Recent content by mjfink

  1. M

    Bravo 3 drive lube low - where did it go?

    Went down and ran the boat a little this evening, and, almost immediately on starting, got a "drive lube low" warning on the Smartcraft gauges. Looked, and, yup, the drive lube monitor is almost empty. My boat is on a lift, and I hadn't put it in the water yet (running it on the hose), so I...
  2. M

    Merc 5.7 MPI low idle

    So, this is the 2nd part of the problem I had today. After the rebuild of my top end, the mechanic noticed that someone had "rigged" my throttle cable (by bending something) to increase the idle speed. He fixed it, but now the idle is too low, the boat dies out at idle (which makes docking...
  3. M

    Bravo 3 screeching/clacking sound when trimmed up

    Took the boat out today for the first run after a valve job; good news is that the original problem is fixed. Bad news is that there are 2 new problems (I'm going to post another thread about the other one). The first problem was when we were leaving this afternoon, we were in relatively...
  4. M

    350 MPI running very rough, will not idle, loud tap

    Went down to take the boat out today and, after dropping it back in the water, the engine really didn't want to turn over (sounded like a dead battery). I switched to the other battery, and it turned over slowly and then started hard. Would not idle, but would run with the throttle advanced to...
  5. M

    What size Garmin (4XX or 5XX) will fit in this hole?

    http://simrad-yachting.org/upload/Marine/Internet_Manuals/install/mount_4500_5110_5500_6500.pdf This is the hole I have in my dash for my existing GPS. I'd like to get something that's a "drop in", or, absent that, as close as possible to the original size. I like Garmin, so I'd prefer a 4XX...
  6. M

    Mercmonitor install on 2006 Sea Ray 260 Sundancer w/5.7MPI

    I'm in the process of installing my new MercMonitor into an existing SC setup on my SeaRay, I'm taking some pics that I'll post up this evening when I finish up. The MM is working great, my problem is, my SC1000 tach doesn't seem to like going through the Jbox (it used to be hooked up directly...
  7. M

    Does dry joint exhaust = no more catasrophic failures?

    I have a boat with a Merc 350 Mag (2006) that has dry joint exhaust on it. I've always (as long as I've been boating) heard horror stories about failed exhaust and then failed engines. This boat is run in salt, but is flushed and dry stored after each use. Because of the stories, I always...
  8. M

    Is running at low RPMs for a long time "bad" for the engine

    I live in an area that's got extensive no-wake zones; there are lots of times that I'll have the boat out for hours and never crack 1500RPMs. Is this type of use bad for any parts of the engine? I use my boat almost like a trawler, operating almost exclusively at displacement speed, I'm just...
  9. M

    Mercmonitor and fault codes

    I'm looking for a way to read fault codes from my 2006 5.7MPI setup (with Smartcraft). I was looking at the Rinda tool, but was wondering if a MercMontior would show me the same info from the PCM? Would I be able to see stored faults and other info right on that device? If so, that's going to...
  10. M

    Fluid/chemical recommendation for various things on the boat

    Kind of wondering what you guys all use for different tasks on the boat (and if there's one thing that will work for everything, that would be great!). Here's a brief list of what I'm looking for, please feel free to add others! If I already have a selection I'll put it below, otherwise I'll...
  11. M

    Correct Mercmonitor and best place to buy

    Single engine boat; I don't need SmartTow but would the gateway functionality. Seems like the 879338K51 is the right part number for me, but I just wanted to confirm. Also, any suggestions as to the best place to buy one of these?
  12. M

    Catwalk for boat lift

    I have a boat lift in FL that's death defying to get on and off the boat. I'd like to put a catwalk along one (or both) sides, and would love some suggestions as to the best way (or company) to go to get this done. Below are some pics of the lift/boat setup. I'd need something pretty long...
  13. M

    Small/tiny cabin dehumidifer

    Wondering if anyone has any experience with something like the Eva-Dry 500, or something like that to keep the moisture down in the cabin of a covered boat? My boat is lift stored in FL, so there's plenty of moisture around! However, it's a small boat (Sundancer 260) and I don't really want a...
  14. M

    Shore power extension cord?

    I would like to have a "pigtail" coming off my boat that I plug my shore power into (instead of going directly into the boat). It's a PITA to get in where the cord connects (it's in the trunk, and there's a lot of crap in there) and I'd rather just leave a little 6' "whip" connected all the...
  15. M

    350 mag sounds like it's missing, but runs great..

    Got a new boat with a 2006 350 Mag (MPI) with B3 and, in general, it's running great. At idle the boat sounds perfect. Comes up on a plane easily and not giving me any indication of something being wrong. However, when on a plane (at high speed only) there's a sound that I think sounds like...
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