pre-purchase inspection/black max

[baja32]

I plan on going to check out a pair of mid 80s 150 hp v6 black max engines. The last two I had were given to me free so I took'em regardless of their condition. Now that I have blown or finished blowing them up ( they each have a dead cylinder, that Ive yet to pull the heads off) I saw some up on craigslist in my area that I wanna check out. I plan on doing the compression test, I have a spark tester so Il do that as well. What else should I do?? Im thinking of bringing along a thermometer from my chemistry lab and checking the water temp as the water comes out the tell tale( on my other black maxs' ,before they died) the water coming out the tell tale was about 145 degrees F, but the water comes out cold from the hose so Ill take that into consideration. Ill also check the temp at the heads. But what else can I look for ????

 

[starcraft1982]

Re: pre-purchase inspection/black max

Compression,spark definately.I would drain lower units to check for water(milky looking oil).Temp can be checked to keep from overheating if waterpumps need servicing but not a deal breaker as id rebuild them anyways if you buy.If you get them running(with cowl off),look motor over while running to ensure theres no water coming from places theres not supposed to be.Gas leaking,also.Make sure,if possible,to shift both into forward and reverse to make sure both are functioning properly.Also visually inspect internal wiring and hoses for deterioration that might affect your running tests.Compression is the biggie.Also you can inspect spark plugs for abnormal coloration,etc.Good luck.