Search results

  1. M

    Remote antenna for handheld VHF radio?

    Recently purchased a handheld marine VHF radio for a little piece of mind. Switchable between 1, 2.5 and 5W transmit power. I'm never more than 5 miles off shore and don't have room for a fixed mount on the boat so the handheld was the best option. Been wondering if I could attach a remote...
  2. M

    How bad is it? Metal flakes in Lower Unit oil

    Did a pre-trip inspection today on my 1971 Merc 800 and all looked good until I drained the LU oil to inspect for water. Good new was that there was not a drop of water, BUT, the magnetic drain plug was covered in metal pieces. There was quite a bit of it. They were bigger than the normal "dust"...
  3. M

    Looking for advise on cabinet/door hardware

    Have a storage compartment in the bow of the boat (16ft deep V closed bow) that is separated from the passenger area by a bulkhead. The bulkhead has an opening in the middle about 24" wide x 24" high. I want to be able to use that space for "secure" storage so I built a hinged door (overlaps...
  4. M

    Train vs Tornado, guess the winner

    Spectacular video showing the awesome power of mother nature. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azV5bC2br-Q
  5. M

    Key Dilema

    Have the original MercControl AND key from 1971. I only have the one key and no spare. Have checked all the local marine repair shops and searched thought 100's of old keys and nothing. Dealers are telling me I can't even order one from Mercury. Its too old. I REALLY don't want to replace the...
  6. M

    Merc 800 stumbles when going into gear

    1971 Merc 800 new to me last year. Had it on the water for the first time today after following the sync and link procedure. Got the motor to start easily and idle well in neutral at 700-800 rpm. Whenever I shift into gear it immediately dies. I backed out the idle stop screw to allow me to...
  7. M

    Advice needed re tire capacity. I'm at max load

    Finally have the boat/trailer mobile for the first time since I've owned it. Took it over to the local scales and had the package weighed. Van, myself, boat, motor and trailer weighed in at 5886 Ib. Curb weight of the van is 3941 Ib and I'm 190 Ib, so the boat, motor and trailer weighs 1754...
  8. M

    No maintenance free batteries with battery CD Ignition systems ???

    Have a 1971 Merc 800 with the battery CD ignition system. Have read in a number of places NOT to use a maintenance free battery with that type of system because the switchbox can not tolerate overvoltage conditions. Since there is not a voltage regulator on the motor, the battery acts as the...
  9. M

    Surge Guard - anyone used them?

    Found these at a local discount store. Calterm SurgeGuard. Claims to protects 12V electrical components/systems from voltage spikes by "sending the excess voltage to ground". It connects directly across the two battery terminals. Looking for feedback from anyone that has used them. Gimmick or not?
  10. M

    Compression readings high - 71 Merc 800

    Performed a compression test on my 71 Merc 800 and was surprised to find such high readings. Did the test a couple times and got similar results. #1 - 162 #2 - 173 #3 - 170 #4 - 157 As far as I know, this is an all original motor. Factory seals still on the crankcase halves. Is it typical to...
  11. M

    Sync & Link - yikes, glad I did it.

    Finally got around to performing a sync & link on my 1971 Merc 800. Bought it last season but only ran it once briefly in early fall before winterizing it just to see if it was a runner. It ran but not a good as I would like and the idle was unstable. Followed the procedure posted by Clams...
  12. M

    Merc 800 Timing Belt tension

    Wondering how much slop is too much. Noticed while performing a sync & link, that there was a noticeable amount of "slop" in the timing belt. If I grab the belt on both sides of the distrib timing pulley there is probably 1/2" play before the belt tightens up. Is this normal or excessive...
  13. M

    LU oil capacity puzzle

    Have had 3 outboards of different vintages (57, 71, 93) and can never seem to get the specified amount of fluid into the LU when performing an oil change. For example, the spec for my 1971 Merc 800 is 21oz. Can only get 16oz in before it starts pouring out the vent hole. The other motors were...
  14. M

    Not everyone is cut out to host a fishing show

    This is hilarious. Not sure if its staged or real takes from filming the show but funny none the less. Enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqe5tjfrR_4
  15. M

    Power Trim unit compatibility 1976 70hp Evinrude

    Trying to help out a friend who has problems with his PTT unit. The fittings where the hoses screw into the pump have completely disintegrated so the unit has to be replaced. Wondering what years and models would be compatible with the 1976 70hp 3 cyl model. Is it possible to just replace the...
  16. M

    Merc Thunderbolt ignition kill switch install

    Pretty sure I've got this right but would feel better getting some confirmation from the experts. 1971 Merc 800 80hp with battery CDI ignition. I plan on running the ignition key switched +12V (white wire) thru the kill switch then back to the harness then to the switchbox. I've studied the...
  17. M

    Replacing bow eye (finished)

    Had a broken bow eye to replace on a 16ft fiberglass V hull so bought a replacement S/S "U" bolt type. The old single bolt eye came out easy but when I drilled new holes for the "U" style eye, I found dry rotted wood. From the inside I found that the wooden backing block was encased in...
  18. M

    Tubes in small trailer tires ?

    Have not seen this subject discussed before. What is the advantage, if any, of installing an inner tube in a small sized tire? I have 5.7x8 load range "C" tires. Have not seen a tube used in auto tires for a looooong time but happened across them in the store today for the small tires and got...
  19. M

    Axle capacity 1" spindle

    Have searched for info on axle capacity for 1" spindles but found nothing. Anyone know for certain what the load rating is for 1" spindle size?
  20. M

    Battery mount question

    Trying to get this boat finished and one of the last things to look at is getting the battery in place. 1970 16ft deep V fiberglass runabout. Floor is plywood(?) covered in fiberglass. Plan on placing the battery under the splashwell in the rear of the boat on the port side. This boat is new...
Top