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    02 4.3l carb strange fuel problem

    Update to the issue. Went to unload today, and it was a repeat of the previous above. (Although it never left the trailer this time!) Brought it back to the cabin and started troubleshooting. Pulled the carb apart, it was spotless and nothing sticking. After reinstalling and having it...
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    Trim tab feedback

    Interesting to see that Bennett ripped off smarttabs now I guess! There used to be a fair amount of marketing material as to why SmartTabs were bad, now they have their own version. Anyway, I've run smarttabs on quite a few different boats and been impressed every time. They vastly help boats...
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    Trailer Tires

    Same here. Bias ply tires are ancient technology. Once you run radials on a trailer you won't go back. One thing you didn't mention is the radials has substantially lower rolling resistance also.
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    02 4.3l carb strange fuel problem

    So the backstory. First time out this year since Sept. (Long winter!) Unloaded at the ramp, and the engine was more finicky than usual. Died idling a couple of times even. It died 4 times idling in the bay but seemed to clear out, so I just chalked that up to old gas. Cruised for about 15...
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    Air bags

    If I'd have a choice (and need), a weight distribution hitch should be done first in almost all cases. Air bags don't fix the underlying problem, they don't transfer weight to the front of the vehicle. Bags are most useful for a heavy 5th wheel load.
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    Boat weight capacity plate

    Depending on your state, it may not even be required. My state has (or used to have, haven't checked lately) an interesting requirement. If the boat has a sticker, the limits are enforceable. If there is no sticker, it is 'safe and prudent'. But there is no law to actually require the sticker.
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    Throttle trim

    Start tracing wires. Very likely the trim wires in the throttle handle rubbed through, has happened to me.
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    Quiet ticking noise

    First thing to do is take the belt(s) off and see if the noise is still there. You would be surprised at the number of times a failing idler or even a bad belt makes that exact noise.
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    GPS navigation

    Need more info... Where do you boat? What are you using it for? (navigation, fishing, both?) What boat is it going on? (And pics of the new boat!)
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    Anyone use synthetic nylon winch cable? Or anything besides steel?

    Won't run anything but a strap any more. Boat weighs around 3300#. Straps are cheaper than synthetic rope, so there really isn't any advantage.
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    What are the essential tools to keep on board?

    JasinIL beat me to it. It all depends on where you boat. For me, a boatus membership might be useful as kindling if I need to start a fire. Zero use other than that. Same goes for a VHF radio. I could talk to myself all day long. What you bring also depends on what you can repair. If you...
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    Milky madness

    Still lots of good reasons to have an I/O. Somewhat safer with kids jumping off a full swim platform. Longer life if properly maintained. And like you mentioned, not just initial cost but also reman cost. 4.3/5.0/5.7 long blocks are dirt cheap compared to a similar power 4 stroke outboard...
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    Milky madness

    Although I've done that before for sudden cold snaps, it scares me! The life of your engine is reliant on hopefully never having a random power outage. Especially risky if a cold snap is accompanied by a ice/sleet storm.
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    Looking for first boat

    8 people comfortably on a 21 foot anything (pontoon or boat) isn't going to happen. Nobody likes to be shoulder to shoulder for very long. My deck boat is 20', and technically seats 10, 6 is comfortable, 8 is cozy for a very short time, and no coolers. If you want 8 comfortably, you are...
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    How long for water in an I/O to freeze?

    Sorry to hear that, I have probably the identical boat, with a 4.3. About the best thing to do at this point is to start shopping for a reman block before the typical rush in the spring. 100% chance the water in the block froze solid if it got to zero. Normally a nighttime low dip into low...
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    Engines: 2 x 4.3GXi or 1 x 5.7Gxi

    Fuel consumption has very little to do with the engines. It will always take X amount of horsepower to push a boat at Y speed. Fuel to horsepower is relatively constant, and it doesn't matter much how you get that horsepower. In other words, it is going to require say 200 horsepower to...
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    Buying a boat with a rebuilt sterndrive??

    Depends on why it was rebuilt... Up north, a single mistake in winterizing can result in a rebuilt motor. Not all owners know to poke a stick up into the drains. Skipping 15 seconds of work means that next spring they are greeted by a cracked block and then rebuilt motor.
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    Drotto Trailer Latch

    They encourage (well, require) you to powerload. If you can drive your boat far enough to hit the latch without powerloading, you backed the trailer in too deep and it isn't going to center. Their videos cleverly show shallow ramps with vehicles backed in deep. Every person i've seen locally...
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    Prop boat to jet boat?

    All things being equal, jets are MUCH faster off the holeshot. The RPM of an engine connected to a jet drive doesn't vary with load. IE, if you tie a jet boat to a pier and hit the gas, it will hit the same RPM as with 1 person flat out. Do the same with a prop boat and you might be at half...
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    Prop boat to jet boat?

    I've owned about 6 jet boats, and 5 prop boats. Yes, you can run in MUCH shallower water. Whoever tells you can't has never owned a jet. (have you?) I would frequently take my jet on the Missouri in 3 to 4 inches of water. Yes, you can't start or stop, and if you touch down, you are...
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