powerhead removal or lower pan removal?....1150 inline 6 cyl

[phatmanmike]

hello, i need to replace my exhaust cover gaskets on my 1976 merc 1150 tower of power. i have everythong removable , removed from the motor with the exception of the top two carbs and the distributor, everything else is gone....<br /><br />i am doing this because of this post right here... http://www.iboats.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=29;t=013181 <br /><br />when i removed the cylinder block cover( around the spark plugs) i found about 4 ounces of SAND! a huge pile of sand was all piled up in the bottom and all over the place. i have since cleaned all this out...<br /><br />when removing the bolts for the exhaust cover, sand came out the bolt holes, thats when i knew sumtin' wicked this way comes!!!<br /><br />QUESTION: i cant reach the lower exhaust cover bolts without removing the lower cowl completely. only way i can see doing this is removing powerhead.... or is there a secret that i dont know yet? <br /><br />looks like the lil plastic bracket which holds the shift cable is on the way of removing the lower cowl but i cant get the bolts out unless the cowl moves.. CATCH 22<br /><br />i have the 6 nuts(9/16")removed from the studs where powerhead attaches to midsection, is there anything else which holds this on? and can 3 adults lift this off without a hoist?<br /><br />i know its long, but i wanna be thorough<br /><br />thanks in advance to any and all....<br /><br />m ikey

 

[emckelvy]

Re: powerhead removal or lower pan removal?....1150 inline 6 cyl

Boy, sounds like she's really plugged up! Never heard of sand coming out of the bolt holes!!!!<br /><br />You'll need to pull the powerhead to get at the remaining bolts. Note that there should be (10) studs holding on the powerhead, there are (2) at the very front (1 per side) that you may have missed. And (2) at the very back which are 5/16" studs instead of 3/8" and take a 1/2" wrench.<br /><br />Don't forget to remove the single nut which holds the upper shift arm/linkage into the shift/throttle cable mounting assy. The assy is bolted to the side of the powerhead with (3) bolts and goes with. Note the spring and plastic slider that are part of the shift arm assy, make sure these go back in the correct order.<br /><br />3 adults should be able to lift it off with no problems, just be careful as it's awkward.<br /><br />BTW I wouldn't mess with the inner exhaust cover (the one around the ports) unless you see signs of leakage or can't get air or water thru from the holes/passages on the other side (in the cylinder block cover area).<br /><br />Be sure to put a thin coating of Permatex #3 gasket dressing on the outer exh cover bolts and torque them to 250 In-Lbs.<br /><br />HTH.............ed

 

[Chris1956]

Re: powerhead removal or lower pan removal?....1150 inline 6 cyl

Ed is correct, however let me add these bits of wisdom. You can remove the exhaust cover(and head cover) without pulling the powerhead. Disconnect anything that hampers the movement of the lower cowl(cables, harness, front cowl support), since you will need every bit of its movement to do it. You can get some of the bolts from the bottom of the lower cowl, some from the top and the rest by hook or crook. I have done this more than once. I have a 6" box wrench that I use to get the bolts in tight places.<br /><br />If you do end up removing the powerhead, the two front powerhead mounting nuts will not come off without lifting the powerhead a little bit. I use a wimpy block and tackle attached to the overhead door header in my garage. I attach the lower end of the block and tackle to two 5/16" flywheel screws using steel plumbers strap that I drilled out to accept the bolts. After all the bolts are out, you will need to put upward pressure on the powerhead and "rock" it a bit to break it loose from the gaskets. Then hoist it straight up and move the boat (and mid section away). Now you can lower it to the floor and carry it to the bench. It is very handy to have two people to pull/install the powerhead, but I have doen it by myself. Last time my wife gave up five minutes of her time to assist.