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    Bad alternator???

    5.7L mercruiser, ran fine in the drive way on the hose two weekends in a row. Put it in the lake today and almost didn't start like the battery was dead. Finally started up and noticed the voltmeter only reading 9 or 10 volts if that. Ran at 2000 rpm for about 5 minutes to charge the battery but...
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    5.7L mercruiser RPM fluctuates at idle

    Cranked up the mercruiser this past weekend and have an issue I've never seen before. After warming up the RPM's at idle ramp up and down between 600 to 1000 back and forth. I shot a video of the tach but don't know how to post it. I'm guessing it's a carb adjustment. Maybe idle screws or...
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    floor / deck access panel, how best to seal?

    I did a complete restore on my ski boat about 5 years ago. Brand new deck, fiberglassed MDO plywood, new expansion foam, and I had a brand new aluminum fuel tank fabriacated. I installed the new deck completly solid without any access panels to the below equipment (I figured I'd never need to...
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    5.7L Mercruiser Rochester Quadrajet flooding with fuel

    Just cranking the engine with the throttle in neutral position completely floods the carb with fuel to the point it drips down on the intake manifold. I have no idea what is going on. I bought the carb new about 5 years ago. Never had any trouble with it. Someone suggested that the needle valve...
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    bad ignition module???

    1984 5.7L mercruiser, ran fine in the drive way before going to the lake. Cranked up just fine at the lake. Motored out about 50 yards and it began to spit and sputter really bad, then stalled. It dieselled really bad after stalling. It has never dieselled before. Never would start again but...
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    5.7L electric choke question

    I replaced my carburetor a few years back and when I did I ordered it with the electric choke, which was an upgrade to the old style heat spring connected to the manifold that it had before. Once I got it adjusted correctly it has worked perfectly for the past few years. This summer I started...
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    1984 5.7L Alpha One outdrive leaking drive oil around drive shaft

    I wasn't sure how to search for this. While winterizing my 1984 5.7L Alpha One today, I noticed distinctive green outdrive gear lube oozing into the bilge from the drive shaft hole in the transom. I'm guessing I have a drive seal leaking that requires replacement? Surely someone has seen this...
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    1984 5.7L thunderbolt 4 timing chain question

    I've spent a lot of time troubleshooting a bad hesitation, low engine vacuum, low WOT, and some backfire problem. Engine has new heads, new ignition sensor, and fully tuned Qjet. A friend suggested it could be a timing issue. I have the timing set right at 8* BTDC as it is supposed to be...
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    Mercruiser 5.7L distributor sensor question

    I'm just going over things on my 1984 5.7 Mercruiser just prepping for Spring. I noticed inside the distributor the advance sensor is rusty looking. I tried to remove it for cleaning but it appears the shaft must be removed before the sensor can be taken out. I'm just wondering if the sensor...
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    1984 5.7L heads are cracked, repair options

    This is a follow up to an earlier thread. I started a new one since now I know my problem and want to discuss repair options. After pulling my heads to diagnose a high leak down rate, I determined that I have cracked exhaust seats on both heads. The last 3 digits of the cast number is 664. After...
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    cylinder leak down test help

    1984 Mercruiser 5.7L. I keep finding small amounts of water on the #7 spark plug. Have replaced risers and leak tested exhaust manifolds so I'm fairly confident it's not coming in from the exhaust circuit. I'm doing a leak down test on that cylinder today. I'm not sure when its at top dead...
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    5.7L is my head gasket blown?

    I noticed last year a drop of clear water, as well as rust, on the end of the port rear spark plug (#7). I replaced my risers, and leak tested my exhaust manifolds. Again this year I see the same clear drop of water on the electrode of that same plug. All other plugs look good. Could this be a...
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    1984 5.7L Mercruiser 260 w/ quadrajet carb hesitation on take off

    Our 19' ski boat developed a hesitation on take off last year. I've tried all summer to correct it with little success. I could use some pointers I guess. From idle when I first push the accellerator the engine initially takes off for maybe a second, then "stumbles" or "stutter" for a couple of...
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    Quadrajet idle fuel/air screw settings on 5.7L engine

    I remember reading a good thread about this but can't seem to locate it now. Using a tach and vacuum gauge it appears my optimum settings are with the screws backed out about 3.5 turns. But I seem to recall a thread that indicated 2 to 2.5 turns is where it should be for a 5.7L engine. Can...
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    Thunder Bolt IV ignition timing question

    I have a 1984 5.7L 260HP mercruiser (mcm260 I think). The previous owner upgraded the ignition to the Thunder Bolt IV electronic system. The manual calls for setting the timing at 8 degrees BTDC and to simply point and shoot the light at idle speed. I'm a bit confused because I've been told by...
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    want to learn how to do upholstery work

    I have a couple of seat cushions that the seems are starting to separate on that I'd like to restore. Also, I'd like to make a new custom cushion to connect the two front seats in the open bow together, so that the seat cushions "wrap" around the entire open bow. Now it just has two separate...
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    keel repair / guard

    would there be anything wrong with coating the worn keel really well with polyester resin and then put a keel gaurd over it?
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    non-carpet floor coatings and how they feel to your feet

    I'm about to coat the newly installed deck in our family ski boat. I have been planning to use Durabak, as FriscoBoater did on one of his well documented restore jobs. My only hesitation is my concern about how it will feel to our feet. Is it too ruff, or does it get too hot? I don't want to put...
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    screw spacing on new deck

    I'm close to being ready to screw down my new deck and I'm wondering what spacing I should have between the screws. The originals were so far gone its kinda hard to tell from them. I was thinking about somewhere between 12" and 16". How does that sound?
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    PVC pipe insert into limber holes, how best to seal

    I didn't get any response in my restoration thread so I'll try again here. I'm going to prep my stingers now for the new deck. I will use 3M 5200 to seal all the old screw holes and then coat the tops with epoxy just so they are sealed up good. I will be installing PVC pipe inserts into my new...
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