Slave Solenoid Removal on a Mercruiser 3.0L??

[enginesilo]

I have narrowed my starting issue down to the Slave Solenoid from what I can tell based on the symptoms and my tests. If I jump the posts it starts every time, but if I use the key it starts sometimes, other times takes a few on/off/on motions to get it to go.

I thought it would be a super easy removal and install but after turning the 2 bolts I can now see that it is going to take a lot more disassembling to get it off. Can anyone out there share some tips? The Slave Solenoid is bolted to a plate next to the engine that also has a lot of other engine components on it. The 2 removal bolts just spin and I now realize there are 2 bolts that hold from behind and are inaccessible without removing that engine plate. I tried a few random ways but can't get the bolts to hold from the behind. Just to be clear, this is not the solenoid that is mounted to the starter, it is the one that sits higher up on the engine.

Can anyone share any tips on how to go about removing the Slave Solenoid and engine plate that also has the throttle control on it? I don't want to mess anything up while trying to remove the plate that holds all of these other engine elements. I also see that the metal fuel line is also held onto this plate but that may be able to be disconnected from the plate without removal from the carb.

I read around the forums and one guy said that he just bent the prongs that hold the slave solenoid in place, and put a new one in and bent the prongs back to hold it. That definitely sound super easy, but if I can completely remove and replace I'd rather go that route.

What could have been a few minute job is not any more. All help appreciated!

 

[Bt Doctur]

without a year or engine serial number it would be very hard to give a correct answer but if its like this, then I think you have to remove the mounting plate

 

[enginesilo]

without a year or engine serial number it would be very hard to give a correct answer but if its like this, then I think you have to remove the mounting plate

Thanks for the reply, looks just about exactly like that I think. The engine is a 2005 and falls in the serial range:
Year 2005
-3.0L GM 181 I/L4 1999 +UP
-0L097000 THRU 0W301999

So when taking off the mounting plate, can I leave the throttle and all of the other cables intact, or will things get shifted or thrown off in the process? I checked the manual and it only talked about testing it after it was removed, no mention of removal/installation.

 

[enginesilo]

Anyone have any tips? I'm planning on getting this time hopefully this weekend or the next.

 

[pyrotek]

I think your talking about the shift cables. The upper cable goes to the helm. The lower cable goes through gimbal housing to the outdrive. Take the entire shift plate with the cables still attached. Nothing will move out of alignment. You can even take the cables off if you dont move the barrel on the threaded rod.

 

[pyrotek]

Never mind., I think im thinking of the wrong side of the engine.

 

[jack black]

yep, it's very hard to do it. I went through it some time ago and forgot how exactly I did it. I will look at the engine later today and let you know if I remember.

 

[enginesilo]

A quick update. After analyzing the engine further I definitely would have to take off that engine plate, and a bunch of other components to get to those 2 nuts on the back side. After buying the new slave solenoid ($25+/-), I decide the hell with it and I would try to simply bend the 4 prongs that hold the plastic slave solenoid to the metal part. I bent the new one out of its metal part, and put it onto the old ones metal part that was still bolted to the engine. It worked perfect, and only took me maybe 15 minutes.

Yes, it was definitely a cheap way to do it, but for a $25 part I figured it if didn't work I would just buy a new one and go through the full uninstall/install. Time will tell, but for now it saved me hours to go work on my next problem.

 

[enginesilo]

Forum duplicate posted, please delete.

 

[enginesilo]

Forum duplicate posted, please delete.