Puttin her back together (1st time) suggestions

[bill mason]

Split my 2003 280 apart last week. 1st time I have been inside her. Found bad top bearing. Going to have crank checked and top bearing replaced then put new rings on and put back together. I have the manual and will follow it to the "T" but would like any imput you guys have on dos and do nots!! on putting her all back together. Feel a little like brain surgen on first operation??? If it wasn't for this site I still wouldn't even be able to take a wrench to her. It hasn't been that long ago that I met a great guy on here (Murry Reese) that took time over the phone to walk me through removing power head and almost everything else I have done on her. Can't even begin to list LONG list of people that have been so helpful. Thanks to all that assisted me in past and thanks in advance for any help on this post. Later on

[flabum1017]

Two words.... CLEAN and OIL
You need to clean every passage, every groove and every hidden spot in the block and parts (don't forget to clean out the hoses). The last thing you need is a piece if metal or something in a oil passage to take out a new bearing.

You need a perfectly clean work surface. Try to put your tools down on a seperate surface and keep all parts that you are not currently installing on a seperate surface as well.

Clean and blow off each part once again just before you install it.

Oil the hell out of all the bearings as you assemble the engine . I always use a container of oil and put the bearings in it as I assemble the engine.

Oil the cylinder walls well and pour oil into the ring grooves (after the rings are on) just before you put them in the cylinders. Put more oil on the cylinder walls after the pistons are in. Yeah it will smoke like hell when you first start it, but better for it to smoke than screech.

Oil the lips of the seals as you assemble them.

Add oil to your fuel to double oil the engine during break-in.

I recommend replacing all the bearings, not just the one that took a dump.

[wkndracer]

Replace all the rod bolts. Torqued they stretch, heated they fatigue. Cheap part, expensive/major failure if they pop.

[Jay Smith]

Dang it Bill , you need MORE help that burning the phone line down from you to me ???????

:D :D ;)
If ya get stuck you know the number by heart...

PS I don't think wkndracer's bought many $18.00 ea. ( dealer cost ) SPS rod bolts lately for the 280's...

[flabum1017]

Dang it Bill , you need MORE help that burning the phone line down from you to me ???????

:D :D ;)
If ya get stuck you know the number by heart...

PS I don't think wkndracer's bought many $18.00 ea. ( dealer cost ) SPS rod bolts lately for the 280's...


Yeah, get a calling card or a cell phone with unlimited long distance :D

[flabum1017]

Oh yeah..... and most important..... FIND the reason the top bearing failed. Otherwise, it will fail again

[bill mason]

Thanks for imput guys. I think the flywheel may have been out of balance??? (that is only thing I could think of why the bearing failure). Sent it off to have it balanced. Good idea on the can of oil and of course clean surfaces. Thanks for taking time to post. Jay you know I will be calling you MANY times before I get her back together. Thanks again guys

[Way2slow on H2O]

Bill, if you need help on assembly, call me, i'll be more than happy to come assist in your operation, lol...

Ronnie
817-341-0054
817-366-6953

[wkndracer]

Dang it Bill , you need MORE help that burning the phone line down from you to me ???????

:D :D ;)
If ya get stuck you know the number by heart...

PS I don't think wkndracer's bought many $18.00 ea. ( dealer cost ) SPS rod bolts lately for the 280's...Rebuilt a 225 first time it was apart, .30 over one cylinder, re-used the bolts, one popped right after break in (third run on regular mix, second weekend) power head had a pretty hole in it when I was towed in. @18.00 each = 216.00 Cheaper than the 5,500.00 I paid for a 2.5 power head. Maybe just a bullseye4BS but it happened once to me and once was enough.

[Jay Smith]

If you've rebuilt many Mercury engines you'd know that 225's don't use high performance SPS rod bolts that cost $18.00 ea. the 225 rod bolts have a tensil breaking strength of 40,000 lbs. and they cost $2.50 ea..( pretty cheap to change and a weak bolt )

On the other hand the SPS rod bolts that come stock in ALL High Performance Racing engines ( which 225 is NOT ) have a breaking strength of 243,000 Lbs tensil strength and I've yet to see one fail ....The reason I know about the bolts a couple of years ago I had a UL testing lab pull the 3 most used bolts the break ...The SPS rod bolts will be there and still be kicking when that rod has pulled in to....That a fact !

Good luck,

[Kiwi Dave]

Jay
Are you saying that you reuse the 280 rod bolts.

Would you do this on a race motor (offshore)

Thanks

Dave
.

[Jay Smith]

Yes Dave I would reuse the SPS rod bolts in a 280 in OS Racing without hesitation in fact I hardly EVER replace a set of the SPS rod bolts on any application, I will say I NEVER reuse a rod or its bolts to another application that has been involved in a stressed situation such as a piston sticking and or overheating condition until the color is changed with heat on any part of the rod...

The last 3 280's that I've rebuilt were virgins and never been disassyembled I've had to rebuild these 3 failed engines within a 2 week period and all have been train wrecks with either a broke 41 series rod or piston failures SOOO bad that the 5250 rod pulled from the wrist pin and knocked holes through them that one could throw a small cat threw and all these rods attached to these destroyed pistons were stll connected to the crank and the SPS rod bolts still torqued to spec..I guess what I'm saying is in the grand skeem of racing engines IMO the SPS rod bolt is one of the VERY few BULLET PROOF item that you can just about rest easy that they will make the trip time and time again without failure... ( If I had a fishing motor and was rebuilding it I would SURELY replace the stock OEM weaker and lower grade rod bolts every time they were used and or torqued , its simply cheap insurance as the stock OEM fishing motor rod bolts ain't even on the same page with an SPS bolt )

I can honestly say in 14 years of racing and building engines I have NEVER seen an SPS rod bolt fail or just simply break do to fatigue...I HAVE seen a rod bolt female thread boss crack and come apart and fail BUT the SPS rod bolt ( when located ;) ) was intacted and the male thread was A-OK.... You gotta understand that these SPS rod bolts are SOOOOO much better and stronger grade of bolt than the stock V-6 fishing motor bolts its inconcievable to me that a 240,000 pound pull to break bolt verses 40,000 lbs pull to break bolt could be stressed to failure by normal usage....Lets face it the only time a rod bolt is in an ultimate stressed situation is with a NON NORMAL load and being used to pull against the piston traveling downward and that is when there is a failure of the piston/bore and the load or push is not applied by the rod yoke pushing down on the crank with the power stroke BUT during a failure the load is on the cap and bolt trying to draw the piston downward following the cranks rotation....I may be all wet but thats the way I see it.

Hope that answered your question,

[flabum1017]

They make those bolts for a Lemmonrude?

[wkndracer]

Great information Jay thanks for sharing. Only had three motors leave me paddling so no not a builder. If I hadn't posted a comment you wouldn't have held class so no apology just gratitude for more knowledge.
Thanxs Jay and S&F great source of info on one of my favorite hobbies.

[Kiwi Dave]

Jay

Thanks for the explanation.

Much appreciated.

Dave.