Gimble housing and risers

[jons13569]

I bought a 1987 Sundancer 268 with dual Mercruiser V6's......This is somewhat of a winter projet for me.....The boat has 500 hours on the engines and from what I know has been sittin out of the water for the last 3-5 years. Both motors start right up...I was talking to a freind of mine and he said that I should replace the gimble housing gaskets because thet are know to dry out and leak......also he recommends that I replace the risers.....Any thoughts on this? This boat was used in salt water, was marine serviced.....is there a way that I can check to see if the risers are ok? they look as if somebody has replaced them at one point....but I dont kow for sure......the old owner is now longer alive......Also any thing else that I should be checking before I put her in the water next year?
Thanks

 

[Matt89GT]

he's talking about the outdrive gaskets, and I would pull the drives and inspect the bellows, the gimble bearing, and alignment and get impellar kits for both drives, grease the U joints and the gimble bearing throw all that back together, fill with new gear oil, just a couple hours of work and back the boat in the water and run it for a while on the trailer and keep a close eye on the engines if you have no leaks and everything seems ok go ahead and splash it. I would also take a multi meter with me and put it on the batterys and make sure the alternators are charging.

 

[Quint4]

23 yr old engines in salt water....I would say the risers have been replaced, hopefully a few times, and recently. It is common practice to take the risers & elbows off for inspection and new gaskets. You are looking for clean passage ways and plenty of "meat"
between them. Make sure to buy the Merc graphite gaskets (not cheap) and retorque to spec ( 30ft lbs I think). You are wise to inspect them and replace gaskets. This is probably the biggest killer of marine engines when the gaskets or components fail and allow water into the cylinders.

 

[JVM225]

I would just get new risers and manifolds and be done with it. The salt water residue that has been sitting in there all these years that it was out of the water could have eaten through a manifold in a place you can't see or get to. Why take a chance?

 

[jons13569]

Im going to take the risers off and take a look at them, what about the exhaust manifold's, are they usually in need of replacement when you do the risers as well?
Thanks for all the help.....

 

[JVM225]

Im going to take the risers off and take a look at them, what about the exhaust manifold's, are they usually in need of replacement when you do the risers as well?
Thanks for all the help.....

I would change the risers and manifolds at the same time.