I just bought a 1987 268 sundancer. twin merc 205 with alpha outdrives. The starboard engine has a place to add oil on the valve cover. (as I thought all engines would have). There is NO place to add oil to the port engine. Only through the dip stick. I asked the broker who sold me the boat and he could not believe me. Thought I just couldnt find it. So he came out "to show me where to add the oil". And, well he said he has never seen this before. Is there something I am missing.? Why would the valve cover be replaced missing the place to add the oil? Any thoughts?
add oil?
- Thread starter tlkracing
- Start date
Nehalennia
Well-Known Member
- Aug 22, 2007
- 10,006
- Boat Info
- 2001 310DA twin 350 MAGs, Westerbeke 4.5KW
- Engines
- Twin 350 MAG V-drives
Pics?
ghuskin
New Member
- Jul 10, 2007
- 1,089
- Boat Info
- SRV225 Cuddy Cabin, 1983
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- 228 Mercruiser w/ pre-Alpha1 "R" Drive
apparently your surveyor missed that as well?
mwph
Well-Known Member
- Jul 8, 2008
- 3,229
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- 1998 250 DA
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- 7.4L, B3
This is not sounding good.
95290
New Member
Pour needed oil thru the dipstick and don't worry about it.
- Nov 12, 2006
- 5,334
- Boat Info
- 1999 Sea Ray 330DA
Twin 7.4 MPI (310 propshaft HP) V-drives
- Engines
- Twin Mercury Marine marinized 7.4L L-29 V8s
Cast iron block w 4-bolt mains
Does the boat have Mercury's aluminum 4 banger?
If so, those are, I think, Form 460 heads and probably Ford valve covers. You might find one in the junk yard. Someone might have pulled a pair from an old Ford V8 and put them on the engines. Of course, you only add oil though one side of the engine or the other on a V8...
Best regards,
Frank
If so, those are, I think, Form 460 heads and probably Ford valve covers. You might find one in the junk yard. Someone might have pulled a pair from an old Ford V8 and put them on the engines. Of course, you only add oil though one side of the engine or the other on a V8...
Best regards,
Frank
Nehalennia
Well-Known Member
- Aug 22, 2007
- 10,006
- Boat Info
- 2001 310DA twin 350 MAGs, Westerbeke 4.5KW
- Engines
- Twin 350 MAG V-drives
The twin 205 Mercs didn't use Fords did they? I'm pretty sure the OMC did.
http://www.searay.com/Page.aspx/pageId/10532/Model-Archives.aspx
W/O knowing the older engines as well as the other guys that have posted, I'll take a stab:
My guess is the PO had to replace a cover. He/She probably had a cover laying around, but it was one w/o an oil fill.
It really is all a guessing game, though. Unless you (or the broker) can contact the PO.
My guess is the PO had to replace a cover. He/She probably had a cover laying around, but it was one w/o an oil fill.
It really is all a guessing game, though. Unless you (or the broker) can contact the PO.
- Nov 12, 2006
- 5,334
- Boat Info
- 1999 Sea Ray 330DA
Twin 7.4 MPI (310 propshaft HP) V-drives
- Engines
- Twin Mercury Marine marinized 7.4L L-29 V8s
Cast iron block w 4-bolt mains
Nehalennia
Well-Known Member
- Aug 22, 2007
- 10,006
- Boat Info
- 2001 310DA twin 350 MAGs, Westerbeke 4.5KW
- Engines
- Twin 350 MAG V-drives
I'm with you now. That's probably it and yeah someone got the wrong valve cover.
- Nov 12, 2006
- 5,334
- Boat Info
- 1999 Sea Ray 330DA
Twin 7.4 MPI (310 propshaft HP) V-drives
- Engines
- Twin Mercury Marine marinized 7.4L L-29 V8s
Cast iron block w 4-bolt mains
Yeah, but the 205 is a V6. I think they only used the twin I4s in that hull. Could be wrong. Still could be that someone slapped the wrong rocker arm cover on the V6, too. Anyway. The solution is the same, find a rocker arm cover in the junk yard, clean it, paint it, and install it.
ok, thanks. I did add a quart of oil through the dipstick. took about 15 min. but I got it in. Yes my surveyor did miss it. Think he missed more than that too. But I am dealing with what I believe is a very honest broker. He is looking into getting the cover replaced for me. I love my first sea ray. Its been fun so far. Of course it has only been a few weeks.
rondds
Well-Known Member
- Oct 3, 2006
- 8,859
- Boat Info
- 2001 380DA
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- Merc 8.1s (2008)...Hurth ZF 63 V-drives...WB 7.0 BCGD (2013), Garmin 8208 & 740 MFDs, GMR 24xHD dome
Just out of curiousity, I had an '88 Regal 19' cuddy with a 3.7L (225cu in) 4 cylinder engine. That's the funky engine w/o an alternator - it had a system for battery charging like an outboard motor. Is that the engine you're thinking of Frank? I spoke to a Merc rep at the NY show once and he said that engine was Merc's from the ground up - not a converted auto block.
Tail Chaser 661
Member
- Jan 23, 2009
- 742
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- Furuno Navnet radar/chartplotter, fish finder, bait tank, 85 Gal main fuel tank, 75gal aux tank.
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- Merc 8.1 Mag 375 HP / Bravo III,4 blade prop. 28mph at 3200rpm.
If you have a PCV valve on the valve cover. That's a bigger hole to pour oil through.
- Nov 12, 2006
- 5,334
- Boat Info
- 1999 Sea Ray 330DA
Twin 7.4 MPI (310 propshaft HP) V-drives
- Engines
- Twin Mercury Marine marinized 7.4L L-29 V8s
Cast iron block w 4-bolt mains
More accurately "up to the head" which was a Ford. You can tell it was a merc design. Funky alternator and water pump where a bad seal wouldn't just leak, it would also take out the alternator, which cost a pile-o-bucks to fix. Lots of incomplete engineering on that engine. Typical Mercruiser.
