| Author | Message | ||
     Xl1200r |
Hoping there's some knowledge here... My neighbor had a boat given to him for his wedding last year - it has a 1986 Mercruiser 120 engine (I believe this is the GM 2.5 liter, 'Iron Duke' engine). The problem is the oil pan was somehow crushed and has a hole in it. We're trying to get a new pan for it, but the part has been obsoleted by Mercruiser (and it was $230 anyways). Does anyone know if the oil pan from a car with that engine will fit? And if so, if there's a year/years we should be looking at? I see them on ebay for as little as $30. | ||
| Boogiman1981 |
the chevy cavalier comes to mind on the 2.5L 4cyl | ||
| Xl1200r |
They used that engine in everything from Chevy Cavaliers to Pontiac 6000s to GMC S15 pickups and even in Camaros and Firebirds... I just don't know if any or all of them will fit on the Mercruiser variant. | ||
| Hootowl |
If you can't find a match, it can probably be repaired. If the hole is small, some jbweld on each side will fix it (not the 5 minute cure stuff) or if the pan is thick enough it could be welded up. | ||
| Jumbo_petite |
I think from 1988 and up they used an in pan oil filter on the car engines, where the earlier engines the oil filter was under the intake manifold. So if it fits oil filter location will be important | ||
| Cowboy |
Beat it out and weld it up | ||
| Sifo |
The sump location\depth may vary depending on application as will the oil pickup inside. I assume it's a stamped steel oil pan. Easy stuff to reshape with a hammer and dolly then braze a patch. Much easier than welding sheet metal. JB welding a patch would probably work fine too if you really want to go low buck. Worst case is you leak some oil. Is the boat going on a body of water where a downed engine is going to lead to swamping the boat? That would be my guide to risk tolerance of the quality of the fix. | ||
| Xl1200r |
Can I braze with a MAPP gas torch? And how does a downed engine swamp a boat? (Message edited by xl1200r on June 21, 2011) | ||
| Hootowl |
I think you have to have O2 to braze with MAPP, same as acetylene. You might try using silver solder and a good acid flux. Silver has a relatively low melting point, but way above the temperature that oil pan will see. | ||
| Badlionsfan |
As has been stated above, just cuz the pan will bolt up to the block doesn't mean it fits. Oil pump pick up, how it fits in the hull etc. Best bet is to take it to a professional welder to have it repaired. Someone who knows what they're doing will know the type of metal they're working with and make it as good as new. | ||
| Hootowl |
"Someone who knows what they're doing" That might be the best advice yet. It's a boat. You can't pull over and walk home. | ||
| Buellkowski |
I don't think the MerCruiser 120 is the same as the Iron Duke. Rather, I think it's descended from the older Chevy 153 c.i. | ||
| Sifo |
I've got a friend who has brazed with a cheap MAPP kit. Yes you do need O2 for that. It shouldn't cost too much to have a professional patch it up. A boat with no engine in high seas will likely end up swamped. You need some sort of control of how the waves hit the boat. The worst case is waves over the stern. Unfortunately this is how a boat will orientate itself when pushed by wind and waves. You can address that with anything to use as a sea anchor from the bow though. | ||
| Xl1200r |
Ah, well - it's an 18' fiberglass bowrider on a lake, so virtually no risk of swamping in any conditions we'd be out in. Buell - you're correct, after more searching that is the case... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_153_4-cylin der_engine I'll look into renting/borrowing a set or torches - I've used them plenty, just never owned my own. | ||
| Ourdee |
Mig 100% argon and bronze silica wire. | ||
| Fast1075 |
Years ago, a local guy bought a 1965 Chevy II ...it had a 153 with a 3 speed manual trans. He wanted more power, but instead of the typical 327 V8 engine swap. He (worked at a Mercury Marine dealership) put a cylinder head from a 140 on it (vastly different from the automotive version), made his own intake for twin sidedraft Webers, made a header, installed a close ratio 4 speed and put 4:88 gears in the axle. That car ran low 14's in the quarter. Related, but not the same, I saw an import racer at the dragstrip..he ran a 470 Mercuiser motor which is basically 1/2 of a 460 Ford V8...it ran a turbo/alcohol system with nitrous and a billet Prostock head...car went 4.51 in the 1/8 mile... (Message edited by fast1075 on June 22, 2011) | ||
