+1...you can't even see the filters with the engines installed much less change them. Get the remote kits for sure!!!

Will do, as well as the fittings for the oil pans to drain the oil with a pump hook up.

Now you're talking...if you want them to live you have to keep good clean oil in them...especially important with Flat Tappet motors...a lot more friction on the cams and lifters.

Not too much going on today. Did get the trim pumps out of the bilge, all the wiring labeled, cleaned out all of the bilge drain holes, and vacuumed pretty good. Too cold to be power washing, and Im a little sore from pulling the engines yesterday lol



At second glance, the wood in the engine bay all seems solid. Ill take some core samples to be sure, but I may have got lucky. I will address those extra set of thru holes for sure tho. Im thinking about filling with peanut butter and then glassing in some wood overtop of them on the backside for structural support. That sound good enough if the transom turns up dry? Also will probably fill the holes in the motor mounts with PB as well so when I go to reinstall the motors the lag bolts have more bite.

Next up will be cleaning up the wiring and running it thru PVC as high as possible to hide it, adding some wood to mount the trim pumps on the gunwales, cleaning and painting the bilge, and installing LED lights, possibly a hydraulic hatch lift in between the center engine mounts.

Then I have to get my engines stripped down and off to the machine shop to see what kind of shape they are in. The one that was supposed to be locked up, didn't have a starter on it. Wondering if thats why the guy before me couldn't get it started. If both only need a freshening up, that would be tits! Would like to get the blocks painted red if they hot tank them. The "good" motor has a holley intake on it. Im gonna try to trade it for a RPM Performer. I already have one to replace the stock merc on the other engine, so having both motors with the same intake would be good IMO. Not sure what Im going to do about carbs yet. Have quadrajunks on them now, may have them rebuilt for the time being and get a set of edlebrock's next season.

Also been somewhat working on my sink thingy (don't know what to call it lol) I stripped it down, and covered the exposed side with white vinyl. Had to use a 1/8 mat backing to hide the imperfection in the wood. It will be trimmed with teak refinished with Sikkens Natural Teak and Gloss Top Coat. Im going to put the water tank underneath it, and replace the pump sink with a DC run water pump. The counter top lower door and front face will be done with Teak as well, and Im going to do the floor in the cabin all in teak so it will match. Can you tell I'm a teak guy? haha My old DA had a TON of teak, love the look of it. Gonna bring that mid 80's teak look to this boat as much as possible. Anyway here's some pics of the current sink enclosure thus far.













Thanks!

Billy

Thats is a good idea, then I can use the bennet pump to run a hyraulic hatch lift. I like it ! Ill keep my eye out for a good used set.

Thanks
Billy

Honestly I have no idea whats going on with these motors. Gonna have them looked at to be sure. The one that was supposedly locked up (Starboard) is probably the original. The other (the one you saw the drain plug on) is most definitely not. It has brass plugs and marine accessories, but I really hope they didn't just throw a truck motor in there. We shall see I suppose!

Hey did you ever get a chance to look into your motors at all?

Thanks,
Billy

The stock motors are the same as the truck motors, just a different cam for the long block. All the truck motors I have seen have had brass plugs in them also. do yourself a favor and put a breaker bar on the harmonic balance bolt and see if you can spin it over. Shouldn't take a huge amount of force, don't want to strip out that bolt. But it is a fine thread bolt also.

No, we have not even opened them up yet. Mechanic at work has actually been working on work stuff, not much time for baot stuff. My SB motor is back together, so we need to get it moved and pull out the old motors and inspect them again. If I recall, one is original mercruiser bored .040 over and basically new. Except for one cyclinder had a melted/chipped corner on it that put a faint groove in the sidewall of the cylinder. Otherwise it looks great. Would probably run like it was on 7 3/4 cylinders.

The other motor was a newer Jasper engine that I thought had a crack in cylinder #1, but once out it looked fine. I think it was a rust line from water that drained out of the heads when we pulled them but I need to inspect again. Just one of those things....

Brian

Got a little bit of work done tonight on the original Merc. Got it almost all the way tore down. Can't turn the harmonic balancer with a pry bar, but that might be because the engine coupler is sitting on the jack stand. Ill move it under the oil pan tomorrow and see if I can get it to move. Need to get a stand so I can flip it over and see whats going on inside. Valves and Springs look good from what I can tell, but then again I'm far from an Engine Expert. Just want to see if I can spot any obvious things wrong with it before I take it to get looked at.

Here's how it sits now.







Billy

Billy... Congrats brother! Once all the work is done you will enjoy that 242!!! I rand an 84 242 LS on Lake Erie for the past 4 years. As others have said, it will handle the chop very well!! I have had mine out in 6 + footers... as it's not really enjoyalbe (at least with 2 heriniated discs) she will handle it. Being so stern heavy you will have a much longer time getting out of the hole.. I suggest running 4 blades.. I was only running a single screw but man...when i made the switch to a 4 blade, I poped right out of the hole!!! only lost 4 mph top end too...for me it was worth the trade off as LE can throw some crap at ya.. I completely restored my 242, follow the link below. Just traded her in, moved up to a 312 fastech. Good luck withe everything!!! Hope to see that sweet float on the water!!

http://s1073.photobucket.com/user/rossman4040/library/

Wow! Great 242 Man! Really well done, love the Bird on the Engine Hatch! Gonna have to do something like that when I re-do the vinyl, probably after this season. Lot of detail in that boat, what a nice job! Hope mine turns out as nice!

I will def be more worried about getting on a plane quickly then top end speed. From what I can tell 19 pitched props are good for the hole, 23 is for the top end. Will probably try to go somewhere in between, maybe 21 pitched 4 blades? Cant wait to start worrying about prop pitch problems Still LOTS to do!

Thanks for the pictures, those will be a HUGE help when I start on the interior.

Billy