Pacemaker Boat Owners Association

Hello. When i got my pacemaker both engines were locked up. I got a camara scope and put it in the cylinder spark plug holes the walls were shiny and no rust at all. Even so it took about 2 weeks of soaking the engine. I used everything wd 40, pb blaster, sea foam. I did not have a big bolt on the center of my hymonic balancer so i had a buddy make up a tool that was a circle plat with three holes that fit over the 3 bolts on the pully. I started getting it to move a 1/4 inch rocking it back n forth. It finale broke free and both engines run with good compression. You want to take your time and not damage the oil ring or compression rings on the pistions. you can also use a big screw driver to pry on the flywheel. But just keep those clyiners full of somthing wd 40 or whatever. If you get it free do a compression test. No compression ge ta different motor.

Make sure you drain the crankcase completely, with fresh oil and a new filter (although the adding of new oil and filter might wait until you can at least get the engine to rotate). Water certainly made it past the rings over time and into the engine's bottom end.

Using a breaker bar or very large screwdriver to work the engine over with the flywheel/flexplate is a good suggestion. Be careful applying too much force on the bolt in the nose of the crankshaft. If one strips this out or worse, shears a bolt off in this hole, it will be extremely difficult to retap it or extract the bolt without lifting the engine out of the bay. The suggestion of spraying light oil and/or a rust buster into the cylinders via the spark plug holes is a good one.

I agree that the flywheel is the best way, but just removing the starter does not afford much access. Before I go and remove the trans and belhousing, I'll try the chain wrench on the balancer again. It worked on my old '67 Correct Craft's frozen 302! It's going on two weeks of soaking. Think I;ll try it next week.

i had a similar engine issue and resolved it squirting lub spray into the cylinders and i took an old starter and used the the gear that engages the flywheel and welded an extension so that i could turn the motor over very slowly with a wrench. the engine now works.

The starter was a great idea.

My brother made a simaler rig for turning the oil pump when you don't want to start the engine. He took an old distributer and wended an attachment on to it for a drill. Uses it to get the oil flowing through the engine prior to lighting it off for the first time. I'll have to tell him about the starter idea.

Well, I found that the lower flywheel inspection plate was not installed and I am able to get clear access to the back side of the ring gear teeth. I used a tierod end separating fork to get on the teeth and a 3 pound hammer to shock load the crank shaft. Three or four hits at a time first on the left side then the right. After pounding for a good half an hour, nothing. I guess I'll try it a few time a week, got nothing to loose!

I hate to be the one to say it but I think you need a new motor

When you don't have to be somwhere tomorrow and half the fun is getting there and the time invested is for your own enjoyment, what do you have to loose? The outcome will be the outcome.

I think I'm kidding myself. Even if it did move, which it hasn't, the heads are most likely junk, as is the intake. Water was backed up in the heads where the valves were closed, and the intake has a lot of rust.
Yes, a new engine is definately in the cards for the Mystic Lady, but it'll have to wait till next year.

Look on line, there are plenty of places that sell new and reman engines.

Don't know why the double post.

Paul, how did you get your engine out? I'm going to yank it so I can throughly clean the bilge, that way it will be ready for it's new motor, when it comes!

If everything is working correctly, how much effort should it take to turn the engine using a chain wrench on the flywheel?

Scott, When I pulled mine the first time I used a crane on a landscape truck and it was easy. The second time I had installed the hard top and did not want to remove it so I set up a I beam and chain fall and lifted it out.

The crane is an easier way to do it but as I say with the hard top it was not an option. If you want more details you can email me at pwhite78832@roadrunner.com. Be happy to share the details with you.

If you can't find a good price on a marine engine then find a good truck motor and put your parts on the new motor. If your around salt water you need to change the freeze plugs to brass or stainless. make sure you use a marine starter and alternator.

I bought my reman long block from Rapido marine in Florida. The long block was $1450- plus $150- shipping to Maine. I know I sould like a broken record but they are what they advertise.

Many marine engines come out of the same factory as their street engine counterparts. Differences are primarily external, but purpose-built marine engines have a number of refinements for their assigned duties.
1. Basic Differences
◦ The primary difference between car and boat (marine) engines is that marine engines have sealed fuel and ignition systems. These features prevent fuel vapor buildup in the engine compartment from being ignited by stray ignition sparks. (like starter and alternator)
2. Strength
◦ Marine engines are almost invariably based on heavy-duty, iron truck blocks with a lot of internal reinforcement and four or six bolt main caps. Marine engines need to be stronger because they must sustain high stress levels for long periods of time. (truck engine)
3. Cooling
◦ Purpose-built marine engines usually have larger cooling passages than their land-based counterparts, which may or may not be coated with a corrosion-resistant compound.
(closed cooling)
4. Marinizing
◦ Many people "marinize" (make marine engines from non-marine engines) their engine of choice by installing corrosion-inhibiting freeze plugs and the associated safety equipment. (brass freeze plugs& marine water pumps)

5 Don't forget about your rotation (they put both is single boats, just what had sitting around)

But like miss nancy said it's better to use a marine engine but sometimes we have to make do with we have.

Thanks guys. I was thinking of a truck crain, got to see if I can locate one locally. That beam setup looks tricky, Paul. You didn;t have too remove your rear hand rail? If I'm in no particular rush, I think a marine engine will come along. Funny thing, on the Maine Craigs list, someone was listing a fully marinized 318 with a transmission, ready for install. First, they wanted $2500,(to much for me), second it's a 1979, and not rebuilt! It's out and not able to be run, so it's a blind buy. Too many questionmarks for me. If it was a grand, I would think about it! I'll just keep my eyes open for a boat with bad stringers and a good engine. There seems to be no shortage of those at cheap prices.
Mako236, the reason is, it's frozen. water in the cylinders for too long.

Hey dont give up.took me 2weeks of soaking to get both my engins to move. Both run great w good comprrssion. Cody 717 615 1082