| Etennuly |
I have a 1988 Glastron 19' Cuddy with a Mercruiser 165. It is the GM Iron Duke bottom end with a Ford 460 head on it. Interesting little power house of an engine. One of my Jeeps came with a GM Iron Duke engine. That little gem of an engine sold for over $1000.  Ya gotta love a good little engine! | ||
| Xl1200r |
Friggin' engine is seized. Oh well. | ||
| Gohot |
The first problem with trying to braize it or otherwise weld it is the PITA of getting the oil drained then getting the bolts out and then wrangling the pan out. You may need to lift the motor some. If you do that then you must pull the outdrive off, which entails dropping the rams (easy) and taking the six nuts loose and pulling the outdrive off. The reason you need to do this is to re-line up the driveshaft/gimble bearing drive with the flywheel of the motor. The outdrive is fixed and the motor moves arount to allign and then is tightened at that point, then everything is on the same straight plane. The pan should be an easy find on (Iboats) a boat forum, or on good o'l ebay. Sometimes free is not......! or at least not worth it. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Don't lose hope. Iron is forgiving. Spray a bunch of WD40 into the sparkplug holes and let it sit for a week. I'll wager it's just a touch of surface corrosion in the bores from being in a moist environment. If you're patient, I bet you can save this one. | ||
| Etennuly |
Actually transmission fluid will work better than WD. Give it a couple of ounces in each cylinder for a few days. Try rocking it each direction. If you get movement give it another shot leaving it set another day or two. If it is going to loosen up that should do it. | ||
| Kenm123t |
Get some Aero Kroil at your local General aviation pilot shop or order it on line. It will loosen the aluminum oxide from the pistons. | ||
| Xl1200r |
Thanks for the heads up, guys. I'll let him to know to try that stuff. The boat is kept up at his camp about an hour from home - he's not there all that often but his father is just about every weekend, so maybe he can try this stuff. Just to add fuel to the fire, the bilge pump and the hydraulic pump for the outdrive were also not working - however, the nav lights, blower and power to the starter were. I think with those other issues, he's pretty much lost interest in it. He didn't seem to really want it, but was only going to get in it the water for a year or two and then sell it to keep from having the guy feel bad that gave it to him (he meant well). This was a wedding gift from an old neighbor that's now cost him about $400 and it still doesn't work. The saving grace is it comes with a good trailer. I suppose trying to get the engine unstuck will at least mean rather minor repairs to whoever wants it. | ||
| Sifo |
Boat: A hole in the water that you throw your money into. | ||
| Etennuly |
The switches and fuses in the panel will get glazed with corrosion. Shoot them with WD and work them a lot, clean the fuses with scotch brite or equivalent. The hyd pump should have a Ford type solenoid, clean terminals first or $10 to replace. Yes sir.....hole in the water in which to throw money! Even if the boat is all in working order with gas for the boat, the truck, licenses, insurances, drinks, food, and bait you can easily spend $100 a day to use it! | ||
| Xl1200r |
$100? His neighbor has a 32ft checkmate or something with twin 802s. It took $1100 in gas in one day. | ||
| Etennuly |
Well yeah!  The sky is the limit on the water! I was referring to a boat like the OP has. Mine is a 19' cuddy with a 165. Not unlike the one he has. $100 a day is with the cheap beer!   | ||
| Mayerhd |
BOAT = Bust Out Another Thousand | ||
| Sifo |
This was a wedding gift from an old neighbor A good neighbor would have just robbed them when they were away on the honeymoon!  |
