Search results

  1. JASinIL2006

    Rotate tires?

    I can't recall seeing this before, but since I'm getting ready to do some off-season maintenance... Is there any need to rotate tires on a trailer? I have a single axle, torsion spring trailer pulling a 19' I/O fiberglass boat. Since I'll have the wheels off anyway to service the bearings and...
  2. JASinIL2006

    So I took my boat in to get fixed...

    OK, I finally got tired of my boat bogging down and backfiring under acceleration. (Diagnosed correctly on iboats as a carb issue, of course!) Got a recommendation from a friend of a boat shop he has used with success and I took in the boat. Got a call to pick it up with a nice, clean rebuillt...
  3. JASinIL2006

    Dinged up my new prop -- problem?

    Yesterday while boating on the Mississippi, I hit something submerged in about 3 feet of water. It felt pretty substantial and hard (rock/concrete rather than wood) although my charts show no wing dams or submerged wrecks in the area. Fortunately, I was only at idle speed when we struck it...
  4. JASinIL2006

    Backfires on acceleration

    My boat has a problem when we accelerate hard, like when trying to pull a skier. When I hit the throttle, about 50% of the time the boat chugs and backfires, and then catches and accelerates as you would expect. The other half of the time, it accelerates pretty strong (although I suspect I could...
  5. JASinIL2006

    Sealant for aluminum?

    Hi all, I've used 3M 5200 and 4200 on my fiberglass boat, but I need to install a below-waterline fitting on an aluminum rowboat. The applicationslist for 5200 and 4200 both fail to mention aluminum, so I'm assuming aluminum boats require some other type of sealant... what do you all use to seal...
  6. JASinIL2006

    New prop for tubing/skiing?

    I'm considering getting a new prop, partly to have a spare on board, but mostly to get better performance for pulling skiers and tubes with the boat in my signature. I'd like to get better holeshot and get up on plane more quickly. Current prop is a Merc #832834A45P23, which is I believe is a...
  7. JASinIL2006

    Do you have firsthand knowledge of an I/O trim failing while trailering?

    Hi all, I've been reading all the perennial questions about using a transom saver/defloperizer, and it got me to thinking: how many of us actually have FIRSTHAND knowledge of an I/O outdrive tilt/trim failing catastrophically while being trailered? As often as this sort of failure is mentioned...
  8. JASinIL2006

    Installing pedestal bases: 5200 or no 5200?

    Hi all, I'm getting ready to install the pedestals for my boat seats. They will be attached to bases I built and fiberglassed into the deck: The bases were attached to the deck after the deck had been glassed. Each base has stainless steel T-nuts to receive the screws from the pedestal...
  9. JASinIL2006

    Shift shaft coupler not lining up correctly for re-install of outdrive

    I'm trying to reinstall my Alpha One Gen II outdrive after a transom rebuild. I've been following the manual and I watched achris' excellent video on Youtube. My problem is that I cannot get the shift shaft coupler to line up straight fore and aft when the shifter is in forward; at best, it's...
  10. JASinIL2006

    Starting engine first time after transom rebuild

    Hi all, I just reinstalled my engine after a transom rebuild. I'm making the last connections and I'll be putting the outdrive back on next. Thanks to lots of help from folks here, the motor re-installation and alignment went pretty smoothly. My question: is there anything I should do as part...
  11. JASinIL2006

    Torque wrench for hose fittings?

    The Mercruiser manual stipulates certain torque settings for things like the hydraulic hose connections on the trim pump. I have a torque wrench with a standard 3/8" drive, but I cannot find locally any open-ended wrench adapters for that kind of torque wrench. I did find open-ended adapters for...
  12. JASinIL2006

    Getting ready to reinstall Merc 350 MAG

    Hi all, after rebuilding my transom, I'm hoping to reinstall my 350 Mag engine this weekend (have my dad and brother coming to help; they're pretty handy wrenchers with automotive engines and such). I've got the transom assembly (gimbal housing, inner transom plate) installed and I'm making...
  13. JASinIL2006

    remove gimbal housing studs?

    Hi, I need to remove some corroded gimbal housing studs (the four lower studs for a Alpha one Gen II) -- new ones are en route. Anything I need to do to pull them other than give them a good soak with PB Blaster? I really don't want to mess up the gimbal housing, so if anyone has any tips for...
  14. JASinIL2006

    Need help reinstalling gimbal housing

    I am moving toward re-installing my gimbal housing and inner transom shield following a transom rebuild. I may be overlooking it the OEM service manuals, but I cannot find instructions for re-installing the gimbal housing, particularly with regards to any treatment for the large rubber seal that...
  15. JASinIL2006

    Recommendations for replacement bolster seat

    Hi, I'm doing a bunch of work on my 19' Larson 186 SEI bowrider. I want to replace the captain's chair -- it's currently a pedestal mounted bucket seat with no bolster (has slider base with 5x12 mounting holes). I find myself standing quite often anyway, so I'd like to find a bolster to get an...
  16. JASinIL2006

    Extra part in impeller kit?

    I'm replacing the impeller in my Alpha One Gen 2 outdrive, following the instructions put together by Don S. that I found up in the stickies. I've also watched a couple of Youtube videos of the procedure. I have the drive split and I've removed the old impeller parts. The old impeller looked a...
  17. JASinIL2006

    How to match gel coat color?

    As part of my '97 Larson restoration, I need to gelcoat some parts of the bilge and vicinity that had to be cut away and/or ground down. Is there any way, other than trial and error, to get a reasonably close match on the gel coat color? It's an off-white; a pure white gel coat won't look very...
  18. JASinIL2006

    New gimbal housing gasket?

    I am restoring an I/O and I'm trying to amass any new gaskets or seals I'll need when it's reassembly time. Is the gimbal housing gasket a "must replace" piece when reassembling the engine/outdrive? The curent gasket looks/feels OK, but I've done some searching here and on the web, and I can't...
  19. JASinIL2006

    Effect of bubbles in fiberglass?

    Hi, I've read in several places that the presence of bubbles is bad in newly laid fiberglass. What problems do bubbles cause, and do they always need to be ground out and re-done? Thanks, Jim
  20. JASinIL2006

    Preventative maintenance while engine and outdrive are pulled

    Hi all, my engine and outdrive are spending the winter in my garage while I'm fixing my transom and deck. I don't know if I'll be able to do much fiberglassing once it gets cold, but I would like to use that down time to do any preventative maintenance I can (or to gather the stuff needed for...
Top