1998 252 updating thread

[akorcovelos]

Sorry to hear Xlint, it’s always one damn nut/bolt...

[xlint89]

Thanks Akor, very frustrating. (much like you being ready for the water and the waterways shut down)

Here's the 2 "arms" from the impeller that fell out of the cooler.

No room to work on the fuel pump inside the boat. That big white area in the foreground of the pic is the box/support/girder (not sure what to call it) that makes it a real PITA. It's about 3" above the engine mount. So you have to reach your arm down, then up to touch the fuel pump parts. With the engine mount right in front of the stuff you're working on.

Last pic is the threaded insert that let goas i was disassembling it to add the compound. (face palm emoji)

[akorcovelos]

Man, can of worms. You think you need to pull the engine to fix the fuel pump??

[xlint89]

Need to, no. MUCH easier to do when out of the boat? YES

Funny thing is in those pics, you only see a glimpse of the fuel pump in the last one.

Honestly, here's the way I would address it with my boat again. (I cannot find the fuel pump replacement process in the MERC manual I have.)

New O rings for the "L" (4 total)

New O ring for the fuel supply hose to the injector rail (1 total)

New O ring for the fuel pump adapter fitting (supplied with fuel pump)

1. Remove the fuel supply and return hoses from the fuel filter housing.

2. Remove the air plenum from the engine

3. Remove the fuel supply hose from the injector rail

4. Remove the vacuum hose from the fuel pressure regulator mounted to the fuel cooler.

5. Disconnect the fuel pump elec connector.

6. Remove the coolant hoses from the cooler.

7. Remove the nuts holding the fuel pump housing.

8. Slide the entire unit (housing and all) towards the transom and remove it as a whole assembly.

That way you can remove/replace all parts easily on a work bench. Then slide it back in, make all your connections and be done.

That is my honest opinion on how to address that nightmare while still in the boat.

[xlint89]

Scuffed up the plastic hole with sand paper. Then cleaned it out with denatured alcohol. (wish i would have done that first, as i forget to clean before sand paper, and then again after)

But installed the insert with JB Weld. Hopefully it holds. I don't want to mess with that fuel pump again.

Also my tune up parts showed up. Will be installing the wires and spark plugs before the manifolds go on. That will be no fun after they're on.

[akorcovelos]

Actually, with the Gil manifolds I got accessing the plugs is easier than the old log style.

[xlint89]

Thanks for rubbing salt in that wound.

[xlint89]

JB Weld held on the insert. No leaks. And holding pressure.

So I installed the plastic cover.

[xlint89]

Prepped the manifold for the plenum.

Need a 1/4" vacuum fitting plug if I want to install the gen V flame arrestor. The gen V throttle body has a fitting that the gen VI doesn't. So, that makes 3 fittings and 1 has to go.

[xlint89]

Pay close attention to vacuum fittings, hoses, and connectors.

Found the plastic "T" fitting to be plugged up.

Also the brass fittings on the manifold and plenum were gunked up when I inspected them.

[xlint89]

WTH is with this boat? Is there anything that wasn't screwed up from some moron?

First spark plug I removed looked like this. That gap is .060 and is only supposed to be .040.

Bought some good spark plug wires that were cut down a bit to fit better. Wish they were normal length, but still doable.

Went with NGK BPR6FS spark plugs gapped at .040

[xlint89]

Started prepping the exhaust manifolds for installation.

Scraped off old gasket. Started fitting the elec "box" to the mounting bracket I made. Check plug wires for interference with the manifolds and found none.

[akorcovelos]

Thanks for rubbing salt in that wound.

Aren’t your stainless marine manifolds basically the same as the gills?

Glad you got the fuel pump figured out. Sounds like you’re getting close!

[xlint89]

Hardin marine, not stainless Marine.

I was just busting your chops. No joy when needing to replace the spark plugs. Very little room, and will most likely need a swivel to do also.

Got the top of the engine installed today. Also installed the exhaust manifolds. I forgot the bracket I drilled out at home, so I couldn't mount the elec box.

Mounted the out drive reservoir to the transom since I'm changing the oil filter location.

Replaced the out drive oil. Will most likely do it again soon as I want to flush all the old sludgy goo out of it and run synthetic. (I thought the Merc performance gear lube was synthetic, but it doesn't say it anywhere on the bottle)

Started running the power wires for the speaker LED lights too

[akorcovelos]

Hardin marine, not stainless Marine.

I was just busting your chops. No joy when needing to replace the spark plugs. Very little room, and will most likely need a swivel to do also.

I found the special swivel plug socket for Ford Tritons works perfectly for stern drive engines.

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