89 evinrude 225 rebuild

[91 charger stv]

so im finished the tear down and the blocks back from the machine shop had a couple of questions first would be about a connecting cap alignment tool where do i get one and do i need it? second would be what do i use for sealer on the crank case?

[perfmarine1]

Tool is recommended and gel seal for the crankcase.

http://www.gandermountain.com/modper...FZRahgodm_0CFA

[91 charger stv]

Thanks another question I have is there an assembly oil I should be using during rebuild and should I use the needle bearing grease on the crank bearings

[powerabout]

just use tcw oil
you want the rollers to roll not skid

[leaky]

I use engine rebuilding grease or Vaseline, and fogging oil when I want oil (basically idea to keep things lubricated and prevent corrosion as it may be awhile before I run it).

Those tools are hard to come by but eventually show up on Ebay if you keep watch. Unfortunately to buy one straight up it's like $450 or something and they still *do not* turn it into a straight forward job, at least in my hands (I scored one on Ebay for $200 years ago). If I had the choice between only a brass hammer and the tool, I'd take the hammer.

People that did it all the time probably just know but what I find is even though In practical terms the cap is aligned as well as it's probably ever gonna get, I always find some edge someplace if I go digging across w/ a scratchall. Then I end up pulling some back out to align it out of the block to see how they really align.. it takes me as long to align the caps as the entire rest of the rebuild process. After doing it some I've decided any future rebuilding projects will be merc - without that rod cap "feature" I feel a lot better about it being as good as new, but I'll probably end up with a free blown up omc product again some day and inevitably will decide it's worth a rebuild.

It's funny because you talk to some people and they tell you they rebuilt a zillion of them and all they ever did was line it up by hand, spin the crank a bit to center things, then they'd torque them down.

Anyway - for sure I learned if you ever take one of these apart (and sorry it's too late for you!) - sit down, play with your scratch-all, and pay close attention to the alignment of each cap BEFORE you go cracking the bolts. Take notes on each cap - ie bottom right corner slight lip, takes some mysteries out of it. Also it's good to go poking around on Ebay to see if you can find any brand new rods - it's waaaay easier to line up a brand new rod and sometimes you find them kicking around for $50 or so. The odds are with 6 you have at least 1 you won't feel good about lining up.

Jon

[cali kid]

I use engine rebuilding grease or Vaseline, and fogging oil when I want oil (basically idea to keep things lubricated and prevent corrosion as it may be awhile before I run it).

Those tools are hard to come by but eventually show up on Ebay if you keep watch. Unfortunately to buy one straight up it's like $450 or something and they still *do not* turn it into a straight forward job, at least in my hands (I scored one on Ebay for $200 years ago). If I had the choice between only a brass hammer and the tool, I'd take the hammer.

People that did it all the time probably just know but what I find is even though In practical terms the cap is aligned as well as it's probably ever gonna get, I always find some edge someplace if I go digging across w/ a scratchall. Then I end up pulling some back out to align it out of the block to see how they really align.. it takes me as long to align the caps as the entire rest of the rebuild process. After doing it some I've decided any future rebuilding projects will be merc - without that rod cap "feature" I feel a lot better about it being as good as new, but I'll probably end up with a free blown up omc product again some day and inevitably will decide it's worth a rebuild.

It's funny because you talk to some people and they tell you they rebuilt a zillion of them and all they ever did was line it up by hand, spin the crank a bit to center things, then they'd torque them down.

Anyway - for sure I learned if you ever take one of these apart (and sorry it's too late for you!) - sit down, play with your scratch-all, and pay close attention to the alignment of each cap BEFORE you go cracking the bolts. Take notes on each cap - ie bottom right corner slight lip, takes some mysteries out of it. Also it's good to go poking around on Ebay to see if you can find any brand new rods - it's waaaay easier to line up a brand new rod and sometimes you find them kicking around for $50 or so. The odds are with 6 you have at least 1 you won't feel good about lining up.

Jon

I agree with Jon. I've done thousands of rods WITHOUT an alignment tool. Don't own one. If you can't get satisfactory alignment, especially if it binds, trash the rod. Merc and Yamaha rods are easy. OMC seem to move a little.

[perfmarine1]

In case you don't know. There are two styles rods,early rods have sanded corners,you do not use rod fixture on these rods. Newer,from around 1984-1985ish they went to precision- ground rod corners,these rods you need to use the fixture tool to put together because only the corners are matched. Tool makes it easy to accurately assemble rod caps, no more wondering if you got them right.

[leaky]

In case you don't know. There are two styles rods,early rods have sanded corners,you do not use rod fixture on these rods. Newer,from around 1984-1985ish they went to precision- ground rod corners,these rods you need to use the fixture tool to put together because only the corners are matched. Tool makes it easy to accurately assemble rod caps, no more wondering if you got them right.

