Re: 3.7L 180HP rebuild with pics!
Do you have details on the coil you used? Type and manufacture? I don't recall but are you using points or did you upgrade the distributor? Also on the oil filter you mentioned fram #PH5, my engine doesn't have power stering will the same one fit? What type of oil are you using? I'm hoping to finish my rebuild this weekend and am now finishing the bottom end and thinking about fluids. Did you use any added sealers on the gaskets? oil pan and lifter cover in particular. Sorry for all the ???'s but this is my first marine rebuild and heard these engines can be finiky?
Ok In order:
1) Sierra coil number is SIE18-5433
2) Using points
3)The oil filter should be the same, but I would recomend you use a marine filter or better brand auto filter, I only used Fram cause it was cheap and the oil will need changed after the first time the engine gets to temp because of all the lube the machine shop put on the internal parts. So once that is done I will be installing the proper Sierra oil filter.
4) I am using a streight 40 weight oil. Mercruiser recomends streight 30 or 40 weight depending on the min temp you operate in. NO SYNTHETICS! and no multi weight oils!
5) No I did not add any sealers on any of the gaskets because, they are all cork or paper or some kinf of porase material that obsorbs fluid. The valve cover and oil pan are both cork, so they may leak at first just a very little but the gasket will soak up the oil and swell. Once that happens they wont leak, given they were installed right.
The engine does have some corks but all engine have there issues. I have found that good maintance and preventive care solve those issues.
I for example I do two oil changes a season. One at the begining and one in the middle regardless of hours reason being, because I have a young familly and we can put alot of stress on the boat...wakeboarding, tubing, skiing, fishing and we can get into some crazy water conditions on Lake Erie. I also am a coolant Nazi! If the engine is getting hot I dont wait for it to over heat I start looking for issues!
After every weekend before packing the boat up for the week I do a hole check of the motor, drive and hull...cleaning plugs, checking wires, battery, fluids, looking for leaks and loose bolts. That way if there are any issues or damage I have the entire week to get them fixed right and I am not trying to fix problems with the family breathing down my neck cause they want to go out, or i am not putting my family in any risks because I jerry-riged something real quick.
But I dont do that cause the engine, I do it cause my wifes, my two kids and any other freinds or family that is out with us,their safty is on the line. I would do it no matter what engine my boat had.
The way I see it is, the engine I just rebult was bult in 1987 or before, and has lasted 23 years until it needed major work and the only reason it got rebuilt was to prevent an issue of major failure caused by a sloppy piston, the engine cant be as bad as people say.
Happy to share any info I can!
