is my 1987 cutlass 165 4 cyl a 2.5 or 3.0 litre

[alber]

trying to find out the litre size so i can order the correct distributor and rotor kit for it... took my boat out last year and at the end of season winterized halfway, filled the tank up and used fuel stabilizer. went to start it this year and it just cranked over.. cleaned all electrical connections and battery. have any suggestions on what the problem could be.
thanks
p.s. this is my first time using this forum so hope i'm doing it right

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: is my 1987 cutlass 165 4 cyl a 2.5 or 3.0 litre

Your going to have to give up a little more info that that for us to tell you.. How bout some pictures of the engine, and the serial# off the engine would get it done for you.

Welcome aboard

 

[stonyloam]

Re: is my 1987 cutlass 165 4 cyl a 2.5 or 3.0 litre

If you have a 1987 , 165 it is a 3.7 liter 470 type engine. Does it have a heat exchanger and coolant reservoir with an automotive type radiator cap? It is very different engine then the GM 2.5 or 3.0 l engines.

A new set of points will very likely solve your ignition problem.

 

[Don S]

Re: is my 1987 cutlass 165 4 cyl a 2.5 or 3.0 litre

is my 1987 cutlass 165 4 cyl a 2.5 or 3.0 litre

In a word, NO, (assuming the Cutlass is a car engine), and it's also not a Mercruiser 3.7L

 

[stonyloam]

Re: is my 1987 cutlass 165 4 cyl a 2.5 or 3.0 litre

I assumed Cutlass was a brand of boat. Guess we will see LOL.

 

[Don S]

Re: is my 1987 cutlass 165 4 cyl a 2.5 or 3.0 litre

I assumed Cutlass was a brand of boat. Guess we will see LOL.

Could be, who knows. I guess the one thing we know for sure is that's it's a 4 cylinder .................. maybe.:facepalm:

Been around long enough to not be surprised about anything.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: is my 1987 cutlass 165 4 cyl a 2.5 or 3.0 litre

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/1987-Thompson-Cutlass-185-Bowrider-Mercruiser-165-99908859
http://auction.ridofstuff.com/details.cfm?ID=574919#photos

I'm going to go with it probabally is a Mercruiser 165 (3.7L)

 

[Don S]

Re: is my 1987 cutlass 165 4 cyl a 2.5 or 3.0 litre

I'm going to go with it probabally is a Mercruiser 165 (3.7L)

Why should we guess or spend time searching the internet to figure out if it's a boat or car? It could be either.

 

[alber]

Re: is my 1987 cutlass 165 4 cyl a 2.5 or 3.0 litre

don s. lol it is a 1987, thompson 165 cutlass 'bowrider'... this is my first i/o. the sterndrive says 2.5 mercruiser. i guess that's what threw me off on the litre part. the engine is a 4cyl. all i know is it has exhaust tubes and a blower. so i guess as one member mentioned and asked if it had a heat exchange on it. my guess is not. and the boat did come from dawson, georgia. from lanier marine or something. so most of the replies on my post or thread say it's a 3.7 litre so i guess that's what it is... i ordered a tuneup kit which as u know comes with the dist. cap, rotor, condensor and points. i told the guy it was for a 4cyl 2.5 litre mercruiser. he seemed to know what i needed . so even though it's not a 2.5l but it is a 4cyl will i get the right tuneup kit?
thanks for taking time to reply to my post and replying to this one if u have the time to...
alber
p.s. being my first time on here i think i replied to a few of the memebers who replied to my ? don't know if i did it right or not but i will learn as i go..
thanks again

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: is my 1987 cutlass 165 4 cyl a 2.5 or 3.0 litre

looks to be a 3.7 470-488 type, has a heat exchanger

 

[alber]

Re: is my 1987 cutlass 165 4 cyl a 2.5 or 3.0 litre

looks to be a 3.7 470-488 type, has a heat exchanger

bt doctur, hope this is the right way to reply to another member. thanks for taking time to answer my ? what does the 470-488 type mean? yeah the 'cutlass' name does throw people off. threw me off when i first got the boat myself.. yeah got the boat from lanier marine out of dawson or dawsonville, ga.. had to clean all electrical connections to get it to start the first time. i'm pretty sure i cleaned the metal points in the dist cap and it did the trick to start it. this year it's cranking over but not starting, i did put in new plugs and oil last year... i'm assuming the dist cap, rotar, points and condensor r pretty old and could be causing the no start problem... i did fill the tank late in the season last yr and put in fuel stabilizer. u can take the choke linkage of carb and work the throttle and gas does flow out of jets.. i have another ? which i asked a few more members. i did order a tuneup kit which as u know is the dist cap, rotor etc... i did tell the guy it was a 1987 mercruiser 4cyl, but i also said it was a 2.5 litr.. now after getting good advice from u and other members i told him the wrong litres. will the tuneup kit i ordered still work for my application... thanks

 

[nola mike]

Re: is my 1987 cutlass 165 4 cyl a 2.5 or 3.0 litre

Well, that second listing is a 3.7l. Also looks to be a completely different boat though .

