Didn't winterize boat..how much to fix?

Question

if the oil is real milky then i hear something is wrong......anyone know the average cost to fix a 4.3 mercruiser that hasn't been winterized?

Answer 1

Your block is cracked.

New engine, installed,  is going to be $3500 to $4000

Pull the engine yourself, and reinstall, you can save thousands.

Answer 2

More than likely a cracked block. It's going to be expensive. What year is the boat? How many hours are on the engine? It may be cheaper in the long run to upgrade to a newer boat. Let's face it, the high price of gas has pushed down the prices. Most people use there boats for boatells now.

Answer 3

if its real milky ,then that means you more than likely have a cracked block,that can be really expensive to repair,if that's the case you,ll have to tear it down or have it done and its going to cost around 3 thousand to get it back right,at the least,that's if the block is busted,it could have busted an intake manifold and done this also,or a head,either way it will have to be checked,i hate that happened to you,because the 4.3 ,s are tough little engines,but they wont with stand the cold without being protected,good luck with it.

Answer 4

More than likely you have a cracked block. It is possible that you only cracked the oil cooler but that is usually not the case. My suggestion is that you take it to a merc dealer for an estimate. I work at a Merc dealer and sometimes we buy engines from Jasper and have had good luck with them. It is not going to be cheap. More than likely above 2 grand.

Answer 5

Guys are right, more often than not, it's a cracked block. Here's a thought if your going to replace engine, try MichiganMotorz.com They have NEW not rebuilt MARINE APPLICATION SPECIFIC Motors at very reasonable prices and you dont have to ship back the core. I checked and a 4.3 is either $2350 or $2450 depending on year, plus shipping. Keep in mind, these are new, not rebuilt or remanned engines.

Answer 6

Forget the head gasket theory. I can guarentee it's worse than that.

Check to see if all of the freeze plugs are still in the block or if one or more are pushed out. If they are all in place, you may have lucked out and only cracked the exhaust manifolds. If they are pushed out, the block is probably cracked.

If the exhaust manifolds are cracked, you can usually see it, just by looking at the outside of them. A crack will look like a hair sized line and will be rust colored. If they are cracked and you want to repair the boat, even if it's the engine, go on eBay and buy a set of manifolds. They are always available on eBay. Volvo Penta manifolds are usually around $149. ( I'm just assuming that's what is on it)

Replace the manifolds, change the oil and run the engine with water running through it for about 5-10 minutes. Then pull the dipstick and see what the oil looks like. If it looks new, you got lucky, If it's milky, it's time to replace the engine.

Engines are also available most of the time on eBay for anywhere from about $750- $3500. A 3.8 is the same block and heads as a 4.3, so it will also work.

Answer 7

If you need to ask you can't afford it.  Most likely you blew a head gasket thats $1000 but before you do that look to see if there are cracks in the block.  You may want to replace with a rebuilt motor