460 Maintenance Questions for the pros...

[stashtrey]

Looking for any general advice on a few things I'd liek to do to the engine in the boat I'm getting this weekend. Its a 460 Ford from a '77 Spectra 18' daycruiser.
I've seen the engine run, it sounds great and we ran it for quite a while. The guy had not had the boat in the water for over 2 years. I know it needs an oil change, new filter etc. I've never done this.... would one of those kits i've seen work? Suck the oil out through the dipstick tube? How much oil should a standard 460 hardin engine take? Any tricks/tips?
I'd also like to change the plugs and wires... should I need to gap the plugs? Or can I just buy some good plugs and screw them in?
As you can guess, I'm not the most mechanical person but I gotta start learning some time.
Also... the jet drive is a Berkley.... someone said that I should freshen that up as well.... any standard things I can do to the jet myself to get it up to speed?
I appreciate all the advice I've already gotten on this board.... thanks in advance for your help on this one!!

[SmokinLowriderSS]

Change the oil and filter. Use whatever oil you like (about to start another endless debate here). I am running synthetic Castrol Syntech 10w-50. Personally any good APA rated oil will be good. The harder you run it, the higher oil temps you run, the heavier you should run and/or consider synthetics. Some folks suck out through the dipstick. I have a drain hose attatched to the drain plug location. It is slow, but I am patient. Probably takes 5 qts unless there is a deeper pan. My Indmar 454 only holds 5.
Change the plugs, I have no preference as to brands. Always check the gap as they can get knocked arround in shipping.
Find out which Berk drive. There is a plate atop the housing inside the boat. At least that will tell you what it WAS if it has been modified. Folks can help you figure out the rest here in the "just jets" section. The drive should be absolutely QUIET. Some noises are harmless (a slight rattle at idle if the impeller is slightly loose on the shaft), some are all kinds of BAD (squeals, grinding, vibrations). Most bad noises shakes come if the thrust bearing in front goes bad. KEEP IT GREASED with a top-grade marine grease and it can live a long time. If it goes completely on you, I have seen it wreck a crankshaft by pushing on it's thrust face which is not designed for that. The rear of the bowl has 2 plugs, GL-5 gear lube (glorious, stinky 90wt). Other things can likely wait till you get to drive it and feel it out for behaviors/quirks/problems.
Welcome to the greatest way to drive a boat. :)

[stashtrey]

THANK YOU!!!
I really appreciate the time you took to answer my post. Makes me feel like I can actually do this stuff.
I'll post some pics when I get it home this weekend.
Thanks again!

[909]

