89formula272

Hi all, I'm new to the forum but I've been a Formula owner for about 10 years & Im based in the U.K.
I have had no use of my 272 for about 9 years now due to many different circumstances that I won't go into. She has been winterised and stored for about 9 years which is a terrible shame but I am now in a position to start using her.
So I'm not planning to launch her immediately, I want to carry out some refurbishment work so that she is properly ready for the water. And so begins my project..

She has done 170 hours on the original 350 mags, so I'm hoping (and I don't think I have any reason to doubt) that I have plenty of life in these units. However they haven't turned in 9 years, has anyone got any good advice on how I should approach an assessment of the condition?
I have checked the oil, it looks in good condition, no concerns with this, however I think it would be good practice to change it. But my thinking is that I need to get them warm to be able to carry out an effective oil change?
An attempt to start them might be the only way to see if there are any issues? if the engines are shot then I might be in for a much bigger task, so I need to know how they have held up.

Could someone give me a step by step guide to running these engines on the trailer ?

In order to do this I need to replace the batteries, again could anyone advise the spec for the batteries? ( I got no documentation / manuals with her)

Also, has anyone had any experience with some of the older formulas suffering from fibreglass oxidisation? The topside on mine has gone a bit chalky and I was looking at 3Ms range of products to buff it back up.

Thanks in advance,
Dale

on the edge

Dale,
It's about time! First of all get 2 new marine batteries. I don't think specs matter too much. Second, you should change the oil and filter before you crank it. The filters are probably dry and rotted. Same with fuel filters. Add some Sea Foam or Stabil or equivalent to the gas. Add new fuel if you can to mix the stabilizer. If you don't have a hose hook up, you can get some "earmuffs" to go over the water pickups on the outdrives and connect the water hose to them. Then crank her up! Note the gas may have gelled or "varnished" in the carbs. If she doesn't start, have the carbs cleaned or spray some carb cleaner into them b4 starting back over. Also check your belts as they can rot too.
3M products are great. Many will chime in on this. A good oxidation remover, wax and polish should do the trick. Good luck!

88242LS

do all the above and i'd take a breaker bar and spin them a cpl times, also make a point of getting some fresh oil into the top of that motor b4 start up,

donzi matt

iTrader: (1)

Personally, I would by an oil pump primer, pull the distributor and prime the oil pumps on both motors before even cranking them over on the starter.

I would probably also drain all of the gas I could from the tank and get some fresh gas in there to try and keep from gumming up the carbs if they are not already.

Also, I would pull both outdrives (assuming they are Alpha drives) and replace the impellers. Even if they pump water when you get it running, I wouldn't trust them for a second when you put it in the water, and a fast overheat could be fatal if you don't catch it in time. It will also give you a chance to check the u-joints and pump some fresh grease in them if they feel ok still. While you are at it look at the bellows on the drive and the shift cable boot. If they are dry cracked, replace them before they sink your boat.

Blitz5730

Hi Dale,

I'm based in UK (well not really...Channel Islands to be exact) and i have a 91 272 with twin 454s. I carried out a big overhaul of my motors about 18 months ago so have some good experience now.

Personally i would remove the engines and go right through them....exhausts must be checked, i'd remove the lot (risers and manifolds), you never know what's lurking beneath.

As with what Donzi_Matt said, you must check your impellers, strip your raw water pumps to be sure. I would also drain all the oil, this task is much easier if you have the motors out as you can use the bottom drain plug on the sump rather than pumping them out.

Also gaskets will be dry, so your carb may leak a bit the first time you crank fuel through it...this should subside once the gasket gets moist. Same with rocker covers, they can weep a bit but just keep an eye on them. Check all your hoses too.

It does sound like a pain to remove the engines but trust me it's so much easier to work on them and you can go right through everything. I've had hours of trouble free boating since i did my overhaul and it is really worth it for peace of mind.

Good luck and remember there is lots of useful information on this site together with Formula owners that have a vast amount of experience.

Cheers
Steve

Blitz5730

Forgot to say that i replaced my batteries, i bought 86A Lucas marine batteries (normal size, not the long ones). They crank the 454s a treat so should do the same for the 350s.

Also i try to use a plastic tank to run my motors...not convinced on running them on the muffs. You can use a plastic type tank that you find in the loft of houses. I bought one in the end. Just fill the tank and keep the water topped up. If you cant get hold of a tank then use the muffs but make sure there is plenty of water pumping through them and they are fitted correctly.

89formula272

Hi all, thanks for all the advice, it's good to know there are people out there who are willing to share their experience and knowledge.

I do have a set of muffs, but we were wondering if a tank of water might be a better way to go about it. We thought maybe using a water butt that was kept topped up would be a good solution which is similar to what you suggest Blitz.
If I did use a water butt would I still still feed water to the engines via the muffs? or though another way?

I will replace my impellers and change oil before cranking, again can anyone advise on grade?

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Great luck my Formula Brother!

Blitz5730

If you use a water butt, you wont need to use the muffs, you just need to make sure the water line is above the intake holes on the drive and keep it topped up if you get the motors started. you may need to put blocks under the tank to get it to the right height.

As well as checking/changing the impellers, I'd also take your risers off and have a good look down the manifolds with a torch...see if you can spot any nasty corrosion.

Go for a good mineral type oil 15/40w, you dont need anything fancy in the older gen motors.