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  1. Lou C

    Lost Neutral and Reverse - Uh oh!

    Looks like the pin for the shift linkage broke but question is what caused it to break? I’d drain and inspect the gear oil as well.
  2. Lou C

    Spare Stern Drive

    what I found on ebay
  3. Lou C

    Cracked Block Replacement

    That price, figure on at least doubling your investment if you are replacing the engine, and expect it to be reliable. Its all the odds and ends that add up. Plus, a 2004 boat is far from new. You still have to check the structure for rot, moisture in the air, and moderate temperatures, all...
  4. Lou C

    Bought a new long block and wondering about the coupling and gimbal bearing.

    I have mine propped to 5000 WOT because I think my boat is a little big/heavy for a 4.3-4bbl (approx 4000 lbs) I have a Cobra drive with a 1.62:1 ratio and a 15.25x15 prop. This lowers the top speed as expected but the reduction in engine strain is well worth it. I could also use a 15x17 for a...
  5. Lou C

    Bought a new long block and wondering about the coupling and gimbal bearing.

    That's a big boat for a 5.7, I think the closer you get to 5000 the less strain on the engine every time you pull the boat up on plane. The other unmentioned factor is outdrive gear ratio, there are situations (like this big boat, not so big engine) where a higher numerical drive ratio might be...
  6. Lou C

    Bought a new long block and wondering about the coupling and gimbal bearing.

    The only things I have consistently read that are differences: head gaskets core plugs cam grind but nothing really relating to cylinder heads I think a lot of people who wind up having trouble like that are not propped correctly but are not aware of it having not really tested if the engine...
  7. Lou C

    Bought a new long block and wondering about the coupling and gimbal bearing.

    This brings out a whole new question though….are there really any differences between GM auto heads and marine heads? I’ve looked at sites that sell both and it seems that there “may” be differences yet the differences are not spelled out. Some listed as marine are a good deal more expensive as...
  8. Lou C

    Bought a new long block and wondering about the coupling and gimbal bearing.

    Interesting….this isn’t an issue with the OMC/Volvo thermostat housings which can use a plain old Chevy water neck gasket; in fact I coat that gasket & bolt threads with Evinrude gasket sealer yet never had a problem with the temp gauge. I’m thinking this is because OMC/Volvo have the temp...
  9. Lou C

    Marine Flywheel compared to an auto flywheel

    OMC & Volvo thoughtfully put a drain plug on the PS cooler that would drain that hose & cooler but it is just about un reachable. How I drain mine is put the outdrive down; then disconnect the front end of the water intake hose at the stat housing & hold it sown in the bilge. That drains most...
  10. Lou C

    OMC 2.3L hot idle problem

    Are you saying it had this problem in the water but not on the water muffs? Are you sure the choke valve is staying open with a hot engine?
  11. Lou C

    Alpha 1 Gen 1 Mercruiser power steering

    If you search on classic Mustang & Corvette sites they explain how to rebuild these units the right way.
  12. Lou C

    Bought a new long block and wondering about the coupling and gimbal bearing.

    looks great, everything is very neat and shiny! even the markings on the harmonic balancer! that's usually the darkest dirtiest part of a SBC lol.
  13. Lou C

    Starboard exhaust manifold warmer and inspecting

    Thanks Chris, I might look into converting my OMC/Volvo exhaust to Merc dry joint if the angles etc will line up. I do like the superior design of the dry joint although I have not had problems since installing the later style OMC/Volvo 2 piece units (5 years ago) after using the old OMC one...
  14. Lou C

    Boat pick up gone wrong...

    but did they check/replace gimble bearing and ujoints, may be OK maybe not all depends on how long water was in there.
  15. Lou C

    Boat pick up gone wrong...

    well depending on the nature of the repairs needed, labor can be 2-3 times the cost of the parts...so are they saying, they cover parts and labor, or only parts? any wood rot repairs, the labor time goes into the stratosphere, those things take forever.
  16. Lou C

    Boat pick up gone wrong...

    This sounds like there are a number of ways this can go bad, I know the used boat market is crazy right now but given that the boat is 21 years old, you didn't really have an opportunity to inspect it which is the how people get in trouble with older boats. Leaky bellows = corroded gimble...
  17. Lou C

    Starboard exhaust manifold warmer and inspecting

    If installed 2.5 years ago and we see no sign of leaking from that joint I’d say you’re still good. Another check I do is I replace the plugs in the spring after burning off the fogging oil. Look at the electrodes on the old plugs for any sign of corrosion. Even if you wouldn’t normally change...
  18. Lou C

    Starboard exhaust manifold warmer and inspecting

    I would inspect every 5 years but more or less count on at least replacing the elbows then; removing the manifolds to do the acetone test and deck the sealing surfaces (especially with wet joint systems). If you have wet joint manifolds if you see any sign of rust trails coming from between the...
  19. Lou C

    Starboard exhaust manifold warmer and inspecting

    When the boat is on the trailer the lower side will be cooler and the higher side will be hotter if the trailer doesn't sit level. Even if the boat sits perfectly level in the water (not so common) due to the design of the thermostat housing the flow is not exactly even on both sides. In the...
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