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  1. JimS123

    Vessel view or gauge

    The first time out with the system I unknowingly hit a plastic bag and it wrapped around the lower unit, cutting off the water supply. Vesselview alerted me to the problem before the overheat buzzer sounded. That night when we got home i ordered another Vesselview for my other boat....
  2. JimS123

    Vessel view or gauge

    After running boats for 54 years with a multitude of gauges. I switched to Vesselview on my cellphone in my current 2 boats and I couldn't be happier. It has everything you need to know. I bought a Ram mount for the phone and installed it on my dash. All the data is in clear view. I can;'t...
  3. JimS123

    TCW-2, use it?

    When I bought my first new outboard (a 40 HP Evinrude Lark) I started using OMC 2-stroke oil as the dealer recommended. There was a Texaco station at the end of my street and we went there for minor repairs and gas. The owner talked me into using Texaco Outboard Motor Oil. I don't remember...
  4. JimS123

    Purchasing 2nd Boat: Jet or Stern Drive?

    I can't say I'm a detractor, per se'. We have a jetski, so it's not like I wouldn't own one. Its a fun toy and we enjoy it. But, then again when she clogs up I'm already wet so its no problem going diving to get her running again. I put up with the oil sucking and winterizing just because...
  5. JimS123

    TCW-2, use it?

    I still have Grandpa's owner's manual from 1955. It called for 30w non-detergent oil. You piqued my interest so I looked it up. Kendall introduced 10w30 in 1953. My abomination with oil would have been as a teenager in about 1965, so Dad's stock would have been from the early 1960's.
  6. JimS123

    TCW-2, use it?

    In my youth Grandpa gave me his 10 HP Merc to use when my buddies and i rented a little tinny. I could barely afford the gas, much less oil. So I raided dad's garage locker and used 10w30 or whatever he had. I finally sold that motor when it was about 30 years old. Still ran like a champ...
  7. JimS123

    TCW-2, use it?

    Oil lasts forever. It's the additives IN the oil that you need to be concerned with. I thought everybody knew that!
  8. JimS123

    TCW-2, use it?

    The pundits say it has a certain shelf life. Certainly it's beyond it by now. If I had an old clunker that I didn't care about I'd use it up. If my motor was one I cared about I'd use it in my chain saw. It's only a savings of a few bucks. I spend that more in beer every week.
  9. JimS123

    Purchasing 2nd Boat: Jet or Stern Drive?

    I'm an old fart (don't call me an old fogie, though.....LOl). I've owned / run them all since the very beginning. I've been a boater for 67 years, and I've owned my OWN boat for 54 years. What I'm about to say is strictly my OPINION, based on the aforementioned experience. Plus, I may...
  10. JimS123

    I don't think this will buff out....

    I've been dealing with a "mobile mechanic" for 25 or more years. He has a house and dock on the Erie Canal. He will come to your house to work on your boat, or to your marina, or at your launch ramp if your marina won't allow repairs. He'll pull it our with his huge articulating trailer...
  11. JimS123

    Submersible trailer lights

    I currently use LEDs and have not had a problem..... yet. Prior to that I used sealed bell jar lights and never had a problem either. I used to always disconnect before they hit the water. My last set lasted 35 years on the original bulbs. Now I don't disconnect because I have brakes and it...
  12. JimS123

    Air don't freeze... RV antifreeze DOES!

    I used to change the car's anti freeze at the end of the driveway and simply let it run into the storm drain. I used to put the green stuff in the boat and simply let it run into the river when we re-commissioned the boat in the Spring. Then, after reading Al Gore's book I got religious and I...
  13. JimS123

    What model is my Starcraft?

    It's a Starcraft Seafarer. Basic no-frills utility. If it has a HIN on the starboard side upper transom, you can glean the year. Otherwise its an older model. Regardless, google recent model Starcraft utilities and you can get specs that will be close. BTW, looks like its missing the bowform
  14. JimS123

    What should I do with this free boat?

    The guy giving you the boat is a genius. When he found out how much it was going to cost to dispose of it, he started looking for someone to pay the expense for him.
  15. JimS123

    Wrong New Prop Or What?

    Only happened to me once. I admit it. He seemed like a good mechanic, but looking back I always seemed to have to spend a few extra dollars for yada,yada. Then, it was an expensive estimate. I crawled under the car and it looked OK to me. So, I went to a Chevy dealer for a simple oil change...
  16. JimS123

    Wrong New Prop Or What?

    Since the advent of ethanol gas, and with phase separation problems everywhere, there is no place in the USA that doesn't have the facilities to drain gas, whether it be a car or a boat. I realize some people might be scared to do it themself, and I respect that. I'm a computer guy myself, not...
  17. JimS123

    Wrong New Prop Or What?

    1/2 tank of good new gas + 1/2 tank of bad old gas = full tank of bad gas. Its like beer. If someone pies in you beer, it doesn't matter if it was a little pie or a half a bottle of pie, you don't want to drink it ever....
  18. JimS123

    Wrong New Prop Or What?

    No value here. If it runs on the muffs at the mechanic's shop (and it probably will) it may not run in the water after you leave the dock. Your carb needs cleaning and rebuilding. If he won't fix the jets, maybe he doesn't know how to rebuild a carb either. (I know very few that do know how...
  19. JimS123

    Wrong New Prop Or What?

    So, the gas just keeps getting older and older. If you're using E10 and eventually get phase separation, or if you're using E0 and finally get enough condensation from lack of use, then the boat won't run at all and then for sure you'll find a way to drain the gas. BTW, 5000 feet is considered...
  20. JimS123

    Wrong New Prop Or What?

    I apologize for jumping in here late in the game. I was just thinking about a thread last year and it got me wondering how you made out. So, I googled your screen name and came up with this new thread. As I recall, when you moved to the high mountains you could not find a mechanic that would...
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