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  1. ratdude747

    Will a mercruiser 120 prop fit on an 888 (302)?

    Found a local deal on a recently rebuilt and apparently decent condition mercruiser 120 prop (48-78120-19). Other than having a bit less pitch (19 vs 21), being a bit smaller (14" instead of 14.5"), and having a solid hub (instead of rubber), it's pretty close to what the original (not usable)...
  2. ratdude747

    Process for changing boat trailers?

    I'm a bit weery on hitch extensions due to my and (especially) my wife's lack of trailer driving skill- doesn't that make backing up way harder? That said, I did "accidentally" make my wire lead way too long (a bunch of it is folded in the trailer tube), so it would probably work with such (I...
  3. ratdude747

    Process for changing boat trailers?

    I'm a bit weery on hitch extensions due to my and (especially) my wife's lack of trailer driving skill- doesn't that make backing up way harder? That said, I did "accidentally" make my wire lead way too long (a bunch of it is folded in the trailer tube), so it would probably work with such (I...
  4. ratdude747

    Process for changing boat trailers?

    Nix that trailer... they painted over the VIN tag (sticker)... so cannot be titled in Indiana without applying for a new VIN (if that's even doable since the old tag may still be visible if not legible). Forget that. May have found another in Ohio (cheaper but covered in surface rust- still has...
  5. ratdude747

    Process for changing boat trailers?

    The truck's been a project since July 2019... lots of threads about it on another forum. 300 straight 6, but has a shallow 3.08 rear end and AOD transmission (great for fuel economy, but does limit towing capacity a bit). Was a cheap find ($750) that has been a worthwhile project... but boat...
  6. ratdude747

    Process for changing boat trailers?

    Today I tried dipping my boat in the Ohio river... and I found out the city ramp is in fact very shallow at the bottom. So much so, that without pushing my truck (RWD 1984 F150, open diff) too far (past the concrete 4' from the water's edge) I couldn't get enough buoyancy to leave the bunks...
  7. ratdude747

    Bilge pump wiring backwards?

    Unless it's something really old like my 1976 Starcraft where brown is negative and "color" or white is positive. Already ran into this when splicing in a new fuel tank sending unit with the "industry standard" brown positive blue negative wire colors- not a problem for me, but perhaps for...
  8. ratdude747

    Best way to improve a short vintage swim ladder

    On my last outing, we had a bit of a situation where one of our passengers wanted to swim but was unable to get back into the boat due to the woefully short factory swim ladder (1976 Starcraft Montego): I'd like to mitigate this on future outings but would also like to preserve the vintage...
  9. ratdude747

    1976 Montego 16- The "Free" Puppy

    Got the new sending unit installed. Works great... supposedly there's 1 red sensor every 10mm in this size. I was getting roughly 1/8 increments... so 8 reeds (since empty is no reed). Currently says 1/4 tank... I think it was down to 1/3rd, which in 1/8 increments (plus likely a higher...
  10. ratdude747

    1976 Montego 16- The "Free" Puppy

    Was able to finagle the tank forward by loosening the tank straps: Yep, gasket badly failed due to a really poor installation: In addition, the upper range of the sending unit isn't working (stops at 64Ω about 3/4 way up)... so I'm replacing it. Found a deal on a new 5" reed switch...
  11. ratdude747

    1976 888 Fuel Questions

    Per my other thread the lake test was mostly successful. No overheating (maybe got a hair past 150?) and had plenty of power (we didn't go all the way to the redline, too much traffic). I did run some Motor Medic Lead Substitute just to be safe. That said, fuel wise, I'm in a pickle. Bringing...
  12. ratdude747

    1976 Montego 16- The "Free" Puppy

    There was a loose bit of RTV on top of the sending unit that was plugging a disused screw hole. Something I think I messed with like an idiot while pumping the tank out a couple months ago. Wondering if that's the leak? Trying to find a way to get it fixed (or at least improved) for the rest of...
  13. ratdude747

    1976 Montego 16- The "Free" Puppy

    If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many words is a video? Today's lake test was a nearly complete success. Some notes: Found out the fuel tank's sending unit seeps gas when full... not a new issue based on how much paint was stripped off the tank in that area (and bonehead here...
  14. ratdude747

    Mercruiser MC-1: is this play acceptable?

    Genuine mercruiser bushings came in. Sure enough, there is about a 1/8" difference: They seem to fit a lot better. But, despite swearing that there were 8 bushings in the bag, by the time I installed the 7th the bag was empty. Ordered another single bushing. Guess this won't be done today...
  15. ratdude747

    1976 Montego 16- The "Free" Puppy

    It's been a while since I posted in this thread... mainly because I was fighting running/cooling issues (seems to be fixed?) and now a worn out/poorly redone trim cylinder bushing issue. The bushing issue will be fixed tomorrow (as long as I get off work in time)... but I'm still out of luck...
  16. ratdude747

    Are these old D!ck Pope Water Skis any good?

    I'm not much of a woodworker... that's my FIL's domain. Nor do I have a way to reproduce foil decals. Turning wrenches, metalworking, rewiring, and sawing sketchy ski locker floors is one thing... this, nah. I did offer the family that gave me the boat the skis if they want them as display...
  17. ratdude747

    Are these old D!ck Pope Water Skis any good?

    Noted. One picture was out of sequence... the mildew'd rubber is on the Jr's (the III's are spotless). May hang onto the III's since as far as I can see, other than being old/heavy and the labels being junk, they're at lest usable. Not looking to spend $150-$300 on sports gear I'm not sure I...
  18. ratdude747

    Are these old D!ck Pope Water Skis any good?

    (Using the word "D!ck" to get around the curse filter... as using the actual brand name results in "****" :rolleyes:) As part of a "free" 1976 Starcraft Montego 16 Tri-Hull Ski Boat I was gifted, I received several ski tow ropes and a couple pairs of skis. The ropes I've gotten settled out- a...
  19. ratdude747

    Did I use the wrong impeller kit? 😡

    I'll third this... Based on a recent bad experience with poor muff operation and too many RPMs. Sure, I'm on a much older Mercruiser, but the same lesson applies. I had been been using the OP's style muff, but I ended up using a different style muff (the latest Mercruiser style with the skewer...
  20. ratdude747

    Mercruiser MC-1: is this play acceptable?

    After some thought, I'm going to get the "right" bushings... and call these bushings a fail. I am finding they aren't that expensive after all...
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