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    Propane Heater in Boat?

    Denatured alcohol was used on boats for decades to power the stove. It was pretty safe as the fumes would not build up in the bilge. Sometime later, the stove was switched to propane. As was stated, propane will build up in the bilge, like gasoline vapors. it must be handled the same way...
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    Deep cycle battery

    Trickle chargers are fine. They charge at 3A or less maximum, and taper off to 1Amp or less, as the battery charges. 1Amp charging will not damage or run a battery dry, especially if it is cold. I would charge it for a day or two every month or two.
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    Old Johnson 115hp: How do I know if it is a 2-stroke or 4-stroke?

    gee what is the model number? Most OBs from that era were 2 cycle.
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    New main battery Q

    Motorcycles and wave runners have those vent tubes. Motorcycles would vent any overflow acid onto the ground and that makes sense. Not sure what wave runners do with the acid. I would certainly route it inside the battery box, or omit it.
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    New to boats need help with battery choice

    Most engines of your vintage do charge the battery. You might ask this in the E/J forum. They will know the charge capacity for your motor. For radio and lights, I would expect two 24 series batteries would be adequate. You can connect both to the engine to charge them, via battery switch...
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    Want to verify that I have the right prop (Mercruiser MC-1)

    Make sure the shift cable is adjusted properly, before you do anything else. This is not straightforward, so I would recommend a service manual. Any idea if the gear ratio between the old and new ODs is the same? That would be the issue, I would think. You can look up the gear ratio on the...
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    Reed/Leaf Valves

    More likely is the carb float + seats are not sealing. Could be a leaky crankshaft seal as well. You would see that leak under the flywheel.
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    Lifting 20ft CC for bottom paint.

    Drop trailer tongue all the way. Put cement blocks under stern corners. Top them with wood to protect hull. Make it a tight fit. Jack tongue all the way up. Transom should be off trailer at this time. Now put cement blocks under bow and top them with wood. Drop tongue until bow is off...
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    1989 xr4 150 that sat 3 years issues.

    That electric pump is an add on. Likely to fix a mechanical fuel pump "lack of maintenance" issue. If it is wired to a relay which turns it off when the motor stalls, with the ign on, it may be safe. If not, it is pretty dangerous. Let's say the fuel pump is wired directly to the ignition...
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    Outboard almost hits transom when trimmed up?

    Unfortunately that is fairly common, especially on older boats that had smaller splash wells. There is no standard cure. See if turning the motor all way to a side will fix it. If the fuel connector is on the port side, turn the wheel to starboard, or vice versa. We used to d/c the fuel line...
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    2003 Mercury 200 2 Stroke carb running hot at idle. New impeller, new thermostats

    The gratings above the antiventilation plate are normal cooling water exits. Only some of the cooling water and exhaust come thru the prop. So you believe the former owner had the impeller replaced? That is a large leap of faith. Do you have any receipts to show date of service?
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    Throttle control options for a 1991 Cobia with a 5.7 liter.

    Newer motors do not use the trailer function. Trailer was used on the older 70s-80s two outside trim cylinder Mercs, and Mercruiser sterndrives, to assure that you did not over trim them. Newer OBs have 1 or 3 trim cylinder PTT units. They only trim up so far when under under power of boat...
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    1989 Celebrity 181BR Restoration

    Looks like some sort of shock absorbing fitting. Maybe it had a rubber "doughnut" on top of it, under a bunk support?
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    Glastron GT-150 Ideal Prop for Slalom Skiing

    70HP is marginal for slalom skiing. A higher pitch prop could add some speed, but will reduce power, maybe until a deep water start is real difficult. I have done deep water slalom starts where I had to take a breath and duck under the water, as the boat built speed, due to low HP. It...
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    Upgrading trailer tires and rims - need advice

    In the photo, your trailer looks to be bent or sagging in the rear. Hopefully it is a trick of the image. Can you put a spacer between the axle and the frame, to raise the trailer a bit?
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    1985 Mecury 75hp, kill circuit

    You can look them up on crowleymarine. The switchbox and trigger should be in wide use so you can get one at many places on the web.
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    Nylon vs Polyester Rope for Mooring a Houseboat to Shore

    OK, I read polyprop, instead of Dacron. I have never used Dacron line. I use solid braid nylon for dock lines and 3 strand twisted nylon for anchor lines. They last decades.
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    Nylon vs Polyester Rope for Mooring a Houseboat to Shore

    Nylon is what you want. Polyester line will rot out in short order in the sunlight.
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    stuck in neutral on 90hp due to shifter on console

    Clean it up and grease it. If nothing is broken, it should work fine. This happens occasionally, especially here on the saltwater.
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    Corrosion/coating on props question

    Don't paint SS props. That will allow marine growth and corrosion, due to the copper component of the paint. You will want extra zinc anodes with SS props. Wire brush/sand them clean each spring. Wax can assist as well.
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