The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

We're making progress. I bought a new set of heads and gaskets for 250.00, picked up a magnafluxed and polished crank for 329.00, got a 40 amp 1 year old CDI Stator for 75.00, two regulator/rectifiers for 25.00 ea, a complete ignition plate (less switchboxes) for 25.00, a intake manifold for 25.00 and I found my spare set of switchboxes and already had the 4 petal reed blocks and CCMS reeds.

The pistons will be Vertex and I'm buying them new. I've got emails out there for pricing. The bearings will wait until I have the crank as well as the upper and lower cap/carriers. The rest of the stuff will just kind of come in as I need it.

The block will arrive tomorrow and then the real fun starts.

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

Haven't been home to see if the block got here or not but I just snagged a intake for it for 25.00. It's supposed to rain all this weekend and next week so I should get a lot of work done.

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

The block arrrived yesterday.

It came with the throttle linkage and the control cable bracket. I had not expected that and already hunted them down and bought them on eBay. They're NLA (no longer available) items so I thought it wise to get them. There was only one of each item out of some 9,000 parts for mercs on all eBay.

This block was from a 1994 135/150. The first thing I did was check the part number. It is 884-9765. I then checked the cast date and this verified that it was a 91 casting.

Checking the bores for the reported light scoring on all cylinders revealed exactly that. There is also some aluminum build up that makes it look worse but in reality the scoring is light.

I then opened up the exhaust chest and had a look. The carbon buildup is not bad for a 94 and the original merc gaskets were still on it so that confirms pretty much that it's a virgin. I also rough checked the bores sizes with a inside caliper and they were all at 3.125. This block will bore nicely and be like new when finished.

I then begin removing the rest of the bolt on items from the engine.

All in all the block turns out to have been an excellent bargain found on eBay. Others in similar or worse shape are going for 400.00 plus shipping. I got this for a grand total of 264.19 including shipping via UPS.

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

As I was removing the items attached to the block I decided to give you a good look at the notorious poppet valve.

You are looking at the side of the block where the block meets the exhaust plate at the mid section.

Remove the bolts holding the outer cover.

Remove the outer cover. The larger black disk is the poppet valve diaphram cover. The screw in the center holds the cover against the diaphram and connects the whole thing together.

Then next step is to remove the other half of the diaphram assembly.

Now you can dissasemble the poppet valve and service it. Notice the calcified area in the half section. That is actually a metal disk that needs to be removed and cleaned. It should just fall out.

Inside the block there is a plastic guide/seat for the poppet valve. This can become coated in water deposits and the poppet valve can stop working. Before I pulled the valve I tried to push it open from the inside of the block and it was frozen shut.

I don't know how often you should check the condition of the poppet valve but clearly this one was not working. I think that maybe every two years or more often depending upon the water that you run in most often.

The plastic guide/seat piece is set in place with Loctite Red 271 so it is not just something you reach in and remove. You need to work it out being careful not to damage to soft aluminum in the block.

In my next post I'll go over the cooling circuit.

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

Block work again today. First we remove the head pins from the block. You just grab them with a pair of vise grips and work them out. If they're stubborn you can use a little heat to pursuade them. There are four pins total, you need to remove them all and store them safely away.

Once you have the pins removed you can start the process of checking the block for flat and square.

Your tools to start with are 120 open coat sand paper and a fine cut file.

Wrap the sand paper around the file and then with even pressure push the tool accross the top of the block as if sanding.

cont. in next post


Make three or four passes and the high and low spots will show right up.

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

cont. from previous post

Highs and lows are clearly visible.

You now must evaluate the highs and lows. If they are deep you might be better off finding another block but if as in this case it's just minor corrosion pitting you can continue with the file/sanpaper routine until you have a smooth and flat surface. In my case I'll take about .001 off.

I did the same to both sides and also the crank side of the block. When I got to the exhaust plate area I found something disturbing. There was defininte corrosion pitts all around the exhaust. This is not right since water in this area can be pulled into the exhaust through reversion. Not something you want.

It took a good hour to get this part of the block square and flat but it needed to be done.

