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  1. Rick Stephens

    305 to 350 build questions

    Way to go.
  2. Rick Stephens

    1993 4.3 engine winterization

    The issue without sealer or some other protection method is the rust that builds up on the bare threads. The sealer is used to protect the metal, not stop leaking. Personally I use Vibra-tite. It's a high viscosity coating. I especially use it to coat any dissimilar threads - such as stainless...
  3. Rick Stephens

    Merc 3.0 Cracked Block but Manifold ok?

    Yes. 15# pressure. Should hold indefinitely. Not arguing with the consensus that replacing it is best. Just stating how you check the mani to see if cracked.
  4. Rick Stephens

    Merc 3.0 Cracked Block but Manifold ok?

    Make a block off plate and pressurize the water jacket of the manifold through the inlet pipe.
  5. Rick Stephens

    Boat Hard to Start After a Long Sit

    Switching the ignition on and off doesn't do anything with a carbed engine. With fuel injection engines, turning the ignition on cycles the fuel pump and primes the system. Carbed engine with electric fuel pump has two ways the fuel pump gets power - first is during cranking there is a wire...
  6. Rick Stephens

    Boat Hard to Start After a Long Sit

    Electric fuel pump? Mechanical fuel pump.? Have you checked the anti-syphon valve? I added a check valve between water separator and the fuel pump, resolved this issue for me. I believe fuel was draining back into tank leaving fuel lines and carb empty.
  7. Rick Stephens

    Engine cut out while slowing down....

    Start with the head. See if they find the issues. To do anything with the motor you'll have to pull it and remove the pan. Then pop pistons out, pull rings and mic the gaps.
  8. Rick Stephens

    Engine cut out while slowing down....

    The hard part is knowing where the compression was leaking now that the head is off. With it on you can do a leak down and figure it for sure - as you pressurize a cylinder through the plug hole you listen for where the air is escaping. If though the crankcase vent, it's rings, if through the...
  9. Rick Stephens

    Drive removed for the 1st time, gimbal aligment inspection

    Looks shiny and new. Not sure that means anything other than you didn't create rust with a leak. Reality is that you have to spin the gimbal bearing to see if it is smooth. You have to pay attention to noises when driving the boat to see if there is a u-joint rumble. Looking at, even...
  10. Rick Stephens

    Mercruiser Alpha One Gen2 Sterndrive getting water in gear oil

    Typically you would drain all the oil out of the drive and pressure test it. You can easily build a simple pressure tester and find the leak. For the most part, this requires not much skill, some patience and a tool you made. There is at least one seal, the input shaft behind the yoke and...
  11. Rick Stephens

    2001 Party Barge 22ft Pontoon Engine Swap..

    I did it. It can be a HUGE job. You need to measure, and make sure it will fit. You'll need new mounts, Easiest is to find a donor boat for the motor and potentially the outdrive. A boat with what you want in it, a boat that is rotted out you can usually find at cutrate price. Is it worth it...
  12. Rick Stephens

    4.3 to 5.7 swap

    As with mine.
  13. Rick Stephens

    Re; Broke spark plug

    One should not even use the word 'pull' when referring to a Mercruiser leg mounted impeller. That pump can't 'pull' water even a quarter of an inch. The pump is vented to allow air to escape (which also means it makes ZERO suction!). This makes it self priming, but only when completely...
  14. Rick Stephens

    4.3 to 5.7 swap

    No nightmare. And how it mounts to the stringers depends on how your bilge is built. But yes, basically you need mount spots 4.5 inches ahead of where the 4.3L mounts are and a doghouse that is 4 or 5 inches longer than the the 4.3 uses. Then you will need the different motor and different...
  15. Rick Stephens

    4.3 to 5.7 swap

    Only real issue is 4 1/2 inches longer to the motor mounts on the side of the motor, and a 3 1/2 inch longer overall motor. Other than that it is just fiddly bits of hardware.
  16. Rick Stephens

    Driveshaft Gear Rotational Torque

    When I did mine last time I just separated a little bit and snuck up. Not to degrade that method, as I have only done rolling torques several times. In my case after only separating a teensy bit, first time out within about 5 minutes I had a rumble. Took it back apart and found it was really...
  17. Rick Stephens

    Warm Start issues... HELP!!!

    I swapped out a Roc for an Edelbrock 1409. Not as bad a deal as it may sound, although you do end up having to recalibrate the new carburetor.
  18. Rick Stephens

    Driveshaft Gear Rotational Torque

    So it is NOT tighten to a given torque, but tighten to a ROLLING TORQUE. That requires a torque gauge wrench and not your standard torque wrench. With Rolling Torque the nut is tightened, however much is required, to where the resistance to turning the shaft and bearings is 6.5 inch pounds. The...
  19. Rick Stephens

    Engine removal with boat in the water

    A favored engineer story. An software engineer walks into his office pushing a bike. His fellow engineer asks where he got it. He explains as he walked in from the parking lot a beautiful girl rode up, jumped off the bike, tore off her clothes and posturing, said, 'take whatever you want'. The...
  20. Rick Stephens

    Mercruiser bogs only once or twice and then runs fine

    First gotta know what carburetor you have. That can be based on how many barrels, and what motor serial number is, or sometimes the tag on the carburetor. Then you get a kit for it. Kits include gaskets, needle valve that the float runs to fill the bowl with fuel, replacement check balls and...
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