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    Twin Mercruiser 470 engines - walk away?

    Hi, looking for a boat for a friend who loves to fish and cruise. I saw a GREAT looking 1988 ??? 28' Sea Ray Sundancer that the current owner had retrofitted for fishing. GREAT job, looks like new, right price. However, it has twin merc. 470 170hp engines which i have read here are...
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    Recommend fishing/small cruiser boat

    I have a buddy looking to buy a 26-29' cruiser that is well-designed for fishing. He's maybe more on the fishing side than family cruising, but needs the flexability. He'd like room to sleep 2-4. Budget is around $15K so looking 1985-1990 likely. He doesn''t need to go fast so engine options...
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    Winter battery storage question

    I removed the battery from my boat for the winter (Northeast, so cold winters) and I have two questions. 1. Can I store it in the garage (unheated so it would be freezing temps) ..... better said, is there any advantage to storing it indoors - which I'd rather not do? 2. I do not use a...
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    External block crack (small) - marine Tex or JB Weld or other??

    I'll skip the sad, long story of my engine's past..... Bottom line is I have small (1-2"), thin cracks on both sides of the block a few inches above the drain plugs that leak very slowly. I will not be replacing the block so I want to try to fix as best i can. I read A LOT here and elsewhere...
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    Can overheating crack block???

    OK, I just took my boat to be winterized but was told by the mechanic the block has an external crack - maybe one on each side, I was so depressed i forgot, I'm going to see it today. Anyways, I am now trying to figure out what caused this. He assumed it was from improper winterizing last...
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    Throttle control "sticking" when slowing

    Sort of hard to describe, but I'll try. Alpha one drive 1985 build. When I take off throttle works fine, but then I want to ease back to lower planing speed I have a problem. The throttle control feels like it's on a spring so as I ease back, it wants to spring forward and would if i let go...
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    Mercruiser engine cross reference please

    I can't find my engine serial # range anywhere - assuming I actually am using a proper #. I read the # off a small blue tag on/near the carburatior. I hope it's for the engine but it could be the carb ID Here's what it says..... 5,7L 5.7 INB 1347-9662 Any help? What does "INB" mean...
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    Mercruiser throttle rubs against stereo speaker.

    Strange issue....1985 Mark Twain bowrider, bought it two years ago, had original stereo and speakers. I replaced both during this past winter and upon taking it out this year noticed the new speakers interfere with the throttle motion in forward. So, I put the old speaker back in that spot...
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    Touch up paint - specifics???

    OK, here's my situation. Rammed a dock a bit last year then used Marine Tex to patch a few months ago. Thanks to the good advice here, that went pretty well. I then tried to gelcoat the area (maybe 1.5 ft high by 10" wide on the front of the keel) with a color matching kit from West marine...
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    Best Spark plugs for 1992 mercruiser 350 Mag?

    OK, based on some feedback in another thread I plan to at least change out my spark plugs because I really don't know how old they are. (even though the engine is running OK, so i'll keep the old as spares maybe). What do folks recommend and where to get them (local or web)? I did search this...
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    PM Tune-up stuff???

    OK, as I regular here I have read many times the value of a tune-up from time to time. Being cheap, I hate to throw away money on parts that are fine as-is. But I am also always wanting my boat to perform well and , most importantly, to be dependable out there! So the dilema......IF the engine...
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    Cold starting issues - Choke???

    I repowered my boat this year with a used (1992?) Mercruiser 350 Mag 4bbl carb (not sure what brand carb, boat not here to look at). It runs great when warm and starts in neutral with a touch if it's been run recently, like sitting on the water for lunch or between tubers. When warm, it idles...
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    Aluminum engine parts - good, bad, no difference?

    Just curious.....I saw a boat listed on Craigslist, a 1995 24' Mariah open bow n great shape, with a newly built custom engine. I'll post what the owner says about it and I'm curious as to what the marine engine folks think about it. I'm specifically interested in the aluminum parts for weight...
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    Change drive lube with oil monitor bottle?

    I recently had to get a new upper (gears fried due to oil leak) and should change the lube oil after 10 hours or so per the SE instructions. The mechanic installed a mercruiser gear lube monitor bottle that holds some extra lube and can be seen on the inside of the transom to watch for oil...
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    Radio memory battery drain?

    My old radio was OLD so it did not have a clock or digital pre-sets so it had no electical needs when not playing. We put in a new digital radio that has a seperate power wire for "memory". Right now, I have it hooked in with the main power wire which is on an "accessory" switch which we turn...
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    Alpha One, New upper - break in period?

    I just had my Alpha One (gen 1) drive repaired - new aftermarket upper and rebuilt lower (cleaned, new seals, etc.). Is there a break in period for a drive like there is for a new engine? I'll check with the mechanic when i pick up the boat also. Thanks.
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    Alpha One, Prop doesn't spin - Any ideas?

    I'll be taking my boat to a mechanic for this one, so I'm not looking for anyone here to magically solve my problem.......but I'd like to have some conversational knowledge of the potential issues when I talk to him. 1985 Mercruiser Alpha One recently repowered fro 305 to 350 engine. Out on...
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    Watersports - turn engine off between riders?

    OK, this may be in the wrong forum, but I don't see a general "Watersports" forum and this isn't specific to any one activity, although right now we mostly do tubing. I always kill the engine as we bring on rider in and put another on the tube. If the rider hasn't fallen off the tube, I...
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    Gel coat patch kit - what a pain!!!!

    OK, I'm below average at any "handy" type stuff to star with, so I can't blame ALL my troubles on WM Gel patch kit, however......What a crappy "kit". First off, I expected a color spectrum with approx. proportions of each pigment to get there. NO, they have color NAMES, like "Almond" or "Off...
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    Rain leaks into my boat like crazy! Ideas?

    OK, I KNOW it's a boat so i don't get all upset over a bit of water in it, but....it's a 23 yr. old boat and me and my boys have replaced about all the wood structures - deck, seats,trim pieces (lots of these) etc. The vinyl is still original and VG condition. Anyways, I don't want to replace...
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