How long to pull a motor?

[nola mike]

Finally picked up a hull with a 4.3. I don't have an engine hoist. I'm thinking about disconnecting everything, and posting a CL or similar ad, driving somewhere and have them lift and place it in the back of my truck. Guessing that part of it shouldn't take more than 15-30 minutes, right?
In prep...

1. Remove drive
2. Unplug harness
3. Unscrew mounts (just take out the lag screws?)
4. Disconnect throttle/shifter
5. Disconnect fuel line
6. Power steering...where/how do I do this?
7. Exhaust...Best place to disconnect?
8. Battery cables/grounds

Anything I'm forgetting? Don't want to "discover" something once we get lifting if possible.
Lastly, going to bring some chain with me, how do I attach it and where?

 

[harringtondav]

Power steering will be a bit messy, but with a little planning it's not too bad. If you don't have a set of crows foot wrenches, I'd get one. Best choice for removing the pressure and return hoses from the PS valve. I have two sandwich baggies and two rubber bands ready, as well as a 8" tie wire. Remove a hose, wrap it in a baggie and tie it off with a rubber band, and quickly tuck it somewhere on the engine higher than the PS pump. Repeat with the second hose. Tie both up, if they droop, you'll bleed PS fluid where you don't want it.

Loosen the hose clamps on the aft side of each exhaust elbow.

Don't forget the water inlet hose. Remove it at the PS cooler.

Remove the top lock nut on the front mounts and lift the engine off. Lag bolts tend to twist off, and leave you with another project.

There are also several ground connections. The battery, and a transom plate continuity wire to the flywheel hsg. Mine is on the port side.

Once you pull the engine, be sure the nuts for the rear mount bolts are securely taped into their pockets in the transom hsg.

20-30 minutes for Merc pit crew. Give yourself a couple hrs the first time.

BTW, your new 4.3 may not fit your existing transom plate. Others on this forum know more.

 

[scoflaw]

As far as the Power steering is involved. The low pressure hose fits nicely into the high pressure hose. Undo the lines at the cooler. Jam them both together and no more mess. This also works nicely when running the engine on the floor.

 

[nola mike]

Hmm, first I'm hearing about the transom plate. Would have thought they'd be the same across all the a1g1's

 

[Scott06]

Bondo may know

I think somewhere in the early 80s there changed the rear motor mount spacing, but I think if you are an 86 with 86 and later you should be ok.

you hit all the connection points, may be two for the trim senders as well. I think the exhaust is easier to slide the rubber boot down just below the elbow, you can swap out the down pipe when the engine is out

Took me about an hour and a half to pull, same going back in. Does your boat already have stringers set up for side motor mounts as your 3.7 will be a front mount originally.

Instead of taking the boat somewhere did you consider a tow truck? A recovery truck with a boom and winch works as well and is relatively cheap

 

[Bondo]

Bondo may know

I think somewhere in the early 80s there changed the rear motor mount spacing, but I think if you are an 86 with 86 and later you should be ok.

Ayuh,.... The MC-1s had wide mounts,.... Alpha 1, 'n later are the narrow mounts,.....

 

[FreeBeeTony]

As far as the P/S is concerned, I would disconnect the pump from the engine and set it in the bilge while removing the motor and mess with it later.......when you have more room..

 

[nola mike]

Took me about an hour and a half to pull, same going back in. Does your boat already have stringers set up for side motor mounts as your 3.7 will be a front mount originally.

Instead of taking the boat somewhere did you consider a tow truck? A recovery truck with a boom and winch works as well and is relatively cheap

I don't think I have the right supports for the new engine. I'm counting on glassing in new boxes on the stringers. Good idea on the tow truck. I'm going to call around for options tomorrow. I'd buy a gantry lift if I just had somewhere to put the damn thing. I need more land.

 

[nola mike]

Ayuh,.... The MC-1s had wide mounts,.... Alpha 1, 'n later are the narrow mounts,.....

Is this related to the transom plate?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Its a 9 beer job

1 beer before you start
1 beer after the drive is pulled and the motor disconnected
1 beer after you hook the hoist up and start to lift
1 beer after you disconnect what you forgot
1 beer after you get the motor out
1 beer after you get it on the stand
1 beer after you get the cleaning products to start cleaning the bilge
2 after your done

 

[achris]

Don't forget throttle and shift cables.
4.3 never came on MC-1 transom plate so that shouldn't be and issue. And power steering didn't get QDs (where you can click then together) until the late90s, so earlier than that will still be threads...

Chris...

 

[harringtondav]

If you have a garage or a sturdy gable roof car port, this may be your answer for a hoist. I glued and screwed four cross members near the peak of my truss garage. Just low enough to slide a 4x6 beam under. I shimmed the outer two supports 1/8" higher than the middle two to compensate for beam deflection and spread the full load over all four trusses.

Then I bought a Harbor Freight chain hoist. Mine is the 3000#, $100 model. Overkill for a 350 mag Merc, but I've needed more pull in the past. HF's 1500# version is $85 and is plenty for any engine, and will ratchet up faster. But the $15 for twice the capacity sold me on the big one.

I pulled/installed my pal's 350 mag twice, my 4.3 once. Not a groan or crack. Using it now to lift my neighbor's 3.0L to change out a rotted timing cover. No doubt I'll find a future use for it.

 

[nola mike]

I have neither, nor any trees unfortunately. Meant to post the conclusion here, but I posted in my other thread instead:
https://forums.iboats.com/forum/eng...i-o-and-inboards/10727045-still-no-4-3l/page3

 

[stonyloam]

If the hull is junk, once the outdrive is off, just take a sawsall to the transom and remove the transom plate and all the PS components. Same for the inner hull around the motor mounts, will allow you to take measurements to duplicate the mounts. Take the control and helm too, you might not need them but you might. Good luck!

 

[porscheguy]

+1 on taking a sawzall to it. The hull is junk. I assume you’ve got a truck. Pull off everything related to the engine and drive. Save nuts, bolts, and hardware. Save the gauges, wiring, controls, etc. everything you can save is stuff you won’t be guessing about and having to repurchase down the road.