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  1. Lou C

    Bellow condition??

    When you get the hole tapped, coat the threads on the bolts with something like Evinrude gasket sealer or Permatex Aviation. I have been doing this for 20+ years in salt water and every bolt that I install this way, comes out. It's like magic! The sealer doesn't get hard and seals out water so...
  2. Lou C

    Trailer Load musings

    The author of the article has a very interesting video of how torsions can be made to load share with what's called the walking beam design. No reason why this couldn't be used other than cost. The reality is that the trailer companies are using torsions now almost exclusively. If you wanted a...
  3. Lou C

    Bellow condition??

    I'm not sure about the Volvo but the Cobra gimble housing has a groove in it and the bellows has a ridge in the sealing surface, that ridge has to go in the groove and the clamp has to have the screw end properly positioned so it doesn't cut the new bellows. All that is easier with the pivot...
  4. Lou C

    Bellow condition??

    Even with the soft rubber version it’s better to remove the pivot housing to make sure that you have the gimble housing end of the bellows properly seated on that flange. Also removing the bolts for the pivot housing helps with then not getting seized up. On the Volvo you’d have to disconnect...
  5. Lou C

    Trailer Load musings

    I share your opinion Bruce, I think they’re overpriced and un-repairable whereas changing springs on a spring axle is easy and inexpensive (like $170 for a good pair of 5 leaf springs). And on multi axle trailers they don’t load share. I think trailer companies like them because they might be...
  6. Lou C

    boat trailer calipers vs auto

    I would coat the dust boots for the piston with silicone disc brake grease to try to keep water out. Each season do that and lube the caliper sliding pins. Flushing out the brake fluid every 3 seasons or so could help as well. Despite anti corrosion coatings on calipers the real issue is that...
  7. Lou C

    Trailer Load musings

    In many cases trailers seem to have only 10% safety margin meaning that the tires are loaded to 90% of their full capacity when the trailer is carrying its rated load. Vehicles have more like 25%. If you had the room to do so, one thing you could do is go to the largest diameter wheel you can...
  8. Lou C

    Trailer Load musings

    The single most important thing I learned about trailering and trailers was to weight the axle(s) and tongue weight. Without that information you won't know if the trailer is overloaded and won't know if it's going to be safe and stable at highway speeds. Trailer tires have a bad reputation...
  9. Lou C

    Trailer Load musings

    Get a Sherline tongue weight scale; I spent a few hours adjusting my trailer and got it as good as possible on the trailer I have….5050 lbs and about 420 lbs on the tongue. That’s with a 1/4 tank of gas if full it’d be a bit more…tows just fine….
  10. Lou C

    Bellow condition??

    And….use OEM parts!
  11. Lou C

    Bellow condition??

    I have found that the older all rubber (if OEM) Cobra/Volvo SX bellows (same part I think) lasts about 10 years before you start seeing cracks in the folds. I last did mine in 2016. So maybe this spring, I have two spares in the garage lol. Like everything else for the Cobra. Think about it...
  12. Lou C

    Bellow condition??

    Definitely change it, the cracks mean the rubber is getting oxidized and dried out and isn’t far from failure
  13. Lou C

    Need help: Bizarre Bravo III freshwater galvanic corrosion quandry

    https://boatzincs.com/categories/tools/corrosion-reference-electrode.html
  14. Lou C

    1979 Cobalt 18DV w/ MerCruiser 260 and Alpha 1 - No Raw water to engine

    that, or the muffs do not fit tight enough the true test would be does the flow look the same if the boat is in the water I like these muffs, they work the best of all that I have tried... Also, for impellers and drive shaft bellows, use OEM! Amazon parts can be OK or just junk, those are 2...
  15. Lou C

    1979 Cobalt 18DV w/ MerCruiser 260 and Alpha 1 - No Raw water to engine

    That might work, here in salt water land I/O boats moored in the water often start to run hot due to marine growth in the water intakes. I have to clean em each season sometimes 2x.
  16. Lou C

    1979 Cobalt 18DV w/ MerCruiser 260 and Alpha 1 - No Raw water to engine

    Are the exhaust elbows getting hot? Did you make sure all the passages in the thermostat housing are open? Power steering cooler not clogged? Sometimes the water tube grommets in the outdrive get hard & don’t seal or it’s possible moves out of place while replacing the impeller?
  17. Lou C

    New Stuff on Vehicles likes/dislikes

    That’s one of the many reasons for my resentment toward “that” administration and so they put people in car loans some couldn’t afford for cheap disposable cars that have long since been junked. Meanwhile my old 98 is still running well, needs work still but one of the easiest to work on...
  18. Lou C

    Mercruiser Setting Timing on 3.0L

    Great work! I did a similar job on my '88 4.3 V6 back in '17. The cleaning and parts inspection are important, as is keeping everything organized. I would consider cleaning the carb, I think with your compression test results as consistent as they are now, it should idle smoother. Also, be...
  19. Lou C

    New Stuff on Vehicles likes/dislikes

    Lol My older vehicle faves are Jeeps with the 4.0 liter in-line six. Wrangler, Cherokee or Grand Cherokee. Easy to repair, fun off road and tons of interchangeable parts and aftermarket support. Have everything you need nothing that you don’t….values on good Wranglers are high, Cherokee is...
  20. Lou C

    thinking of a Delco EST ignition system conversion but have a few concerns....

    She’ll like that idea Scott! Yep I have 2 spare Prestolites on a shelf in my garage right below the shelf with the spare fuel pumps & Holley 4160 & Edelbrock 1409 lol.
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