Info on Mercruiser 0A494867 170Hp engine.

[Duranma62]

I really appreciate it, God knows I am going to need all the help I can get. Thank you so much.

What type of engine did you replace it with? How hard was to install and alternator conversion kit?

 

[matt167]

What is engine specs of the 4.3L that replace the 3.7L? I might wan to go that route.

Iron block GM 4.3L V6. similar hp, much better reliability

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

There are a couple of known issues with the 470 engine. I have the last version the 3.7LX which was last made in '89. They have a large bore and torque along with very good fuel economy.

Here is a thread on one of the issues: https://forums.iboats.com/threads/1986-mercruiser-470-coolant-leak-through-weep-hole.673343/

1987 mercruiser 470-170hp water pump replace ? maybe 1986 eng in 87 boat

New to 470's have had a few inline 4cyls before but not like this !!! bought it real cheap -- last owner said water pump was leaking thru weep hole ? but from what i am finding there is no weep hole ? correct me if i am wrong . can impeller be replaced ? or does cam have to be pulled ? once...

forums.iboats.com

Here... read this article on the job:

Mercruiser 470 Coolant Leak

These engines don't like to get hot. With the block being made of aluminum and the cast iron head, with different expansion rates, it almost always results in a blown head gasket. With everything working as it should, my engine runs at 160° all day long. Have a good temp gauge on the helm. The earlier versions had 3" diameter heat exchangers which had issues cooling enough and were later replaced with a 4" diameter version.

Also the charging system is expensive to replace if it fails. The factory set up is a stator that produces current which is located under what looks like the harmonic balancer. There is also a voltage regulator that is water cooled near the heat exchanger. The VR is prone to failure and usually causes high voltage readings when failed. 15+ volts. The best fix is to replace it with a belt driven alternator, there are aftermarket kits available, none by Mercruiser. The kits are bolt in and made for this engine, easy conversion if you have to.

 

[nola mike]

Plenty of help on here to get your 3.7 running. What issues are you having? No such thing as a reliable 35 year old boat. The 3.7 is no more or less reliable imo. Now that @Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1 is back, you're in good hands. If only we could find @stonyloam...

 

[Duranma62]

Good morning everyone. Is there a car engine I can put on this boat that will work? Any thoughts?

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Good morning everyone. Is there a car engine I can put on this boat that will work? Any thoughts?

Sure there are many, but it won't be a direct swap. Mercruiser also used Chevy and Ford engines but they were mostly V6 or V8 Engines. Your engine only has one front engine mount, the V engines will have two. The 4.3 Chevy would be the best swap to go to, they use the same gear ratio in the outdrive that you have now. If you go to a V8 you'd have to swap the drive. You could swap to another inline engine but I think the 3.0 and 165 were both older engines that what you have. And you'd be loosing torque.

Are you having problems with this motor?

 

[glennj3]

What type of engine did you replace it with? How hard was to install and alternator conversion kit?

I think you were asking me? I replaced it with a used same engine. My mechanic found this conversion kit. It is very simple & works like a charm! The belts turn on the old stator. It was not expensive!

 

[nola mike]

Good morning everyone. Is there a car engine I can put on this boat that will work? Any thoughts?

Not easily. Did I miss what the issue is with the current motor?

 

[Duranma62]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I think I am going to give this engine a chance. Where to start? I think since it has been sitting for a long time, I should start with the fuel assembly. Drain the thank, change the fuel.pump. Then tackle the electrical. Plugs, wires, points, distributor cap, and rotor. What are your thought? Like I said, the engine turns over when I hook up the battery and turn the key, but it won't start.

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Don't replace the fuel pump yet. They very rarely go.
I agree on the full tune up.

If it doesn't have a fuel water separator, you should add one in between the tank and fuel pump. Once you get the tune up done and you confirm you have spark. You can run the engine off a portable gas container and some fuel hose instead of the boat's gas tank, just to get it running.

Yes, get that old gas out of the tank, start fresh. It's probably going to need a carb rebuild unless it was ran out of gas when it was stored.

 

[Duranma62]

Thank you, that sounds like a good idea.

 

[Bt Doctur]

you people need to read up on stator charging systems.
The stator generates AC voltage and the rectifierchanges that to DC voltage

 

[Bt Doctur]

 

[Bt Doctur]

 

[Bt Doctur]

produces a square wave dc to mimic the ac sine wave
the 4,3 on average is 175-200 hp , You will have to make new front motor mounts and/or stringers. Wiring should be plug and play at the harness side. Drive gear ratio should stay the same.

 

[Duranma62]

Thank you, that is good info.

 

[Duranma62]

produces a square wave dc to mimic the ac sine wave
the 4,3 on average is 175-200 hp , You will have to make new front motor mounts and/or stringers. Wiring should be plug and play at the harness side. Drive gear ratio should stay the same.

Hi,
Where did you find a manual for this engine? I ordered one from Amazon but it didn't cover this engine very much.

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Hi,
Where did you find a manual for this engine? I ordered one from Amazon but it didn't cover this engine very much.

The factory service manual covers more than a Clymer or Seloc manual. He may have the paper version I don't know.... Years ago the PDF versions were available here but were shut down due to copyright. Boatinfo.no has them also but no longer work as you need Flashplayer to open it and it's no longer supported.
You can try here, just a quick search:

MerCruiser Service Manual Free Download PDF

More than 30+ service & repair manuals for such sterndrive engines as MerCruiser you can free download .

www.downloadboatmanuals.com

You would need Mercruiser manual # 6 for your drive and manual # 8 for your engine.

 

[Bt Doctur]

back in the day when you could still download then and save them

 

[Duranma62]

Thank you, that was a big help. I manage to get my hands on both copies. #6 & # 8. This is going to help me a lot