Recent content by todd d

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    blown fuse on trim pump

    Hi All, 1987 Mach 1 Eclipse, Mercruiser Alpha 1 drive. I keep blowing an inline 30amp fuse on the tilt pump. I can pull the kids on ski's for hours making frequent trim adjustments with no problems. As I approach the ramp and raise the engine for trailering, the fuse blows. The controls...
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    Alpha one opinion needed

    I have a 1987 Alpha one drive. The previous owner let the belows go so there was damage done to the upper unit. The drive leaks oil into the bellows, and the upper gears are pitted and worn. The drive functions properly, and I don't hear any noises that indicate immenent failure. We don't use...
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    how to repair gelcoat which was sanded

    The hull is mostly white, with a 6 inch blue stripe below the rub rail. The blue stripe was a little faded and the previous owner painted over the gelcoat. I now have two issues. 1) The blue paint was peeling, so we scraped it all off with a plastic scraper. The blue gelcoat is faded, but...
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    Outdrive:Rebuild, remanufactered, or new aftermarket

    I have a 1987 alpha one sterndrive which was purchased last year. It had a leaky oil seal (oil in boot) and water damage from previous years. It needs new u joint, seals, bearings, and upper gears. Shop has quoted $1400 to rebuild upper unit; $2100 to replace upper unit; or $3800 for a...
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    won't go straight at low speed

    My boat won't hold a straight line while running at low speeds. She wavers back and forth in about a 20 degree arc. I'm not talking about pulling to one side which would be a trim tab adjustment. This is holding the steering wheel in one place, and the boat strays left, then comes back to the...
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    oil in drive bellows

    1987 boat, just purchased this august, alpha one drive I replaced the gimbal bearing when purchased. The uni joint is rusted, so there was obviously a bad bellows in the past. I planned to replace the uni and the bearing at the very top of the drive (under the 4 inch cap) as it looked a little...
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    engine overheated, now what

    3.0 L 140hp gm engine, alpha 1 drive. The water hose detached from the drive and the engine overheated while tubing last weekend. I fixed the water hose when I got home and started the engine. It was a little hard to start, but seems to be running OK. I found pieces of the exhaust flapper in...
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    removing paint

    I have a 1988 Mach 1 bowrider fiberglass. The previous owner hand painted a large stripe along the top edge (looks like my 6 year old did it) as well as bottom paint. The boat will now live on a trailer so I don't need the bottom paint. Two issues. First, what should I use to remove the...
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    winterization with compressed air

    Is it possible to blow the water out of the engine instead of filling it with antifreeze? I have a 3.0 L inline 4 with alpha one drive in Massachusetts. I know I need to winterize the engine. We blow out houses and sprinkler systems with air all the time. Would this be easier than filling...
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    maximum down position of outdrive

    Newly purchased 1988 Mach 1, 16ft, 3.0 inline 4cyl, alpha 0ne drive. How far down should the outdrive go? When fully down, my prop actually points down toward the rear of the boat. In other words, the force from the prop is pushing the bow down into the water. If I held a straight edge on the...
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    siezed merc i/o

    I'm about to buy a 17' bowrider with a 3.0 liter mercury marine I/O. The engine is seized. Owner said it went under water 2 years ago. He changed the oil 5 times, cleaned it up, and it ran fine for the rest of the summer. He went to start it last year and it wouldn't budge. The boat is in...
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