Recent content by mainexile

  1. mainexile

    Mercruiser 470 (1977) Thermostat Gasket

    Hello all. Been a while since my last post. Have a 1977 Mercruiser 470 with closed cooling that I'm replacing the thermostat on. Does the thermostat sit in the recess of the housing with only one gasket on top of it between the thermostat housing and the coolant reservoir? Some kits have...
  2. mainexile

    Fuel gage pegs low after replacing bilge pump

    Basics: 1978 Grady White Pacer 174 w/ Mercruiser 470. My bilge pump died and I replaced it with a new Shoreline Marine 800 GPH. I connected the wires from the pump to the same connections as the old one, and it worked as advertised. However, after installing and connecting it, my fuel gage now...
  3. mainexile

    Probably a dumb question

    In this day and age when we have the technology to send vehicles to the bottom of the deepest parts of the oceans or into outer space beyond our solar system, why can't boat manufacturers employ materials that are impervious (or nearly so) to water intrusion and damage? I realize that the...
  4. mainexile

    Osmotic blistering

    1978 GW Pacer bowrider, Mercruiser 470 I/O. Last Fall I hauled my boat from the lake only to discover extensive osmotic blistering over much of the hull below the waterline. I took the boat to a restoration expert a couple of hours away, and he said that he would store it over the Winter and...
  5. mainexile

    Boat Cover Dilemma

    This spring, I bought a semi-custom Carver cover for my 78 Grady White 17' Pacer 174 bowrider with a Mercruiser 470 (yeah, I know). The cover has an elasticized band around the perimeter and it has loops and straps for trailering. The boat is docked during the summer, so the straps are not...
  6. mainexile

    Quirky Alternator

    '77 Mercruiser 470 (yeah, I know) with the aftermarket alternator installed. Whenever I start the engine, I have to bring the RPMs above 2000 in order for the alternator to begin charging. Once I do that, the alternator reads good no matter what RPM level I'm at. This happens every time I...
  7. mainexile

    Power Tilt System Leak

    I finally got my 78 GW Pacer (Mercruiser 470) in the water Saturday after it spent 5 weeks in a shop having all sorts of engine/OD service (I'm no longer physically capable of doing the heavy stuff:blue:). Took the wife out on Saturday for her (wife's) maiden voyage on a local lake and the boat...
  8. mainexile

    Gelcoat restoration

    Met yesterday with a marine surveyor to have him check out my '78 GW 174 M/C 470 that has been stored since 2007. Hull, transom, stringers all check out OK, so I'll probably proceed with a repower. The Gelcoat is well oxidized, and I'm looking for opinions on which route to take to restore it...
  9. mainexile

    Back (finally) for more advice

    Hey all, I was a somewhat regular on this board in '07 until I received a kidney transplant. Still have the '77 GW 174 (Pacer) with the Mercruiser 470 that uses a Ford 230 (460 cut in half) engine. Now that I've finally recovered somewhat (physically and financially) from the surgery, I'm...
  10. mainexile

    Boater gets prison

    This case began last summer. It's finally over. http://www.sunjournal.com/story/291500-3/LewistonAuburn/Boater_gets_prison/
  11. mainexile

    John Prine

    Just got home from seeing John Prine in concert - one of the items on my bucket list. What a show!! He still sounds just like he did 40 years ago. An incredible talent. If you have the chance to see him, you won't regret it.;):)
  12. mainexile

    A fishing trip to remember

    I believe that it was the summer of 1957; I was seven years old. My older brothers aged 10 and 13 respectively and I were terrorizing our little sister and others in the neighborhood. And our mother was reaching the end of her patience. So she strongly "suggested" that our father should take...
  13. mainexile

    Sources of evil

    I don't pretend to be holier-than-thou, and I certainly pulled my share of pranks and practical jokes in earlier days. But after reading the post below about spikes in the lake, I started thinking about what might cause a person to do such a vile thing. Where do they learn things like that...
  14. mainexile

    Aluminum Hull Boats

    The other day I saw an ad in Craigslist for a Crestliner 17' fishing boat. The seller went to great lengths to extoll the virtues of Crestliner's design versus other aluminum hull boats such as Lund, Smokercraft, etc. Does anyone out there know if, in fact, Crestliners are really superior to...
  15. mainexile

    Boat Covers

    I'm looking at buying a new boat cover for my GW 17.5 Bowrider I/O. I've looked at the Westland and Enduracover. Any suggestions? Also, is a "trailerable" cover still useable at mooring?:confused:
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