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  1. Lou C

    Marine oil VS Standard Synthetics

    The actual advantages with a full syn would be in temperature extremes of cold and heat, most likely the cold is not a factor in marine use, however, heat can be, as far as oil temp. However, if you look at what Merc recommends the most they will recommend is their Syn Blend 25/40 which is the...
  2. Lou C

    Mercruiser ECM replacement?

    The pre-vortec engines also had center bolts holding down the valve covers, my pre-vortec V6 does, GM started using the center bolt design way before Vortec came on line. In that first pic I see one manifold bolt at the lower right side of the pic, and it is at an angle, this suggests to me that...
  3. Lou C

    Mercruiser ECM replacement?

    Vortec engines have 8 bolts holding down the intake manifold whereas pre Vortec engines have 12 bolts.
  4. Lou C

    Alpha One Gen Two outdrive vibration

    if they are grease-able when you grease them does clean grease come out or is it watery and rusty? Certainly the latter would suggest they need to be replaced. I still have the original ones on my 34 year old OMC Cobra believe it or not. They should not feel excessively stiff or excessively...
  5. Lou C

    1995 OMC 5.0L motor oil question

    The Chrysler Hemis have had a few series....one of first Hemis though was not an automotive engine, it was an experimental inverted V16 built for Republic's P-47 fighter plane (normally powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-2800) to push the piston powered prop engine envelope these never made it...
  6. Lou C

    1995 OMC 5.0L motor oil question

    That's why many Americans can't stand over-regulation/taxation myself included. Remember the Beatles song? Taxman? They put it well way back when. You have had some really interesting and cool cars over in the UK, but goverment taxation keeps them out of the hands of most people. That's why till...
  7. Lou C

    1995 OMC 5.0L motor oil question

    When you've grown up watching the like of these street racing up the block from your house (when I lived in NYC, borough of Brooklyn) it makes an impression that is life long. Nothing quite gives you that same feeling. And for years we used to go to Raceway Park in Englishtown NJ for the yearly...
  8. Lou C

    Alpha One Gen Two outdrive vibration

    When you replaced the upper did it come with new u joints?
  9. Lou C

    1995 OMC 5.0L motor oil question

    the fabled "409" was so famous it rated a song by the Beach Boys circa 1962 and started the factory hot rod era...followed by Mopar's Max Wedge 413 Both had the option of dual quads as in the pic above but back then they were Carters not yet Edelbrocks.... heres the old dual quad vs fuel...
  10. Lou C

    1995 OMC 5.0L motor oil question

    yes we are in the winter doldrums but because you opened up that discussion.... efi vs carbs... 1) running smoothness (esp cold starts) advantage efi 2) parts availability and repair-ability esp if you are over about 60 years or so, advantage carb by far....instead of Volvo's and Merc's NLA B.S...
  11. Lou C

    1995 OMC 5.0L motor oil question

    OMC recommended straight 30, Merc recommended straigth 30 or 40, 20/40 or 20/50, then came out with their own 25/40. Volvo used to recommend a syn 30 then they switched to a syn 10/40. Many use Rotella or Delo 15/40 in their inboards, it is a good bit cheaper than the Merc oil. Watch your oil...
  12. Lou C

    New Engine Replacement - Engine Died and Hydro locked after 5 hrs!?

    Imagine the size of a normal 40-50 gallon fuel tank that these boats have. Now imagine the volume of 2 of those, that's about 80-100 gallons. I'm having a really hard time imagining just where there is enough space on a boat this size for that much water to be hiding. Unless by some quirk all...
  13. Lou C

    Mercruiser ECM replacement?

    The casting numbers are on the rear end of the block, behind where the cyl head bolts on, this is a 4.3 V6 but the V8s are the same.... check both sides, this pic is from when I replaced the cyl heads back in '17. 1988 4.3 with roller cam. The V6s I think got the roller cam a little earlier...
  14. Lou C

    Mercruiser ECM replacement?

    PS Our last carbed car was a 1975 Olds Delta 88 with the 5.7 V8 with the Quadrajet. This had GM’s HEI system and the 1st use of cat converters. It ran a lot better than our 1972 Chevy Impala with the 5.7 & Rochester 2bbl carb & points ignition. With the QJet we never had to rebuild it running on...
  15. Lou C

    Mercruiser ECM replacement?

    Wow the restoration really looks great nice job on a classic Chris Craft! Hopefully you can work thru the ECM issue. As far as EFI vs carbs, I’m not an expert but I will quote someone who is…. Cliff Ruggles of Cliff’s High Performance Quadrajets…. “We can build a Quadrajet that runs like its...
  16. Lou C

    Alpha1 350 raw cooled boils and ticks rapidly after short time on muffs

    I think this is why the 'making oil' issue is a thing with some 4 stroke outboards, the water vapor doesn't get burnt off if they are not run hard and it causes the oil level to rise. What I found when I tried a 140 stat in mine was that I had condensation in the exhaust manifolds (found this...
  17. Lou C

    Alpha1 350 raw cooled boils and ticks rapidly after short time on muffs

    Merc switched to the 160 when they started using throttle body EFI, before that if you look in their manuals and parts listings the raw water cooled stats were just about always 140*. In fact I was really surprised my brother's nearly new 2020 Merc 4.5 V6 has a 140, yes it does for sure and it...
  18. Lou C

    Alpha1 350 raw cooled boils and ticks rapidly after short time on muffs

    No worries but I know for sure that Merc used to specify 140 for raw water and 160 for closed. In fact my brother has a 2020 Chaparral with a Merc 4.5 V6, raw water cooled and it has a 140 and that thing runs really cool. OMC and Volvo used 160s in nearly all of there models with a few...
  19. Lou C

    Alpha1 350 raw cooled boils and ticks rapidly after short time on muffs

    Other way round with the 'stats. 140 for raw water 160 for closed cooling. Just about all OMCs and Volvos came with 160s regardless without an option for a 140 as Merc does and I was able to find a 140 for a BB Chevy Volvo application last spring and tried that but the engine really ran too cool...
  20. Lou C

    I/O Exhaust Riser life in Fresh Water environment

    All fresh water is not the same, some can be pretty corrosive, as Merc found out with the early B-IIIs that didn't have enough anodes to offset the stainless props.
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