dusting off the mercruiser 888

[day-dayc]

Long story short. So the girl friends dad had a reinell 240 sitting in his yard that was given to me as a gift. Hasn't been started in 4 years and never winterized. Took it to work and got the monster started and runs. It now starts on the second turn over. Needs a lower unit since something seems it wanted to get out of the gear case. And has quarter size holes in the manifolds. Is there anything else these motors are notorious for? Im doing the basic maintence of water pump, plugs,wires, cap, rotor, oil change along with draining the old gas out.

 

[day-dayc]

Re: dusting off the mercruiser 888

Any help is appreciated. New to the inboard motors and the dinosaur of a boat. Its a 1977

 

[bonzoscott]

Re: dusting off the mercruiser 888

First step is get your model & serial numbers of the motor and drive. Don't know where you're at but no winterizing means you should be looking for cracked block. Holes in manifolds, if round like a quarter, would be more like corrosion than freeze damage. Since you have ran the motor, check to see if there is water in the oil or cylinders. Given the investment, best look for a good used drive once you figure what you've got. Check water in motor first, then start lookin for manifolds and drive. Just the way you describe "something wanting to get out of the drive" sounds bad. Is that in neutral?

 

[Bondo]

Re: dusting off the mercruiser 888

Long story short. So the girl friends dad had a reinell 240 sitting in his yard that was given to me as a gift. Hasn't been started in 4 years and never winterized. Took it to work and got the monster started and runs. It now starts on the second turn over. Needs a lower unit since something seems it wanted to get out of the gear case. And has quarter size holes in the manifolds. Is there anything else these motors are notorious for? Im doing the basic maintence of water pump, plugs,wires, cap, rotor, oil change along with draining the old gas out.

Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard,.... I'm thinkin' yer story ain't gonna end well,....

For some Great info, 'n a Great learnin' experience,...
Spend a few hours lookin' over the info in Don'S Adults Only section,...
There's links to the Mercruiser manuals in there,...

My guess is, yer gonna find a cracked block, heads, 'n probably manifolds,...
Combined with the fact Ford hasn't been used by Merc since yer motor was New,...
Parts availability is limited,...

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: dusting off the mercruiser 888

Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard,.... I'm thinkin' yer story ain't gonna end well,....

For some Great info, 'n a Great learnin' experience,...
Spend a few hours lookin' over the info in Don'S Adults Only section,...
There's links to the Mercruiser manuals in there,...

My guess is, yer gonna find a cracked block, heads, 'n probably manifolds,...
Combined with the fact Ford hasn't been used by Merc since yer motor was New,...
Parts availability is limited,...

I can probably help him out with the manifolds/risers if he needs a replacement set, since I have a low-time 351w sitting around in full dress. He can PM me for the details if chooses to.

 

[day-dayc]

Re: dusting off the mercruiser 888

I did a dry start multiple times, then put it in the water, started to over heat figured the water propeller in the lower is bad from sitting along with the water pump. have a new one already on the way, motor doesnt have a mis, it can hold idle and rpms up to 3000, no smoke surprisingly. i just find it odd on the manifolds i have quarter size hole on cylinders 5&6. needs exhaust bellows and maybe a y pipe from heavy oxidation, thinking the thru hull deal but hear/read lots of pros and cons about doing that. did the oil change and found water in it. maybe an ounce but im hoping thats from the three years of sitting with out winterization

 

[day-dayc]

Re: dusting off the mercruiser 888

I can probably help him out with the manifolds/risers if he needs a replacement set, since I have a low-time 351w sitting around in full dress. He can PM me for the details if chooses to.

if all ends horriable i might need the whold 351. i have no money in the boat or trailer so im not too terrified or stressed to put a few dollars into it.

 

[day-dayc]

Re: dusting off the mercruiser 888



I present the "Dirty Banana"

 

[harleyman1975]

Re: dusting off the mercruiser 888

Just so you know the 351 and the 302 have different gear ratios. I have an 888 in an old Cruisers Bonanza. 21 ft. I can get 43 mph gps out of her with a 19 pitch prop. Have a 17 pitch that I want to try for better hole shot. Where has the boat been sitting (state)?

 

[day-dayc]

Re: dusting off the mercruiser 888

In md.

 

[jasonbailey]

Re: dusting off the mercruiser 888

Check the underlying structure for rot before you go throwing money at the engine. Most likely on a 1977, you will need a transom, deck, and stringers.

 

[harleyman1975]

Re: dusting off the mercruiser 888

climb on the out drive and give her a bounce. It should not flex much at all if it does then there is transome rot.

 

[day-dayc]

Re: dusting off the mercruiser 888

Check the underlying structure for rot before you go throwing money at the engine. Most likely on a 1977, you will need a transom, deck, and stringers.

i bounced a would be broom stick across the hull and floor. sounded solid only found one "thud" soft spot on the main floor above the gas tank by a port hole to the fill hose clamp

 

[day-dayc]

Re: dusting off the mercruiser 888

I'll give it a whirl. it theres major flexing then ditch the boat?
a couple buddies say if the boat is decent then the dad likes me, if the boat is trash then he doesn't

 

[ONEGA]

Re: dusting off the mercruiser 888

View attachment 217345

I present the "Dirty Banana"

Nice boat. Not that many Reinells around. I came across one last year with FWC 351 in it. Didn't know there was OMC setup until I came to see the boat...

 

[jasonbailey]

Re: dusting off the mercruiser 888

Best thing to do is check the transom for flex. If you have any, that's a bad thing. Addtionally you want to take a core sample of the transom and stringers. Drill a small hold into the transom, from the inside of the boat. Check the shavings, if they appear to be dry and light colored you are good to go, if dark and wet looking, that's a bad thing. Seal the hole up with some 3M 5200, and do the same thing to the stringers around the engine. Most likely on a boat that old, stored outside, and not winterized the last time it was put up, you are going to find rot.

Not trying to be a killjoy, but I'd check all of those things very carefully before you go sinking money into the engine to get it running and only discovery its going to take a significant amount of more money to make it safe to go boating.

What part of MD are you in? I'm on Kent Island.

 

[day-dayc]

Re: dusting off the mercruiser 888

the boat was in Severn last 4 years, now in Frederick.

I will try to post pictures to the samples hopefully tomorrow.

 

[day-dayc]

Re: dusting off the mercruiser 888

 

[BigDog98]

Re: dusting off the mercruiser 888

Long story short. So the girl friends dad had a reinell 240 sitting in his yard that was given to me as a gift. Hasn't been started in 4 years and never winterized. Took it to work and got the monster started and runs. It now starts on the second turn over. Needs a lower unit since something seems it wanted to get out of the gear case. And has quarter size holes in the manifolds. Is there anything else these motors are notorious for? Im doing the basic maintence of water pump, plugs,wires, cap, rotor, oil change along with draining the old gas out.

I would rebuild the carb and change the fuel filter ect ect. Also run a compression test on the engine to see what the real damage is!

 

[day-dayc]

Re: dusting off the mercruiser 888

the picture above is at main floor level, if i push i hear crunching, placed a drill bit on it and i could almost push it in. tried the jump test on the outdrive and had no flex, the top 70% of transom is still good dry clean wood came out. the rails where the motor bolts to was fiberglass came out white and hard