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  1. Lou C

    New Engine Replacement - Engine Died and Hydro locked after 5 hrs!?

    If you’ve got a whining fuel pump be sure to check the anti siphon valve on the gas tank. They can corrode and/or get clogged with debris from the tank. There is also a screen on the fuel tank pick up tube that can get clogged. These are fairly common problems that can cause whining & premature...
  2. Lou C

    4.3 omc cobra no start

    Ok on this engine the cooling water is pumped up from the water intakes thru the pivot mount then it gets pumped thru the transom mount. Next it flows thru the P/S cooler on the back of the engine then flows forward to the thermostat housing. The cool water initially flows out the exhaust...
  3. Lou C

    Saltwater eating my trailers...

    I flush out the box section of my galvanized Load Rite every time it goes in the water and it’s held up well. The frame is a 1994 that’s been upgraded few times (longer tongue, longer roller bars, 6,000 lb axle, 5 leaf springs and 12” brakes)….
  4. Lou C

    Happiest Day of Ownership !!!

    If you run out of time you can just dump some -100 in the bilge to protect the pump
  5. Lou C

    Happiest Day of Ownership !!!

    I think some is intended for pvc pipe & plumbing and does not have corrosion inhibitors. Glycol itself is corrosive so it needs corrosion inhibitors if used in cast iron or aluminum engines. This is why I like using the Sierra PG antifreeze it’s good enough to be used as an engine coolant not...
  6. Lou C

    Repair Y Pipe Possible?

    I bought a lot of used freshwater Cobra spares on eBay and for the most part the parts were in good shape given the age of these parts and the fact that this stuff is just not available new. I have a brand new looking Y pipe, steering actuator, trim pump, spare outdrive and transom mount. Plus...
  7. Lou C

    Question on Barnacles in pickup -Alpha one Gen 2

    common in salt water land. Bust em up with a pick and blast out with water hose or compressed air, I would not want to suck them up into the impeller. I spray that area with Trilux II in the spring and paint the drive with 2 coats of the stuff...
  8. Lou C

    4.3 omc cobra no start

    that's why I posted the second book, it goes through all that, how points saturate the coil to step up the voltage and how point gap and dwell interact with that... let's all really learn instead of waiting for sound bytes without understanding theory... Stone age technology that still works...
  9. Lou C

    4.3 omc cobra no start

    The other reason why in this case I'm advising self-teaching is this: you have an OMC drive system on your boat. OMC went out of business 20 years ago and very few shops will work on these. Its not like a Mercrusier where there is a mechanic in every town that has boating resources, you have to...
  10. Lou C

    4.3 omc cobra no start

    All the knowledge I have came from 50 years of self teaching it started with basics you get from manuals then if you can’t get your question answered from the manual then we used to ask real mechanics now you can ask on the net but the net has a lot of mis-information. I don’t mean to be harsh...
  11. Lou C

    4.3 omc cobra no start

    You might consider getting a shop manual and learning All the basics as I spent the last 50 years doing myself! This never ceases to amaze me. The internet is not a shop manual! If you really intend to get this thing running well enough to actually use it’s time to get serious and learn the...
  12. Lou C

    New Engine Replacement - Engine Died and Hydro locked after 5 hrs!?

    Remember these Volvos do not have flappers at the top of the Y pipe as Mercs do and OMCs did. In fact the Volvo SX is ad adapted OMC Cobra design that had flappers just like Merc. Volvo felt they didn’t help so they removed them. Mine has had them all this time and I never had a hydro lock. I...
  13. Lou C

    Towing Boat In Cold Temperature

    As long as the boat is 100% winterized I’d be more focused on the trailer and condition of the tires, bearings brakes and springs as well as the winch & tie downs. Make sure to have a spare & tools to change it (jack and correct size lug wrench). Don’t assume your tow vehicle stuff will fit! Lug...
  14. Lou C

    Happiest Day of Ownership !!!

    In the last few years I started using Sierra PG antifreeze mixed 50/50 with water because it’s about half the cost of -100 and still gives freeze protection down to -30 or so. I use a refractometer to measure it which is more accurate than the eye dropper style hydrometer which they do sell for...
  15. Lou C

    4.3 omc cobra no start

    You set the dwell meter setting on the 6 cyl setting and the positive lead from the meter gets hooked up to the coil negative terminal the negative lead from the meter gets hooked up to the battery negative or engine ground. Crank the engine over & read the meter. Point gap & dwell are inversely...
  16. Lou C

    Newbie looking for advice

    Those prices are high for 15+ year old boats, keep in mind that boats have a fixed service life, and also, certain parts for I/O drive systems start to become NLA after about that time. if any of them have wood in the structure, you have to be really careful, because at that age rot can be a...
  17. Lou C

    Is fogging oil different than it used to be???

    You know I’ve never gotten much smoke any year I’ve done mine just a bit….I think stalling it is important because if it doesn’t stall most of the oil will burn off instead of leaving a coating
  18. Lou C

    Happiest Day of Ownership !!!

    So Ted you’ll become the go to guy for new Mercruiser tech! Im thinking that to winterize these engines you’ll need the remote tank for the fogging fuel mix and a winterizing tank which can be used with closed cooling. I have one that I used as a brake flusher but will use for winterizing when I...
  19. Lou C

    Winterization- Drain Plug Locations, Etc.

    So when you re-start in the spring, let the engine burn off the fogging oil, it might smoke and run a little rough, let it run about 20 min on the water hose and then put in a new set of spark plugs and see how it runs then. I will often put an old set in for fogging then put the clean set back...
  20. Lou C

    Winterization- Drain Plug Locations, Etc.

    not worth re-doing it now because it is fogged, main concern is if the engine runs OK in spring, due to possible fouling of sensors. So I'd leave it be for now, just be aware of this in spring.
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