Help needed with engine removal on '86 340 Sundancer

[blueboat]

Both of the dripless stuffing boxes on my 1986 34 Sundancer with v drives are leaking badly. The engines, 454 Crusaders, must come out.

How do you do it? The couplers are almost impossible to see, much less get to. Also, the salt water leakage has made everything rusty.

I'd appreciate any help I can get.

 

[hottoddie]

You will need a bilge monkey to get at the coupler bolts. Removing engines from almost any boat is not for beginners and will require some heavy equipment. While they are out you may want to address any other hard to reach maintenance items such as hoses, sea water pumps, manifolds/elbows, rusty oil pan and leaky rear main seal. Also clean and paint the bilge. I'm exhausted just thinking about it all but good luck.

 

[Mike Blake]

Your boat ID says 390 Express. So is it a 340 or the 390?

 

[Saverio]

I don't think a 390 came with v drives???
you also might want to go to harbor freight and get a tumbler to start cleaning all the parts once the start coming out.

 

[Busterman]

I just pulled the cats on my 390. I have a knuckle boom crane. Like you I wanted dripless packings and rust on the port motor was an issue. I can tell you that pulling and installing the engines is by far the easy part. Not to scare you or anything but I have already about 80 hrs in prep work getting rid of the rust, and still not ready for paint, my tanks had slight seepage(which was realized after the motors were out)and are out for repair. Motor mounts on the genny were shot as well as two of the cat mounts(corrosion caused them to not come apart). Freeze plugs were corroded, 1 leaking. Thought id adjust the valves while the engine was out, broke the bolts on the valve cover and then broke the cover trying to get it off. As others have said its a great opportunity to replace- hoses, pumps, clamps, grounding blocks, wiring and anything else that's hard to get to. Not mention cleaning and painting the bilge. All I'm trying to say is be prepared for the long haul.

 

[Saverio]

Do you really need to pull the motor to in install dripless boxes???? can you post some pics of the crane you used???

 

[KC_Sundancer]

Can you post some pics of the crane you used???

Here are a few old pics of how I pulled the engines in our 270DA for ideas:
These were v6's but I have done the same with big blocks - no problems.
Once an engine was hoisted up, the boat was pulled forward on the trailer.
The engine was then lowered and towed into the garage.

 

[Busterman]

I would imagine with the V-drives it would be difficult to do the dripless without pulling the motors. Not only do you have to free up the coupler bolts but you have to separate it from the shaft. Pretty difficult to do under the engine. Nice gantry KC!