can i change my timing chain myself , w/o pulling motor ?

[jmargo]

I wonder why the mechanic pulled the intake and cams to change the chain. Both are not necessary unless they were doing other work while in there.

 

[Maslin]

I couldn’t understand how any mechanic would attempt changing a timing chair while the engine was still in the boat until I saw your pics @Ronnie. The timing chains on my 07 non ho motors are on the rear of the engine, not the front like yours. At least that’s how I’m seeing them in your pics. Either way, pulling an engine would make that job so much easier. Imho, with the right tools to pull the engine, it couldn’t cost much more time if any at all.

It’s the same as working on cars, benefit to outlay. Spending 4 hours taking the engine out doesn’t save you 4 hours on the repair. You are getting paid X amount to do the job if it takes you 10 hours or 50 hours. Every step is intentional.

 

[Ronnie]

It’s the same as working on cars, benefit to outlay. Spending 4 hours taking the engine out doesn’t save you 4 hours on the repair. You are getting paid X amount to do the job if it takes you 10 hours or 50 hours. Every step is intentional.

Here is another pic from the same day. if they wanted to pull the engine the boat only needed to be moved forward a few feet to get their winch over the engine. I did state that I thought they would pull the engine to replace the timing chain and was told it would take them longer to do that instead just replace the chain with the engine installed. I didn’t say anything else, he was in his groove and already stopped for a few minutes to give me room to take pics.

 

[Maslin]

Here is another pic from the same day. if they wanted to pull the engine the boat only needed to be moved forward a few feet to get their winch over the engine. I did state that I thought they would pull the engine to replace the timing chain and was told it would take them longer to do that instead just replace the chain with the engine installed. I didn’t say anything else, he was in his groove and already stopped for a few minutes to give me room to take pics.
View attachment 198533

It only needed to be moved forward 10 feet to be under the winch. There isn't a winch fairy that comes down and takes the engine out. There is a significant amount of work to remove the engine before it can be removed, and a significant amount of work to put it back.

 

[Ronnie]

It only needed to be moved forward 10 feet to be under the winch. There isn't a winch fairy that comes down and takes the engine out. There is a significant amount of work to remove the engine before it can be removed, and a significant amount of work to put it back.

I did not mean to make removing an engine sound easy to do, just pointed out that the shop had the winch ready go if they wanted to pull the engine instead of work on it while it was installed the engine bay.

FYI - Subsequent to having one of my timing chains fail, I purchased a used and large rental hoist as well as a salvaged boat. After only being able to break free one of the eight engine mount bolts I hired a mobile marine mechanic to help me remove the remaining engine from my boat after the timing chain was replaced, pull the engines from the salvaged boat and reinstall them into my boat. I did all this at home. Removing the mounting bolts is only one step in the process , there are a lot of other steps that need to be taken before an engine may be lifted out of the engine compartment. I didn’t fully understand this until after I got my boat back from the shop which is another reason I told the tech that I thought he would pull the engine to replace the chain.


All of this brings three sayings to my mind:
1. Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.
2. B.O.A.T. is now, for me anyway, short for Break Out Another Ten thousand.
3. Only The Strong (O.T.S.). Only those with similar experience are likely to know what this means or when it applies.

back on topic, knowing what I know now. If I were considering replacing my timing chain I would:
1. Have it done at home, for roughly half the shop labor rate.
2. Upgrade to the thicker chain/buy the kit from Yamaha, with the money saved by not having a shop do the work.
3. Have it done with the engine installed in its bay.

 

[itsdgm]

It’s the same as working on cars, benefit to outlay. Spending 4 hours taking the engine out doesn’t save you 4 hours on the repair. You are getting paid X amount to do the job if it takes you 10 hours or 50 hours. Every step is intentional.

I agree with you 100% about his actions being intentional. obviously @Ronnie has a terrific mechanic working on the job. I’d love to sit and watch him work. I’ve personally pulled an engine out of my boat in less than 4 hours, but you couldn’t pay me enough $ to do that work laying in there (the timing chain repair). My whole body would hurt too much. I’d opt to pull the engine and deliver it to the mechanic. I’m just fascinated that his guy can get it done working in there. As I stated before, my timing chains are to the rear of the engine. So I was scratching my head as to how it would even be possible. But seeing his pics cleared that up.

 

[Ronnie]

@itsdgm , as I recall you did all that engine work yourself with custom winch / hoist set up. I salute you for all that, gave some conscience to take on my recent engine work.