I don't use additives in the boat or vehicles. But I did dose up the first five gallons of fresh fuel with Red Line system cleaner just for insurance.
The 50:1 two stroke premix is per VP's winterizing instructions. 2000+ psi direct injection system. The two stroke lubes the high pressure pump...
Yea, I'm spooked now. I carried in land 10 gals of gas for the previous boat w/o problems for 10 yrs. After spinal fusion I'm at the mercy of the six gas docks close by. The closest is suspect with low traffic. I'll move to one that seems to sell more gas.
The crud in the filter was concerning...
Bad fuel was the culprit. Apparently 6-7 gallons of very bad fuel left over winter. I topped off 10 gallons of fresh fuel before launching and the diluted fuel was still no good.
Pumped out the tank, new filter and five gallons of fresh fuel plus a four ounces of Red Line and all is well. The...
Newest version VP high pressure direct into cylinder fuel injection.
I got my Diacom analyzer today and read the stored codes. Four codes indicating various misfires in two cylinders after changing the fuel filter. No sensor or device faults, including low and high fuel pressure and air intake...
I changed my Alpha II after 20 yrs. It was working fine, but I was deep into the transom assy for other work so I changed it since I was looking it in the face. My carefree boating pal ignored his bad Alpha interrupt system for years and had to replace his lower cable.
So I'd say the main...
I splashed the boat a few days ago. Pulling from the ramp I got intermittent single alarm beeps. I noticed a general misfire when at no wake. Neutral rev up was fine. When I came up on plane something is definitely wrong. General stuttering and hesitation with a few more alarm beeps. Very...
I built a full set of Mercruiser Alpha II tools 28 yrs ago. I reverse engineered the special bevel gear shimming tools, seal drivers, retainer spanners, and sneaked them through my employers tool room.
For the rest I cobbled pullers, drivers etc from std tools with some tool room adds. My Alpha...
I had to slip my boat the last two seasons. Normally I keep it high and dry in a marine rail lift, but water levels and spine surgery didn't allow putting the lift in.
Mississippi river back water marina. No current, stagnant water. The gelcoat crud is fixable, the outdrive corrosion will take...
I'm planning on adding a catch can to my 2019 Ford Ranger 2.3L.
Reason is this is a high pressure direct in cylinder engine, like the VP 4.3 in my boat. Direct injected engines are becoming more common, along with the coking/carbon deposits on top of the intake valves and stems. There is no...
Fourth year winterizing VP Regal. s/n's are in my signature.
The previous two times I had to use a lot of force to push it down to drain the raw water side. Last year I had to pound it down with my fist. I don't want to continue this since I'm afraid I could break something
I'm guessing the...
Cute idea, but physics makes it impractical, and expensive.
Li ion batteries weigh about 10#/kWh. The std 75 kWh battery will weigh around 750#, optional 99 kWh battery +-1000#. ...Petrol is 6#/gallon, these batteries cut into a 180 hp boat's max load capacity significantly.
6 kWh charger will...
My previous '96 4.3 LX's blue nylon plugs survived 25 years of winterizing.
Finger tight per @Bondo reply #6. No tape, no sealant. If they leaked I never noticed. 100% fresh water boating.
Every tool mentioned above for diagnostics and basic disassembly.
Getting into the power head and lower unit can get more complicated.
Getting more than 6 hp from a 6 hp probably won't happen. Restoring a tired old 6 hp to 6 hp is doable. Remember the basics: Fuel, fire, compression.
