Well I bought a boat with a 4.3L V6 mercruiser engine and Alpha1 gen 11 outdrive. After my first outing (got stranded when the starter motor moved, PO had bodged a repair!!) I removed the engine from the boat repaired the starter motor mountc correctly, re installed the motor, changed the gimbal bearings and trim sensor and limit switch, replaced the bellows.. So we took the boat out for the first time today. I let it sit in the water for 15 minutes without starting the engine (to check for water leaks) no water in the bilge!! Success!!
So I started the engine, it started great but idles too high, I need to adjust the throttle cable (it's the cable not the idle adjusting screw).. We went out for a couple of hours, and on the way back I notice the oil pressure is changing between 40 PSI and 60 PSI. I stopped the engine and look in the engine bay. I have a load of oil in the bilge!! I couldn't see where it was coming from, so we added another litre (its all I had) and quickly drove the boat back to the ramp (about a 15 minute ride), watching the oil pressure gauge.. It stayed at 60PSI all the way back.. The fact that the boat no longer takes on water is a success, but the oil leak is very strange. The engine didn't leak before I took it out of the boat. I have not removed anything from the engine, except the starter motor, so I am a bit baffled as to what can cause the oil leak. Tomorrow I will move the boat outside for beter light and start looking for the source of the oil leak!! My wife was not impressed.. But at least it got us back to the ramp. The dip stick still shows oil in the engine, so I doubt I damaged anything, but I could have done without this problem..
Gary
So I started the engine, it started great but idles too high, I need to adjust the throttle cable (it's the cable not the idle adjusting screw).. We went out for a couple of hours, and on the way back I notice the oil pressure is changing between 40 PSI and 60 PSI. I stopped the engine and look in the engine bay. I have a load of oil in the bilge!! I couldn't see where it was coming from, so we added another litre (its all I had) and quickly drove the boat back to the ramp (about a 15 minute ride), watching the oil pressure gauge.. It stayed at 60PSI all the way back.. The fact that the boat no longer takes on water is a success, but the oil leak is very strange. The engine didn't leak before I took it out of the boat. I have not removed anything from the engine, except the starter motor, so I am a bit baffled as to what can cause the oil leak. Tomorrow I will move the boat outside for beter light and start looking for the source of the oil leak!! My wife was not impressed.. But at least it got us back to the ramp. The dip stick still shows oil in the engine, so I doubt I damaged anything, but I could have done without this problem..
Gary
