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  1. Rick Stephens

    SWITCH FROM QJET4MV TO EDELBROCK

    The 1409 is the right size. You will have to carefully go through the entire calibration process. All it takes is one throttle range being lean to ruin your day. And too rich just poops out dollars.
  2. Rick Stephens

    4.3 fuel problem?

    Might be slowly emptying the carburetor and flooding the motor. Have you tried opening the throttle all the way when restarting? Treat it as flooded. Was a common Weber carburetor problem.
  3. Rick Stephens

    Forgot plug, part of the club now

    I did my plug day with my kid, winter time, at a lake that was waaaaay down low, so had to park way up the hill. Had the camper on at the time too. Never seen an old guy run so fast and backup so fast.
  4. Rick Stephens

    U-Joints for 2003 Alpha One Gen 2

    Chris, I get it. I don't care. There are dozens of people I know running the 'smaller' automotive u-joints without any issues. You hear of no one blowing up joints. I have been running them ever since the first Mercruiser I got to maintain back in the late 70's.
  5. Rick Stephens

    Question about whether to leave boat in drive or not

    Do like you would a car. Motor is the same. Yours sounds like it needs a carb kit or clean filters. Nice idea to do a compression check on a new to you boat motor.... or car motor for that matter. Gives you a baseline.
  6. Rick Stephens

    Mercarb 2 barrel TKS jet sizes?

    There's three part numbers. Stock is #3302-9058. These are marked 1.65. Always run two identical jets in the 2 barrel Mercarb. There is also a larger jet available to run richer - #3310-866283 There are only 2 jets installed, so probably one or the other. From what I can see the second number...
  7. Rick Stephens

    U-Joints for 2003 Alpha One Gen 2

    I don't know how many people run automotive joints - hint, it's a LOT. I am. Been for years. You do not hear about people blowing up automotive u-joints. And I disagree that marine are very different. Same factories, same stuff.
  8. Rick Stephens

    Mercarb 2 barrel TKS jet sizes?

    What's the serial number on the motor? I couldn't find a TKS for the 5.0L.
  9. Rick Stephens

    Shift Interrupt causing engine cut out in bit forward and reverse.

    I would pull the drive and test the cable without the drive, and the shift shoe on the drive by hand. Should be virtually no drag on it if properly setup.
  10. Rick Stephens

    Alpha one Sterndrive

    Water in engine oil usually comes from a cracked block that was improperly winterized. Unfortunately there are a lot of those in area that usually don't get much below freezing but experienced a cold spell last year. Another cause is a cracked exhaust manifold. A cracked intake manifold can...
  11. Rick Stephens

    Shift Interrupt causing engine cut out in bit forward and reverse.

    When interrupts kill the motor, usually is something wrong with lower shift cable or the adjustment. Adjustment usually only effects one direction, either forward or reverse. Since you have both happening you should disconnect the lower at the engine and manually manipulate in and out to see if...
  12. Rick Stephens

    2008 4.3 ltr. TKS diesels when turning off

    The fitting is a vent with a 90 degree spark capture. You are running rich. Carbon soot stuck to the piston and head, glowing red hot are what keeps the motor dieseling. Need to fix it. Dieseling can run backwards and end up sucking water into the motor.
  13. Rick Stephens

    4.3l electric fuel pump conversion

    front of head.
  14. Rick Stephens

    Outdrive gasket pushing out

    https://www.iboats.com/shop/kit-nut-and-washer.html
  15. Rick Stephens

    20 foot 1997 Maxum 2050 bowrider propeller question

    No, you have it right. His gear ratio on the drive is much different than yours.
  16. Rick Stephens

    88 sea ray with 3.0 mercruiser.

    Hundred bucks for a twelve dollar part is BS. A choke is a choke is a choke. Get one at NAPA.
  17. Rick Stephens

    20 foot 1997 Maxum 2050 bowrider propeller question

    I'd be trying a stainless 3 blade 17 or even 16 inch, get the RPMs in proper range and keep efficiency at highest. I am not sure what brand and model gives best lift, I never looked specifically for that. That is a well evaluated value on many props.
  18. Rick Stephens

    Mercruiser 6.2L Bravo 3 I/O alignment problems

    I am a fan of looking through the gimbal bearing and using the alignment bar to aim it at the coupler. Then, when I can get the alignment bar started into the coupler, I shove it all the way in and grab a 2 pound deadblow hammer and give it a good whack up, down, left and right. This gets the...
  19. Rick Stephens

    20 foot 1997 Maxum 2050 bowrider propeller question

    Same for me. SmartTabs reduced my planing speeds. And a prop with a lot of lift will help.
  20. Rick Stephens

    Alignment help!

    Need to drill into transom wood down low, from inside, as close to bolts as you can get. Just far enough to get maybe halfway though. If the wood is mushy and soggy, you know your answer.
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