Bad coupler mercruiser 5.7 ??

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  • youstolemybeeryoustolemybeer Member Posts: 246 ✭✭✭

    Sir, please take this as a perfect time to do some routine work. Your waiting for parts so you have the time to do it. Spark plugs, at the very least if not replace them, pull them and soak them with carb cleaner to clean the carbon off them. might as well gap them. Distributor cap, at the very least clean the corrosion off the terminals inside it. Timing chain???? its a 2004 so unless the engine sounds loose, I would leave it alone.  Power wash the bilge. Power wash the engine.  Organize any wiring in the engine area that you think could be done better.

    Take the starter apart and clean everything in there. Brushes included

    Look at the engine, if you see anything that looks like a pain to change when its installed, change it now.

    Im not trying to tell you what to do here. But I would hate to hear you say "DANGIT I should have replaced **** when I had the engine out"

    Im off my soapbox now, back to the regular scheduled programing

    Steve

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  • TikiHut2TikiHut2 Member Posts: 1,431 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 2014

    YSMB, certainly agree with you on checking the stuff that'd be easier to get to. All good soapbox tips. Sounds like it's spoken from painful experience. :D Thanks. 


    RY, Built that shop(and our last three houses) one beam at a time from a pile of I-beams/bar joists that were abandoned on-site by the last owner. The 40'x22" I-beam down the ridge was a little over the top but hey it's tough.


    I'm a just a charity director/senior advocate/problem fixer by day and a practical old ranch hand/water dawg otherwise. Necessity and my hard **** Marine of a dad drilled  me with the lesson to always help if you can along with the ability to build/fix just about anything within reason. My approach may not be uber organized or gentle but if it needs fixing I can usually get it done(or know when to call in outside strategic skills). Sounds just like the Marines doesn't it. :D


    Just bought a new-in-box OEM coupler  on ebay last night for $300 (sugg retail $535). Couldn't spring for the $650 ultra coupler after talking to the drive guy who said it was overkill for our boat/motor. He strongly recommended avoiding the aftermarket couplers and ponying up for the OEM ver so I got lucky on that one anyway. 


    Heat index well over 100* in the shop today but I'm off to pull a starter, change filters and clean that bilge....I'd really rather be boating. :D

    We're off to DC/Alexandria on the 8th for a week so maybe I'll cross paths with some local Rinker folks too.  I may not get the boat done until after that but I'll update along the way. Mike




    Post edited by TikiHut2 on
    2004 FV270, 300hp 5.7 350mag MPI Merc 305hrs, 2:20 Bravo3 OD w.22p props, 12v Lenco tabs, Kohler 5kw genset, A/C, etc.etc...
    Regular weekender, Trailer stored indoors, M/V TikiHut, Sarasota, Fl
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  • 212rowboat212rowboat Member Posts: 2,593 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I'm mobile Mike, or I'd post links to a pan... Summit racing has them iirc.. I'd wager jc Whitney does to... If there is an issue about being on plane and oil I'd be surprised, as the Windsor tray captures and retains that valuable stuff, and vehicles constantly alter attitude, too.. Yessir, New oil pump and pick up would be on my list (just avoid high volume or high pressure pumps, they can actually move too much oil and should be avoided unless you can fit a high volume oil pan)... 

    You can measure the travel of your rotor button while hand turning the crank to assertain the slop in your timing chain.. it's a good idea to do so.. Google that procedure.... If you decide you want to change it, look into gears as opposed to chains, and stay away from morse chains if you wanna chain it... Get a double roller without nylon bushings (they're in there to keep the chain quiet, but only last ten thousand miles or so on a car, likely 20 hours on a boat because of the added stress).. when the nylon breaks down the slop instantly appears.. gears are louder, but won't ever slop up. Or. It'll tame them a lot longer to do so.. 

    Get a wet and dry compression test.. Get a leak down test.. pull freeze plugs and circulate water and restore through your block.. water may come out clean on a rinse, but add restore to see the scale break loose.. engine water pump.. without a heavy clutch fan hanging off the front of it, it's often hard to tell the condition of that thing before she gives... 

    I know you gotta love lists like this.. sorry to be exploiting your issues.. but.. like said before and ounce of prevention at opportune times sure makes life easier on the flip side, no? 

    click here for faults (BEEP) list
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  • TikiHut2TikiHut2 Member Posts: 1,431 ✭✭✭✭✭

    All good stuff. Thanks Drew. Far more ambitious than the heat index allows today. It may be time to sell the complicated boat and buy a surf board. :D

    2004 FV270, 300hp 5.7 350mag MPI Merc 305hrs, 2:20 Bravo3 OD w.22p props, 12v Lenco tabs, Kohler 5kw genset, A/C, etc.etc...
    Regular weekender, Trailer stored indoors, M/V TikiHut, Sarasota, Fl
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  • aero3113aero3113 Member Posts: 9,045 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Glad you found the issue. Speaking of art,check out what the internals of an R1340 Radial engine looks like. We had it apart last year to change a governor gear.

