Finally Floating

I'll try anything that doesn't dissolve gel-coat. Now all I need is some ambition. Since I have no other "projects" for the year (knock wood), I may get motivated and try this task.
 
rondds said:
I'll try anything that doesn't dissolve gel-coat. Now all I need is some ambition. Since I have no other "projects" for the year (knock wood), I may get motivated and try this task.
Click to expand...

You could come to the Left Coast and help me change my manifolds. Those suckers weigh 50 pounds each. :smt013:smt100
 
Good luck with that! Please do some sort of photo-doc of that. I'd like to know how you get the bolts out of the block!
 
Might be right there with you in spirit doing the same thing Shawn. My port engine gets hot and I'm getting the rebuild kit for my Jabsco pumps and then I'm sure the manifolds and elbows are next. My fresh water system is working good though. I've done my 3rd clorox treatment with fresh water in between each one. The inside of the tank was gross! Did you check this out?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...10395126992&ssPageName=ADME:X:AAQ:MOTORS:1123

I have gotten T-stat housing from them before on my old boat. Worked well.
 
Mark
Call me a snob but I'm very leary of the aftermarket stuff (Osco, Barr, etc.) This isn't that good a deal on no-name stuff (although free shipping is enticing). Doug Russell is a pretty good outfit but for the extra ~$100 I'd get the genuine merc stuff. Just my 2 cents.

This site is great to find your part numbers...
http://www.mercruiserparts.com./Show_Pictures3.asp?dnbr=814268&ivar=images/CRUISER/814268/21.png&inbr=1007&bnbr=100&bdesc=EXHAUST+MANIFOLD+AND+EXHAUST+ELBOW+%28CAST+IRON%29

But boat fix dot com has better prices

BTW, that link is for my engine. Not sure if yours is the same so make sure you check on the part numbers!
 
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rondds said:
Mark
Call me a snob but I'm very leary of the aftermarket stuff (Osco, Barr, etc.) This isn't that good a deal on no-name stuff (although free shipping is enticing). Doug Russell is a pretty good outfit but for the extra ~$100 I'd get the genuine merc stuff. Just my 2 cents.

This site is great to find your part numbers...
http://www.mercruiserparts.com./Sho...XHAUST+MANIFOLD+AND+EXHAUST+ELBOW+(CAST+IRON)

But boat fix dot com has better prices

BTW, that link is for my engine. Not sure if yours is the same so make sure you check on the part numbers!
Click to expand...
I emailed him to ask if it was the same ceramic coated manifolds as Merc. Have yet to hear. I agree, you are a snob. According to my calculations they are more than $100 from boat fix. The ones from Doug Russell have risers as well. When I find out who manufactured them I will make my choice. Have to check the old ones first.
 
OK, I see now. Doug's giving you enough for one whole engine. So you're right - Merc stuff would cost you double.
 
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I just removed the exhaust manifolds and risers from both engines on my boat. Not as bad as you would think, putting them on again is another story, but it can be done. Once you have one of the inboard sets removed the other one is, of course, much easier. The outboard risers and manifolds are not that much fun, because there isn’t anywhere to stand.
If you are having overheating there are several other things to check as well. You are going to need to check you raw water pump, and your water pump, if you have a closed freshwater cooling system. If your impeller on your raw water pump needs to be replaced make sure you find all the pieces if any of the vanes are broken off. If you can’t find all the pieces you may have a problem with your heat exchanger becoming clogged, which is another reason for overheating. If you have access to an infrared temperature reader you can pin point the hot spots in you cooling system, and take some of the guess work out of it.
Sorry I didn’t do a DIY on this, but when I started this was not the project at hand, you all know how it is with boats, one thing leads to another…and another…and another…
Oh and BTW, the weight of the manifolds is NOTHING as compared to the heads… yes, I wound up removing them too, and holy crap they are HEAVY.
 
OKNOPROB
How did you get the bolts off? That's what I've heard is the real bitch of the job. Rust/superheating/fused is what I have heard. Dremels, grinding the heads off, smashing the casting with a sledge hammer (no lie) has also been bandied about. Is this all urban legend?
 
rondds,

Simply used a good six point .5 inch drive socket. You can't see them (the bolts) but you can feel them and make sure you have the socket on square, if you round off the bolts then you are back to the "dremels, grinding the heads off, smashing the casting with a sledge hammer, dilemma.

Sorry I forgot to mention this in my first post, Wilee, your boat looks great and that transom is one to remember!

oknoprob
 
So yours all came out with just the socket? That's incredible. Do you know how long they were on there?
 
One engine must have been years, like, and I'm guessing ten +. The other engine was only about 2-3 years, but all the bolts seemed to come out about the same. I'm thinking they must have had anti-seize on the bolts. I applied it to them when I replaced them too!
If your going to be working on removing the manifolds, and not running your boat for a week or so before hand, you can try a good penetrating oil on the bolts for a few days before hand.
Sorry for hi-jacking your thread Wilee!
 
To continue hijacking (don't worry, Mark's away on business all week with no internet access!), apparently it isn't the bolt that gets stuck in the block. Btwn the salty damp environment and the temperature, the head of the bolt literally rusts and fuses to the flange of the manifold. Some guys have told me that after destroying the bolt head to free up the manifold, they were able to retrieve the stud from the block almost by finger loosening. I guess you just don't know til you get in there - every case is going to be different.

Thanks for the info!

RON
 
I did my risers and manifolds last year on my '89 300DA twin 5.7s. The bolts came out no problems. I have a set of "bolt extractors" that are sockets with speical heads that grab rounded bolt heads. I didn't need to use them as the bolts came out easily. I also replaced all the bolts with new ones (came in kit with manifolds) and used a bit of neverseize on them. If you have a stuck bolt, before totally destroying the head, spray it down with PB Blaster and let it soak, repeat a few times. Then a few sharp blow from a mallet and a drift or better yet a brass rod(won't peen the bolt head like steel) can loosen the corrosion. Lastly, and you need to be careful here due to the explosion hazard) is to heat the bolt head with a torch until its good and hot. Then let cool and repeat the PB Blaster/beating treatment. Unless the head is about gone, this has usually worked on stuck bolts I've encountered over the years.
JMHO
 
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