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  1. M

    Building a fishing boat.

    The prop should be matched to the maximum rated RPMs of the motor. Ex , motor rated for 5,000 rpm and all you get is 4,400 which means the motor is working hard , using more fuel and shortening its life . The prop has too much pitch in this instance. You can buy a cheap tach online that'll do...
  2. M

    Building a fishing boat.

    I'd be looking for a 30-40 mid to late 60's Johnson/Evinrude, easy to work on and parts are available. I have not heard one good thing about a Force engine and 50 is too much for a 14' aluminum hull to begin with , unless you've re-enforced the transom with angle braces .
  3. M

    Should I use a kicker when trolling in a 4.3L Mercruiser?

    Not a problem with using the 4.3 all the time . I can't think of one Charter boat on Lake Ontario, USA side , that uses one , I'm sure there's a few . 95% are 305 ,350 ,454 and 502's . And as noted above by Scott D , 5,000 hours is not uncommon on a motor that is serviced on a regular basis ...
  4. M

    Towing friends boat damage

    Last thing I would do if he offered to pay out of pocket, is go through the Insurance company. They don't care who is at fault, at least in NY , and your premiums will go up
  5. M

    Where are the shutoff valves?

    I have never seen a fresh water shut off valve , in-line or elsewhere . Boats I have worked on ,owned or looked at include , Hatteras ,Tiara , Boston Whaler , Pursuit , Luhrs , Wellcraft ,Stamas ,Sea Ray ,Chris Craft , Albermarle , Carolina Classic and even a Bayliner Motor Yacht . No reason...
  6. M

    Where are the shutoff valves?

    Supposed to be self priming , I've had one that wouldn't draw , was never used for a decade , and putting some water in the top got it to work.
  7. M

    Planning for spring tune up

    Personally I would drop a electronic distributor in vs a Petronix set up , which also means a different coil . This will not fail you like a Petronix might ( I've had one let go ,coil ) or the points crapping out . Yes , I know you can adjust the points or put new ones in while at sea . Just the...
  8. M

    Where are the shutoff valves?

    The head may have a macerator pump , which will have a through hull valve , only open when discharging holding tank into the Ocean . AC will have the same set up , basically leave that on , all the time . It's there in case inlet hose lets go , shut it off . Odds are fresh water pump is bone dry...
  9. M

    28' Pontoon with 3.0 Mercruiser Prop

    Cost was not mentioned , and a few hundred more in the boating world is pocket change . Pontoon slipped next to me does 55 mph. Not bad for a " barge " is it ? Yep , he runs a SS prop , told me he gained a few mph over aluminum as the mfg can do more tweaking with a SS prop over aluminum . And...
  10. M

    28' Pontoon with 3.0 Mercruiser Prop

    The last time I hit a rock I was 13 years old and no depth finder or chart . Pretty hard to fathom in this day and age smacking the bottom , especially at enough speed to take out blades and shafts . Ain't happening with all the info on the lake at my fingertips with today's electronics .
  11. M

    28' Pontoon with 3.0 Mercruiser Prop

    A SS prop is not going to flex or slip as much as a aluminum prop would , especially with a pontoon boat . Not sure why anyone would tell you to stick with aluminum. The only positive I hear is ,well if you hit a rock , the prop shaft may bend with a SS prop where as the aluminum prop takes the...
  12. M

    Best Jet Drive

    They are all inefficient . Bud has a outboard with two lowers, he gets 40% less fuel milage with the jet outdrive vs prop.
  13. M

    Radar tower removal.

    "A large twin engine crestliner that's been on the ocean" . So a 25' Crestliner with twins hanging on it that fished out of Daytona Beach is what we're talking about with that description. Without a picture or a specific manufacturer and model it's hard to say . I've found the wiring that has to...
  14. M

    Looking for info to mount a Crank driven sea pump on my 96 454 mercruiser

    Mounts to your pulley bolts , self centering , bracket is just to keep the pump from moving and flexing the hoses . Self explanatory when you have pump in hand and looking at pulley . 9/16 socket or box wrench is probably all that is needed to install.
  15. M

    2004 Sea Ray 260 Sundancer sudden leak

    Sounds to me like a bellows failure , yes I know its a few months old , doesn't matter . Water will seep along the bottom of the drive shaft when water is present on the other side of the gimbal bearing . That's the only source for water to be dripping from the shaft , no water hoses in that...
  16. M

    G3 Boat

    Put a plug on any inlet going into the livewell you want dry .
  17. M

    My 1981Imperial

    If it is a American made Imperial there's a good chance that you have a Hull Identification Number ,HIN , in the upper right corner on the outside of the transom with letters and numbers . The last 2 numbers are the year built . So if yours is a 81 , that engraved number will end in 81 . There...
  18. M

    How/where do I find part numbers?

    Could be the pick-up tube has a hole in it above the pickup itself . Which is just a 2" -+ round flattened funnel attached the the tube with a wire mesh over it . Fuel pump from motor draws fuel out .Or you're off in the capacity, which may be listed ,imprinted , close to the sending unit...
  19. M

    looking at a 1990 thompson 260 fisherman

    They are known for having stringer/transom issues . Tapping with a plastic tip hammer , noting any sound differences ,then pushing in that area if the transom . Any screws that can be removed then probed with a small pick for dry shavings ,transducers , bilge pumps usually get screwed in . Any...
  20. M

    Need a 2 low cost electric light duty anchor winches.

    Find a cheap working electric downrigger . They pick up 15-20 lb lead weights . Drop anchor with downrigger, leaving anchor line on . While setting anchor ,let rigger wire out a bit more than anchor line . Must free anchor yourself , then rigger it up . You can even change the rigger wire to...
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