Next I worked on cleaning up the exhaust chest. I was suprised how easy it was compared to others I've done. It still took a couple of hours but again, it's a necessary step.

Finally I cleaned all the cooling passages. I use a combination of CLR and wire brushes to remove the calcified materials from the passages. This block was really easy to clean up. It had definitely never seen salt water.

I could call it good at this point and send it off for boring but I'm going to open up the exhaust chest, do some smoothing around the rod openings and work on #2 crank case area to make it the same volume as the others.

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

Easing the exhaust chest is next. This first pic is hard to see but if you strain a little you can see the sharp edges that need to be smoothed.

Here we are in progress, waiting for my little 5 gal compressor to cool down.

Completed

Notice that I did not remove a lot of material but simply rounded the sharp edges. This will allow the exhaust gases to flow better and still have the needed backpressure to keep incomming fuel in the cylinder. A race motor would have a lot more material removed.

This motor will still have plenty of bottom end to pull a skier out of the water and a decent mid range that will let you know it's not all stock.

It's hard to see but the exhaust ports between the cylinder and the chest were also cleaned up and all the sharp edges and any casting lumps were smoothed also.

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

The next order of busines is in the crankcase area. When the cylinders are cast in they sit flat into the cast and there is a pretty good hunk of steel haning into the rod slot. This will impede fuel and should be cleaned up.
Both sides of the rods slots get touched up.

Before -

After -

There is also a casting ridge that can be removed

Before -

After -

Anything you see in this area that is not structural can be smoothed. This will aid in getting fuel into the cylinder and reduce restrictive turbulence. Although you won't see a huge HP gain from this, every little bit helps. Don't get too carried away, you can easily go in the opposite direction by opening up the area too much which will reduce pressure. That's something you don't want to do.

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

This motor will be a pre-mix motor. There will be no option to go back to a oil injector. The area that was once occupied by the driven gear of the oiler would normally be left empty. This additional space in the crankcase result is lower pressures on #2 and makes it a lazy cylinder. Well take care of that by filling that area with an aluminum filler/epoxy that is used in race engines. I use a product called "Pig Putty" it comes in grey or tan. The tan is high temp and fuel/chemical resistant.

I first grind a little in the area to roughin it up. I also use a 5/32" drill bit and drill several small divits all around the area. I then lay in the Pig Putty and use a razor knife to bring me to my basic shape so I don't have as much grinding to do. I thought I took a pic of the grinding and drilling but I guess I didn't. It's pretty straight forward just be careful do only drill dimples and not go through the block. If you do, it's no biggie since pushing the filler into place will fill the hole anyway.

Please take note that there is more area in #2 that can be stuffed and will be later but it really can't be done until the crank and new gear arrives. The driving gear is retained because it is needed to retain balancing. Once it is hear I can use modeling clay to figure out how much more stuffing I need to do.

The product has a open time of 8 minutes and is workable in about an hour. You definitely want to work this stuff early on because it is much easier to form.

I finish sand it with 120g open coat paper and call it good for now. I will hit it with some finer paper after it hardens fully.

All done..

So here's the completed exhaust chest -

And the completed crankcase -

Please note that this work is not mandatory by any means. It's being done as a matter of opportunity.

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

Once the basic block work is done I need to check the bolt threads to see if any are stripped, clean them and chase them with a new clean bottom tap.

The first thing I need to do is clean the threaded holes. I use a soft nylon brush and a citrus cleaner. I cut the loop off the brush and put the end in my drill motor, put it in reverse and run it into the hole. Putting it in reverse pulls the dirt out rather than pushing it down to the bottom of the hole.

After I have cleaned all the holes I use a fresh new bottom tap of the correct size and threads per inch. You can use a thread gauge to check the tpi and a screw/bolt card to determine the bolt/hole size.

The tap is first started by hand and should go fairly easily. As you run into thread sealants, like anti-size compound or loctite, you may need to put a handle on it. It should never be more difficult to turn than the bolt itself. It is possible that you will see some aluminum shavings from rounded or damaged threads. This is ok. but it should only be minor. In between holes you need to clean the tap with a nylon brush. I also use 2 stroke oil as a lubricant.