Maybe there is something I've never understood but the ones I've taken apart (post '85) both the corners and the faces were ground smooth, so there should be no lip on either 3 surfaces of either side of the rod based on my understanding. Is that wrong?

What I've run into w/ the tool is it does not necessarily line them up perfect (on the corners even), and because it obscures your ability to see what you are doing, you can put caps back together somewhat mis-aligned. Granted what I've done is line them up, put just enough pressure to hold things in place, remove tool, check, repeat, you can sometimes mushroom out the cracked mating surface in the process and destroy the rod with the tool, likely you are more likely to destroy a rod with the tool than without ems to me, but when it works it's faster.. Where the tool seems to really shine is if you have a "sprung" cap - ie cap slightly pops out on one or both ends, the tool allows you to compress it onto the rod much better than a C clamp and more reliably than tapping w/ a hammer.

I'm not that good at it for sure - can you explain your process w/ the tool and without? I've read a good 20 explanations on it, but especially very few that actually talk about how to use the tool.

Thanks!

Jon

[perfmarine1]

Do you not have the instructions that came with the tool? I hope so or you will not be able to use tool as it comes with 4 different jaws,and a depth adjustment for various motors.

[racer]

I am with Greg proper use of the tool makes it quick and easy, I have done rods without the tool but the tool saves times. I dont want to even guess how many rods I have assembled.

[leaky]

Do you not have the instructions that came with the tool? I hope so or you will not be able to use tool as it comes with 4 different jaws,and a depth adjustment for various motors.

I bought mine off Ebay, came w/ 4 jaws, which seemed to be what came w/ a new one, but no instructions. Actually read a post from some guy that bought a new tool that didn't come with instructions either (in my quest to figure the tool out), so I'm not sure if the tool even always comes w/ instructions.

I've heard 4 things on the subject - #1 is from my repair manual that basically says to put the cap on finger tight, install tool finger tight, torque cap bolts slightly, remove tool, check alignment, if good then torque, if not then loosen and repeat. #2 something involving putting the tool onto the rod somehow then striking the (I assume height adjustment stand thing) w/ a hammer, which I can't fathom and disregarded as nonsense #3 "don't bother with the tool I've assembled hundreds of engines and the tool just destroys rods, use patience, a sharp pencil and a brass hammer", #4 "what the heck is an OMC rod cap alignment tool?"

What I've done is finger tight the cap bolts attempting to get the cap on square, then set the tool down on the rod w/ the jaws resting between the mating surfaces of the rod & cap, put some tension on it, then put some tension on the cap bolts, seems to work, but at least how I'm using it does not turn an OMC rod into something that goes together like a Merc rod for sure. Is that the wrong way? It'd be sweet if I'm just doing it all wrong and it does work great. Always assumed that the advice from those in the know who said the tool isn't worth using was right (and was re-enforced after I found it still didn't make the job easy).

Jon

[powerabout]

if you are not sure about your rods do them up out of the motor so you can check the inside with a pencil then check the outside to see it agrees.
I have in the past before the tool came along run oil stone over the outside to make it perfect knowing the inside was.

[perfmarine1]

Ok here we go: Pay attention

1st determine if the rod you are working with have precision- ground corners.

A-a rod with precision-ground corners has grind marks across the corners.
B- a rod with hand sanded corners has grind marks that run the length of the corner,no tool needed for these rods.

Height setting, top line is line A-middle line is B- lower line is C on the knob marked SET

A= 25 thru 75
B= crossflow V4&V6 &60* loop V6
C=90* loop V4,V6,V8

There are 4 jaws. A forcing jaw goes on side with adjusting screw, restraining jaw goes on other end. When tool is on rod letter on jaw(a,b,c,d) should be down.

25 thru 75,crossflow V4,V6 & 60* loop V6 use restraining jaw"C" and forcing jaw "D"
Loop V4,V6,V8 use restraining jaw "A" and forcing jaw"B"
1- set height adjustment on tool and install proper jaws
2- Oil rod bolts and assemble rod cap as close as possible and torque rod bolts to 25-30 inch lbs.
3-apply outboard oil to corner of rods or on tool where it contacts corners.
4-set tool on rod and finger tighten,as you rock it back and forth to square it up then tap it down to stop.
5-tighten tool screw to a torque of 23 inch lbs.
6-loosen both rod bolts a 1/4 turn( this allows the tool to align rod cap) then tighten rod bolts to 40-60 inch lbs, then to final torque in increments to final torque and remove rod fixture.


Now I know that seems like a lot of steps but after you do a bunch,like I have, it is just a few quick steps and saves a ton of time and no worries about did I get it right. I have done 100's of rods and have never had one fail on the crank side only.