Replacing stock rod bearings

[1989 champion]

I have a 2000 mercury 175hp the motor had ran great for 23 years, all cylinders still have 105 lb of compression. I am getting ready to put new reeds in it and I started thinking maybe I should put new rod bearings in it while it's apart. I know that stock bearings after so many years are know to let a bearing out of the plastic cage, and that's all she wrote. What are your thoughts.

[LakeFever]

If your going to tear it down might as well go through everything while your at it. Maybe new rings, pistons maybe too. You might find a scuffed cyl or two. Delete oil injection while your at it. Black boxes too if your notor has. Scope creep happens fast when you start thinking hmm if i do this I might as well do that etc etc

[Jim Speros]

No disagreement with above post. Just want to add replacing reeds is a relatively easy job. Replacing rod bearings is a major task likely to grow..

[wolfgangb]

No disagreement with above post. Just want to add replacing reeds is a relatively easy job. Replacing rod bearings is a major task likely to grow..

Yes - and while you are at it find out whether PROMARINE have got steel caged big end bearings in lieu of the sh***y plastic caged ones.
Rgds, Wolfgang

[Fishwhisper]

No disagreement with above post. Just want to add replacing reeds is a relatively easy job. Replacing rod bearings is a major task likely to grow..

Right, I don’t see the correlation with replacing reeds and replacing bearings. You just have to remove the intake to replace the reeds, fairly quick and simple. Replacing bearings means tearing down the powerhead. You’re going from a 2 hour job to a 2 day plus job.

[265mercman]

i will make a comment on this post ... some may agree or disagree .. but when you pull the reeds out of the intake you can change each rod bearing to steel caged.. simple thru the front half and can be done in less than a hr you dont have to pull the complete motor.. change hundreds of them this way... take out 2 rod bolts.. take magnet slide out old bearings slide new ones in... keep the corrilation of the rod cap correctly as it is frozen and broke and only fits correctly 1 way but will still go one either way.. add some loctite to the rod bolt tight back up tq to 30-35 ft lbs go to next one need a 12 point socket and extension to reach them.. and roll the motor over by flywheel to get the next one to the lowest part of the stroke.. easy peasey

[Fishwhisper]

Well then, I retract my earlier comment. Might be worth doing.

[skialot2]

i will make a comment on this post ... some may agree or disagree .. but when you pull the reeds out of the intake you can change each rod bearing to steel caged.. simple thru the front half and can be done in less than a hr you dont have to pull the complete motor.. change hundreds of them this way... take out 2 rod bolts.. take magnet slide out old bearings slide new ones in... keep the corrilation of the rod cap correctly as it is frozen and broke and only fits correctly 1 way but will still go one either way.. add some loctite to the rod bolt tight back up tq to 30-35 ft lbs go to next one need a 12 point socket and extension to reach them.. and roll the motor over by flywheel to get the next one to the lowest part of the stroke.. easy peasey

I don't disagree. But if you can unbolt the connecting rods like that. I would pull the heads, pop out the piston and put new rings on. Clean up the cylinders. Then put it back together with NEW rod bolts. I would never reuse rod bolts. Every motor i have ever saw with a thrown rod was from a rod bolt breaking.

[265mercman]

yea can do that too .. the rod bolt thats totally different discussion.. 2 each is there own on that lot of different factors play in that old or new rod bolts..

[tlwjkw]

i will make a comment on this post ... some may agree or disagree .. but when you pull the reeds out of the intake you can change each rod bearing to steel caged.. simple thru the front half and can be done in less than a hr you dont have to pull the complete motor.. change hundreds of them this way... take out 2 rod bolts.. take magnet slide out old bearings slide new ones in... keep the corrilation of the rod cap correctly as it is frozen and broke and only fits correctly 1 way but will still go one either way.. add some loctite to the rod bolt tight back up tq to 30-35 ft lbs go to next one need a 12 point socket and extension to reach them.. and roll the motor over by flywheel to get the next one to the lowest part of the stroke.. easy peasey

agree with this but would like ta add doin' tha bearing's this way is not for tha faint of heart.. aligning tha rod caps to tha rod.. there is absolutely no room for tha slightest error.. which can happen and ya may not know it... jmo