Mercruiser 496 maintenance

tricountytrail

Getting ready to change exhaust flappers, plugs and wires, remove injectors to be flow tested and cleaned, and replace a sea water pump. looking for any helpful advise from forum. Just bought the boat 2005 Rinker 360, twin mercruiser 496 Mags with bravo 3 drives. 

bellows and shift cables will be on the list after the other items.

LaRea

Is it a salt water boat?

Take a close look at the transom assemblies for leaks, especially from the tops of the steering pins.  Arrest any corrosion on the oil pans.  Give the spark arrestors a strong cleaning with brake cleaner and compressed air.  

When you do bellows, consider replacing the cooling water hose.

Liberty44140

If you search the forum you will find advice and tips on each of these projects. For the flappers I can tell you that will you need a hair dryer to soften the exhaust elbows, there is a thread on here on that.....

LaRea

Check for chafing on the lower cooling hose that goes past the alternator.  

Get some POR gloss black paint and touch up any corrosion on the block and accessories.

Might be a good time to upgrade the exhaust hoses from worm-screw hose clamps to T-bolt hose clamps.  

tricountytrail

Is it a salt water boat?

Take a close look at the transom assemblies for leaks, especially from the tops of the steering pins.  Arrest any corrosion on the oil pans.  Give the spark arrestors a strong cleaning with brake cleaner and compressed air.  

When you do bellows, consider replacing the cooling water hose.

No Fresh water

LaRea

I've only heard of oil pan corrosion on salt boats, so maybe you're okay there.  But if you haven't followed the discussions here about transom assemblies, look it up.  Your boat is "at that age" where she's vulnerable.  

Not engine-related, but:  find your boat's ground block, and make sure you have solid connections on the 1000 wires attached to it.