Project Boat- engine question

Joined
Jul 3, 2011
Messages
10
I have purchased a 1984 Commodore 277. The boat came with a pair of 488 mercruisers, one of which is locked up. After some tinkering I have gotten the starboard engine running and have purchased a complete 470 from a wrecked Sea-Ray. my question is this: I have the engine mounted on a stand and I want to run the motor before I put it in the boat, simply because it is a whole easier to work on it in the garage than in the engine bay! I do not have a spare wiring harness to plug in to the engine, so I need to know which of the 10 wires I need to hook up to run it where it is now.

Any guidance you can give me will be appreciated! I have the engine "turning over" and am ready to check for spark etc.


Thanks.

Lawyer at Large
 

stonyloam

Vice Admiral
Joined
Mar 13, 2009
Messages
5,830
Re: Project Boat- engine question

Are you turning it over with an ignition switch that has a start and run position? If so it should be pretty easy. Do you have the wiring harness hooked up to the engine?
 

Bt Doctur

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Aug 29, 2004
Messages
19,478
Re: Project Boat- engine question

None, install battery cable as you normally would,make a 16Ga jumper to go from the + side of the coil to the battery, take a second wire from the + battery and touch the yel/red on the slave or main sonenoid.
 
Joined
Jul 3, 2011
Messages
10
Re: Project Boat- engine question

Thanks for the information. I do not have a wiring harness to use so I will be using Bt Doctur's instructions. The other question I have is: If I take the intake and 4 barrel carburetor off the locked up 488 and put it on the 470, will that give the 470 the same power as a 488, or are there other differences in the two engines such as the cam shaft, head etc.?
 

TheHunter990

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
May 27, 2012
Messages
41
Re: Project Boat- engine question

you will need power and ground to the starter, the big cables.

You will need a regular peice of wire to provide 12v to the coil (an on off switch would be handy to turn off engine when your test is complete). another chunk of wire to jump the starter solinode (to crank the engine), and I think thats all u need.

O, and you need 12v to electric choke, it u have one.
 
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