2.4 water jacket bolts

[rochelle howell]

Wtf! How common to have 50 percent or more water jacket bolts with nearly no torque holding 'em on? I'm used to "cracking these things free. Other 25 percent of bolts tough as to be expected for 30 year old motor with some minor rust and corrosion, and last 25 percent of bolts clean as a whistle, perfect.
New to me motor, freshwater, baffled at percentage of fasteners with little to no torque holding them on.
While snooping around, I noticed a little rust colored stain, only one on entire engine, underneath the port side steering arm mount bolt.
Power head gasket?
Common place for a little rust as steering arms usually rust worse than anything else?
Carb kits, fuel pump kit are on their way. Preparing to order water pump kit. Pulled all water jacket bolts, cleaned, thread sealed, retorqued, hope for the best! Stats pulled, pb blastered and reinstalled. Will get new in the future.
lookin to get it started next week after carb kits and pump kits arrive. How prone are these to power head base gasket failure?
Thanks in advance!

[Dave S]

ya lucky phg non fail......I like ome head gaskets...... go find em.....push on...........

[Merc 2.5]

As long as everything cleaned properly and top plate ain't warped, or somebody tried pry ph off with screw driver or sumthin , usually dont have any issues, pretty sure Dave means OEM haha,,, or hipo gasket with metal works good to ,

[Dave S]

Ya sorry.....key board confusion.....

[rochelle howell]

As long as everything cleaned properly and top plate ain't warped, or somebody tried pry ph off with screw driver or sumthin , usually dont have any issues, pretty sure Dave means OEM haha,,, or hipo gasket with metal works good to ,

No prying going on, all good there. Bolts all cleaned up reinstalled with thread sealer.
My first personal 2.4, glad to see a post so similar at this point in time.
Funny place for a poppet valve! Pulled cover, pried gently with 2 taped up ( for protection ) flat screwdrivers and got poppet valve unseated GENTLY. All seems good for a test run
Carb and fuel pump kits came today.
Water pump gonna be ordered shortly.
Chrome bore 2.4
Vertical front
Wh 34 carbs.
130-135 all holes
Just might be lookin' for a 'stream or Allison for it.
What's the prop rated power for a 175, seeing as a 200 supposedly pushes more?
Horizontal front, tuner, and set of carbs is the difference from the info I looked up.
Will be watching other New to me 2.4 thread. Probably answer most of my questions.
Would like to find a cool old style black with blue clamshell for this motor. Do early and later clamshells interchange?
Thanks again!

[Merc 2.5]

All v6 clams will swap I have a horizontal front half if u need 1, a vertical front 2.4 175 , should b prop rated at 150. Those days they were power head rating the power , after 83 the were prop rated ,

[rochelle howell]

Wonderin' if 175 prop rated 2.4 chrome bore is conservatively rated @ 10 percent under actual power as is 200 of same vintage? I have a prop rated motor from what I looked up according to serial number.
What is actual weight of 20 inch, 2.4 ,175 prop rated motor?

[rochelle howell]

Getting cleaned up.
Other post stated 100 psi on their power head.
I got all 130-135.
Motor looks to have never been opened up.
Which years had idle relief in block? Reason for lower compression readings in some motors?

[FMP]

Merc didn't use BIA HP certification so they always underrated.

[Dave S]

Mercs back then didn't have exhaust slots. Hoz and tuna..... made 25 in # rating.......but need jettin up.

[rochelle howell]

No carb change? Just horizontal front , jets, and tuner?
Timing?
Heads?

[Merc 2.5]

Horizontal is the complete front half crank case swap , tuner waste $ if u have the 2.4 bell tuner

[rochelle howell]

Machine work needed to go along with said swap?
Ain't pulling a good motor apart for a few ponies ( yet )
175 prop rated motor have bell tuner?