Recent content by cecho

  1. cecho

    1988 Johnson VRO 225 rebuild

    Cylinder compression is pretty bad on a pair of Johnson VRO 225s I have. between 60 and 90. They lack power and are very difficult to start when cold and can be a pain to keep running so I'm planning on either replacing the power heads or rebuilding them and the carbs. If I get replacement power...
  2. cecho

    Replace lounge seat with something else at helm.

    I have a Tiara 2000 Overnighter (20 foot cuddy cabin) that's setup like a ski boat. It has two lounge seats in it. I'd like to replace the "driver's" side lounge seat with something that can fold up to allow standing and sitting tall easily at the helm, but can fold down to be something like a...
  3. cecho

    Land & Sea Torque Shift Prop parts?

    I love this prop and was hoping to re-tune it to work with a re-power I have planned. 198 HP to 260-300 HP, but it looks like the page I had book marked is no more. http://torqueshift.aeromarine.com/ Is there any other place out there that might still sell parts for this prop?
  4. cecho

    Mercruiser 898 Exhaust log to Center rise?

    I think it's time to replace the exhaust on my boat. It looks like the cost to upgrade to a center rise is going to be about the same as to replace the current log style exhaust. Is there any reason I shouldn't do the upgrade? I read somewhere while searching that the power steering might be an...
  5. cecho

    Replace Chevy 305 with Chevy 350 on Mercruiser 898.

    My Mercruiser 898 has worn out valve guides. Since the engine is original from 1978 I'm thinking about replacing the Chevy 305 engine with a Chevy 350 and replacing the 2 bbl carb with a 4 bbl carb. I'm wondering what I need to look for when swapping engines. I know the engine is a two piece...
  6. cecho

    Both starter solenoid and slave solenoid bad on Merc 898?

    I have a 1979 305 powered 898 Mercruiser that clicks when trying to start. I'm getting 9 volts at the slave solenoid output to the starter solenoid when I crank the starter. When I apply full 12 volts to the output wire while turning the start key my starter solenoid still clicks half the time...
  7. cecho

    Mercruiser SBC starting system questions.

    How loud is the slave solenoid compared to the starter solenoid? I'm asking this because I have a problem I need to resolve. My boat doesn't always turn over when I turn the key, but there's always a small click from the engine compartment (doesn't seem loud enough for a starter solenoid...
  8. cecho

    Boat insurance question.

    I've got some questions about boat insurance. I don't see much of a need to insure my boat itself, but what about the people on the boat? I have personal liability insurance that comes with my home owners/renters insurance. If someone gets hurt while fishing or water skiing on my boat and sues...
  9. cecho

    Engine's first start a hard start after sitting about a week. (No Fuel)

    Mercruiser 898 with 2 BBL carb. After sitting about a week I need to run the starter longer than I am comfortable with to get fuel back into the carb. Maybe about 5-10 seconds. The engine will fire up almost instantly when I pump the throttle once, but it almost immediately dies since there...
  10. cecho

    2 bbl 898 vacuum guage reading

    I was using a vacuum gauge to help tune my engine and noticed the following. I adjusted the air bleeds on the engine to highest vacuum and RPM at idle. The best I could get was 15 HG, but the needle on the vacuum gauge flutters between about 14.5 and 15.5 HG at a very high rate. It's almost a...
  11. cecho

    Removing c-clips on u-joints

    The manual says to remove the c-clips on the u-joints with a punch and hammer. When I try that the c-clip spins around and laughs at me. What's the secret to getting these off? They are too strong to use pliers to get them off with and I'm afraid of causing damage trying anything else.
  12. cecho

    Very slight whirring noise from transom and water in bellows.

    I had a bit of trouble trying to install the bellows when I did it the first time and I'm now thinking I may have done the job incorrectly the first time, so it looks like I'll be doing it again. Can the bellows be cleaned and reused or do I need to buy new ones? They are only about 2 months...
  13. cecho

    How do I find "Catfish Holes"?

    Re: How do I find "Catfish Holes"? Finally caught a nice flathead last night on a steep and rocky drop off. 6 to 29 feet within 10 feet a stones throw from the windblown shore. 25.5 inches 12-15 lb (Rough estimate based on bathroom scale). Odd thing is I caught it on a nightcrawler right at...
  14. cecho

    2 BBL 305 to 350 engine swap.

    My engine is running great. I'm not planning on swapping her out any time soon, but when the time comes what would I do about the carb? Any idea how many horses and what the RPM range may be on a normally 4 BBL 260+ HP Chevy 350 with a 2 BBL carb on it?
  15. cecho

    Possibly stuck bolts on thermostat housing of Chevy 305 engine.

    Re: Possibly stuck bolts on thermostat housing of Chevy 305 engine. I'll at least try to get it out first. I have nothing to loose but time and money. :D I didn't try turning it when hot. I also didn't get it all that hot. Just to the point water starts to boil. Well under 300 degrees F. I...
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