VP engine rebuild

[borz170]

I have developed a knock in my VP 3.0 181. I have a 2007 Larson 180 Sport with the above engine and the SX-M drive. Has anyone ever pulled the engine with this drive? I know that with the Mercruiser, you have to pull the out drive off while the engine is in Forward gear. Is this the same for the VP? Also, if anyone could help walk me through this, it would be very appreciated. I know that there are approx 6 bolts through the transom, and that I will have to detach the shift cable prior to pullilng the outdrive. Is there anything else to worry about? Also, when I pull the engine, is it pretty self explanitory, or will I have a bunch of obstacles in the way.

I have a bit of engine experience and usually I can look at things to figure what has to come apart in order to complete a job. I purchased a boat with this engine because I know it is "old" technology, kind of like an old truck that you can climb up into the engine compartment to work on the engine. It has very few things that will require disassembly prior to pulling it, but I have never separated one from an outdrive, especially a VP. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

 

[PiratePast40]

Re: VP engine rebuild

I'm sure the pro's will chime in soon but you really should read the instructons in the manual first. I've found that reading the manual and then following it through in my head with my boat and the manual in hand helps visualize the steps and possible problems.

I've also found that specific questions after you've done your homework will get more detailed responses.

It's really not rocket science - I was able to do it so most people who can look at pictures should also be able to remove the motor, drive, transom shield and associated components.

But just curious, you say the engine has a knock in it and now you want to remove not only the engine and outdrive but also the transom shield. That's quite a leap - you might want to explain the thought process if you want some helpful answers.

 

[borz170]

Re: VP engine rebuild

It's a really long story and I look like a jackass in the end, but I tried to power off a sand bar and sucked up a bunch of sand. I blew a head gasket and melted the risor bellow. It got really hot! Anyways, when we disassembled it to replace the head gasket and to check for further damage, we found that there was sand packed everywhere through the cooling system. I flushed the block, head and manifold. Took the head into the shop, it needed a valve job and resurfacing. When I flushed the sand out of the cooling passages in the block, I chose to follow poor advice and used a water hose on the bare block. This did flush the block, but caused water and sand to enter the block through the oil passageways.

After I reassembled it and drained and flushed the engine with repeat oil flushes, tranny fluid flush and sea foam (this was thought to help get rid of all of the water and sand), I was able to get her running. She ran fine for the first hr at 1500 rpm. i drained the oil and changed the filter and oil. The oil was a bit discolored (unclear, like the start of milk, probably from residual water). I took her out for an easy ride, and that's when things happened. I lost oil pressure and so I shut off the engine. I waited a while and started it and had pressure. I ran back toward home with about 25psi (respected friends stated this was fine), then it stalled out after knocking and deiseling for about 10 seconds. I was able to start it, but it screached and screamed while trying. The screatching went away soon and she ran, but not without a knock. It seems like it is coming from one area, but I don't know.

The kicker to this whole thing is that this engine has less than 20 hrs on it. I feel like an idot for listening to people that I thought were excellent mechanics, but you know how that goes. Then again, If I hadn't powered off of that sandbar, I wouldn't have had to ask these guys, would I?

I really have always wanted to rebuild an engine, and now it looks like I have my chance. I have the Mercruiser manual for this engine, but I want to get the manual that coresponds to my serial number. I have never built an engine, but then again, I had never painted a vehicle before this past winter. I am now driving a brand new looking BLACK 1994 Toyota 4Runner. Anyone who knows paint knows that black is the hardest color to paint. I pulled it off on my first attempt, and I will give my best effort in rebuilding this engine (with the most appreciated help from the expert listeners here!).