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    Grease Types? Outdrive

    What grease is recommended with the Alpha 1 Gen 2 outdrive? Spline Grease different from the Gimbal Bearing/U-Joint Grease? I think the answer is yes. Can anyone tell me exactly which grease is which so I can order it? Any other greases needed that I am forgetting? Is this the right stuff...
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    Oil Change Pump? Which do you use?

    Gearing up to winterize my boat in the next few weeks and need a new oil change pump. Last year I bought the Topsider pump and it worked decent, but the darn thing was built like crap and the threads on the caps were bad so I ended up returning it. Anyone have an oil extractor that they like...
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    New prop suggestions needed. Should I go with the same one I have?

    I have a 2005 Searay 180 Sport with the 3.0L Mercruiser and the Alpha 1 Gen 2 outdrive. I hit the edge of a sandbar and took a small chunk out of a prop blade so I want to get a new one and have the old one repaired and keep as a spare. Eventually I may want to pull a tuber or a boarder, but...
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    Getting hot on flush muffs/hose, but NOT in the water

    I thought my boat had an issue because I started it on the muffs this year and after about 5-7 minutes the temperature started to climb real high. After lots of feedback I was ready to pull the riser/exhaust manifold but I decided to put the boat in the water for a test ride in the harbor...
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    Pulling Riser on 3.0L Mercruiser

    I'm having some high temperature issues and I am planning on diagnosing the boat by pulling a few of the raw water lines one at a time in a few strategic spots to see if they are flowing well while running, and next I am planning on pulling my riser off. Can anyone share some quick tips? From...
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    How to test alarm buzzer for high temp/oil pressure/lube monitor

    My boat has a buzzer under the dash, and the wiring for the probes, but does not have them installed. Is there any way to test to see if the wiring is all functional and the buzzer? If I understand correctly the sensors are simply a relay that stays closed and when they reach their alarm point...
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    ​Mercruiser 3.0 Running Hot/Overheating - Need Help and Ideas

    My engine has always seemed to run hot on the gauge (175 F degrees) with no other symptoms or issues, but this year it has me worried as it seems to have climbed to around 190 degrees while I was getting things ready for spring on the hose. I shot the engine in a few spots with an IR...
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    Painting outdrive on your I/O,and Zinc change frequency

    What type of paint do you all use on your I/O and sit in salt water? I have the alpha 1 gen 2 drive and have always aerosol painted it, but this past year someone told me the roll/brush paint is so much better. I used that instead and the engine didn't look any better than when I used the...
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    Slave Solenoid Removal on a Mercruiser 3.0L??

    I have narrowed my starting issue down to the Slave Solenoid from what I can tell based on the symptoms and my tests. If I jump the posts it starts every time, but if I use the key it starts sometimes, other times takes a few on/off/on motions to get it to go. I thought it would be a super...
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    Freeze/Drain Plugs on a 3.0L Mercruiser? Filling with Anti-Freeze and Winterizing

    I've winterized my 3.0L Mercruiser for at least 5 seasons now and has gone well every time so far. I had a question about freeze plugs or drain plugs on the engine. I never pull any drain or freeze plugs. My engine has what is called a "Single Point Drain System" that supposedly drains the...
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    Audible Engine Alarm? Not Present?

    I have a 2005 Searay 180SP and I don't think it has an audible alarm. When I turn the key I don't hear a long beep like some boats I have had in the past. Should I assume it does not have an audible alarm for engine problems since I don't hear the beep on start up? Can anyone direct me to...
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    140 vs. 160 degree thermostat in Salt water?

    I'm about to change my thermostat and I called a part place and they asked if I wanted a 140 or 160 degree. The sales rep said that in salt water they recommend running a 140 so there is less salt build up at higher temps. Is this what Mercruiser recommends for a raw water cooling setup? 140...
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    Gas Tank during the winter-Winterizing

    Do most people just use stabilizer, or is draining a good idea? Not even sure how I'd go about draining it but I was curious. I typically load my tank up with proper amount of Stabilizer and that's that. I recently helped my bro buy a boat and it was still winterized and the boat's gas tank was...
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    Hard Start and RPM Gauge spinning backwards?

    So my boat has been having some issues starting for the last few times I went out. If I turn the key I hear a click but the starter doesn't engage at all. After turning it a few times it eventually spins like normal and starts right up. However, last 2 times I was out, after being anchored for...
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    Changing Thermostat on 3.0L - Which Parts?

    When changing the thermostat on a 3.0L, should I change the thermostat and the top gasket only? Anyone recommend also changing the sleeve and the lower side gasket? I can see those 4 parts in the diagram but it seems like most of the kids only have the top gasket and thermostat. Is it common to...
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    3.0L Running Hot? 190 Degree Range

    Since I purchased my boat used over 5 years ago the temp gauge once up to running temp reads in the 190 range. Yes, I know that is too hot and it should be more in the 170+/- range. When I first bought the boat I checked the temperature with an infrared thermometer and it read in the 170 range...
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    Not getting up to max RPM's - Water in Fuel?

    Curious what some possible things to check are with my motor not getting up to Max RPM's suddenly? Boat ran fine the first handful of times out but the last 2 times it would only get up to about 3700-3800rpm's and felt sluggish. It usually runs in the 4400 RPM range. I have ther Mercruiser...
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    Rub Rail?Replace or Repair?

    Re: Rub Rail?Replace or Repair? Thanks for the input and insight. Attached are some pictures. The boat isn't local so these were pictures I got of it recently. You can see that there is a section that is flattened which looks like they must have hit really hard. Also in the second picture...
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    Rub Rail?Replace or Repair?

    I'm considering buying a 2001 Rinker and there is one section of the rub rail that looks flattened out and loose. Guessing a past owner hit a dock or another boat enough to break it loose. I can also see that there is a little bit of silicone in that section where they tried to repair it. Is...
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    Maintenance on a 3.0L vs. a 5.7L Mercruiser

    So I've owned a 3.0L with an Alpha one gen two for a few years and the engine seems like a bullet proof setup, and hasn't given me any troubles (yet). I'm considering another boat that is a 2001 with a 5.7L Mercruiser with the alpha one gen two outdrive. What is the difference in maintenance...
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