Locked up Nissan NS 3.5B2

[SMERCHANT]

I just found a deal on a 2001 Nissan NS 3.5B2 on Craigslist for $20.00! Only thing is the powerhead is locked up. The seller said he knows nothing about the motor at all. He said he bought a sailboat & this motor was on it as a kicker. He said he took it off as soon as he bought the boat & replaced it with a 10hp outboard. He said he never started it & does not know if it ran when he got it. It has been sitting in his garage laying on it's side for 6 years. When I pull the string it will not budge at all. When I put it in neutral the propeler will turn by hand so I'll assume the lower unit is ok. I'm trying to find a way to break this seized motor loose & get it up & running to power my Pelican Bass Raider. One guy tells me that it was probably run with straight gas not mixed with 2 cycle oil & it siezed up, another tells me the water impeller was not working & it overheated. I've read if they are stored laying wrong for a long time they can get stuck from that. How can I find out what it is & get it running? Somebody help!

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Locked up Nissan NS 3.5B2

Begin removing spark plug, gently pull starter cord , does engine rotate ? If so, mix some 25:1 gas/oil ratio, place engine lying horizontal on stand if available or floor, squirt some shots mix inside cylinder so to lubricate internal parts, pull cord slowly some times. Perform a complete carb clean including all gas passages, tank, hose, gas valve etc. Check condition of water pulp, impeller and related parts, change tail oil, spark plug.

If engine is still stucked, remove rope starter assembly & cylinder head to have a look, maybe piston is just seized there, add mix to penetrate, try to rotate piston with wrench by means of upper magnet nut turned CW, if still seized, remove carb, magneto and all electrical related parts, inmerse block on carb clean fluid for some hours and check if rotating fine , last option, open block and perform a complete internal parts maintenance.

It's nearly mission impossible to have a stuck piston when overheating due to water cooling problems, once engine cools down, piston will start to move freely, will need to re torque or change head gasket for engine to work as expected..

Surely would go for that nice priced option, in case needs lots of parts, still will be cheaper than to buy new, can tear all engine appart, sell small pieces and make a nice profit with minimum investment..

Happy Boating

 

[SMERCHANT]

Re: Locked up Nissan NS 3.5B2

Thanks for the advise. You are truly the man! I have already done the first few steps, so I'll go home today & get into the engine & see what I can do to get it loosened up. I'll let you know what progress I make.

 

[SMERCHANT]

Re: Locked up Nissan NS 3.5B2

Also, I read in another forum that you can use automatic transmission fluid to free up seized parts. Is that true? Or will it mess up my engine even more?

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Locked up Nissan NS 3.5B2

Also, I read in another forum that you can use automatic transmission fluid to free up seized parts. Is that true? Or will it mess up my engine even more?

Transmission fluid won't help a bit, is just a thinner oil, brake fluid can make marvells on seized & rusted parts too. Have you tried W-40 ? If available, try carb clean if going for deep inmersion option, assume you are going straight for the latest more work options as first ones have done nothing . Maybe Paul, TG can recommend a good product to memove stucked/seized piston before tearing complete engine appart.

Happy Boating

 

[SMERCHANT]

Re: Locked up Nissan NS 3.5B2

I'm going to get it to run by any means neccessary! I've priced that motor on Craigslist & Ebay between $550 & $700. So for $20.00 I came out good. Until I get that fixed I'll just keep on running my Minn-Kota Endura 30. Only prob with that is (like a dummy) I bought a marine starting battery instead of a deep cycle & every time I go out for more than an hour or two I end up rowing back or getting a tow from another boat.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Locked up Nissan NS 3.5B2

I'm going to get it to run by any means neccessary! I've priced that motor on Craigslist & Ebay between $550 & $700. So for $20.00 I came out good. Until I get that fixed I'll just keep on running my Minn-Kota Endura 30. Only prob with that is (like a dummy) I bought a marine starting battery instead of a deep cycle & every time I go out for more than an hour or two I end up rowing back or getting a tow from another boat.

Definitely, go for that small outstanding portable engine, will take you back home in a breeze, when engine runs perfect, can use the Minn-Kota and battery as nice anchors.

