Mercruiser 3 lt seized?

[logan944t]

Hi all-- just bought my first boat. Its a 92 bayliner classic with a 3 liter mercruiser and an alpha one drive.


It had been sitting in a storage lot for about 6 months and hadnt been started and Im assuming that it had just been parked-- not winterized, but Im in florida so I thought no big deal.

I towed it home, charged the battery and tried to start it ( with the muffs). All I got was an intermittant click. So I pulled the plugs, tried to turn the engine over by hand ( no access to crank nut for a breaker bar) and its not moving.

I then pulled the starter thinking maybe it was bad or seized up -- but it tested good.

I put oil in the cylinders overnight to soak.

The next morning I put a small bar on the flywheel and tried to turn the engine over and I can see the pistons move about a 1/16 of an inch .... then full stop.


Im assuming that when the throttle is in the neutral position that the engine is disengaged from the drive and I would be able to turn the engine over if it wasnt seized.

Is there anything else that I missed?


Thank you for reading.

 

[Don S]

Re: Mercruiser 3 lt seized?

Remove the outdrive and try turning the engine.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Mercruiser 3 lt seized?

Im assuming that when the throttle is in the neutral position that the engine is disengaged from the drive and I would be able to turn the engine over if it wasnt seized.

Ayuh,... Wrong assumption.... Everything but the propshaft turns with the motor...
Pull the drive,+ try again...

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Mercruiser 3 lt seized?

just bought my first boat...

Hopefully for not too much money.

As Don mentions, pull the drive and see if it is the drive or the engine that is seized.

You can also go to the top of the page and download the appropriate service manual for you drive and engine - (Look in the "adults only" section. Don't worry, it's kid safe. )

 

[logan944t]

Re: Mercruiser 3 lt seized?

Wow! Walk away to get a drink and 3 replies!

Ayuh,... Wrong assumption.... Everything but the propshaft turns with the motor...
Pull the drive,+ try again...

Does it matter in what position the drive is in? Or can the engine turn even if the drive is in the fully up -- trailer position?


Im kinda at the crossroads here. I paid 1200 for it and Im not sure that I wanna fix it or the kid that sold it to me will get it back. Pulling the drive doesnt sound like much fun.

 

[Don S]

Re: Mercruiser 3 lt seized?

You need to have the drive DOWN to run. Never run it tilted all the way up. That could be your problem if the ujoints are hitting the transom shield. You should see the distruction it makes if it does hit when the engine is running.
You really need to pull the drive and inspect things.

 

[logan944t]

Re: Mercruiser 3 lt seized?

Thank you!

 

[Bondo]

Re: Mercruiser 3 lt seized?

Pulling the drive doesnt sound like much fun.

Ayuh,.... It's 8 nuts,+ a $6.00 gasket,.... About 10 minutes work, or Less...

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Mercruiser 3 lt seized?

But don't try to pull the drive without reading how to do it first. There are some things that may not be self evident if you've never done it before. It is easy to do... (or at least should be unless it is rusted up)... but you need to know what you are doing, or you can cause more problems. For instance, it HAS to be in forward gear to pull the drive. Anything else and it will not come off and you can bend / break things if you try.

 

[Bifflefan]

Re: Mercruiser 3 lt seized?

I then pulled the starter thinking maybe it was bad or seized up -- but it tested good.

Did you get this tested at Auto Zone or a starter/alt shop? If you had auto zone do it, it can still be bad.

 

[logan944t]

Re: Mercruiser 3 lt seized?

Did you get this tested at Auto Zone or a starter/alt shop? If you had auto zone do it, it can still be bad.

Orielly's ... but Ive tried to turn the engine by hand -- using the teeth on the flywheel and it doesnt move. The pistons/rings have been soaking in MMM for at least 24 hrs.

 

[logan944t]

Re: Mercruiser 3 lt seized?

Just removed the top cover on the drive (alpha one). The bearing that is on top of the vertical shaft.......has rust on it. The race inside the top cover has a bit as well.

When I look into the case--directly down ....I can see the gears....with no oil. In fact, I see no oil whatsoever. Im guessing this was the previous owner's way of cutting down on oil use.

I have clips on the rams -- does that mean this drive is a gen 1 or 2?

When I remove the drive .....what am I likely to see that has seized?

If I get this part unseized, what are the chances that it will last a season or 2?

Is there a place that this lube would leak out.... or is the PO just an idiot.

If the PO is an idiot when does that season open and do I need a license?

 

[logan944t]

Re: Mercruiser 3 lt seized?

Six nuts, one tube thing and plop the drive is out.

Should I be able to turn the driveshaft by hand? It will not turn at all.


