I bought a frozen Mercruiser 228.?

Question

I bought this boat pretty cheap last fall and parked it for the winter without inspecting, or winterizing it. It has a Mercruiser 228 engine and when I opened it up today both exhaust manifolds are split. Would the damage from freezing likely be limited to the manifolds or are they just the beginning of the likely problems. What else could be damaged?

Answer 1

Typically just the beginning. Definately pull out all spark plugs. I would turn the engine over by hand first as opposed to cranking with the starter so you can "Feel" for things. You should be able to put a socket on the front of the Crankshaft and turn it quite easily with a breakover bar once all the plugs are out.

Inspect the plugs themselves for signs of any rust in/around the business end of the plugs.

If you find the engine is locked or lots of cylinder rust, etc, 305's are easy to come by. If you have to re-power, opt for a 350(5.7l) instead as the two engines externally are the same so everything will bolt up(Motor mounts, manifolds,etc.)

Answer 2

Usually the manifolds crack first. Then it pushes freeze plugs out and sometimes cracks the block and/ or heads. Look for water in the oil.

Answer 3

just the begining   first try to start it then see what else if any thing goed wrong     plan on replacing the engine

Answer 4

Remove the sparkplugs before starting, if the manifolds leak it can be that there is water on top of piston(s) It wil blow out , otherwise it can bend a rod.

Check the oil before or better, start with new oil, run the engine on a water hose and have it warmed up good, check for sludge after.

These manifolds show up on ebayn often.

Frank