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  1. Lou C

    Are Four Winns know to have strong hulls? Installing a tower

    Boat looks great. Same as mine except yours is newer. The hull on mine is still pretty solid stringers and deck was repaired 15 years ago. Thinking of upgrading from the little 4.3 to a 5.7. The V6 is just adequate but very economical, it is amazing how little fuel it uses. The Cobra drive is...
  2. Lou C

    Volvo Penta XDP composite drive maintenance and replacement options

    From what I have read, you have to swap everything behind the engines, inner mount, outer mount etc. No easy way to do it. Yeah they are selling it at a greatly reduced price because when those drives break, Volvo isn't supporting them and then you have to put like I said, 6000-8000 per engine...
  3. Lou C

    What age of i/o style boat should I not consider buying?

    The V6 is smoother than the inline 4 and is a good choice for boats from 17' to 19'. Bigger than that, you'd want a V8. I always thought the GM 3.0 four cyl needed a balance shaft even more than the 4.3! The older ones like mine (pre-1992) have the even fire crank but no balance shaft, they are...
  4. Lou C

    What age of i/o style boat should I not consider buying?

    With respect to newness and I/Os, I would avoid any inboard or I/O that has cat converter exhaust. These are very expensive to replace, and can have trouble with O2 sensor codes. For my own preference I will probabaly buy an outboard boat next time, but if the right I/O boat came along (not...
  5. Lou C

    What age of i/o style boat should I not consider buying?

    Stick with Mercruiser you will have an easier time with both availability & parts cost. The things that get replaced are bellows (5-10 year lifetime) gimble bearings & ujoints IF a leaky bellows was not found & replaced promptly. If your bellows is changed on time & never leaked you can have the...
  6. Lou C

    Volvo Penta XDP composite drive maintenance and replacement options

    You can swap to regular aluminum SX drives (using used or reman units) but it is VERY expensive. With the newer SX-A drives it would cost even more. Parts alone could be $6000-$8,000 per engine. Keep in mind you would have to pull the drives, hoist out both engines & replace the inner & outer...
  7. Lou C

    5.8 OMC Cobra motor replacement

    I’d look for another Ford because changing everything over to Chevrolet is certainly more involved.
  8. Lou C

    Sea Ray engine replacement

    Yep replacing the old OMC batwings requires an OMC/Volvo exhaust kit, and Volvo 90* aluminum exhaust pipes & hoses.
  9. Lou C

    Volvo SX DP Water leak at y pipe area only when the drive is down.

    If the leak varies when you trim the drive up n down first thing I’d do is pull the drive bet you have a leaky bellows. Should be pulling the drive each season & checking the bellows; as soon as you see any small cracks in the folds change it! My Cobra bellows last approx 10 seasons before I see...
  10. Lou C

    Squeezing more from 5.0L 220hp

    I’d try a 15 pitch prop due to your max WOT rpm being too low. Try to get as close to 5,000 rpm as you can. Ultimately though the best solution is more displacement, a 23 foot boat is big/heavy for a 5 liter.
  11. Lou C

    Squeezing more from 5.0L 220hp

    And….no one elected her….
  12. Lou C

    Running 5.7 without choke on quadrajet?

    I’ve never had a problem with the ancient divorced choke on my QJet. Just like my ‘72 Chevy!
  13. Lou C

    Trim and tilt problems on 5.0L

    When I R&R the drive each year I have always greased that Ram rod & the bushings & never had noise from there. I guess if the bushings are worn & have play that could cause noise. You remove at least one of the nuts on the rod then lube the rod in the bushings and use a socket & ratchet to twist...
  14. Lou C

    Oil level too high?

    I think you'll get a better outcome that way. Just checked mine today for a data point: Checked cold before running: about 1/2 a qt high on the dipstick Checked hot after running on plane for a while, then letting it sit 5-10 min: right at the full line.
  15. Lou C

    Oil level too high?

    Mine has always taken a bit less than the book says, usually 1/2 qt to 1 qt depending on the angle of the boat, I always recheck when its in the water. The dipstick tube that connect to the bottom of the oil pan depend on the oil level equalizing between the pan and the tube and this causes a...
  16. Lou C

    Fuel System questions for Mercruiser 260 EFI Conversion

    It sounds like you had either an old worn out carb, or a carb that might not be worn out but wasn't really cleaned properly which is the most important part of the process. If done right with high quality parts you shouldn't have those problems. I wonder how much of an improvement you would...
  17. Lou C

    1991 4.3 OMC Oil and Water

    Well yes but you won’t know unless you do an air pressure test of the cooling system. How did you winterize it? Suck AF up the drive? That’s no good unless you drained the block first. That much water had to come from somewhere!
  18. Lou C

    Motor out of alignment

    That tool is a must have to get the engine aligned….
  19. Lou C

    5.7 ENGINE OIL PAN

    Before doing anything I’d see if the banjo bolt from the original engine fits the one you are replacing it with. Also and perhaps more important are the flywheels different? Will the coupler from the original engine bolt onto the one for the 2 piece main seal??? Cobra or Stringer?
  20. Lou C

    Fuel System questions for Mercruiser 260 EFI Conversion

    Unless Holley says specifically that this system can be used in a marine application I’m not sure I’d do it. What’s the big advantage over rebuilding a Quadrajet or even a brand new Edelbrock or Holley? Better cold starts and smoother cold running for all that expense & complexity? I just don’t...
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