Removing 130 hp ocean runner from boat

[Shorebum]

I need to remove my 130 ocean runner from boat and have several questions. I do have the OMC shop manual and must say how much of an improvement it is to the aftermarket manuals. I will remove lower unit as I want to leave steering tube on boat, guessing weight load would be around 300 pounds without lower unit. IS it safe to use a harmonic balancer puller with a closed eye bolted into center for this? Any homemade gantry pics out there, doubled up two by sixes for load? Engine will need to be off for several days while steering arm is sandblasted and painted, can the engine be left hanging while lowered to floor with no damage to internals?

What did OMC seal the upper steering arm mount bolts with? They will not budge with a breaker bar, and I was afraid to put to much on it for fear of ringing. Should I tap on them with a driftpin and try again, pb blaster not an option to get to where bolt enters adapter plate. Try to break with an impact wrench and slowly remove with ratchet? I am afraid of galling since bolts are stainless. I want to remove each one of the six bolts one at a time and put back in before I try to remove motor, don't want to get to last bolt while trying to remove and run into a problem.

Any tips appreciated. Slow, deliberate, and safe is the way I want to approach this.

 

[dazk14]

Re: Removing 130 hp ocean runner from boat

How about a lot less headache and removing the side cowls and using a compact air needle scaler.

An off brand is ~$30 and you'll be amazed at how quickly it gets down to good metal. Works good at tight angles so you can get to lots of spots. Great tool in the marine business and more.

Rust converter, epoxy primer, paint. Good for many more years.

Hope that helps.

 

[Shorebum]

Re: Removing 130 hp ocean runner from boat

I like that idea (did not know they existed) and will purchase one to get through this job. I still want to remove motor because there is no way to get to the inside of the fork of the steering arm, can only get to the outside surfaces, unless there is a trick I am missing. I will look at more closely this evening. I think this tool can be used effectively once the motor is off, it would mean not having to remove the steering shaft to get it sandblasted. Once it and motor are painted can mate back up. I was also going to pull trim pump at same time and rebiuld.

 

[dazk14]

Re: Removing 130 hp ocean runner from boat

Here is a quick vid on a $30 HF mini scaler.

Removing undercoating with Harbor Freight small needle scaler - YouTube

The scaler will also clean up most of the metal trim pump(in place) for heavy resealing(if you have the metal one). The metal ones can have a surprising amount of scale on them and not leak.

You only need to remove the top pin and it will pivot out for motor replacement or you can do a slightly more thorough job de-scaling it.

The pin can be very difficult to remove and you risk snapping off the 4 pump motor screws if you replace the motor.

Not sure why you want to remove lower unit? Can you post a pic of what you want to do. Many of the parts you are referring to are VERY robust and de-scaling what you can reach is usually more than enough.

A good brand of harmonic puller... I've seen work fine. Generally it gets rested on the skeg upright when off.

If you can borrow an engine puller, that's ideal as you may have to move the motor away and to Port in order to fully remove steering cable.

Edit:
Do not thread your flywheel bolts too deep, otherwise you can hit electronics. grade 8 bolts and use 3 extra nuts to snug bolts screwed into the flywheel to the top off the flywheel. Prevents them from loosening, but also improves the strength geometry if laying it down.

 

[Shorebum]

Re: Removing 130 hp ocean runner from boat

Pulling the power trim assembly because seals are leaking, not going to do anything in the motor portion of the unit if I do not have to.
Pulling the lower unit because the shift rod needs to be out to separate motor from mounts, which are being left on the boat with the steering tube and arm. Good point on using the nuts, and the bolt depth, will do.

The part that really needs the work is the steering arm. It is corroded really badly where it mates to the top of the midsection. My hope is to stop the corrosion or slow it down significantly and avoid buying the $456 replacement. Each year I knock the rust off and repaint what I can, but that is wasting time and effort if you cannot get to the entire surface for proper paint and prep.

 

[dazk14]

Re: Removing 130 hp ocean runner from boat

There certainly has been times where replacement parts are needed, but FAR more often, they look much worse than they are.
Fortunately, they are over-engineered.

Post some pics.

 

[Shorebum]

Re: Removing 130 hp ocean runner from boat

will do in next couple of days

 

[dazk14]

Re: Removing 130 hp ocean runner from boat

While your at it, how 'bout following up with the disposition of some of your other engine problems, so others will have the benefit of the solution.

I realize peeps are just excited to get past a problem and maybe there's some PTSD to revisit it.

 

[oldboat1]

Re: Removing 130 hp ocean runner from boat

good opportunity to buy a cherry picker for this and future use. Should be a lift ring, but in any case I would chain or strap under the powerhead as well for security. Then can place where you want to work on it, or can leave it connected to the picker. (I bought one at Tractor Supply for about $100.)

