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  1. Lou C

    1989 vs 2008 4.3 differences

    Yep that recessed hex head plug is the drain. Knew it had to be there! Good you have closed cooling already.
  2. Lou C

    1989 vs 2008 4.3 differences

    this concerns me because I question how the port side of the block could fully drain without a drain on that side. There is a boss machined there that on some engines you might find a knock sensor screwed in and that might have to be removed to drain it. I'd look closer and would be really...
  3. Lou C

    SX outdrive stuck or was now broke :(

    The good news is once you get it fixed, if you are going to keep the boat as long as you remove it at the end of each season it will come off. Just be aware of developing problems esp noises from the area right behind the coupler. I’m sure that this was a failure of the bellows which rusted the...
  4. Lou C

    Single point drain winterization

    with a heat exchanger it is easier to drain. one drain on the H/E. raw water intake hose gets drained, manifolds and/or elbows get drained.
  5. Lou C

    Single point drain winterization

    while that is true, it is so much easier to winterize it with the tank full of AF you really don't have an excuse to leave it full of water!
  6. Lou C

    OMC Cobra 5.0 lower unit oil question

    I've read a few things but its apparently related to how the oil flows from the lower unit up into the upper gear housing. Anyway I've had this one almost 20 years and never had a problem doing it by the book.
  7. Lou C

    Ford carb 460 Octane?

    What manual said to use leaded gas? Must be a REALLY OLD one! I have an original OMC owners and shop manual, they used the Ford 460 for a few years, and they said to use 89. just to be on the safe side I'd use 89 though where I am the gas docks sell only 93. Overkill but you'll never have...
  8. Lou C

    SX outdrive stuck or was now broke :(

    This is what comes back to bite I/O owners who don't do the maintenance. To be fair though it happens on outboards too, if you have to replace an impeller and the lower unit has never been dropped.
  9. Lou C

    Single point drain winterization

    that's true, the time to do it is when you repower. That's why I keep saying it should be STANDARD. On a $50,000 new boat, they could include this don't you think? People pay more than what closed cooling costs for all kinds of un-needed junk. If it were standard, people across the South would...
  10. Lou C

    OMC Cobra 5.0 lower unit oil question

    right Hugh has got it, drain from the bottom most hole, replace drain plug, fill from middle hole with the dipstick just resting in the top hole, not screwed in so air can escape. When its full on the dipstick thread it in then remove the pump and replace your fill plug, threading in the...
  11. Lou C

    Single point drain winterization

    we don't know exactly how it's plumbed because most of us have older boats that did not have this system. However, anyone who has had any experience with winterizing cast iron engines, knows that when cast iron rusts (and fresh water guys yes it rusts in fresh water too) it flakes off unlike...
  12. Lou C

    Broken serpentine belt

    Also wondering if the bearing for your seawater pump could be starting to seize up. The natural resistance of the impeller blades could mask that I guess.
  13. Lou C

    Broken serpentine belt

    Get an accurate straight edge like a level and lay it across the faces of the pulleys to check for proper alignment, make sure none of the brackets are bent.
  14. Lou C

    Temperature Fluctuates - 2015 350 mag mpi ec

    Get an IR temp gun no need to burn fingers etc. My OMC/Volvo center riser exhaust runs at a cool 100* at idle and a max of 135* after coming off plane, I'm not sure what's normal for that Merc system.
  15. Lou C

    New Mercruiser 5.7 with oil/water mixing

    If there was never an overheat, it is possible that the engine itself did not overheat but the exhaust was overheating. You said that there was water in the oil but it was not milky but black. Water in the oil makes it look coffee colored, not dark. You also said that you didn't have water in a...
  16. Lou C

    Temperature Fluctuates - 2015 350 mag mpi ec

    So I guess they are cast iron not aluminum alloy then lol! Normal pre cat exhaust is about 50 lbs per side
  17. Lou C

    Leaking still after bellows replacement. Help please

    also yours being a 1994, that is the joint venture model that is the same as a Volvo, so the parts issues and mechanics not wanting to do work on them doesn't really apply, for what its worth. Same as a Volvo SX
  18. Lou C

    Leaking still after bellows replacement. Help please

    that you won't know unless you pull the drive and look inside the bellows.
  19. Lou C

    Leaking still after bellows replacement. Help please

    Yep agreed, while many do like sterndrives if you see how complex the once simple engines have become; with all the same designed in draw backs they always had, (ie a pain to winterize, poor access for repairs, bellows leaks cause expensive damage, fuel vapor concerns in the bilge & explosion...
  20. Lou C

    Temperature Fluctuates - 2015 350 mag mpi ec

    Ok I’m not familiar with this new fangeled Merc cooling system with the quick drain and all the extra hoses to do the same thing normal drain plugs and only 5 or so hoses and no plastic stuff to crack would do, but: Remember any raw water cooled system is not pressurized and depends on a good...
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