The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

"The holes go all the way through so I'm going to have them opened up to 3/8 and through bolt them on instead."

Ya might wanna check clearences on tha inside before you do this (driveshaft, waterpump)......................

With tha pressures that those parts are subject to, it really needs ta be a threaded hole with loctite bolts (right length)...........Nuts n bolts tend ta loosen up easier and waller around in tha blank hole................JMO

No problem with clearance these are well forward of the driveshaft and water pump.Merc machines the two holes all the way through the mounting block and then taps for 3/8 bolts on both sides. If I don't like the way it looks I'll drill and tap for the next size up. No big deal.

 

[Dukedog]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

You might wanna take another look.............

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

You might wanna take another look.............

Why? I just said if it didn't work I'd tap them to the next size (7/16) and be done with it. Anybody reading this post can make that same decision when dealing with corrosion fused bolts in the lower mounts. This is about removing the fused bolts and repairing the problem. Thank you for your concern though

 

[Dukedog]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

Just sayin' ya might wanna check all your tolerances when goin' bigger. Relation ta motor mount radius and tolerance for tha head of tha bolt on tha plate. So drill away my friend. And don't forget tha driveshaft that isn't there...................

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

Just sayin' ya might wanna check all your tolerances when goin' bigger. Relation ta motor mount radius and tolerance for tha head of tha bolt on tha plate. So drill away my friend. And don't forget tha driveshaft that isn't there...................

They got the old bolts out with a EDM. Just had to pick out the old bolt threads and chase the holes. Good as new and well worth the $35.00.

 

[Dukedog]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

Alrighty then! Glad they got 'em out for ya.
Don't know HOW you applied heat but we found one way ta get tha really bad ones out. Has worked for us many times. We applied heat (sometimes a lot of heat) ONLY TO THE INSIDE of tha casting. None on tha outside or directly to tha broken bolt. Just something thats worked for us.................

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

Alrighty then! Glad they got 'em out for ya.
Don't know HOW you applied heat but we found one way ta get tha really bad ones out. Has worked for us many times. We applied heat (sometimes a lot of heat) ONLY TO THE INSIDE of tha casting. None on tha outside or directly to tha broken bolt. Just something thats worked for us.................

From working with a lot of AL I've learned the dangers of heat so it is always my last resort. I used MAP gas on the surrounding area but kept the temp just below 560 degress to avoid cold tempering. When that didn't work I welded nuts to the top of the remaining bolt and heated just the bolt and still couldn't break the fusion. I actually snapped the bolt off again. At that point I just ground the remaining bolt off and took it to the shop.

All the other bolts except these succombed to either cryo or heat so I thought I was gonna come out clean on this one. True to form, the old Merc threw me a curve but I think we got her now.

 

[Dukedog]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

They will do it ever time (Mercs). Yeah, we broke quite a few of those till we figured out ta keep as much heat as possible AWAY from tha bolt. Haven't broke one since but we keep our fingers crossed with every one we see.......

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

I got some work done on the lower. Paint mostly but I also mounted up the lowers. Here's the new lower solid mounts installed and bolted up to the swivel bracket.

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

Just about finsihed -

Performance Mod --- Make sure you clean up the excess gasket material in the exhaust ports. I use rat tail file on my Makita and then finish it off with my Foredom.

Before -

After -

 

[madgadget]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

I love this project What paint did you use on lower unit ?

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

I love this project What paint did you use on lower unit ?

After going through about of dozen difficult to apply paints (PPG, Dupont, Interlux, etc.) on prior projects, I finally decided to use Moeller Phantom Black in the spray can. It's an acrylic Lacquer. It runs about 14.00 a can whereas plain jane black lacquer is about 4.00 a can but the Moeller holds up, takes abuse and keeps its gloss. The tricky part to using squirt bombs is air temp and humidity. Above 75 degrees with a slight breeze and high humidity and it will flash flat on you. Below 60 degrees and it will run off like water. I've found 60-80 degrees and low to medium humidity to be the ticket. Sometimes you have to put the patience cap on and just wait but the end results are worth it and the clean up and storage is nothing making it all that much better.

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

Thought I would add some notes about the mid. --

Prior to assembling the exhaust plate sections, put the cowling gaskets on. You can do it afterwards if your double jointed and full of patience. I'm neither so they get installed before assembly.

There is a leather bumper between the swivel pin top yoke and the exhaust plate. You don't need it with solid mounts but you do with rubber mounts. If you're going to use it make sure you put it on before you put the top half of the exhaust plate on. You can put it on after but it's much easier if you do it before.

After you put the Exhuast down tube (aka tuner) on you'll notice that it's a tight squeeze to get the lower half of the exhaust plate in between the upper swivel pin yoke. You could put the plate on before attaching the lower mounts but you need to use a non hardening sealer on the gasket surfaces and it's better if you can get it on with pressure before it glazes over. I've had them leak because too much time had elapsed.

When installing both the upper and lower mounts make sure you coat the bolts with super seal. Merc states this right in the manual.. But, what the heck is super seal...??? It's Zinc based anti-sieze compound in this case but Super-Seal makes several products.

Finally, ever wonder why you have water comming out the front of your mid section around the mounts. If you run a bead of silicone around the groove in the middle of the upper mount metal portions you won't have that annoying leak. That's why the groove is there.

Finally, the hydraulics. If you take them to a good hydraulic shop with the test specs out of the Merc Service Manual they can test them for "as new" condition. If they test good then you've saved yourself a good chunk of change. If not then have the shop rebuild them.

