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  1. Rick Stephens

    5.0 Mercruiser Problems

    Try running a hose from a gas can to the fuel pump and run it on fresh gas. Idle jet adjustment is a suggested starting point, not a tuned setting. However, I have yet to see a carburetor that was up to spec need to be 3 or 4 turns out. One of the ways to determine TDC is pull all the plugs so...
  2. Rick Stephens

    5.0 Mercruiser Problems

    Wow, all over the map. 1 has carbon from the piston stuck to it - caused by detonation blasting the carbon deposits off the piston top. 2, 3 and 8 look like you have oil burn. Weird one is 6 - hot, oil and carbon specks all at once.
  3. Rick Stephens

    Front engine mount wont go low enough to align gimbal bearing

    1974 boat..... a rotten transom allows the gimbal housing and transom plate to sag. This puts the rear mounts low. I would suspect that or collapsed bushings.
  4. Rick Stephens

    2007 3.0 Rattling/Timing

    If it still pings after timing then the booster might not have been enough. First step is pull and dump the filter, see if there is water in it (personally I'd do that no matter what). If your fuel tank sender is easy to access, might look and see what's on the bottom of your tank. I ended up...
  5. Rick Stephens

    2007 3.0 Rattling/Timing

    A couple thoughts here. If the engine is pinging, that is a quick way to burn a hole in a piston. Boat motors run at full torque output 100% of the time, only dependent on throttle setting for how much torque. Like running a car uphill only, and with only one gear. If you hear pinging you are...
  6. Rick Stephens

    2007 3.0 Rattling/Timing

    Doesn't have one.
  7. Rick Stephens

    Alpha 1 Gen 2 U-Joint Bellows Retaining Ring

    Big problem with Amazon is the seller looks like it's Amazon but it is anyone with something to pass off as a good product and cannot sell it any other way. All Amazon cares about is you move stuff and they make money. No way in most cases even to tell manufacturer unless specifically spec'd...
  8. Rick Stephens

    Alpha 1 gen 2 upper housing lower race.

    Wow. Way ahead of me.
  9. Rick Stephens

    Alpha 1 gen 2 upper housing lower race.

    Need to measure and install the proper shims. Do you have the service manual?
  10. Rick Stephens

    Water standing in bell housing area

    Use the words 'period' and 'paragraph' while speaking
  11. Rick Stephens

    Alpha 1 Gen 2 U-Joint Bellows Retaining Ring

    Not sure what the cure is for aftermarket rubber. Use carb cleaner, or as most everyone suggests Merc Power Tune carb cleaner, as a lubricant when installing the ring. Last one I did I pushed with a small wooden dowel and my fingers to get the ring on. Goes on easy when lubricated - but I only...
  12. Rick Stephens

    Water standing in bell housing area

    You know there is a core plug on the rear of the block, covered over by the flywheel? If the water is flooding out as you try to start, that may be the problem.
  13. Rick Stephens

    Merc/GM 4.3 tops out at 4000 rpm

    That sounds terrible. New motor - do a compression check for baseline. This also checks the valves are good.
  14. Rick Stephens

    ENGINE DIES

    I'd suspect things like bad connection or not well inserted safety lanyard. Corroded ground connections. Corrosion in the cannon plug. Old style 2 wire distributor trigger.
  15. Rick Stephens

    5.0 Mercruiser Problems

    Seen drop tests find a flat lobe on a cam, a bad spark plug, bad terminal end of spark wire, And once heard of a paper towel stuck in an intake port.
  16. Rick Stephens

    5.0 Mercruiser Problems

    "factory setting' is the start point. Then you adjust to best mixture from there.
  17. Rick Stephens

    5.0 Mercruiser Problems

    Timing advances when the motor is up over 2000 RPM. Only good way to check how much is to use an advance timing light. They don't cost much and worth a pretty penny when you need one.
  18. Rick Stephens

    Air Don't Freeze Winterization

    An Alpha drive, any generation, has an open priming system. The impeller, which works as a displacement pump at low speeds and a centrifugal pump at high speeds. To prime, the pump body has a hole through the side of it that bleeds out any air in the pump once the pump is submerged. This also...
  19. Rick Stephens

    Air Don't Freeze Winterization

    Me too. I'm a 45 minute drive to the ramp. That's a lot of gas $$ if cooling system is florked.
  20. Rick Stephens

    1997 Merc 4.3 V6 LXGen+

    Really? There is no mechanic on the planet would not tell you that setting the timing is essential. Go rent or borrow or buy a timing light and set it. How hard is that?
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