Getting a 454 mag gen V running again
03-26-2019, 12:27 AM
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Getting a 454 mag gen V running again
hi,
i have a project boat I just picked up that has a ‘96 454 mag gen V. It’s been sitting for at least 5 years and I need to see about getting it started( if it can). It was a transplant motor into this boat by the previous owner who said it was running when they pulled it from the donor boat but they never had it running in this. He’s been a straight shooter so far so I have no reason to not believe him yet.
This a new setup for me, I’ve always been an outboard guy but I’ve worked on plenty of car engines, mostly fords though. Starting with the basics, I’ll change all the fluids that I can, coolant, oil, sounds like there is some power steering fluid? I’m sure I need new batteries.
The big question is electrical. Is there a wiring harness I can replace on this? I’d like to just replace it all and start fresh. What is there looks to have been cut and I see stuff dangling. I hate electrical problems.
Well that should get the conversation started.
Thanks
jason
i have a project boat I just picked up that has a ‘96 454 mag gen V. It’s been sitting for at least 5 years and I need to see about getting it started( if it can). It was a transplant motor into this boat by the previous owner who said it was running when they pulled it from the donor boat but they never had it running in this. He’s been a straight shooter so far so I have no reason to not believe him yet.
This a new setup for me, I’ve always been an outboard guy but I’ve worked on plenty of car engines, mostly fords though. Starting with the basics, I’ll change all the fluids that I can, coolant, oil, sounds like there is some power steering fluid? I’m sure I need new batteries.
The big question is electrical. Is there a wiring harness I can replace on this? I’d like to just replace it all and start fresh. What is there looks to have been cut and I see stuff dangling. I hate electrical problems.
Well that should get the conversation started.
Thanks
jason
03-26-2019, 01:59 AM
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Welcome aboard
I would flush out the fuel system aggressively and rebuild the carb. Change the oil/filter. Cut oil filter open to inspect if you can. Rpl fuel filter. Ck hoses/belts. Replace the cooling sys thermostat.. No coolant unless you have a closed cooling system. Assuming the drive is installed, replace drive lube or at least crack open the lower drain plug to see if any water comes out. Replace raw water pump impeller. Pull the dist cap and look for obvious stuff like springs missing/rusted on mechanical adv weights (especially if it has a MSD dist). Verify weights aren't rusted in place. Pull the plugs and squirt a little eng oil into cyls. Prime oil pump to lubricate the bearings before turning it over if possible. Crank it with the starter while plugs are out and verify oil press and ign. Put the plugs back in. Crank it with ign disabled and listen for starter speed to be steady. If it speeds up briefly then returns to the normal/slower speed you may have low/no compression on 1 or more cyls and that would mean more investigation was needed. If that's all good, enable ign, connect the muffs, prime it with 1 oz of fuel, Re-install the flame-arrestor/air filter (don't skip this step) and crank it. Let it idle for a few mins if it's willing. Have dist wrench and timing light ready and dist just loose enough to turn by hand. Verify fuel press. Check/adj float bowl level (assuming a Holley carb) Let it warm up and verify eng temp stabilizes at thermostat setting. Adj warm idle speed and idle mixture. Nice to have a chalk line on the timing mark if you're working in the sunlight Also nice to have a thermal IR gun to scan eng/exh temps. A fire extinguisher would be a good idea too.
Good luck!
I would flush out the fuel system aggressively and rebuild the carb. Change the oil/filter. Cut oil filter open to inspect if you can. Rpl fuel filter. Ck hoses/belts. Replace the cooling sys thermostat.. No coolant unless you have a closed cooling system. Assuming the drive is installed, replace drive lube or at least crack open the lower drain plug to see if any water comes out. Replace raw water pump impeller. Pull the dist cap and look for obvious stuff like springs missing/rusted on mechanical adv weights (especially if it has a MSD dist). Verify weights aren't rusted in place. Pull the plugs and squirt a little eng oil into cyls. Prime oil pump to lubricate the bearings before turning it over if possible. Crank it with the starter while plugs are out and verify oil press and ign. Put the plugs back in. Crank it with ign disabled and listen for starter speed to be steady. If it speeds up briefly then returns to the normal/slower speed you may have low/no compression on 1 or more cyls and that would mean more investigation was needed. If that's all good, enable ign, connect the muffs, prime it with 1 oz of fuel, Re-install the flame-arrestor/air filter (don't skip this step) and crank it. Let it idle for a few mins if it's willing. Have dist wrench and timing light ready and dist just loose enough to turn by hand. Verify fuel press. Check/adj float bowl level (assuming a Holley carb) Let it warm up and verify eng temp stabilizes at thermostat setting. Adj warm idle speed and idle mixture. Nice to have a chalk line on the timing mark if you're working in the sunlight Also nice to have a thermal IR gun to scan eng/exh temps. A fire extinguisher would be a good idea too.
Good luck!
03-26-2019, 02:08 AM
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03-26-2019, 08:44 AM
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Thanks!
fire extinguisher, yeah that’s a good idea. The practice of ventilation is not unknown to me but it’s a new routine.
are parts like thermostats available from my local auto parts store or do I need to get them from a marine shop? For the most part it’s just a Chevy right?
I do have a closed loop cooling system. is there a water pump like car engine?
How hard is it to pull the engine? There is apparently some aligning to be done with the outdrive. Since it never ran I’m not sure that’s correct but I don’t want to go creating more problems if it’s super tricky.
