350 MAG MPI Sunsetter swap

[martinarcher]

Alright, so its time to start working on getting the Sunsetter swapped over to multi port fuel injection.  The old 5.7 Comp Ski has done well over the past 35 years its been in the boat but I won't miss the cold hard starts.  The engine going in the boat will be a 350 MAG MPI out of a stern drive boat (setup for Bravo outdrive).  I've got lots of work ahead of me but the first order of business is getting the power steering pump off and the engine setup with the sea water pump off the Sunsetter's old motor.  Anyone out there running a 350 MAG MPI in their boat and have access to it.....my first issue is I'm just not sure how the idler pulley mounts up to this block.  I've got the pump out of the way and I'm wondering if I've got the wrong idler mount (eBay find) or if the bracket mounted to the block is wrong....or both.  The idler bracket just doesn't line up with anything on the block but the circulation pump bolts which don't seem right.  

 

 

[martinarcher]

I'm guessing this is the right set of brackets/idler from the Merc parts catalogs.  

[justgary]

Can you use studs on the circulation pump so the bracket will sit on top of the nuts holding the pump on?

[ahopkins22LSV]

Will marine grade cardboard be used for the install?

[justgary]

44 minutes ago, ahopkinsVTX said:

Will marine grade cardboard be used for the install?

That should be a given!

[Michigan boarder]

12 hours ago, ahopkinsVTX said:

Will marine grade cardboard be used for the install?

Only if he got the Inboard Engine Installation Kit.  Comes with assorted forklift forks, several random sized sheets of marine grade cardboard, a poorly made hoist extension, and 5 IPA's.

[Michigan boarder]

I'm no help with the bracket but is that a normal oil filter set up?

[ahopkins22LSV]

32 minutes ago, Michigan boarder said:

Only if he got the Inboard Engine Installation Kit.  Comes with assorted forklift forks, several random sized sheets of marine grade cardboard, a poorly made hoist extension, and 5 IPA's.

I’m guessing he has all of that available and ready

[martinarcher]

2 hours ago, ahopkinsVTX said:

I’m guessing he has all of that available and ready

 

14 hours ago, ahopkinsVTX said:

Will marine grade cardboard be used for the install?

 

14 hours ago, justgary said:

That should be a given!

 

2 hours ago, Michigan boarder said:

Only if he got the Inboard Engine Installation Kit.  Comes with assorted forklift forks, several random sized sheets of marine grade cardboard, a poorly made hoist extension, and 5 IPA's.

 

2 hours ago, ahopkinsVTX said:

I’m guessing he has all of that available and ready

You guys are cracking me up!  I've got some things in the works for lifting the engine our of the Sunsetter.....I'll have to add them to the garage/projects thread.  I'm waiting for some parts to come in to begin fabbing.   

[martinarcher]

2 hours ago, Michigan boarder said:

I'm no help with the bracket but is that a normal oil filter set up?

Yeah, that's standard on the later 5.7's to make oil changes a heck of a lot easier.  I'm excited since my current engine has the filter down on the block like a standard GM automotive 5.7.  It makes getting that filter out without making a mess almost impossible.  

[justgary]

You could also use some stainless steel manifolds for that thing.  Those risers look so big I'm afraid they won't fit under the hood.

[martinarcher]

19 hours ago, justgary said:

Can you use studs on the circulation pump so the bracket will sit on top of the nuts holding the pump on?

I should have let everyone know what the pully's at the end of the day are supposed to be. I'm trying to get Idler #2 in place....and its becoming obvious I have the wrong brackets.  The fuel filter is currently mounted where the sea water pump will need to go - since the Bravo outdrive would have provided the sea water to the engine.  I'm thinking I'll move it to the boat (stringer mounted).  What I don;t know is if this engine originally just had the single electric fuel pump and drew from the tank or if it had a tank mounted or bother pump to feed the engine's fuel pump.....the Merc manuals focuses on the engine, not the other boat parts that feed it.

The sea water pump I hope I can take off the old block with brackets and mount on the new block.  I will need to swap the V pulley to a serpentine pulley (aluminum pulley laying on the pallet in the pics).

 

[martinarcher]

5 minutes ago, justgary said:

You could also use some stainless steel manifolds for that thing.  Those risers look so big I'm afraid they won't fit under the hood.

I have Stainless Marine manifolds that will come off the other block and go on this one.  

[oldjeep]

You could just completely remove the fuel/water filter.  Merc is really the only one that ever seemed to use those on ski boats.  

