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  1. Rick Stephens

    Torque Process for upper bearing assy Apha1 Gen 2

    I did mine with the hammer rap to loosen by a few thous. Common trick with Merc mechanics. Great question.
  2. Rick Stephens

    oil pressure switch hookup

    From a cause/effect standpoint, that is not a workable conclusion. However, any 2 wire pressure switch should not care which side is battery power and which is pump side. I still cannot imagine finding one that has wires and not terminals. Are you sure it is a pressure switch and not a pressure...
  3. Rick Stephens

    4.3 LX Gen+ Alpha leaking water/oil mixture

    Every seal keeps oil out of the water passages - if they leak, that's where the oil goes. Well, except for the input shaft, which when leaking fills your bellows with oil.
  4. Rick Stephens

    Battery Leads hooked up backwards

    If you think there are diodes inline, then easy to test with a continuity tester - or even a simple test light with battery power. Contact each end of the wire in questions. Good diode - only has continuity in one direction. Bad diode - no connection at all.
  5. Rick Stephens

    Battery Leads hooked up backwards

    Diodes are easy to test.... I may have missed something, but I thought all the diodes were inside your alternator, which you replaced.
  6. Rick Stephens

    oil pressure switch hookup

    Have to read the directions on the switch. All oil pressure switches that I have seen have terminals, not wires.
  7. Rick Stephens

    Battery Leads hooked up backwards

    I'd try starting it. There might be other problems, and no way to really gauge them until you test it out. The ignition switch was off, so possibly the majority of the ignition system was out of the reverse loop.
  8. Rick Stephens

    Dean's List gets another motor

    Sloppy and carefree mixing pistons. Tells you a lot about what to expect.
  9. Rick Stephens

    Can the base of engine work? Two to bolts under engine are rusted and can

    I used 3M 4200 on the outside half of the hole. There is also a rubber gasket goes on the bolt.
  10. Rick Stephens

    Can the base of engine work? Two to bolts under engine are rusted and can

    Is just a bolt. How much U-Tube do you need? Right now you have a hole where the bolt goes through. Difficult part is access to putting a nut on the inside at the bottom of the bilge.
  11. Rick Stephens

    Mercruiser 3.0 - Electric and starting problems

    I'd be pretty confident you didn't blow up the engine. Sounds like you need to do all the maintenance on a new to you boat that was neglected by the previous owner (Always true - people do not do the maintenance required when they lose interest in a particular boat). Start at the beginning and...
  12. Rick Stephens

    Bellow replacement job

    They sealed or greasable? If you can grease them, and have greased them, and they never were running with water filled bellows, then you don't gain a lot changing them out 'just because'. The job is the same and access is simple if they cause you issues in the future.
  13. Rick Stephens

    Can the base of engine work? Two to bolts under engine are rusted and can

    Apparently the transom is rotted and it has been leaking for a long time. All that sealant around the gimbal housing is a dead giveaway.
  14. Rick Stephens

    Bellow replacement job

    Disconnect and remove the end of the inner cable at the motor. Pull the bellows clamps and bell housing pins, drop the bellhousing to the floor pulling just enough of the shift cable housing to allow it to sit on the floor. Don't forget to tape a pull string to the end of the housing so you get...
  15. Rick Stephens

    Bellow replacement job

    Most of the day if you never done one before. A few minutes for the bellows adhesive. Personally I don't follow the instructions - I apply adhesive and let it dry, then apply a light coat over top and use it to lubricate slide on of the bellows. Works better for me than straight dry adhesive...
  16. Rick Stephens

    Mc-1

    You have a leak. Time to drain and pressure test.
  17. Rick Stephens

    Mc-1

    Yup
  18. Rick Stephens

    Sticky Throttle cable? Shift Cable? Help!

    Pretty much no boat comes with the service manual for the power package. And boat manufacturers don't make the power packages, the boat itself is irrelevant to the maintenance of the motor and drive. And many people are not qualified to work on their engine and drive, hence most will use...
  19. Rick Stephens

    Mc-1

    water cooling passages. o-ring only is correct.
  20. Rick Stephens

    Sticky Throttle cable? Shift Cable? Help!

    The shift interrupt switch must be capable of grounding the ignition, but the linkage must also be adjusted correctly. Also the lower shift cable must be silky smooth and not have any drag in it. Additional advice to a new Mercruiser owner: if you are going to do the maintenance on it yourself...
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