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  1. JimS123

    Coupler Problem

    Brand new trailer, 3rd time on the highway. First time I ever owned a trailer with brakes. I replaced the oem pin that goes thru the coupler with a locking pin. The oem is solid, the locking pin has grooves every so often to accomodate different coupler widths. When I unhitched today the pin...
  2. JimS123

    Tongue Weight - Insight or Folly?

    My buddy called to tell me his new trailer was fishtailing, so I went over to take a look. The boat was set up perfectly on the bunks and rollers, so we agreed that moving the axle was what was needed. As we were standing there deciding how to proceed, the wife came out and said "why not just...
  3. JimS123

    Buffalonians dont care bout no ice or snow...

    Today was the first day of the local boat show. I guess he bought one this morning and had to start the warranty period. Although my wife said he just HAD to go fishing. The Niagara River has good catches in the winter. A front end loader cleared the ramp. Two guys were on the swim platform...
  4. JimS123

    Optimizing The Prop

    Brand new Mercury 150 4-stroke outboard. Black Max aluminum 14.5x19 prop. 19' Bowrider - 3000 lbs wet. RPMs near max spec, hole shot good, speed good, no complaints. So what's the issue? Nothing - just want a SS prop for betteer durability. (haven't run alum in 40 years) I guess more stern...
  5. JimS123

    Sea Star Hydraulic Steering

    We just took delivery of a new outboard SeaRay runabout equipped with a 150 Merc 4-stroke and hydraulic steering. I've had all sorts of systems in the past but this is my first hydraulic. No documentation came with the boat. There is a port on the dash capped with a rubber plug, presumably for...
  6. JimS123

    Winterization Cost

    What's the going rate for a Mercruiser 6.2 liter? That would include draining the water, outdrive service (oil), engine oil, plus check fuel water separator and any other normal annual checks and services.
  7. JimS123

    B.O.A.T - aka, The Cost of Boat Ownership

    You often hear people whine “if you have a boat you must be rich”. Surely, people with 60’ yachts might be well off, but I recently read a statistic that the vast majority of private boats are kept on trailers. I would consider a 19’ I/O Bowrider to be somewhat representative of an “average”...
  8. JimS123

    Prop "Corrosion"?

    Just came back from a 7 day vacation. The boat was in the water the whole time, on floating docks with power and water. Mercury 4-stroke with a Vengeance SS prop. My zincs showed a lot of corrosion. This was the second Summer at the same location. Last year no problems. My issue is the...
  9. JimS123

    SS Prop Recomendation

    Looking at a new 19' bowrider equipped with a 150 HP Mercury 4 stroke. The rig dry weight is about 2750. Std prop is a black max. Don't ever want to run an aluminum prop again. It's been a long time since I upgraded, so prop technology has escaped me. 99% usage is with 2 people, sometimes...
  10. JimS123

    3.0 Mercruiser Still Overheating

    Worked fine on the muffs and most of the first day's outing. Then came in a no-wake zone and docked at a restaurant when it started to overheat. Got up to 180 or so on my gauge. Replaced the entire water pump and the thermostat. Next time out the gauge showed about 150-155, vs the 140 it had...
  11. JimS123

    3.0 Mercruiser Still Overheating

    Worked fine on the muffs and most of the first day's outing. Then came in a no-wake zone and docked at a restaurant when it started to overheat. Got up to 180 or so on my gauge. Replaced the entire water pump and the thermostat. Next time out the gauge showed about 150-155, vs the 140 it had...
  12. JimS123

    3.0 Mercruiser Still Overheating

    Worked fine on the muffs and most of the first day's outing. Then came in a no-wake zone and docked at a restaurant when it started to overheat. Got up to 180 or so on my gauge. Replaced the entire water pump and the thermostat. Next time out the gauge showed about 150-155, vs the 140 it had...
  13. JimS123

    Surge Brakes

    Never had brakes before. Considering a trailer with surge brakes, that has the Back-up disable feature. The towcar will be a Chevy Traverse with a class 3 package and a 7 pin connector. Having been using a 7 to 4 pin adapter. So, now I need a 7 to 5 pin adapter. The Car Owners manual says...
  14. JimS123

    Impeller Quality

    I usually change impellers based on running time, not age. My target is 100 hours. We have several boats, thus the 3.0 liter Mercruiser gets little use. I usually change the impeller after about 6 years, and every time I do an inspection shows that I really didn't need to change it yet. Had...
  15. JimS123

    "Canvas" Color

    In the olden days boat canvas was real canvas and it was either tan or green. Then in the '70's and '80's it was mostly white vinyl. Today Sunbrella comes in every color of the rainbow. The fad these days is black. Just a fad. But what's cooler to sit under? In these dog days approaching...
  16. JimS123

    SeaRay SPX 190 Outboard

    Anybody own a '17 or '18 version of the subject model? Looking for comments or criticisms.
  17. JimS123

    Bellows & Impeller Cost

    Looking at replacing he bellows on a 3.0 Liter Merc pre-Alpha. The dealer said the part came in a "kit" and included a new shift cable. What's the going rate parts and labor? Also, its time for a new impeller. What should that set me back?
  18. JimS123

    Web Site Problem?

    Never had an issue before. Today my Norton keeps giving an error message stating that I'm being attacked by a Web attack JSCoinminer virus of some sort every time I open this site. Any truth to the problem?
  19. JimS123

    3.5 HP Merc 4-stroke as a Kicker

    The std prop is a 7" pitch and Mercury doesn't offer any other good options. However, Tohatsu sells a 4.5" pitch, which IMHO should be better if the motor is being used as a kicker on a heavy boat. Anyone with any real life experience with this combination?
  20. JimS123

    Those Crazy Hydrofoils.

    We bought a new Boston Whaler this year. Boy, when they rig a boat they surely know what they are doing. The engine is not on the transom, it's raised up several notches. The prop is a premium model and its set up to exactly hit full spec rpm at WOT. The hull design provides an awesome ride, and...
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