2003 575 SC sitting for 5 years
 

Hi All

I just bought a 2003 Donzi 38 ZX with 575 SC's that has been sitting in a climate controlled garage for 5 years, there's only 47 hours on the boat
Is there anything in particular I should be doing or checking on these motors other than the obvious oils changed and fuel drained etc

Thanks in advance for any info

WOW, nice find................:worthless_without_p.......... ..if the tanks weren't emptied you might have a mess

I can't post a picture for some reason ?

5 years with some of the valve springs fully compressed may cause some issues

Eddie Young will likely chime in with details and a path forward, but if the heads haven't been off those engines - that would be my first course of action (knowing what I know now).

I can't remember when/if Merc changed the 575sci gaskets, but they were crap from the first engines. I'd just do head gaskets, rebuild heads, and then the other things mentioned above.

I second Stew and All In.

Have a reputable engine builder run through both engines, new gaskets, valve springs, water pumps, fuel pumps, etc. - While he is in the motors, convert them to a roller cam for years of trouble free service. Whatever you spend upfront will save you 10 fold over the next couple years and keep you on the water.

I should ad that this boat has never seen salt water if that makes any difference

I bought a 575 boat in 2012 that had been sitting for 6 years with 30 hrs on it. I put an impeller in it, filled the tank with 93 and a few cans of seafoam, changed the oil in engine and blower and ran the $hit out of it for a couple years until I upgraded the heads and camshaft. There were absolutely no issues with it from being stored.

I buy an 600 SCi that was stored 7 years with 50 hours on it!
inspect the cylinders and so with micro cam from inside and there are blank walls with absolut no sign of wear or rust!!
New oils,impeller and prelube without sparkplugs! Drain the gaslines,filters and pumps and fill new gas in! it starts after 3 seconds and idle pefect!

I have at moment not change the valvesprings,as some maschine builder say at a cars they would not do after 10 years standing!??
Michael

Head gaskets we chit.

My headgaskets had already started burning through when Eddie tore them down. If that happens too long, you risk block (worst case) and/or head damage (still bad). The headgaskets on the 575 are/were inferior (mine were year 2002 with about 200 hours on them).

Eddie rebuilt heads, cometic head gaskets, roller cam, and tuned ecu's - already had smaller pulley. Those engines ran great when he finished them. 100mph 35' Fountain Lightinng (2002 side by side)

This is all good information and very much appreciated, so far it looks like there are no issues with the head gaskets, I am for sure going to change the Valve springs, sea pumps and all the regular maintenance items of course, I have a friend who's semi retired but a great engine mechanic and he's going to look at everything and get the boat running for this season and we're planning on doing the Chiller, roller cam, pulley re flash updates over the winter for next season ... it sounds like there a lot left to gain with these upgrades ...
Thanks and please feel free to keep any other suggestions or experiences coming ... Cheers and Happy boating

With the roller cam, slight head work, pulley and reflash, Ron Potter turned my 575s into 700 hp with 700 torque.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...cc7185057a.jpg

Very Nice

How did you discover this? I'm not suggesting you spend money for no reason, but the Mercury 575sci stock headgaskets are well documented here and elsewhere. They should be replaced. Just trying to help you.

Mine were burnt through at 100hrs. Not completely burnt through, but looked like they were minutes away from failing, not hours. If I were going to go to the trouble of putting on valve springs, I would most certainly go ahead and pull the heads and replace the head gaskets.

Valve springs are most likely OK though. Heat and cycles are what kills springs, not being compressed, especially by a tiny little hyd flat tappet camshaft.

I am with you- there is No way to tell without tear down. When mine went it was UGLY --- do a head job asap to be safe. Its Alot cheaper.