55HP Chrysler Rebuild Kit?

[7355hpchry]

I got this motor for free a 1973 55HP Chrysler. I smoked it today, water pump failed and the motor got hot then would not restart. I figure I smoked the rings and pistons. Where can I get an overhaul kit for this motor? I found a 1987 Force 50 with no lower unit, will the powerhead bolt in place of my blown unit? Will my lower unit bolt up to an '87 powerhead?

 

[steelespike]

Re: 55HP Chrysler Rebuild Kit?

Got hot?Did it seize? have you checked compression?Did you scorch the paint?Typically an overheat results in a blown head gasket.A simple repair.Pulling the head and exhaust covers will let check for any scoring damage.

 

[eurolarva]

Re: 55HP Chrysler Rebuild Kit?

As steelspike mentioned. I have overheated my 45 hp chrysler 3 times and I still have 145 lb compression in both cylinders. After the overheat it may take an hour for it to cool down enough to start again. Put it in a tank of water and start it again after you fix why it overheated. Probably a bad impeller. If the impeller grenaded on you you will need to find all the parts. It is not uncommon for a busted impeller vain to get lodged in the cooling jacket of the motor. Compression testers cost about 35 bucks. That should give you piece of mind.

 

[7355hpchry]

Re: 55HP Chrysler Rebuild Kit?

Well it did turn over and start quickly today. I shut it back down as soon as it fired. The top of the block looks corroded but it could just be the paint blistered. A sign this overheating is probably an on going issue.

I pulled the impeller, it IS completely intact. The vanes have taken a set, but they are still very pliable and show no dry cracks what so ever, even when I bend them against the direction they are set. Two days ago I installed a tell tale as described in the sticky at the top of this page.

It(the tell tale)showed good water flow at idle to 2500RPM in neutral, during warm up. I put the motor in gear and took off. I went less than 1/4 mile and the tell tale started spitting steam and then white smoke. I shut it down waited about 15 minutes and tried to restart. I would not start and the block was very hot.

Would a blown head gasket cause exhaust pressure to enter the water jacket and cut off water flow?

I did find one of the bolts for the water pump was stripped and poorly heli coiled. The heli coil job did not hold and the casing cracked around the heli coil. This can be easily fixed by simply using a much longer bolt.

A complete waterpump kit is no longer available, only the impeller. Is there any thing else I can check for a cause for the cooling failure at cruse speed?

 

[eurolarva]

Re: 55HP Chrysler Rebuild Kit?

That sticky is for putting a telltale on a Force. I dont know if that will work for your Chrysler. The telltale may be reducing the amount of water pressure so that you are not able to get water to flow as well.

 

[7355hpchry]

Re: 55HP Chrysler Rebuild Kit?

The telltale is only 3/16" copper pipe. I did not even use the 1/4" the post calls for. The inside diameter of the pipe I used is only around 1/8" a very small amount of water is diverted. If the telltale is causing the problem, the cooling system in general, is totally inept and VERY poorly designed.

I installed the telltale because I suspected a severe cooling problem the first time I ran this motor a couple weeks ago. I'm going to put a new impeller in, to see if that fixes the cooling problem.

I had a 35HP Chrysler motor about 10 years ago. It had a BIG TIME cooling issue as well. The guy that owned it before me, put scoops on the water inlet to force water into the motor.I replaced the impeller a couple times, but it never did cool right, and I got rid of the motor quickly.

If the new impeller does not fix the problem, the 65HP Suzuki motor I'm looking at buying will.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: 55HP Chrysler Rebuild Kit?

Try franzmarine.com over at The Chrysler Crew. If anyone will have a water pump housing, he will.

 

[7355hpchry]

Re: 55HP Chrysler Rebuild Kit?

I tried him and Fairwinds both had part numbers that were NLA. Has anyone ever tried to sleeve the inside of the impeller housing?. I'm really starting to think it is the housing that is worn.

Is there any type of retro kit that can change that pump assembly over to a more available part?

 

[7355hpchry]

Re: 55HP Chrysler Rebuild Kit?

UPDATE: The new impeller did not fix the problem so the obsolete, outdated, overheating 55HP Chrysler motor is going to the junk yard. This is the second Chrysler outboard I've owned and it will most definitely be the last. If anyone wants parts off this POS let me know. It still runs but WILL NOT PUMP WATER.

 

[steelespike]

Re: 55HP Chrysler Rebuild Kit?

Could be as simple as a mud dobbers nest in the water intake.Or pieces of an old impeller stuck somewhere.You could certainly part it out on Ebay.
Don't send to the junk yard.I'm no Chrysler fan but it would be a shame to just throw it away.

 

[timdan94]

Re: 55HP Chrysler Rebuild Kit?

does it have power trim and tilt?