Is there a cut out switch on the engine that prevents it from being started when the throttle is fully forward? I tried to turn the engine over with the starter when the drive was off -- it just goes click.

 

[sea wolf]

Re: Mercruiser 3 lt seized?

Just removed the top cover on the drive (alpha one). The bearing that is on top of the vertical shaft.......has rust on it. The race inside the top cover has a bit as well.

When I look into the case--directly down ....I can see the gears....with no oil. In fact, I see no oil whatsoever. Im guessing this was the previous owner's way of cutting down on oil use.

I have clips on the rams -- does that mean this drive is a gen 1 or 2?

When I remove the drive .....what am I likely to see that has seized?

If I get this part unseized, what are the chances that it will last a season or 2?

Is there a place that this lube would leak out.... or is the PO just an idiot.

If the PO is an idiot when does that season open and do I need a license?

There is an open season on idiots, & no license is required. Hope u get her running.

 

[Simoniz]

Re: Mercruiser 3 lt seized?

Just removed the top cover on the drive (alpha one). The bearing that is on top of the vertical shaft.......has rust on it. The race inside the top cover has a bit as well.

When I look into the case--directly down ....I can see the gears....with no oil. In fact, I see no oil whatsoever. Im guessing this was the previous owner's way of cutting down on oil use.

I have clips on the rams -- does that mean this drive is a gen 1 or 2?

Dont know what you mean by, "clips". Someone else probbely does - or can explain the difference betewwe Gen 1 and 2.

When I remove the drive .....what am I likely to see that has seized?

You probably wont see anything. Theres loads of moving parts in there that could be the problem.

If I get this part unseized, what are the chances that it will last a season or 2?

I would say quite low.

Is there a place that this lube would leak out.... or is the PO just an idiot.

Several places, yes. The input shaft seal, output shaft seal, shaft seals in the vicinity of the water pump, shift shaft seals, fibre washers on the filler plugs...

Should I be able to turn the driveshaft by hand? It will not turn at all.

Yes, it should turn easily by hand

Is there a cut out switch on the engine that prevents it from being started when the throttle is fully forward? I tried to turn the engine over with the starter when the drive was off -- it just goes click.

Yes, there is a safety interlock that prevents the engine being started if the gear shifter is in gear. It allows power to the starter if the throttle is wide open as long as the gear shifter is in neutral (centre button on the shifter depressed).


I would now check that the engine turns freely, most likely with a spanner on the crankshaft with the spark plugs out, and then I might try running it with a hose connected to the water inlet.

If the engine is OK then your best bet would probably be to replace the drive with one of the SEI units available for about $1400?

 

[logan944t]

Re: Mercruiser 3 lt seized?

The engine will not turn with the starter -- even with the throttle in neutral. The started has a loud "click" and the engine stays put. I cannot get a spanner on the crankshaft nut -- the engine mounts are in the way.

Despite the PO's insistance that all maintenance was carried out in nov and the boat sat in a storage lot here in florida since that time..... I have to conclude that he is clueless about taking care of things. When I called him to ask about the no lube situation in the sterndrive....his first question was " whats a sterndrive?".


Bluebook on this boat is 1400- 1600 if everything is working. Replacement of the alpha one and the engine would run close to 3k if I bought things reman/new.

Im currently waiting on a call from the PO to see if he will is going to make this right.

At best this is a project boat. Decent trailer and decent hull.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Mercruiser 3 lt seized?

At best this is a project boat. Decent trailer and decent hull.

Not to add to your problems... but I would strongly suggest digging a little deeper into the hull. Knock around on the transom and see if there are any hollow sounding areas. You can even drill some small holes from the inside of the boat, near the bottom. See if dry wood comes out... or a wet mess.

That can help you make a determination if even the hull is worth the work or not.

 

[logan944t]

Re: Mercruiser 3 lt seized?

Ive noticed some "soft" areas --especially around the removable panel in the floor. Im sure there are others I havent noticed-- but it seems like more of an issue of raw edges and poor fit. The PO told me that it had been in a garage when not in use before their move to Fla.

Of course he also told me that all the boat needed was a tune up.


Since Im looking at replacing the engine..... what are my options? I dont need a lotta power -- fishing and tubing mostly--I was thinking the 4.3 v6 instead of the 3 ltr? Pros/ cons?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Mercruiser 3 lt seized?

I was thinking the 4.3 v6 instead of the 3 ltr? Pros/ cons?

Ayuh,... It's Expotentially more Expen$ive to go from an I-motor to a V-motor....
Or,...
Big jumps in Power, means new gear ratios, aka; New Gears or drive...

 

[logan944t]

Re: Mercruiser 3 lt seized?

K-- scratch that idea -- I freed up the motor...so I "just" need the drive. Still gotta do a compression check.