custom29scarab

Should I pull my motor myself? I am pretty mechanical. Is this something that I can do or not? I have a broken starter bolt that has to be removed

88Fount33

Pulling an engine is not so bad, it is having a gantry or forklift that can lift over the transom that is the tough part. My old Formula was 5 feet high at the top of the transom, and the new boat is 6, a standard engine hoist (for cars) will not work.

Dave M

Yup, what 88fount33 said. Being able to lift it high enough is key. If you have stock merc motor mounts try not to change the location of the motor mount bolts so when you put it back in the alignment will be close.

East Coast B

In my opinion, it's really easy... as 88 stated, getting high enough to get the motor out is the hard part. The most important thing when you put it back in is to make sure the engine is aligned properly. While you have it out, perfect time to assure the steering in the gimble is tight to spec, only real time you can easily get at them. Might want to add a oil drain hose if you don't already have one.

Good luck and have fun...

hillbilly24

Pulling the motor realy isn't all that tough. Ussualy with boats the hardest part is getting a hoist that is high enough. You can't use a cherry picker unless you have a pretty small boat. If you have acess to an over head lift or a forklift you are god to go though. It only takes about an hour at most to get one out. You want to pull the drive first though don't try and pull and re intall the engine with the drive on, complete pain in the az if possible at all depending on your configuration. I always pull the lag bolts or through bolts out of the stringer and take the whole mount with the engine, the biggest reason for doing this is that it is a good chance to check for wet or roten stringers. If the bolts are wet you have problems. Other then that just find the easiest way to disconect each sytem without making a mess. Pull the power steering lines at the valve not the pump, if you stop by a shop they will probably have a coupler that will join the two lines so they don't drip all over the place, they ship crate engines with these couplers so most shops have a few sitting around. You can ussualy pull the ruber exhuast couplers loose and then slide them back clear of the riser so ou don't ahve to pull any of the exhuast, unless you have solid tails, then something has to come out. make sure you keep track of the fiber washers and springs when pulling the rear moun bolts, they are important for re assembaly. When you go back together it helps to glue the fiber washers in place with something to retain them and the springs while you set the engine in. As far as electrical all you have to disconect is the 10 pin harness, teh battery calbe from the starter, the trimp pump power wire from the stater, the mercathode wireing if you have one, the wires are all labled by color on the mercathode box so you don't have to worry about marking them, then just make ure you unhook all grounds, there are often more then one so make sure you get them all. Fuel is easy just one hose unless you have an aftermarket fuel system with a return. I like to use a bolt to plug the fuel line from the tank in case the anti siphin valve has been removed or fails, you could wind up with a blige full of fuel the next morning oherwise. The water inlet hose is easiest to unhook at the trasnom. It can be a pain to get to the hose clamp depending on which way they faced it when they put it together but they also ussualy strap the inlet hose to the engine in a few places so is you unhook it from the raw water pump you have to worry about un doing a bunch of other clamps to free it from the engine. Last but not least if the engine has an oil drain hose that connects to an oil exchanger or the drain plug make sure it is free before lifting the engine. Then just lift it slowly and make sure you didn't miss anything. After you set the engine back in you always want to check alingment as even a small change can cuase problems for the coupler. Hope this was thorough enough, it is defenitly somehting that you can do yourself if youa are mechanicaly inclnied.

custom29scarab

What would a fair price be to have the motor pulled and the bolt removed?

hillbilly24

your probalby looking at atleast a grand if not more depending on what they decide needs to be replaced while they are in there.

custom29scarab

Wow thanks for all info Hillbilly. I think I will give it a try this weekend. I will let you know how I make out.

custom29scarab

EEKS A GRAND????????? DAM!

All that is wrong is that my bolt to my starter sheared off and I need to drill it out and I can't get a drill in the space that I have in the bilige.

Oh I have a 29 Scarab with a single custom 502 in it.

Bill272

Don't forget that removing and reinstalling the hatch can be a job in itself.