 

[stonyloam]

Re: is my 1987 cutlass 165 4 cyl a 2.5 or 3.0 litre

OK, now I am totally confused:facepalm:. Does this boat have a reservoir with a radiator cap on the port side of the engine, and the carburetor on the starboard side? If it does it is a 470 type engine and is 3.7l closed cooling. If both the carburetor and exhaust are on the port side of the engine it is either a 2.5 or 3.0 l engine.

 

[Miglater]

Re: is my 1987 cutlass 165 4 cyl a 2.5 or 3.0 litre

I have an 88 Thompson Cutlass 190 with the 165 3.7L, I do not know if the parts you orfered will work but, I have the Quicksilver parts catalog for the engine. Distributor cap 393-9459 rotor 58217 points 34235 the catalog calls it a breaker.... condenser 33662 coil 32193A2

Might be able to cross those numbers to an automotive application. Napa has a specialty section on their site where it has a marine section aswell.

Hope i was of some help

 

[alber]

Re: is my 1987 cutlass 165 4 cyl a 2.5 or 3.0 litre

stoneyloam, i'm confused myself. i will look and see if it has a radiator cap on port side and let ya know. i may take some pics and try to load them on here... thanks sorry about confusing ya....

 

[achris]

Re: is my 1987 cutlass 165 4 cyl a 2.5 or 3.0 litre

Easiest way to distinguish between a GM 2.5/3.0 litre engine and a Mercury Marine 3.7litre ('470' type) is..... Carburetor on the port side of the boat or the starboard side?

Carb on the port side = GM 2.5/3.0 litre
Carb on the starboard side = Mercury Marine 3.7 litre...

Chris........

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: is my 1987 cutlass 165 4 cyl a 2.5 or 3.0 litre

don s. lol it is a 1987, thompson 165 cutlass 'bowrider'... this is my first i/o. the sterndrive says 2.5 mercruiser. i guess that's what threw me off on the litre part. the engine is a 4cyl. all i know is it has exhaust tubes and a blower. so i guess as one member mentioned and asked if it had a heat exchange on it. my guess is not. and the boat did come from dawson, georgia. from lanier marine or something. so most of the replies on my post or thread say it's a 3.7 litre so i guess that's what it is... i ordered a tuneup kit which as u know comes with the dist. cap, rotor, condensor and points. i told the guy it was for a 4cyl 2.5 litre mercruiser. he seemed to know what i needed . so even though it's not a 2.5l but it is a 4cyl will i get the right tuneup kit?
thanks for taking time to reply to my post and replying to this one if u have the time to...
alber
p.s. being my first time on here i think i replied to a few of the memebers who replied to my ? don't know if i did it right or not but i will learn as i go..
thanks again

Thompson 165 bowrider is irrelevant to us. 165 is probably the length of the boat, 16'. The drive says 2.5 Mercruiser, not 3.7 not 3.0.

If you want to confirm, post some photos of the engine here and the serial number which is on the block on a tag.

 

[alber]

Re: is my 1987 cutlass 165 4 cyl a 2.5 or 3.0 litre

eric, (and for all the other members who helped on this) went out to take pics this morning (sun) to post on here, can't find my cord for camera but when i do i will post them. i guess thompson is not a popular name and neither is the 165 cutlass. it does sound like a car engine..lol anyway when i'm doing basic work on the boat i don't pay attention to other things so i looked more closely and low and behold under throttle cables it does say 2.5 litre...(okay guys quit laughing..) and on the starboard side of engine i did see a 470 series no. so now the confusion on the litre size is over... the tuned up kit ordered should work fine..
thanks eric and others for taking out time to find answers for me.
will post pics when i find my camera cord..

 

[alber]

Re: is my 1987 cutlass 165 4 cyl a 2.5 or 3.0 litre

thanks achris, i did find out that under throttle cables it does say it's a 2.5 litre... it pays to pay more attention to details on a boat i'm finding out.
thanks again..

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: is my 1987 cutlass 165 4 cyl a 2.5 or 3.0 litre

3.7 Mercury Marine does it look like this or is the carb on the same side of the manifold?