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  1. Z

    Small piece of plastic drain plug went into exhaust manifold

    Some are exchanging the blue plastic to the SS versions offered by Hardin Marine: https://www.hardin-marine.com/p-81080-stainless-steel-sea-pump-drain-plugs-mercruiser-22-806608a02-8m2000874-5-pack.aspx
  2. Z

    when do you know your flappers need to be replaced

    I think you will find that new flappers also do not close completely, so I think you are fine keeping the old ones.
  3. Z

    Dual battery shut off wiring

    Google wiring a marine 1, 2, both switch with two batteries, and you will find what you want.
  4. Z

    Mercruiser 5.7 Running Issues

    Yes an oil pressure safety switch (OPSS) that is bad, or has a broken wire, will cause these symptoms. You can get them from an auto parts store for about $20-30. In boats with an electric fuel pump, regulations require that you have a OPSS that prevents a non running engine to continually...
  5. Z

    one drive slower to raise and lower than the other

    I have a two engine 1988 boat with 5.7 L mercruisers and alpha 1 drives. One drive makes the typical noise when raising and lowering, and based on my previous experience, raises and lowers the drive in a typical time frame. My other drive is much quieter, and it takes about twice as long to...
  6. Z

    A Unique problem I have never seen

    Might only be a small amount of oil My guess is that the owner made a mistake and added some oil to the HX. Since oil floats on water, it would appear that it is full of oil, but might just be a thin layer floating on top.
  7. Z

    One click and lose power

    Voltage doesn't mean much in a start circuit, because a high resistance connection will also show a trickle of voltage to a multimeter but will not allow enough juice to turn the starter. Will it start if you jump the solenoid? Did you lean on the 10 pin connector while r/r the starter and...
  8. Z

    1995 Searay 5.7 GM winterizing mods..

    If you take an old skinny screwdriver, and round off the edges with a file, it makes a great tool for taking off hoses without tearing them. If you put some grease around the nipples the hoses will come off very easily next year. I also installed ball valves in the block, that have 1/4 inch...
  9. Z

    Fluid Changes for Winterizing, Do I Need to?

    The duty cycle between oil changes in a large diesel is 25,000 miles, and if the engine is tight so blow by of exhaust gases into the sump is minimal, this can be stretched to 50,000 miles. If your Mercruiser engine(s) are in good shape with minimal blow by, I think you are wasting your time...
  10. Z

    Fluid Changes for Winterizing, Do I Need to?

    I think acids in your oil is horse crap. Oils are hydrocarbons, and they do not easily oxidize to carboxylic acids. There is no way HCl, H2SO4, HNO3 or other strong acids (which can oxidize iron) are going to get in there. Some say because of sulfur in the fuel you burn can cause sulfuric...
  11. Z

    mercruiser 3.0 leak. Hey guys I have a 2001Viva 184 do you know why do I have a leak and how to fix it?

    If there is no water in the oil, you got lucky. The crack is from the cooling passage outward, and not inward where the coolant or water will contaminate the oil. If no water is in the oil, you can seal the crack with epoxy. This repair might make it more difficult to sell the boat, but I...
  12. Z

    4.3 mercruiser how to winterize with outdrive on

    Removing the hose to the power steering cooler can be a difficult thing to do on some boats. It is down low and hard to reach. I pull off that hose on the thermostat housing (up high and easy to get to) and pour in antifreeze until it runs pink or green out the back.
  13. Z

    Flooding...

    looked up Rome, GA and I bet your were on a fresh water lake. Don't sweat it. Engines get wet all the time on a rainy road, and the starter and alternator do fine. Your boat will be fine if you did not get water into the crankcase.
  14. Z

    Flooding...

    fresh water or salt water?
  15. Z

    MC-1 Back Together, Temp 175 Fahrenheit?

    I replaced my impellor last year and it was destroyed in a few minutes running on the muffs. Sometimes you just get a bad impellor. Granted I used a generic one. I replaced it with a Mercuiser and all was fine. I would recheck and make sure it is still good.
  16. Z

    5.7 fuel issue ( I think)

    Sometimes a piece of crude is in the float bowl, and gets sucked into the main jet and causes this symptom. It is erratic and depending on where the crude is in the carb, can run fine for a while or cause issues. I would take the carb apart and look in the bowl for crap. Sometimes this crap...
  17. Z

    Trick/fitting for cooling through bellhousing port?

    Some say a washing machine hose will fit tightly.
  18. Z

    Dies when throttling up from idle after warm up/ 89 merc 3.7 2bbl

    Why don't you just put an electronic ignition on your engine and be done with points and condensers. Electronic ignitions are easy peasy to install. Most people with old engines do this because the lobes on the distributor round over time and it is difficult to set the dwell correctly.
  19. Z

    shift cable outer housing stuck in coupler

    I painted the end of the shift cable with orange paint. That way I could see it among all the other black stuff behind the engine.
  20. Z

    Alpha One power steering - how to remove cable?

    It could be tight with old grease etc. Since you are thinking of getting a new tube anyway, I would heat up the tube with a heat gun or torch and see if the steering cable comes out. Nothing to lose to try.
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