    <a href="http://s408.photobucket.com/albums/pp163/aero3113/Geico Skytypers/?action=view&amp;current=bdef86942dd4ed5e145b355e5081fa82_zpsfe3284f9.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i408.photobucket.com/albums/pp163/aero3113/Geico Skytypers/bdef86942dd4ed5e145b355e5081fa82_zpsfe3284f9.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos" /></a>

    2008 330EC
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  • Dream_InnDream_Inn Member, Moderator Posts: 7,663 mod

    Mike, that sure is one great looking shop!  My old man made me build my first truck (still have it too) when I was 13.  I admire those nice homemade shops that you can do about anything in.  Sure hope you get 'er back in the water soon!  I had an engine, outdrives, & genny all out last year, so I know what it's like.  Fortunately, we just got back today from a 10-day boat trip without any issues (well, I need to look into a fresh water pump leak/adjustment) and even got to meet RinkerYan and his wife!  Always a great trip when I get to meet some folks from on here!  Mike, if you get a bit closer to the bay in July, let me know!

    Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express

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  • frodo13056frodo13056 Member Posts: 212 ✭✭✭

    I'm kinda surprised that you couldn't smell the burned rubber smell - lucky you got back home when it spun! Now to get the new one installed and get that puppy ready for the water! 

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  • BoatAwayBoatAway Member Posts: 179 ✭✭✭

    shop envy!!!

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  • CaptDiCaptDi Member Posts: 1 ✭
    Any words of wisdom to a 342 w/ '04 Merc 350s owner in St Pete/Gulfport FL; who just heard her starboard spline coupling is bad? What Marina/Yard can haul n fix over this week or next (during holiday season)? Should I get another opinion? I'm in DC/Va till Thur pm and can't check her out myself till next weekend. If hauled, should I do the port one too? 
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  • TikiHut2TikiHut2 Member Posts: 1,431 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited December 2014
    od and motors have to come out. feel free to send me a pm n we can swap numbers. Its about time if they are 10yr old. probably time for other things too. good luck.
    mike
    2004 FV270, 300hp 5.7 350mag MPI Merc 305hrs, 2:20 Bravo3 OD w.22p props, 12v Lenco tabs, Kohler 5kw genset, A/C, etc.etc...
    Regular weekender, Trailer stored indoors, M/V TikiHut, Sarasota, Fl
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  • rasburyrasbury Member Posts: 8,410 ✭✭✭✭✭
    wow, sure seems like these set ups are in for repairs much sooner than I would have ever thought and major bucks too.....Hope my luck is better. I told my wife when we bought ours, while he did not do much to take care of if, with 98 hours how much damage could he have done? I do understand to that sitting is not good either.
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  • Black_DiamondBlack_Diamond Member Posts: 5,439 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Couplers are a 'wear item' per se.  What kills them fast: poor alignment, not lubricating them and prop strikes.  I had one die at 200 hours..the engines were WAY out of alignment Ilike Tiki's...and I was having them checked every year too. 

    Past owner of a 2003 342FV
    PC BYC, Holland, MI
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  • TikiHut2TikiHut2 Member Posts: 1,431 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Sounds like BD would agree that paying somebody to ck your o/d alignment doesn't necessarily mean it'll be done right. These couplers would last a lifetime if they weren't abused by poor mechs and accidents. It's a super tough component that serves faithfully but even the toughest parts have limits.

    It's so easy to check the alignment that there's no excuse to wipe out such a critical part that's so deep in the drive train. Watch your mech/yourself insert/extract the tool with 2 fingers at every point of engine rotation. No exceptions, no hammers, no tight fisted grip extraction.

    Good luck and may your coupler last a lifetime. My honey of a boat will eventually sell with the OEM alignment tool and the reassurance that it'll never be a problem. :D 
    Mike
    2004 FV270, 300hp 5.7 350mag MPI Merc 305hrs, 2:20 Bravo3 OD w.22p props, 12v Lenco tabs, Kohler 5kw genset, A/C, etc.etc...
    Regular weekender, Trailer stored indoors, M/V TikiHut, Sarasota, Fl
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  • Handymans342Handymans342 Member Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Who is "Notamember? Aluminum pans and salt water? Uggghhh
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  • Handymans342Handymans342 Member Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Nevermind, I know. 
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  • raybo3raybo3 Administrator Posts: 5,503 admin
    Notamember is a member who had to leave the forum for a short while and now has to use a different name. His post were very valuable so I changed the name to keep the info.......
    2002 342 Fiesta Vee PC Point Of Pines YC Revere MA. popyc.org     raybo3@live.com
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  • rowboat212rowboat212 Member Posts: 74 ✭✭
    Handymans342 said:
    Nevermind, I know. 
    Wtf is that supposed to mean? 

    And yeah... Aluminum... Not submerged.. less noble than the block... Not submerged.. not... Submerged... Care to explain either of your points? 

    Or don't.  
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  • Black_DiamondBlack_Diamond Member Posts: 5,439 ✭✭✭✭✭
    An Al oil pan should be no issue. 

    Past owner of a 2003 342FV
    PC BYC, Holland, MI
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  • swedeswede Member Posts: 88 ✭✭

    Tikihut2 did it make some sound when its bad coupler?

    I have a sound like a belt sound but when i take it off and started then sound was there still.

    Hard to find the source off this sound.

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