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  1. Lou C

    noise coming from gimbal/coupler area after taking on water

    Water & sand & salt air.
  2. Lou C

    Yamaha with Water in Oil

    Agreed I’d probably change the oil & put a sample of what came out in a clear container, let it sit & see if you find a layer of water on the bottom. Also look for a mayo appearing emulsion under the valve cover(s). Both are evidence of a lot of water in the oil. If not if it’s only a little...
  3. Lou C

    noise coming from gimbal/coupler area after taking on water

    Ok guys Question Having driven off road on beaches for years and done more than a few water crossings (rain water not salt) in 3 different Jeeps all with non greasable ujoints & never having to replace one, what does that say? The oldest of these is 24 years old with 180,000 miles on it. As...
  4. Lou C

    noise coming from gimbal/coupler area after taking on water

    It would be interesting to see if the noise is gone without the drive on. Years ago (2004) my boat had water in the bellows at the end of the season & my mechanic pulled the drive & felt he could save the u joints (by thorough greasing) but changed the gimble bearing. Well all those years later...
  5. Lou C

    Gas tank access panel

    Mine was built with the access panel & I duplicated it when I re did the deck 15 years ago. These can be sealed with sealer to keep out water. My boat is always covered anyway when not in use so it never gets wet there. I had the cover off a few years ago & it looks good no rot. If you have a...
  6. Lou C

    Urgent help - boat fell off trailer while backing down ramp

    Also why is there sealer around the transom mount? That’s a hint of a past problem…
  7. Lou C

    Substantial transom water leak, 1987 Four Winns Cobra 4.3

    Pull the drive & check the driveshaft bellows first…these I/Os require regular maintenance esp the drive pull & greasing gimble & ujoints and replacing bellows
  8. Lou C

    Replacing Flotation Foam

    That’s how I did mine, no holes to fill in the new deck. Laid it down 15 years ago & still looks good
  9. Lou C

    trailer manufacturer picks?

    Agreed I’d never ever have a painted trailer even in freshwater. Just more endless maintenance added on to all the work with boating….
  10. Lou C

    4.3 will not run

    Yep you need to do some troubleshooting to figure out WHY it doesn’t start. Spark & fuel…auto shop 101…
  11. Lou C

    Troubleshooting engine temp

    When the start chronically sticking and it won’t get over 120* F I feel like I have to get it right. Still have the old ones so can re test & see if they are still good. So Chris these boat are raw water cooled, in salt water all that time & no rust thru of the heads & block? I know when I...
  12. Lou C

    2016 Mercruiser 6.2 ECT - long beep every few minutes???

    My brother is telling me his 2020 Merc has the service engine soon light on. I don’t have a scanner for modern boats so it’s going to have to go to the dealer….
  13. Lou C

    Troubleshooting engine temp

    Chris my engine (short block & intake) are original 1988 used in salt over 20 years so maybe I’ve had more rust who knows, cyl heads were replaced 5 years ago
  14. Lou C

    Kinda Clueless in South Jersey

    the engine may be just as bad as the rest of it!
  15. Lou C

    Troubleshooting engine temp

    Well…here’s what I’ve done. I leave a small hammer on the boat. If the temp starts reading low, I take the boat out and get it up on place for about 10 min then let it drop back to idle, before it cools off tap all around the stat housing to Create vibrations to loosen & flush out rust flakes...
  16. Lou C

    4.3 merc . spring starup

    You can pull the valve covers and disable the ignition & just crank it over briefly (don’t want it to start will make a big mess) to observe of the valves open & close. But it seems like the heads are coming off. Any water in the oil? Possibilities: Leaky manifold to elbow gasket let water drip...
  17. Lou C

    Troubleshooting engine temp

    Because this is such a common problem in raw water cooled engines in salt I usually replace them every 2 seasons or so. If everyone promises not to laugh I’ll share my “trick” for fixing a stat that doesn’t close because of rust flakes without taking anything apart…
  18. Lou C

    2016 Mercruiser 6.2 ECT - long beep every few minutes???

    Interesting I thought of the same thing but never got past the just thinking part. With the old style sending units I found that they lasted anywhere from 2-7 years in salt water.
  19. Lou C

    Troubleshooting engine temp

    but does it completely close when the water cools off? If not then that's your problem, or at least could be it.
  20. Lou C

    Question about battery post connections

    make sure that you are using nuts with the right thread, coarse vs fine.
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