The advantage is that they work on hydraulics for a living and know what is acceptable and what is not. You and I might look at a part and think it's fine when it's actually not. The result of that would be a lot of work and not much in return.

It's the old story, some things are just better left to a pro.

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

Just got word that the new ProMarine Pro pistons are on their way and should arrive Wednesday. Once I get them I'll send them down to John Marles at US1 and have them top pinned and coated. When I get them back they'll go to the machine shop with the block and the finish block work will get done.

I had said early on that I was sending the block out but held back until I got the pistons and then got them back from top pinning. I just want to make sure that nothing happens during the top pinning process that changes their shape. If it does that will need to be taken into consideration during the boring.

It's probably not going to make any difference but at 80.00 a hole for boring and honing I just don't want to risk it.

The reason it took so long to get pistons was because I was grinding away on vendors and when I got them for 87.00 each vs. 107.00 each I pulled the trigger.

Also, please remember that this is not by any means the most economical or smart way to get a sweet engine for your boat. It's a hobby project for me and the time and money I'm spending are just insane. Don't bother telling me I'm crazy... I'm already quite aware of that.

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

Tonight I decided to finish checking the crank that came out of the 200. I have a new refurb crank for the FrankenMerc and I've already checked it but I thought I would have a look at this one and show you how it's done since I didn't take pics of the other one.

So here's the setup. It may look a little funky but it works.

Since the journals are round it's very difficult to find dead center and hit it dead on with the gauge, I made up a strip of thin aluminum and bent it so it is just barely lifted by the crank at it's highest point. I then set the gauge anywhere on the strip and I can tell exactly where the highest lift point is. It's not a perfect method but it works pretty darn well.

Once you establish the highest lift point on #1 you set a pointer to zero on the degree wheel. I made this simple pointer out of a piece of bailing wire and as long as you don't touch it after you set it, it works fine.

You then just move down the line measuring for the highest lift point and then writing down the degree a which that occured. You do each journal. Don't skip them just because they are both up at the same time. One can lag or preceed the other and you need to note that.

This is #4 getting checked. Note that it's on 120 degrees. You might be asking how that can be when a piston is at TDC every 60 degrees. It's because the cylinders are at 60 degrees also. We're looking at the crank as if it was at it's lowest point in the block but that's not it's lowest point in the cylinder. If that doesn't make sense now, when you get your engine torn down it will. This position doesn't relate to anything regarding timing it is simply a reference for checking the crank. The journals should be at max height at this refernce every 120 degrees... Exactly. If they are a degree off you can probably still use it in a fishing motor but I wouldn't want it in a drag motor. 2 degrees is unacceptable in any motor and you should find another one.

\

So there you have it, a dead on crank as far as usable goes. Like I said in the begining this is just to see if the crank is usable, it isn't the final check and it isn't what's known as indexing. That comes later, after the rods and pistons are installed.

 

[madgadget]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

are you saying then that this crank has somehow twisted then?

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

are you saying then that this crank has somehow twisted then?

There are a ton of possibilities. The problem is that you just don't know for sure until you check it. The person grinding cranks at Merc could have been having a bad day for all you know. You also see a lot of re-grinds in rebuilt powerheads that should have been thrown in the junk. Rebuilding a engine like this is a significant investment. I'm not trusting anything that I haven't double checked my self.

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

Lousy weather and fishing is off so back to work on Frank. I finished up the mid section, drained the L/U and flushed it and the put a new waterpump on it. I also put a new trim sender and all new anodes. She's done.

The block is now at the machine shop getting bored. The Pro Marine Pro pistons came in so I took it in on Thursday. Won't get done until late this month. Seems all the ATV and Motorcycle guys are waking up and want their work done now. Not a problem, I'm in no hurry.

I got the rods back. I had them balanced for big and little end plus overall weight. They're all within .0005g now. These are brand new rods not used.

Big end -

Little end -

I also had .050 taken off the top of the front half and I made my 1" spacer block. The block is made from HDPE and is fuel resistant. It took about 4 hours to knock it out and cost 17.00. Tools needed are a good jig saw, a couple of Forstner bits, a rasp and a couple of different files. I have it mocked up here checking for reed clearance. I didn't have a chance to break it back down cuz I have the family comming over tomorrow and needed to get the yard work done. I'll show you how it's made later this next week.

Edit 4/4/10 - Just found out that HDPE does not transfer or collect heat, in fact it can act as a heat barrier which is why GM used it in the Quadrajet. That may result in more stable fuel temp (read as cooler) as it enters the front half. The cooler/denser fuel should translate to more horsepower so HDPE may have an added bonus.

FYI, the going price is 160.00 for an aluminum spacer but it doesn't need to be aluminum, this works just as well and saves 140.00 for something else.

Yep, that's the 200 on the bench. I'll be pulling that bad sleeve out as soon as my new Sunin bore gauge gets here next week. I decided I'd fought the Mitutoya too long. Anwyay, I don't want to pull the obviously bad sleeve until I run the bore gauge down all of them. That'll save me from having heat the block up more than once or twice if I find I need to pull more than one.

FYI, that 140.00 I saved on the spacer block will just about pay for a new sleeve for the 200.

 

[Faztbullet]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

Uh..Steve, you dont have to heat the block to remove sleeve/s, I can have a sleeve out in about 10 minutes...

 

[sschefer]

Re: The 2010 FrankenMerc Project

Uh..Steve, you dont have to heat the block to remove sleeve/s, I can have a sleeve out in about 10 minutes...

Really? Everyone I talked to say's to heat it to 425 and they come right out. I know I've seen sleeve pullers some place. Is that what you use?