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  1. tpenfield

    Fuel Tank - Replace?

    Murphy's Law states that as soon as you lay the floor down the tank will start to leak. So, if you can go the distance, sure get a new tank.
  2. tpenfield

    Growling noise when steering.

    @JayBirdie88 . . . . 'Bellows', not billows A standard U-joint may not be good enough . . . Maybe check the bearing size of what you got from eBay. Similarly with the gimbal bearing. . . might be a cheap bearing. Do you have the outdrive trimmed up too much while doing all this turning...
  3. tpenfield

    First time winterizing 4.3 mercruiser, alpha one.

    40+ years ago it was California where folks were moving to . . . now it is Florida. I have family in both places. Although . . . Cape Cod, MA is my happy place. I don't mind the winters or the winterization. :cool:
  4. tpenfield

    Quit My Job . . .

    Looks like I have filled my winter -> early spring months with upholstery work, having booked another boat seat job. The Admiral and I have been wanting to clean out the basement and various storage areas of all the 'junk' that has accumulated over the past 30 years. On Wednesday we got a 30...
  5. tpenfield

    MerCruiser model 496 MAG (H.O.) 425 HP loss of power

    This ^^^^ Hopefully, your mechanic has the computer (CDS or Rinda) so the engine data can be viewed/recorded when the loss of power actually happens. All too often 'we' see/hear about a plethora of parts being thrown at fuel injected engines to no avail. More IACs, ignition, and fuel system...
  6. tpenfield

    Growling noise when steering.

    Actually, u-joints would be top of the list. Worn bearings (in the u-joint) would make noise under load, which is unlikely while running on the muffs.
  7. tpenfield

    First time winterizing 4.3 mercruiser, alpha one.

    This is what I am referring to (below) . . . in that the incoming (cool) water does not immediately hit the thermostat, but gets sent to the recirculating pump (provided that the t-stat is open, i.e. warm/hot engine.). As for taking the AF in through the muffs, Yes, we agree . . . probably...
  8. tpenfield

    Unrepairable Boat ?

    Welcome to iBoats . . . I am not sure your boat is unpreparable, but rather un-repairable. :LOL: I'm assuming you want some advice regarding the engine. Have you looked for used/rebuilt engines? Any guidance from Yamaha on a suitable alternative. I guess you could convert to an outboard...
  9. tpenfield

    Fuel Line handling?

    Yes, conduit of a sufficient size . . . Often you will see 2" PVC pipe or larger. If you need conduit for other things like control cables, wiring, etc. install a separate conduit for that.
  10. tpenfield

    First time winterizing 4.3 mercruiser, alpha one.

    Yes, my point is . . . what some folks don't always realize is the the incoming water flow will be going to the engine (and exhaust) first and not immediately hit the t-stat. So, for winterizing as long as the engine is sufficiently warmed up, the heat of the engine will continue to heat the...
  11. tpenfield

    Battery discharge. ...normal?

    Boats do seem to take a year or 2 to get things 'dialed in'. Perhaps the excessive current draw is just one of those things . . . or you will find the culprit device that is stealing all of your electrons.
  12. tpenfield

    Happiest Day of Ownership !!!

    I would love to have a boat dock right at my house, but our area just does not have that sort of setup. I think in our harbor, there are only a few fortunate houses by the water that have boat docks. I do recall looking at a Formula 330CBR on Long Island that had the boat docked right in the...
  13. tpenfield

    First time winterizing 4.3 mercruiser, alpha one.

    The only dis-advantage of an AF kit is that you need to swap the muffs from the garden hose to the kit. Probably takes only a few minutes if you have it already to go. Some folks feel that the 'cold' AF coming into the engine will 'close' the t-stat . . . but that is generally not the case...
  14. tpenfield

    Gimbal Bearing Science

    @Rivergator When you exposed the bearing for re-packing was there a decent amount of grease in it? or did it look a little shy? I think that is an issue with non-greasable bearings is that they don't always have enough grease in them to start. I also am wondering if those of use who have...
  15. tpenfield

    First time winterizing 4.3 mercruiser, alpha one.

    I have a poor man's Camco Kit . . . which is a 5 gallon homer bucket with a hose attached at the base. At the end of the hose are the muffs. The whole business goes up on the swim platform to get positive flow into the outdrive, etc. The garden hose then just goes in the bucket and I set it...
  16. tpenfield

    Battery discharge. ...normal?

    It all seems like the batteries have about 50 Amp-hours of reserve capacity and if they loose 1.2 amp-hours per day, then you've got about 40 days to fairly depleted battery.
  17. tpenfield

    Thrust to Hull

    I'm going to go with 'transom' since the drive shaft is not fastened to the engine coupler (merely a spline coupling). So, the outdrive has no way to apply forward pressure on the engine. The force of the outdrive is transferred to the gimbal ring and to the transom assembly of the outdrive...
  18. tpenfield

    Battery discharge. ...normal?

    For a boat, it is becoming more important to have some sort of battery maintenance supply, be it shore power, solar charger, or whatever. There is the radio, then there is the corrosion protection, not sure if the PCM draws any power (but maybe), and then the batteries themselves. My boat also...
  19. tpenfield

    142 supercharger on a stock 5.7 ?

    My suggestion would be to check out the marine supercharger kits on the CP Performance or Hardin Marine websites. If you do go the SC route, it would best to start with something that is engineered for a marine engine. Otherwise, find a new lake at/near sea level. BTW - that is one...
  20. tpenfield

    Is something wrong with the jack on my trailer?

    I would just lift the tongue and make the trailer go where you want it to. 🤪
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