Thanks
jason
fire extinguisher, yeah that’s a good idea. The practice of ventilation is not unknown to me but it’s a new routine.
are parts like thermostats available from my local auto parts store or do I need to get them from a marine shop? For the most part it’s just a Chevy right?
I do have a closed loop cooling system. is there a water pump like car engine?
How hard is it to pull the engine? There is apparently some aligning to be done with the outdrive. Since it never ran I’m not sure that’s correct but I don’t want to go creating more problems if it’s super tricky.
Thanks
jason
03-26-2019, 09:33 AM
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If you have the option to pull the engine I definitely would. It’s pretty simple and will make everything that you need to do a billion times easier, and alignment isn’t that tricky and you should check that anyways.
You pull the drive off, then there’s two mount bolts in the rear and the two forward mounts for the engine, disconnect the large cannon plug for the harness, fuel line, and battery cables and hoist her out.
You pull the drive off, then there’s two mount bolts in the rear and the two forward mounts for the engine, disconnect the large cannon plug for the harness, fuel line, and battery cables and hoist her out.
03-26-2019, 11:53 PM
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Thermostat looks like a GM part however temp is much lower than what most cars use. Mine is a 140 deg. The thermostat housing is completely different than on a car and needs special gaskets that come with a marine stat kit. The bottom thermostat housing gasket on my 454's have special metallic hollow pins within the gasket to provide the ground path for the coolant temp sensor and over-temp switch. There's a lot of stuff on boat engs that look the same as car stuff but their not. Partial list: carbs, starters, alternators, mech fuel pumps. Most of the special differences have to do with boat blowing up so it's not something to take lightly.
Never owned a closed cooling sys but I believe they have a water pump like a car and another pump somewhere to cool the heat exchanger.
Eng alignment is easy (assuming you don't have racing mounts), but you do need a special tool that mimics the input shaft of the outdrive. Height at rear of eng is fixed so the only adjustments are on the side mounts to tilt the front of eng up or down. Adj the mounts so the special tool slides thru the gimble bearing into the eng drive coupler easily. Lock the adjusters, done..
Pulling eng is similar to a car but the exhaust can be a pain depending on your installation. When you find the 2 large fiber washers and the odd looking lock washers (merc calls them springs) laying in the bilge after pulling eng, don't throw them away, they need to be re-installed at rear mount.
Never owned a closed cooling sys but I believe they have a water pump like a car and another pump somewhere to cool the heat exchanger.
Eng alignment is easy (assuming you don't have racing mounts), but you do need a special tool that mimics the input shaft of the outdrive. Height at rear of eng is fixed so the only adjustments are on the side mounts to tilt the front of eng up or down. Adj the mounts so the special tool slides thru the gimble bearing into the eng drive coupler easily. Lock the adjusters, done..
Pulling eng is similar to a car but the exhaust can be a pain depending on your installation. When you find the 2 large fiber washers and the odd looking lock washers (merc calls them springs) laying in the bilge after pulling eng, don't throw them away, they need to be re-installed at rear mount.
03-27-2019, 09:37 AM
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Thanks for another great response. Good to know I need plan ahead for parts. It will probably take me a few weeks to have time to work on pulling it so if I disappear for a while that’s why.
Jason
Jason
03-27-2019, 12:46 PM
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My boat had a car thermostat in it and when I took the boat out for it’s first run in the spring it was rusted shut. There’s been quite a few boats blow up from using auto ignition/starters/alternators on a boat. As tempting as it may be to use what’s laying around or at the car store it’s a bad idea. That’s just a caution that every newbie to the sport gets to hear.
BUP on here sells a lot of oem parts and you would do well to work with him for parts and his experience will save you loads of money in the long run.
BUP on here sells a lot of oem parts and you would do well to work with him for parts and his experience will save you loads of money in the long run.
03-27-2019, 09:35 PM
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While you're planning, plan on replacing all fuel lines with coast guard approved fuel line. Automotive will work but if you ever have an insurance investigator looking around after you make a claim for fire, you may be SOL.
Plan on using thread sealer paste as opposed to teflon tape for any fuel or hyd fittings with pipe threads. Prev owner of my boat used tape on the fuel fittings. Small shards of the tape got into the fuel pump check valves and dropped fuel press down to 2-3 psi. Low fuel press will melt an eng if running hard.
Once you get the eng cover and exhaust removed, you'll be amazed how quick the eng comes out.
Plan on using thread sealer paste as opposed to teflon tape for any fuel or hyd fittings with pipe threads. Prev owner of my boat used tape on the fuel fittings. Small shards of the tape got into the fuel pump check valves and dropped fuel press down to 2-3 psi. Low fuel press will melt an eng if running hard.
Once you get the eng cover and exhaust removed, you'll be amazed how quick the eng comes out.
03-31-2019, 02:00 AM
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Thanks again. Where is a good place to buy parts online?
Right now I'm thinking I’m going to replace all the rubber in the transom unit and the swivel/pivot pins as well. I’m not sure they are worn out but I don't know the history of the unit (other than sitting for 5 years outside) so id rather rework everything to a known good condition. I believe now would be the time to mess with the transom unit as with the engine out (it’s not actually out yet but that’s the plan) the transom unit is easier to remove and work on.
Jason
Right now I'm thinking I’m going to replace all the rubber in the transom unit and the swivel/pivot pins as well. I’m not sure they are worn out but I don't know the history of the unit (other than sitting for 5 years outside) so id rather rework everything to a known good condition. I believe now would be the time to mess with the transom unit as with the engine out (it’s not actually out yet but that’s the plan) the transom unit is easier to remove and work on.
Jason
