How bad is it.

[Tbird64]

I have a late 60’s Glastron V170. With a Mercruzer 120 and a pre Alfa 1 out drive. It was meticulously maintained mechanically by the previous owner. Always runs like a top starters first time every time. Had it for 5 years and it’s never given me a problem. I also scored it on a really great deal with a Trade so I really don’t have much invested into it.
Last fall had a lot going on. Winterized the boat myself and I forgot about the second drain plug.

Un wrapped it this spring to find a cracked block. Thing is it still fired right up. No water in the oil. No oil out the back so I used JB weld to stop the water that we seeping out the cracks and never had an issue but it got very very light use this summer.

When to winterize it the other day. Opened both drain plugs and didn’t get anything but a dribble out of the one on the large water box (don’t know what it’s actually called but square and the length of the block on the right side of the motor looking at it from the front) so I removed the drain plug compleatly and got little chunks of metal flushed out. Not shavings but actual little chunks. Bigger than the point of a pen

Is it worth pulling the motor and brazing the block (I can do this myself) or just look for a replacement?

 

[ScottinAZ]

if it were my boat, and I wanted to keep it, I would be looking for a cheap/free boat out there with a good motor and a bad hull. Swap the motor over, keep the outdrive for a spare, should something happen to the ancient thing, and carry on smartly. IIRC, you can use either a 3.0 or a 2.5, they are externally very similar/same.

Problem with trying to braze it, is going to be getting to clean base metal for a good bond. Unfortunately you cannot see the inside of the block to know how rusty it is, or if there are microcracks that havent shown their ugly heads yet, but are just waiting for you to go in with the torch and start heating things up

 

[Scott06]

I have a late 60’s Glastron V170. With a Mercruzer 120 and a pre Alfa 1 out drive. It was meticulously maintained mechanically by the previous owner. Always runs like a top starters first time every time. Had it for 5 years and it’s never given me a problem. I also scored it on a really great deal with a Trade so I really don’t have much invested into it.
Last fall had a lot going on. Winterized the boat myself and I forgot about the second drain ****.

Un wrapped it this spring to find a cracked block. Thing is it still fired right up. No water in the oil. No oil out the back so I used JB weld to stop the water that we seeping out the cracks and never had an issue but it got very very light use this summer.

When to winterize it the other day. Opened both drain cocks and didn’t get anything but a dribble out of the one on the large water box (don’t know what it’s actually called but square and the length of the block on the right side of the motor looking at it from the front) so I removed the drain **** compleatly and got little chunks of metal flushed out. Not shavings but actual little chunks. Bigger than the point of a pen

Is it worth pulling the motor and brazing the block (I can do this myself) or just look for a replacement?

The big water box is the intake/exhaust manifold. In 20 years of owning my 3.0 (bigger sibling to the 2.5) I almost never got any water out of the manifold, not sure if it would siphon out or if the boat wasn't level etc . Wouldn't worry about that... the chunks are normal for raw water cooled.

The block crack - I would leave it as is if it is just the outside of the water jacket. I dont think you will be fully successful brazing or welding, just leave the JB weld .

If you like the boat and want to replace the engine find a newer boat with a 3.0 preferably 91 and newer with a Alpha Gen 2 drive, take the entire driveline pulleys to prop out of it. Best and most cost effective is find a boat on CL with roached interior and part it out

 

[Tbird64]

Thanks for the reply’s gents. And sorry to the mods for putting this in the wrong spot first.

If the chunks are normal then I’ll probably just flush it winterize and keep on trucking.

 

[Drcoffee]

With sea water cooled, The water jacket isnt under much pressure, so the JB weld should keep the hole plugged

 

[Silvertip]

Use a Dremel tool to clean up the cracks so the JB weld has something to get a grip on.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I would look for a 1992 or later bayliner with a rotten hull and a 3.0 / Alpha 1, gen 2 and get the boat for near free and swap in everything from pulley to prop into your boat vs dealing with a cracked block.

 

[Grub54891]

Been running mine for five years with the same crack, repaired with jb. Chunks of rust always come out of the drains. Non issue. Be sure to poke them with a wire or sip tie to be sure they drain
properly..

 

[QBhoy]

Not in any way as a means of sure thing and she’ll be ok for ever more, by the suggestion…but I personally know of 3 boats with the later derived 3.0 140/135 engines, that have suffered a cracked block and were leaking externally to the bilge. They were sealed up with similar JB weld or devcon. All 3 are still going strong and without issue. One of them suffered the issue as long ago as about 20 years now.
As for the metal flakes…this is common from manifolds or even the block…when she’s left without AF and damp over winter. And likely just common no matter what, from the manifolds, given their consumable part status. Quite often you’ll get no water out the manifold, depending on the situation at the time, but despite this..I’d also say that if you open both ends of some manifolds..and blow through…you can get some water out there, that might other wise sit.