 

[Shorebum]

Re: Removing 130 hp ocean runner from boat

dazk14, you are correct, never really thought about posting the final disposition on things as I work on them. It would be good for people to see what worked and what did not. Think people will mind me digging up old posts... Tried to load pictures from home tonight but connection is so poor cannot transfer from phone.

oldboat1, I did not think a cherry picker would go high enough. Neighbor has one maybe we can take some measurements

 

[oldboat1]

Re: Removing 130 hp ocean runner from boat

(re cherry pickers) Borrow one -- better yet! The one I have extends for additional height (boom extends, and of course moves up and down on the axis). I think they all work the same, but check the neighbor's. I've had one for two or three years, and only used it a couple of times -- but really needed it those times. Handy to have available.

 

[dazk14]

Re: Removing 130 hp ocean runner from boat

dazk14, you are correct, never really thought about posting the final disposition on things as I work on them. It would be good for people to see what worked and what did not. Think people will mind me digging up old posts... Tried to load pictures from home tonight but connection is so poor cannot transfer from phone.

oldboat1, I did not think a cherry picker would go high enough. Neighbor has one maybe we can take some measurements

Everyone's happy when the ending of a movie gets shown vs. To be continued...

Cherry pickers are great.

My new signature below is not due to this volley at all, I'm been meaning to add it for about 500 posts. Just couldn't figure out how until today when a 12 year old neighbor stopped by...looking for a part.

 

[Shorebum]

Re: Removing 130 hp ocean runner from boat

Tried to attach picture. Need some guidance.

 

[daselbee]

Re: Removing 130 hp ocean runner from boat

You sure are making this easy task difficult.
Three Mexicans could just lift the engine off. (joke)

Any lifting eye will do. I just saw a post on a home made lifting rig made with a closed loop eye and a flywheel puller.

But some serious advice here....don't try to remove the engine leaving the stern bracket on the boat. You will not effectively be able to get to the upper mount bolts. They will require some serious work to loosen and remove, and even possibly the lower mount bolts, too.
But!!! When you go to put it back on, those mount bolts never line up. They are rubber mounts, and when you go to put the bolts back, they won't line up. I have had a few that required some serious prying and the use of tapered alignment tools to get them back together.

It will be much easier to just take the whole engine off using a cherry picker.

 

[daselbee]

Re: Removing 130 hp ocean runner from boat

I've got some relatively nice 20" steering arms. Not 400 bucks either.
Blue, not white.

 

[Shorebum]

Re: Removing 130 hp ocean runner from boat

Daselbee, funny, thanks for the advice. Two people have now recommended or shown the cons of removing the motor for this job. I was worried about remounting with the two blind holes up top. I will follow the advice of an earlier post and descale the part. If I can learn how to post pictures I will post for advice. It is becoming apparent this job is not worth doing this way unless you are going to replace the part, otherwise nurse the existing part along until replacement is necessary.

Daselbee, my motor is a longshaft, but you would not know since I broke the cardinal rule of leaving out model number. J130 vxsss.

Once I can post pictures I will revive this post for you all to look at.

 

[daselbee]

Re: Removing 130 hp ocean runner from boat

Good luck with it. I put a ton of time in on old salted up, locked up, rusted up engines before. It can be a real chore.

I don't know it you know this, but most always, when a bolt is frozen and cannot be turned, the crap that is holding it is aluminum oxide.
It builds up mostly on the shaft of the bolt, and grows in the small void between the bolt and the aluminum and eventually locks up the whole assy. Many a time I have broken the head off a bolt. I figured I was OK....but NOT. You cannot even slide the part on up over the bolt shaft to get it off, unless you are very lucky.
I have had to drill the sides of the exhaust adapter, severing the powerhead holding bolts, and then using a SLEDGE HAMMER and torch, drive the bolt out from the top....

It is a real b****. Good luck.

 

[Shorebum]

Re: Removing 130 hp ocean runner from boat

ok I have tried to attach picture. It is upside down and is the steering arm. Paint on arm is one year old, not original. Will post some more once cleaned up.

 

[dazk14]

Re: Removing 130 hp ocean runner from boat

ok I have tried to attach picture. It is upside down and is the steering arm. Paint on arm is one year old, not original. Will post some more once cleaned up.

When are you going to show us something bad?LOL

I rotated the pic for you.

Get your compact mini needle scaler, straight handle and some better treatment/paint.






Here's a rusty 130 "before". The scaler made short work of it. Sure it ends up pitted and areas can peel off in sheets, but they're very beefy components.

It's usually the arm connection at the link that tends to be the limiting area, but even those can lose quite a bit of material and still be serviceable.

Not sure if I have an after, it was a complete reman motor that we did.




It's a good idea to thread a bolt into the steering arm where the link attaches so you don't screw up the internal threads.

 

[Shorebum]

Re: Removing 130 hp ocean runner from boat

We have a HF here in town, going for the scaler. I can see all kinds of other uses for that thing anyway, lawnmower deck comes to mind, welding slag removal.... Anyone got a line on good quality rust nuetralizer/converter. When I was a kid I remember a friends father who rebiult old Ford Broncos. He had a product he painted with a brush onto the frames of his trucks to convert/seal the rust, no sandblasting. Material went on green and dried black, then painted with a frame paint.

Plan on using some white heavy equipment single stage acrylic enamel w/hardener (not oil base from tractor supply) that happens to match my motor for topcoat??

Will descale if I can get tool this weekend and post some pics.