195 cutlass with a 3.7 mercruiser engine fresh water cooled and alpha one drive. I bought the boat a few weeks ago and the engine was in pretty rough shape.
Although I did get it to run there was water in the oil and the number 4 cylinder would not fire.
I pulled off the valve cover and found the #4 intake valve push rod broken and the valve frozen. I used some marvel mystery oil and freed up the valve. I found several more bent push rods but no others were broken.
All other valves were free to move.
I also found the exhaust manifold leaking water into the #4 cylinder.
So at this point I decided to disassemble the top of the engine. I removed the head, intake, exhaust manifold and riser. The starter was almost impossible to remove. After an hour with a big hammer it came out in pieces.
I cleaned up the head, magnafluxed for cracks, inspected the valves, spings it all looked good. I did not disassemble the head.
I did get and install a Complete gasket set, new push rods, riser, exhaust manifold, starter.
Assembly was easy enough, I did a compression check all cylinders at 150. I got the thing all back together and ran it with the hose on the trailer for about 10 minutes. It seems to run fine. I took it to the lake got it in the water and ran it around for about 30 minutes. When I pulled the power to idle the engine sputtered backfired and quit.
I tried to crank the engine and it cranked like the batteries were dead. Very slow and dragging. Needless to say we were towed in. Just getting the boat and not knowing the condition of the batteries I would just replace them.
So I get the thing home, go out and get 2 new batteries. fully charged and installed them.
I hook up the water and start the engine. It appears to start normally and idles for about 10 minuted then it spits and sputters and dies. I attempt to restart and it is slow to crank (dragging) but starts and is running rough. I start pulling plug wires and found #4 not firing. Shut off engine and did a compression check. It was at 0 nothing.
Pulled off the valve cover and found the number 4 intake valve spring broken.
Replace #4 valve spring and run engine again on trailer. Set the ignition timing to specs. Start and stop engine several times. All looks good back to the lake.
Get in the water. Starts ok and run it for about 30 min. water temp appears in normal range.
Shut it off to swim. After about 10 minutes attempted to restart. will not start. It cranks like the battery is dead or the starter worn out. Very slow. Batteries are new, starter is new. It acts like the timing is way off. Cleaned all battery connections. Put meter across battery 12.83 volts.
voltage at the solenoid is 12.83 volts, when cranking is attempted it drops to 8 volts at the starter.
We let it sit for about an hour and try it again. It starts right up. we manage to make it back to the ramp.
After getting it back to the ramp I tried to start it again. No luck, acts liked engine is out of time. Starter will not turn engine one revoloution. Again battery voltage at the starter is 12.80. Acts kind of like vapor locking. We have set and reset the timing. At this point we have pulled the starter. Maybe a bad rebuild? with all the plugs out of the engine the starter spins the engine fine. But when you put the plugs in the starter will not turn the engine when it is hot. Seems to start fine cold.
Any input would be great. I am mechanically inclined. Have checked all the obvious. Connections, grounds, wiring. That seems to be ok. I did not remove anything on the bottom end of the engine. Cam sproket, chain, crank sproket none of that was touched
either I have a bad starter from stock. or the engine timing is changing while it is running and gets hot, not sure about that
What do you think?????
I am new to the IBoats forum and have found it very informative. However I am at my wits end with this project.
To start, I have an '89 Thompson 195 cutlass with a 3.7 mercruiser engine fresh water cooled and alpha one drive. I bought the boat a few weeks ago and the engine was in pretty rough shape.
Although I did get it to run there was water in the oil and the number 4 cylinder would not fire.
I pulled off the valve cover and found the #4 intake valve push rod broken and the valve frozen. I used some marvel mystery oil and freed up the valve. I found several more bent push rods but no others were broken.
All other valves were free to move.
I also found the exhaust manifold leaking water into the #4 cylinder.
So at this point I decided to disassemble the top of the engine. I removed the head, intake, exhaust manifold and riser. The starter was almost impossible to remove. After an hour with a big hammer it came out in pieces.
I cleaned up the head, magnafluxed for cracks, inspected the valves, spings it all looked good. I did not disassemble the head.
I did get and install a Complete gasket set, new push rods, riser, exhaust manifold, starter.
Assembly was easy enough, I did a compression check all cylinders at 150. I got the thing all back together and ran it with the hose on the trailer for about 10 minutes. It seems to run fine. I took it to the lake got it in the water and ran it around for about 30 minutes. When I pulled the power to idle the engine sputtered backfired and quit.
I tried to crank the engine and it cranked like the batteries were dead. Very slow and dragging. Needless to say we were towed in. Just getting the boat and not knowing the condition of the batteries I would just replace them.
So I get the thing home, go out and get 2 new batteries. fully charged and installed them.
I hook up the water and start the engine. It appears to start normally and idles for about 10 minuted then it spits and sputters and dies. I attempt to restart and it is slow to crank (dragging) but starts and is running rough. I start pulling plug wires and found #4 not firing. Shut off engine and did a compression check. It was at 0 nothing.
Pulled off the valve cover and found the number 4 intake valve spring broken.
Replace #4 valve spring and run engine again on trailer. Set the ignition timing to specs. Start and stop engine several times. All looks good back to the lake.
Get in the water. Starts ok and run it for about 30 min. water temp appears in normal range.
Shut it off to swim. After about 10 minutes attempted to restart. will not start. It cranks like the battery is dead or the starter worn out. Very slow. Batteries are new, starter is new. It acts like the timing is way off. Cleaned all battery connections. Put meter across battery 12.83 volts.
voltage at the solenoid is 12.83 volts, when cranking is attempted it drops to 8 volts at the starter.
We let it sit for about an hour and try it again. It starts right up. we manage to make it back to the ramp.
After getting it back to the ramp I tried to start it again. No luck, acts liked engine is out of time. Starter will not turn engine one revoloution. Again battery voltage at the starter is 12.80. Acts kind of like vapor locking. We have set and reset the timing. At this point we have pulled the starter. Maybe a bad rebuild? with all the plugs out of the engine the starter spins the engine fine. But when you put the plugs in the starter will not turn the engine when it is hot. Seems to start fine cold.
Any input would be great. I am mechanically inclined. Have checked all the obvious. Connections, grounds, wiring. That seems to be ok. I did not remove anything on the bottom end of the engine. Cam sproket, chain, crank sproket none of that was touched
either I have a bad starter from stock. or the engine timing is changing while it is running and gets hot, not sure about that
What do you think?????