Once all the threads on the block were chased it was time to have a look at the front half of the crank case. I removed all the hardware, bagged it and labled it.

I repeated the squaring process that I did for the block and then I filled the oil injection pump gear hole. I used Pig Putty again but this time I used the standard gray since there is little chance of heat being a problem here without major damage to the engine already occuring.

Here's pig putty before kneeding.

I roughed up the opening with the die grinder in prep.

This is another one of those cases where too much is no fun. Only uses what you need and work it with a file early before it fully hardens.

Here is the outside -

And here is the inside =

Theres more work to do on the front half. It plays a critical part in getting fuel into the cylinders. There's not much you can do but what you can do will make a difference.

 

[Dukedog]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

Just a little info. On tha bottom of tha block you need to be very careful on how much you take off where tha crank end cap bolts up. There is a very, very tight tolerance for this end cap. I've seen with as litte as .001 removed to "clean it up" cause a bind in tha lower crank bearing after everything is buttoned up. This can be just an isolated case but just something ta check as soon as you get tha front bolted down and all four bolts on tha cap torqued.

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

Thanks DD, you are absolutely correct. I'll be showing how to check for that and how to fix it. Most every block I've checked ends up will a little out of round in these two areas. The first trick is to know about the possibility, check for it and fix it. The second trick is to get the end caps in without pinching the O rings between the block halves. If you can do that, you've got it made if not, you've got a leaker. Thanks for the input

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

DukeDog made a good point and I realized I need to make another. At no time do you see a cup brush on a grinder. A lot of you might think of using one to clean up the mating surfaces.. DON'T, that combination will take metal off and you won't even realize it. Also do not use a wire wheel to clean bolt threads. You can clean the rest of the bolt that way but not the threads. You use a die to clean bolt threads or you replace the bolt. Using a wire wheel will roll the edge of the thread resulting in a almost guaranteed stripped thread on torqued bolts.

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

More parts arrived today -

Crank, heads, a throttle arm that I don't need and the ignition plate.

I also smoothed out the rough edges on the crankcase to let fuel and air flow a little easier. I still need to sand them smooth but my dremel battery died on me.

Many might argue that smoothing in these areas where fuel doesn't really flow is not needed but I believe that smoothing in any fuel/air intake area doesn't hurt. The trick that I've learned from other engines is to not make it too smooth but only get rid of sharp edges and ridges. A slightly rough texture helps to atomize fuel.

If you can get the right combination of dense and highly atomized fuel you will add horsepower.

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

This week was just a little busy for me so I didn't get much time on the motor. Something about rolling out a Corporate Core Application that takes the wind out of you.

Anyway after I got caught up on the yard work I managed to get a little motor head time in.

Check valves... These little guys cost about 6.50 each so testing and reusing them might better fit your budget. I know how these thing can make you nuts so I don't consider it worth the hassle. I don't bother testing them, I just replace them.

The first time I did these it was a little scary. I wasn't sure what would happen when I tried to remove them. That was two motors ago and now I just heat em up and yank em out.

Here's the easiest way that I've found.

First heat them up until the brass oxidizes red.. NOT RED HOT. The brass will just turn a flat reddish color.

Next grab them with a small pair of Channel Lock plyers and twist and pull outward at the same time. It will take a little effort but the will come right out.

The check valve on the lower main bearing area is different and has a base area that is too small to grab with plyers. I break off the tip and drill it first with a 3/16 drill bit then I heat it up and drill it with a 1/4" drill bit. For the third time in a row, the bit has hung on the valve and spin it right out. Not sure if that's according to gospel (merc manual) but it sure works for me.

Next I lay the check valves on the table and with one fell swoop I sweep them into the trash can. Never, never to be used again.

Like I said, this is just what I prefer to do. If you test yours and you feel they are good enough to be reused than that's fine too.

So just how do you test these things.. It's really easy, You go get your self a simple epoxy syringe. Put a piece of 7/64" rubber tubing on the end of the syringe and position the syringe plunger half way. Stick the other end of the tubing on the check valve. Push and pull the plunger, it should move freely in one direction but not both.

Note: The lower main bearing check valve flows opposite from the rest and is a different part number. There are 8 check valves, 7 are identical and 1 is reversed and has a short body.

