Turning engine over without starter?

[NeXt LeVeL]

Hey all, I just purchased a 1985 Chaparral 200XLC which has a 260hp Mercruiser engine. The boat sat for a few months in a tow yard and the owner of the yard knows NOTHING about this boat. I believe the engine had a starting issue because the starter isnt in the boat. All the plugs on that same side were taken out as well, so I think I wanna do a compression check. My question is this... How do I go about turning the engine over without a starter. Can I manually bump the engine over using a breaker bar and socket on the crank pulley? Does the drive need to be in reverse/forward/neutral or does that matter? This engine is a CCW rotation 350ci. Should I take the belts off the front to make it easier to spin? If it doesnt budge should I squirt some lube into the cylinders? Should I do that anyways? Any insights/suggestions?
~Joey

 

[Don S]

Re: Turning engine over without starter?

Can I manually bump the engine over using a breaker bar and socket on the crank pulley

I don't think I would do that just yet. You may have rust in the cylinders with the plugs out. And that may have the engine siezed.
Pull the plugs out of the other side. Then tighten the alternator belt. Now turn the nut on the front of the alternator with a wrench. If it doesn't turn, then you have a siezed engine.
While a starter might turn it over, you still have rusty cylinders and rings and will be scratching the pistons as you turn it.
Lube in the cylinders may help free it up, but the damage is done.

 

[Coors]

Re: Turning engine over without starter?

At the minimum, that head has to be pulled, before anything.

 

[Don S]

Re: Turning engine over without starter?

Jax. fl.

Salt water in cylinders, over 24 hours without being taken care of = usless junk.

 

[JMRuth72]

Re: Turning engine over without starter?

Either pull the head or find someone with a borescope (basically a camera in a long tube) and inspect the cylinders. If you can see corrosion through the borescope then you will have to pull the heads. If you don't then you should be ok. Either way I would not turn that motor over at all until you have inspected the cylinders. While you are at it I would pull or borescope the other bank of cylinders as well. Reason being on just about every multicylinder 4 stroke motor there is always atleast one cylinder exposed to the atmosphere when shut off. On a V8 there should be two, one on each bank. Depending on how well it was covered you may or may not be ok. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Coors]

Re: Turning engine over without starter?

Salt water in cylinders, over 24 hours without being taken care of = usless junk.

Don, where did you see that? I didn't

 

[watermellonI]

Re: Turning engine over without starter?

And by the way Welcome Aboard

 

[Don S]

Re: Turning engine over without starter?

Don, where did you see that? I didn't

Just above his total number of posts.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Turning engine over without starter?

Why Don is saying what he's saying is simple logic. The starter is off the motor and the plugs are out of one side, because the obvious answer is that the motor had water in a cylinder or two. And when they tried to start it, they broke the bendix on the starter. That's one of the first ways people find out they have water in the motor.
So in this motor's case, it been sitting for months with open exposed cylinders that probably had saltwater in them ("Jax, FL" is Jacksonville Florida, it's on the Atlantic Ocean, and oceans have salt water. Even the St. Johns river in Jax is salty). Not to mention the unopened cylinders could have salt water in them too. So, rust on cylinder walls ruins them. And ruined cylinder bores means the engine is not useable.
Hence DonS' comment that over 24hrs with salt water in cylinders = junk. (heck months of fresh water in them would ruin them too!) Easy, once you follow the logic.
Sorry Next Level, I doubt this will be a good outcome for you. I sure hope DonS' and my logic are wrong, but I don't think they are.

 

[Coors]

Re: Turning engine over without starter?

Just above his total number of posts.

Must be a mod thing, don't see it.

 

[bomar76]

Re: Turning engine over without starter?

Must be a mod thing, don't see it.

 

[whywhyzed]

Re: Turning engine over without starter?

....

 

[Coors]

Re: Turning engine over without starter?

Oh, I thought he read salt water- he inferred salt.

 

[NeXt LeVeL]

Re: Turning engine over without starter?

Sounds like I'll be taking the head off. Should I take both heads off, or just the one side? Is one side easier to pull than the other? When I get the head(s) off, what am I lookin for? I would think that if anything seized the engine, it would show underneath in the oil pan.
Replacement parts... I've been reading that I dont wanna buy car parts for marine engines. Where do I go for the "autozones and pepboys" of marine engines? I've seen some pretty ridiculous prices in the online stores for things such as starters being 300dollars (!?!) ebay they're listed for 80.
Guidance is greatly appreciated guys!
~Joey

 

[Don S]

Re: Turning engine over without starter?

Click Here

Look under engine parts.​

 

[Bondo]

Re: Turning engine over without starter?

Sounds like I'll be taking the head off. Should I take both heads off, or just the one side? Is one side easier to pull than the other? When I get the head(s) off, what am I lookin for? I would think that if anything seized the engine, it would show underneath in the oil pan.
Guidance is greatly appreciated guys!
~Joey

Joey,..... Are you any sort of Mechanic,..??
Does your "Toolbox" weigh 20lbs. or 200lbs,..??

It Sounds like you're Not a Mechanic,+ probably have a small Tool Kit......
Just by your Questions,...... You're probably Way over your Head on this 1....

To start with,..... Remove the Drive,... That'll make sure it's the motor,+ Not the Drive....
Then try to turn the motor with a Wrench,......

If it's Still Siezed,.... Just Pull the Whole motor,... It's probably Junk....
Once you get it Out,+ Torn down,... It should be quite obvious as to Why it's Siezed....

Then you can devolop a Plan to get it back together,+ Running........


Btw,.... No Disrespect intended,... I just call it as I read it.....

 

[Coors]

Re: Turning engine over without starter?

Does your "Toolbox" weigh 20lbs. or 200lbs,..??

Bondo, yours has to weigh 200; I'm on 3 5 foot tall boxes now, but excellent
point.

If you aren't tripping over all these tools, you might be in/ get in over your head.

Never thought of it, poundage wise, before; 200 lbs- yep, that says everything.

 

[JustJason]

Re: Turning engine over without starter?

ughh... if i take into account my woodshop and my compressor i've got to be pushing at least 7,000 pounds...

 

[JMRuth72]

Re: Turning engine over without starter?

I have no idea how many pounds mine weighs, but it is probably about 700lbs. 26" Craftsman about 5' tall about 75% full. The top chest alone probably weighs about 150. Not sure but I know that I had a lot of trouble lifting it up and on to the middle chest. Almost didn't get it up on it. If I include everything, I would guess about 2500 and I would probably be a little on the light side. I just know that I am still adding when I go to do something and find a need for a new tool. Of course I hate it when that happens.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Turning engine over without starter?

Bondo, yours has to weigh 200;

Ayuh,.....

If I could gather all My tools into a single Pile,.......

I'm Sure it would top a Ton......