Motor replacement

[Ken Murphy]

Does any one know how to remove the motor from a 1990 Marquis. Do you have to remove the rear cap? Or just remove the rear bumper and cut the piece out below the access door.  Thanks Murph

[Richard And Babs Ames]

With the proper equiptment it can probably be dropped but requires portable bus wheel lifts and specialized jacks. We have a bus reseller here in Arcadia, FL that does major repair work like you are talking about.http://www.horizoncoach.com/ Their service manager Alli is pretty darn good.

You also may be able to get through an inframe overhaul if the block is good, even down to replacing a few piston sleeves.

[Gerald Farris]

Rear cap removal is not necessary. On most coaches you can remove the rear bumper and the section of fiberglass below the engine access door both without removing the rear cap.

You did not say why you wanted to remove the engine. If the engine is worn-out (350,000 + miles) or if you have had a crankshaft failure, you will probably be better off (and less expensive) by getting a good rebuilt engine since the 3208 does not have cylinder sleeves and would have to be bored and sleeved back to stock to overhaul it. If you have a head gasket failure or a similar problem, the repair can be made without engine removal.  

Gerald

[Ken Murphy]

On my coach the piece under the access door is solid there is no joint. I could cut the fiberglass and then repair. I don’t have access to wheel jacks to lift the coach. I do have fork trucks so I was thinking about cutting the lower piece and just repairing it. then I could just slip it out the rear. The motor has 130,000 miles on it and I am starting to get some white smoke from the breather tube. I am going to pull the injector and pump and have them checked, so while they are out I will do a compression test. I was just getting some input in case the motor does need to come out.                       Thanks Murph

[Richard And Babs Ames]

Have you done the inexpensive oil and coolent tests? Do the cheap tests first. White smoke could be just a bad injector or gasket.

[Gerald Farris]

Some white smoke from the breather tube on a 20 year old engine would be considered normal by most mechanics. At 130,000 miles, your engine should have at least 1/2 to 2/3 of it's life left. If oil consumption or coolant loss is not a problem you should be good to go. Some 3208 engines do have head gasket problems, but that will not require engine removal if your's ever fails.

Look closely at your rear cap, there should be a joint where the lower part is removable. The seam is usually in the engine access opening where the lower part of the opening can be removed with the lower fiberglass panel and it is usually covered with a seam sealer that is even painted on occasion, however I have never tried to remove the panel on a 1990 Marquis.

Gerald  

[LarryNCarolynShirk]

I just left the Bend Beaver Coach Service Center where I recall the coach next to me was having the whole rear end cap replaced because of damage to the lower portion of the bumper area.  I do not recall the year model, but it was all one piece.  Bruce said he could have repaired the fiberglass, but parts were missing, so he would have had to make a lot of guesses.  It was cost effective to replace the whole thing.  Some models were all one piece and some had the bumper separate.

Larry