The last thing I did was get everything ready to go to the bead blaster. To prep for this I put dummy bolts in every threaded hole and taped over the machined surfaces with duct tape.

The reason I'm getting them bead blasted is purely asthetic. It may help to dissapate heat but that's not really a problem. I just like the way it looks.

Here's what I do so I don't have the pay the shop to do it. I should really just buy a bead blaster... maybe next engine.

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

The block and front half look finished but before I spend a large chunk of change on the rest of the work I want to make sure the crank fits and that there are no bolts that are gonna strip out on me. I ordered the parts I need today.

In the mean time, I found a 99 carb'd 200 locally for $1000.00 that is factory complete and in great shape except for #5 being down. That will give us our tilt/trim, 25" 200 mid that we want and a 1:87 lower unit. I really only want the bottom half but a good one on eBay is running about 700.00 + shipping. It works out about the same plus I get a lot of the parts I'm missing to complete the FrankenMerc.

 

[Boblester40]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

interesting read so far thanks , I am just waitng for all my spares to arrive before i start my own v6 project , nothing to serious just a light overhaul , repaint and alien cowls .

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

interesting read so far thanks , I am just waitng for all my spares to arrive before i start my own v6 project , nothing to serious just a light overhaul , repaint and alien cowls .

Glad to hear that this post is inspiring, enjoy your wrenchin... It's a blast!

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

This is a little off track for the FrankenMerc post but it does relate later when we get ready to hang the motor on the boat and some of you may already have this problem and not know it.

Look closely at the separation between my transom and jack plate. I've been playing with different heights and had no intention of leaving it like this and today I fixed it permanently.

Running a boat with an engine mounted like this is a recipe for disaster if you leave it. I just took it out for a 20 minute spin to see if it was where I wanted it. There is a lot of stress put on the lower mount and even more directed at a small area of the transom board. My board has a piece of carbon fibre in the middle of it so I wasn't worried but the majority of you don't have that.

This is after it was fixed -

The FrankenMerc is going to be a much stronger motor so on the way home from the lake I stopped and picked up a 2' piece of 3/16" x 4" flat stock aluminum.

I made two 12" pieces out of it, drilled my holes and layed it in between the jack plate and the transom. I used 3M 4000 fast set sealant/adhesive to hold it in place while I bolted it back together. It also has the added benifit of keeping the water in the lake and out of my boat. 3M 4000 works best for this type of work and it will setup in 24 hours when the weather is cooler. Use 3M 5200 in warm weather.

Now, with this motor and the Franken Merc I'll have and even distribution of weight across a much larger area of the transom. I also run 1/4" x 2" steel spreader bars on the other side of the bolts. This will all become even more important when I put the soild mounts in Frank.

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

FrankenMerc means that I'm getting parts from various sources and basically building a motor from scratch. Many shops do this from parts they have accumulated over the years but I don't have that luxury.

I've bought just about all the parts I can from eBay and the rest will be new. This is where shopping becomes critical. I still look to eBay first but I call the seller and verify that they are new in box parts and that they are original Merc parts. I've developed a lot of great relationships with sellers and I haven't had a single bad experience.

You can tell by the tone of voice on the phone if the person is really in the marine parts business or not. There's a certain feeling of "Heart" that comes across. In my world, if you aint got heart, the bucks don't part.

However, just because it's on eBay doesn't mean it's cheaper. I did a search on sealing rings and came up with a eBay vendor that was selling them for 5.25 ea. I then went to several other online sellers and found them for as little as 3.91 each. I called the guy, he had heart, we split the shipping and I bought from him rather than the big box with the cheaper rings.

There's also another not often thought about advantage to eBay. Most of these sellers have the parts in hand and can ship them immediately. If you order genuine Merc parts from one of the big box online merchants they normally have to order the parts, recieve them and then reship them to you. Merc does not drop ship because they don't want to be some online resellers free warehouse.

I don't use Sierra parts because I just don't like them. I won't tell you not to use them and I'm sure many of you have with great sucess but something's in my craw about them and I've learned to trust my gut over the past 56+ years.