Stash,
Welcome! your best bet is to decide what your skill level will allow you to comfortably do on the boat. Doing an oil change is not that hard as long as you are OK with the rules. First rule is before you make a huge mess, go ahead and get the oilvac to empty the pan through the dip stick tube. The easiest way to do this is with the engine (and oil) warm. The problem is that very few jets allow for you to unhook the drive shaft to run the engine up to temp. This causes a problem. The seals in the pump were never made to be run dry. They CAN crack if you run the pump dry long enough to warm up the oil. Many will tell you they do it all the time, decide for yourself and stick with it. The vac will take time to empty out the pan especially with cold oil, keep it in mind.
You can look at the pan when you get the boat. If it looks like a standard automotive pan where it has a sump protruding down but not out the sides, it's probably a stock auto type pan and should hold 5 quarts. If it's a "deep sump" pan it'll look like it has wings sticking out of the side sump of the pan, lastly if it's just a big square pan, it's a deep jet boat pan. The deep sump pan will probably hold 8 or so quarts where the deep square sump will be in the 10-11 quart range. You'll be able to better tell when you drain it what the capacity will be. Before you drain, make sure the boat is level, check the cold level of the oil on the dipstick, then drain. The vac type oil changers have graduated marks on them to tell you how much is in there. Purchase appropriately.
Next thing is to do a full tune up on it. This will vary on the engine components on the boat so I couldn't tell you exactly what to buy without knowing more. The basics are plugs, split fire, u-groove, platinum, unobtanium, etc.. plugs will be unnecessary at this point. Factory motorcraft, AC Delco, Champion plugs will be fine for now, lets get it on the water before buying unnecessary items. SET THE GAP! It will take 2 seconds extra per plug to KNOW they are right.
Next are wires. These you can upgrade because the pricing should be close to replacements and worth the additional cost for thicker wires and better boots. Accel 8.8 wires are good for the cost, they can be obtained from pep-boys or summit racing if you have to order them. I stay away from Mallory products all together due to quality issues i've had with them over time. MSD would be IMO the best, also available from Summit or Jegs. Make sure you have the wires in a loom to keep them from rubbing.
Cap and rotor, possibly condensor and points depending on the distributor you have. The cap and rotor should be a marine approved kit. I stay away from the automotive stuff for the stock dist. just to keep "the man" happy incase you get pulled over by a hardass! The marine approved dist. caps have steel mesh covered vents on them.
For the jet pump, check the oil level. Make sure it's not a milkshake! Change the oil after inspecting the old stuff for water contamination. Grease the zerk fittings with marine grease. The grease gun and grease can be obtained at any walmart. The gun is in the automotive section and the grease in the boat section. This should also be on hand to lube the trailer bearings too.
As far as freshening up the pump, i'd recommend sending it to a pro. I have invested some time and money to have the correct tools to do the job and for a once every few years it's not worth the investment for you right now. In the future if you find yourself changing the impeller a couple times then by all means do it yourself but you will need the correct tools to do the job. I get more work from people that have broken parts using the wrong tools than maintenance jobs.
Other items to check would be cables, check for smooth operation and lubricate. Electrical connections, check for proper operation of all gauges and lights if equipped. Corrosion is your enemy on electrical. A little cleaning of the terminals and di-electric grease are your friend for this job. Wood Rot.. soft wood is bad wood. Most of the boat manufacturers of the 70's and 80's did not use marine grade wood and did not seal it properly. Any rot in the hull is a bad sign. If it's not bad, it can be repaired now and the wood properly sealed to prevent it from continuing. If it's bad it will have to be replaced, especially on structural parts of the hull. Lastly, a good buffing and coat of wax will make a world of difference (yes, even the bottom of the hull. Less drag = more speed)
Don't forget to make a separate check on the trailer following the above items as a guide where applicable. Wheel bearings and grease, tires, spare tire? Electrical connections and bulbs.
That should do it for now, finish these items and get it on the water!
If you have any questions or need help, you can call me at the shop. 909-972-1730 10-7 PST we're in so. cal.
Good luck!
Jerad

[Rexone]

The drive should be absolutely QUIET. Some noises are harmless (a slight rattle at idle if the impeller is slightly loose on the shaft
:(
I'm hoping you meant driveline splines... :)

[stashtrey]

WOW.
You guys are great. 909.. thank you for the step by step. I will print this out and keep it with my boat records. I can't thank you enough!
I'm going tomorrow night to buy the oil-vac and all the oil/filter/plugs/wires etc.
I grew up around V8's so I'm pretty comfortable doing all of this. I'm just not familiar with marine engines. I'm used to being able to slide under a car and drain the pan. That is not a possibility in this boat. The pump sounds like a great idea. I don't think i'll be running the engine out of the water for fear of damaging the pump. I'll get the motor up to snuff, check the oil in the jet, make sure all electrical is operating etc.
The trailer is a tandem with brand new wheels/tires with bearing buddies, I have a gun and grease already from my last boat so that shouldn't be a problem.
Once I have the motor freshened up I'll take the boat out and see what happens.
Thanks again for all your input. It really is appreciated and I'll post back on here after my first trip to the water!!

[SmokinLowriderSS]

Again Rex to make sure I'm awake. :D Man I sure keep you busy don't I. Sorry Rex, it's not on purpose. :messedup:
Er, yes. I meant the splined section where the coupler slips on. I also would hope my impeller is tight enough to not actually rattle on the shaft. :idea:
Guess I GOT to get more sleep :sleeping: and not post when I'm typing with one eye (and brain) "resting". :D

[SmokinLowriderSS]

The only real difference in a marine engine (other than the USCG-required goodies) is that it lives in a much more stressful environment that any car/truck engine. They run (and sustain) higher RPMs, higher power levels, higher drag loads constantly against them, Hot environments, moisture. Oil temps tend to be higher, for longer, engine temps vary more (unless running a thermostat kit). If you ever wonder what "severe service" is in a vehicle manual, boats have that covered, IN SPADES.

[SUI-CY-COLE DIMARCO]

keep your eye on the pushrods.