Mercruiser 7.4L - Engine Assembly
Once the engine was taken apart and the repair / replacement issues addressed, it was time to start putting it all back together.
Many parts were needed to re-assemble the engine. All the gaskets needed to be replaced, since they generally are not re-usable. In addition, the exhaust manifolds and risers needed to be replaced, as they no longer held a tight seal against the sea water that runs through them.
Most of the parts were ordered online. I found that the local auto parts stores do not carry as many parts and tools for engine re-building, because fewer people are doing that sort of work.
There were many rusty areas on the engine block. I used a rust sealing paint called POR-15 Engine Enamel.
In the picture below (left) is the rear of the engine block freshly painted. This area had no paint originally as it is inside the flywheel housing. I painted it so that it would not continue to rust. The picture on the right is the new core plugs installed.
Most of the external parts had rust on them and needed to be treated and painted. Below are many of the external parts after being freshly painted. On the right is a picture of the engine block with the front cover and the oil pan installed.
The flywheel was installed and the lower portion of the engine painted, as shown in the pictures below.
The valve covers and intake manifold also needed some work with rust treatment and repainting.
The cylinder heads needed to be assembled at this point of the project in order to proceed to the final stages of the engine re-assembly.