[justgary]

What about a crank mounted pump like a F6B?  You could ditch the serpentine belt and just have one alternator belt.  So much simpler.

[martinarcher]

45 minutes ago, justgary said:

What about a crank mounted pump like a F6B?  You could ditch the serpentine belt and just have one alternator belt.  So much simpler.

I did think about it but I don't think it would clear my dog box.  I also bought a all stainless Hardin Marine Gen 4 Merc pump a few years back I wouldn't mind keeping since it is bullet proof and really easy on impellers.  There are soooo many boats out there running that style pump.  

[martinarcher]

1 hour ago, oldjeep said:

You could just completely remove the fuel/water filter.  Merc is really the only one that ever seemed to use those on ski boats.  

Interesting, I guess the other setups just let the engine consume any of the water....never thought of that.  Mildly concerning with Ethanol fuel.....

[oldjeep]

1 minute ago, martinarcher said:

Interesting, I guess the other setups just let the engine consume any of the water....never thought of that.  Mildly concerning with Ethanol fuel.....

Unless you are buying fuel with water in it or have a defective vent/leaking cap, there is no reason for there to be any water in your fuel.

Only Malibu I've run across so far that had a water separator on it was my inlaws Merc powered LXI.

[martinarcher]

1 hour ago, oldjeep said:

Unless you are buying fuel with water in it or have a defective vent/leaking cap, there is no reason for there to be any water in your fuel.

Only Malibu I've run across so far that had a water separator on it was my inlaws Merc powered LXI.

Fair point, there's not much more risk of water in the fuel than a car driving in the rain.  Honestly, thinking about it that way, the fuel system on my vehicles sees more moisture than the boat!

[Woodski]

If my install, I would skip the dual idler setup and go with a dual V belt setup.  Simple and reliable.  You have the sidewinder raw water pump (assuming it is a Jabsco knock off like the plethora of them on boats).  You can pick up an aluminum water pump & alternator pulley at Summit and local auto parts store for a couple of V belts.  You would probably have to relocate the remote oil filter.  Of course why toss that power steering pump, that way you'll never have to replace your stiff steering cable!   

[Michigan boarder]

4 minutes ago, Woodski said:

If my install, I would skip the dual idler setup and go with a dual V belt setup.  Simple and reliable.  You have the sidewinder raw water pump (assuming it is a Jabsco knock off like the plethora of them on boats).  You can pick up an aluminum water pump & alternator pulley at Summit and local auto parts store for a couple of V belts.  You would probably have to relocate the remote oil filter.  Of course why toss that power steering pump, that way you'll never have to replace your stiff steering cable!   

Power steering in a DD!!!  With just a little more line and a few simple valves and levers you could have a power tower, power walkthru window, power bottle opener, the possibilities!

[cowwboy]

19 minutes ago, Michigan boarder said:

 With just a little more line and a few simple valves and levers you could have a power tower, power walkthru window, power bottle opener, the possibilities!

That was where my mind was going. 

[justgary]

1 hour ago, Michigan boarder said:

Power steering in a DD!!!  With just a little more line and a few simple valves and levers you could have a power tower, power walkthru window, power bottle opener, the possibilities!

Why stop there?  How about a front-end loader (huh?), or maybe a davit to pluck towables out of the water.

[martinarcher]

The exclusive "Auxiliary Hydraulics" option in 1987.   

[martinarcher]

Well I've been gathering parts.  I got the motor up in the air and the pan is smashed so it needs replaced.  I should have stuck with v-belts but was bull headed and wanted it to be as close to a factory Merc MAG towsports motor as possible so I've got....

-New alternator bracket

-New idler pulley bracket

-New idler

-New oil pan

-New distributor since the old one was crushed when I got the engine

-Swapper my sea water pump onto this block with a serpentine pully.

-New cooling hoses

My oil pan is due in tomorrow so last night I got the engine back up in the air and started pulling the old pan when things went downhill really quick.  The pan was full of oily water.  The engine was drained before it was shipped and has been in my heated garage since I got it last fall.  I then found this crack on the starboard side of the block right above the drain port.    Not cool, guy sold me a cracked block.

I'm debating what to do now.  

The boat has a good running carb 5.7 in it now so I'm debating stripping the Merc EFI and wiring off this mill, pulling the intake and heads and transferring the parts onto the engine in the boat....I sure would like to verify those parts are good before I pull apart my current motor.  

Option #2, buy a longblock and throw the Merc EFI on it.

....and here I thought I was getting close to dropping this in the boat!