 

[7355hpchry]

Re: 55HP Chrysler Rebuild Kit?

does it have power trim and tilt?

No power trim and tilt. It is just a very basic 1974 Chrysler 55HP. It has single carb, magneto ignition, electric start, no alternator, will not pump water/overheated a bunch.

 

[7355hpchry]

Re: 55HP Chrysler Rebuild Kit?

Could be as simple as a mud dobbers nest in the water intake.Or pieces of an old impeller stuck somewhere.You could certainly part it out on Ebay.
Don't send to the junk yard.I'm no Chrysler fan but it would be a shame to just throw it away.

I flushed the entire cooling system with a garden hose power nozzle. It pumps water at idle, but as soon as I put it in gear and take off it quits pumping water.
as many times as it has overheated(enough to fry all the paint off the top of the cyl head) its not worth spending the $150 for a new impeller housing.

With all the fees and charges it will COST ME to part it out on e-bay. E-bay has priced themselves out of what they were intended for. I hate e-bay!!! They are pure capitalistic freaking pig bastards. I'd rather put this motor in a dumpster than give those e-bay scam artists a dime in auction fees. Sorry for the ranting, but as you can gather, I have no use for e-bay.

 

[arsenalpsu]

Re: 55HP Chrysler Rebuild Kit?

Hey i have a chrysler 55hp and live in PA. Where you at? (wondering if the shipping it's worth getting)

 

[7355hpchry]

Re: 55HP Chrysler Rebuild Kit?

Hey i have a chrysler 55hp and live in PA. Where you at? (wondering if the shipping it's worth getting)

I'm in Western Arizona Zip code 85344. I'm only about 1/2 mile from California.

 

[steelespike]

Re: 55HP Chrysler Rebuild Kit?

I flushed the entire cooling system with a garden hose power nozzle. It pumps water at idle, but as soon as I put it in gear and take off it quits pumping water.
as many times as it has overheated(enough to fry all the paint off the top of the cyl head) its not worth spending the $150 for a new impeller housing.

With all the fees and charges it will COST ME to part it out on e-bay. E-bay has priced themselves out of what they were intended for. I hate e-bay!!! They are pure capitalistic freaking pig bastards. I'd rather put this motor in a dumpster than give those e-bay scam artists a dime in auction fees. Sorry for the ranting, but as you can gather, I have no use for e-bay.

I'll grant you they may be a little greedy.But where else can you sell something to the world.This fall I've sold a few things some odd ball bike parts and such there is over $140 in my paypal acct.Over the years I sold a bike to folks in Peurto Rico,A bike crank to a guy in Sweeden,Clock to Japan,Toaster to Canada,Girl came from Nantucket to pick up a bike.Except for mailing I can just sit on my butt.
I do have access to lots of free packing materials.And I sometimes do a little shopping though mostly related to my boat and bike hobby.There is craigs list ..free.

 

[hope761fish]

Re: 55HP Chrysler Rebuild Kit?

I flushed the entire cooling system with a garden hose power nozzle. It pumps water at idle, but as soon as I put it in gear and take off it quits pumping water.
as many times as it has overheated(enough to fry all the paint off the top of the cyl head) its not worth spending the $150 for a new impeller housing.

With all the fees and charges it will COST ME to part it out on e-bay. E-bay has priced themselves out of what they were intended for. I hate e-bay!!! They are pure capitalistic freaking pig bastards. I'd rather put this motor in a dumpster than give those e-bay scam artists a dime in auction fees. Sorry for the ranting, but as you can gather, I have no use for e-bay.

Hey , I can used the coils off that motor if you want to sell them, send me a reply at wpenesa@bellsouth.net

 

[hope761fish]

Re: 55HP Chrysler Rebuild Kit?

Hey, I am knew at this web site, and i think i posted this question in the wrong place, But anyway i really would like to buy the two coils off that 55hp you got if you still have them. let me know if you will consider selling them, hope761fish or email at wpenesa@bellsouth.net

 

[7355hpchry]

Re: 55HP Chrysler Rebuild Kit?

Hey, I am knew at this web site, and i think i posted this question in the wrong place, But anyway i really would like to buy the two coils off that 55hp you got if you still have them. let me know if you will consider selling them, hope761fish or email at wpenesa@bellsouth.net

Well hope761fish I've decided to keep the motor. I did a compression check and it showed I had 150psi in both cylinders. I found the water pump problem was in fact a botched thread repair by the previous owner.
The hack drilled way to big a hole, for the helicoil repair of one of the impeller housing bolts. He drilled clean through the thread boss you see on the lower unit. It also caused a good sized chunk of metal to crack off the inside of the impeller housing. The drill hole/missing chunk was sucking air when the boat was on plane. I fixed the problem with a long bolt and Muggy Weld. It works AWESOME now.