Happy Boating

 

[SMERCHANT]

Re: Locked up Nissan NS 3.5B2

Definitely, go for that small outstanding portable engine, will take you back home in a breeze, when engine runs perfect, can use the Minn-Kota and battery as nice anchors.

Happy Boating

The first thing I plan on doing is tossing that battery overboard! It dies every time I go out. The guy at Advance Auto told me it was what I needed to run my trolling motor. He didn't know what he was talking about it is just for starting. I guess because it said marine on it he thought he was selling me the right thing. I tried to go back & exchange it but they wouldn't take it. They said I waited too long. It is only 6 months old. I think they should take it back because it was their saleman's mistake. This is my first boat & I wasn't sure which battery to buy. I was going to buy a top of the line battery but this guy talked me into buying this piece of crap. I've had people tell me that the minn kota will run for 10+ hours on a good deep cycle battery.

 

[SMERCHANT]

Re: Locked up Nissan NS 3.5B2

Here's a few pics of the motor & my rig

 

[pvanv]

Re: Locked up Nissan NS 3.5B2

A typical overheat seize would probably come unstuck when cool, as Luis said. But if it was run without oil mixed in the fuel -- straight gas, that could either scrub the cylinder/piston/ring so much that it has no compression (have seen quite a few of those), or could weld the piston to the cylinder wall. Or, if stored in a damp spot without proper fogging, it could corrode stuck.

If you have a very stuck piston, and can't free it up, a new short block would be needed. There are still a few available new at Tohatsu America, but they ain't cheap. 309B871003 SHORT BLOCK 3.5A2 NEW STYLE (91646~) $510.52

If you are bent on trying to get it to run, soak the piston down with the penetrating oil of your choice, let it sit for a day or 3, and then see if you can wiggle the flywheel back and forth until it frees up. May require a lot of torque initially as the piston comes unstuck from the cylinder. If you don't get lucky, you can always part out the LU, etc., to get your $20 back.

 

[SMERCHANT]

Re: Locked up Nissan NS 3.5B2

I soaked it overnight last night with aerokroil, pulled the string this morning & it moved some but is still tight. I sprayed it some more & will do that for a few more days. It should be freed up by the weekend. Next question. Do I use regular 2 cycle oil or is there a special marine 2 cycle I have to use?

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: Locked up Nissan NS 3.5B2

The engine was designed to be run at 100:1 with TCw-3 oil...It was sold to the public with a spec call for 50:1 TCw-3. Using anything other than that invites risk.

 

[SMERCHANT]

Re: Locked up Nissan NS 3.5B2

I pulled the string Saturday morning & the engine was totally free! Went & got some marine 2 cycle at Advance Auto, mixed some gas up, put it in & she fired up on the 2nd pull! runs a little rough though & it smokes like hell from all of the lube I had put in it trying to break it loose. Water pump works fine too. I'm gonna buy a spark plug this week & take it to the lake on Saturday. I saw a deal on a 1988 Ranger bass boat on Craigslist for $800 in mint condition without a motor (original was blown). Thinking about selling my rig to get it. I've had an offer for $1250 (as soon as I get the motor running, which it is now!) What size motor would I need for the Ranger? Could I power it with a 25 hp? I have a partner with one sitting in his garage he said I can have. I know it's kind of small but I'm not looking for speed, just enough to get me around fishing. Everyone I see with those boats have big 150's on them, but I think they come with a 50.

 

[pvanv]

Re: Locked up Nissan NS 3.5B2

Bass boats are usually powered with the biggest rig that won't sink them. Do they need that? Only to "get out there fast", especially in tournaments. I have a friend who still runs a Merc "Tower of Power" on his. Rule of thumb, if you want to use the boat as designed, is to check the ID plate on the boat... then power with at least 80% of what the plate calls for. However... I have seen a lot of under-powered boats that serve their owners well... as long as they don't expect more from the rig.

BYW, You may want to grab a wp kit for the 3.5, as after a few years they do dry rot, and can throw a vane or 4 at any time.