Restarting a MerCruiser 3.0L Sitting for 4 Years?

Question

I have a 97 MerCruiser 3.0L LX Alpha 1 that has been sitting for the last 4 years. The engine was winterized and the boat has been in a shed out of the elements. What steps should I take in preparing to recommision this engine and drive?

Answer 1

If the engine was fogged you should be ok.  But the other answerer is correct the whole thing should be gone over to be checked for dry rotted hoses and the like.

Answer 2

just take it to a marine mechanic they will check everything for you. It doesn't cost much. Sitting around for 4 years their is alot to check on a boat.

Answer 3

Flush the engine with clean water, change engine oil ,and filter, replace oilin lower unit, drain ALL old gas and fill with fresh fuel.Check boots on drive unit for holes and cracks. Replace as nec!!Check all hose and belts too.

Answer 4

Well, there are a few important items you'll want to inspect on your boat before you go ahead and start it. The first thing you'll want to do is replace the battery and clean all of your connections (don't forget the grounds and charge wire to the starter). Then, do a systems check. That means, check the blower, bilge pump, lights, horn, etc. as well as the power trim for the outdrive. You may want to "touch" the key and see if the engine turns over. A starter sitting for that long might not want to engage. It'll also give you a chance to see if everything still spins back there. After that, you should change the oil, as well as the oil filter and fuel/water separator. If it were me, I'd do a tune-up to the engine and change the plugs and wires (it's an LX so it has the digital ignition...no need for rotor/cap/points). You'll also want to pull the outdrive off and inspect the gimbal bearing, gimbal ring, engine coupler, drive shaft and the U-joints. To check the gimbal bearing, just stick your hand through the transom assembly and spin it with your fingers. If it moves relatively smooth, you're OK. Make sure the splines on the drive shaft and coupler are good, grease the gimbal bearing, drive shaft and U-Joints (there are grease fittings on the U-Joints) and don't forget to grease the transom assembly hub by getting the two grease fittings just below the water line on the outer transom assembly. While you have the drive off, you'll want to replace the impeller (water pump kit). The impeller is rubber and probably dried out, so replace it and call it cheap insurance. Re-install the drive with a new drive gasket set and get ready to start the engine. What you should do next is take the flame arrester off of the carb and fill the carb bowls manually so that you don't have to keep cranking the engine over and pumping the throttle all the time, wearing out the starter and possibly melting the solenoid and causing a fire. When you take the arrester off, you should see a little "spout" that looks like a smoke stack on a big rig...pour some fuel down that until it starts to fill up a little, then replace the flame arrester. Place a set of water muffs onto the freshwater intake and turn the hose on, then start it up! It'll act pretty grumpy for a few minutes, but it'll come out of it. Make sure the engine is pumping water out of the transom assembly in the back and that everything is turning freely on the engine. Check all of your hoses and exhaust boots for leaks in the engine compartment. Now...onto the bellows. The exhaust bellows is what is commonly referred to as "the boot" between your outdrive and transom assembly. The only way to check for a leak in that is to put the boat in the water and trim it all the way up. If you don't see/hear any water coming in, you're all set. However, because it has been out of the water for such a long time, it's probably dried up a little bit. So, you might want to replace that as well before you launch it. Other than that, you should be all set. It's a long answer to your question, but it shouldn't take more than a day or so if you do everything I've said, including the bellows replacement. Good Luck!

P.S. Don't forget to hit the fuel tank with some dry gas, fuel stabilizer (Look into "K-100." It's the best stuff on the market) or siphon and replace the fuel that's in it. You might run through a fuel filter or two, but you should be all set.