Thread: Ranger 373v Restore Project

Originally Posted by OK Toon

Dang Reaper, you have some marine mechanical skills! I'm very impressed. I thought I was doing good to replace the engine oil and LU oil on our 90HP 4-stroke Yami when we bought our "new to us" pontoon boat a couple of years ago. It was time for a new impeller this year and I knew the limits of my ability so I took it to a shop to let professional types do it.

I've always tackled things that I wasn't prepared for. I'm self taught on rebuilding engines. The first automatic transmission I rebuilt was a turbo 350 and I had enough money for the kit, a new torque converter and a case of fluid. It was the early '80s and I went to the downtown Tulsa library and made 11 pages of copies. It called for special tool this and special tool that. For releasing the springs on the clutch pack, I simply used allthread, fender washers and wing nuts to compress it enough to release the snap ring. I've rebuilt at least 3 700R4 trannys. I find an automatic is much easier to mess with than a standard.

As for this project or any Marine motor, Kelly Davis has helped me immensly in guidance. I can never thank him enough. I ain't askeered to tackle any project cause I figure if a man built it, then I ought to be able to work on it regardless of my experience. It took me 6 attemps to get a nice paint job on the Harley. It was the graphics that were killing me. But now, I know I could strip the bike down, repaint it how I want it and have it back together in a week.

Today I pulled the shelled lower unit. Pretty easy job other than getting to the shift rod screw. May have to take both lower units apart since the debris screens on the replacment have big holes in them and the ones in the original do not. Just hope I don't have to press anything. Don't think I could McGiver that one with what I have around the shop. Will inspect impeller. Person in Ark said it was new, I'll be able to tell how new it is, other wise, I'll make sure it's new.

Reaper
I sure would like to take a ride in that thing when you GIT-ER- DONE

OK, I've removed the negative posts in this thread and reopened it. Please, no more bad posts. If you do not have something constructive and positive to post, don't post it. This is supposed to be a "Friendly" fishing site.

Ok, thanks Slab.

To continue, yesterday I checked compression twice cold. The first reading gave me 83 lbs in 4 cylinders and 82 lbs in 2. Tilted motor all the way up and shot a litte WD-40 in it and raised them all to 88-87 which is kind of low until I did some reading. I'll check compression again once it's been ran and warmed up which is the proper way. I did find where a Marine Mechanic had stated that all pull rope starting motors will have lower compression and all electric start motors will have a higher compression EXCEPT Large V-6 Johnnyrudes which will have a lower compression like a pull start, so I think I could be good to go on the head. Jlarge had told me that the head had been rebuilt recently before the lower unit went out. Looking at it from the outside, it looked good other than the amount of Mud Daubers that had taken up residence.

The person I purchased the motor from in Arkansas told me the impeller was new. I removed the pump housing to inspect it. Brand new gasket, removed impeller and she sprung right out like a new one should. It didn't look as if the motor had even been run yet with the new impeller as it still had lubrication from the installation. Put it all back together. I brushed out all debris I could reach, vaccumed and blew out what was left. I then stuck the good lower unit in position snugging it with two bolts until I get the shifter linkage bolted in. Last night, I spent three hours of frustration trying to get the shifter linkage bolt into place with no luck. There is a good chance I may have to remove the lower unit and spin the shifter linkage one direction or the other to get it to the right height. If I could just get the bolt in as it is, I will know if I need to reset the lower unit or not. I hope not, that thing is heavy!

If all goes well my next step is to remove the fuel tanks and the filler necks to try and remove catalyzed remnants of fuel and moisture.

Reaper, I watched a few online videos of changing the impeller and that's when I realized that was more than I wanted to tackle -- especially by myself and without proper equipment to support the weight of the LU. I've heard others talk about how easy it is to do -- but I'm sure brain surgeons say the same thing too. I've finally learned to accept that I can't do everything myself. So hearing that you are able to do this without the background knowledge (just figuring it out as you go) -- my hat's off to you sir. You'll have that thing ready to hit the lake before the Spring spawn!

Unhook the shift cable from the shifter linkage and you can move the linkage up or down to line the little bolt holes up if it is the type where you hook up the lower unit shift rod directly under the bottom carburater.

Reaper I have a 1989 evenrude 150 XP , and I have an Evenrude factory manual if it will help you . I think the Evenrude XP's and the Johnson GT's are sister engines.

Man, reaper I was exhausted after reading what all you did yesterday. If it weren't sol cold, I would go fishing to rest up! lol