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  1. Blueghost924

    Mercruiser 260 5.7L in the shop for carb overhaul - got bad news about compression

    My boat is in the shop getting a carb overhaul and the stern drive reworked (they replaced the Alpha 1 shift spool). The shop technician called and said that the engine idled rough, and he said over the phone that 3 of the 8 cylinders are exhibiting low compression. He said the other 5 have...
  2. Blueghost924

    A tale of 2 Alphas...one's gonna need repair

    Hi, I purchased a boat recently with the knowledge that the sterndrive had water leaking in the bellows and was locked up (see ugly attached pic). I removed the sterndrive and set it aside. I have a spare Alpha 1 in the garage that I purchased about a year and half ago from a marina, and it's...
  3. Blueghost924

    Mercruiser 260 5.7 Alpha 1 sterndrive locked up - swap out with 1.65?

    Hi, I recently bought a 1986 Regal Ambassador with the Mercruiser 260 V8 5.7L with the Alpha I / Gen I sterndrive. The previous owner took very good care of the engine, but apparently did not know about or keep up with sterndrive and bellows maintenance. We tried to start the engine and it...
  4. Blueghost924

    1986 Mercruiser 470 coolant leak through weep hole

    My brother in law is in the market for a boat, and has run across a 23 foot boat with the infamous Mercruiser 170. The gentleman on the phone told him that it seemed to leaking antifreeze at the bottom of the weep hole. He also told my brother in law that there's about a foot of clearance in...
  5. Blueghost924

    Maybe leaving I/O world - looking at boat w/1989 200 Johnson outboard

    Yes, after a while of having and working on the ol Mercruiser I/O engine setups, I have seen a 21 foot cuddy walkaround that has an outboard motor I may be interested in. In talking with the guy on the phone, his boat has a 1989 200HP Johnson. I don't know the particulars such as specific...
  6. Blueghost924

    Friend is buying a Volvo Penta 5.0 GXI - what to look for

    Hi, I'm a Mercruiser guy and have rebuilt and overhauled a lot of Mercruiser items on my boat, but a friend of mine is buying a 24' boat tomorrow powered by a Volvo Penta 5.0 GXI powerplant. He wants me to swing by and take a look at it before buying it to see if anything stands out as needing...
  7. Blueghost924

    Mercruiser 470 front engine mount - how to install new rubber bushing??

    I have a 1982 Mercruiser 470, and I've removed the front engine mount to replace the rubber bushing with a new one (part 32833). I'm having a heck of a time getting the old one to come out of the housing. I've taken a socket and have tried to hammer it out...I've also heated up the outside of...
  8. Blueghost924

    Swapping out Alpha 1 Gen 1 transom gimbal assembly with older generation (MC-I, etc.)

    I have a 1986 Renken 21 foot boat with the Alpha 1 Gen 1 gimbal transom assembly (gimbal housing, ring, bell housing, etc...) I have a 1982 Mercruiser 470 as the inboard. I have to replace my Alpha 1 gimbal housing due to corrosion. I looked at an older Mercruiser gimbal assembly...
  9. Blueghost924

    3 button switch trim pump solenoid - what size gauge wire main red and black wires

    Hi, I have the Mercruiser 3 button push button switch (up, up/down, in) to the dual solenoid trim pump setup to raise and lower my trim cylinders. I've recently replaced both solenoids and replaced the older wiring with new wiring, and the system works tell (cylinders raise and lower good). In...
  10. Blueghost924

    Pre-Alpha MR-I Gimble Housing ring worn - GHR repair kit opinion??

    Hi, I'm still working on my project boat and now I'm focused on getting the stern drive area worked. I've noticed that the gimble housing ring has the typical Mercruiser worn area on the underside, which is going to be problematic getting the bellows to clamp and seal. I've seen the GHR repair...
  11. Blueghost924

    1982 Mercruiser 470 3.7L - difference in air pressure with inboard cover on & off

    Hi - I have a 1982 Mercruiser 470 (the ol faithful 4 banger) with the 2 bbl carb. I've finished work on the exhaust, and started it up and ran it yesterday in the boat on the trailer at my house (not in the water). The sterndrive is not on. While I've been making maintenance repairs and...
  12. Blueghost924

    1982 Mercruiser 470 - where to mount shift plate

    I have a Mercruiser 470, and I'm getting ready to re-install the exhaust manifold (cast iron manifold; Mercruiser part 71527). When I bought my "project" boat, the shift plate and shift cables were never connected on the engine, and the shift plate was laying in the cabin. Where does the shift...
  13. Blueghost924

    Mercruiser 470 - replacing exhaust gaskets...use sealant or no?

    Hello, I'm going to replace the exhaust manifold, coolant reservoir and exhaust elbow gaskets this weekend. In past work on my cars and gaskets, I've spread a thin layer of Permatex. Should I follow the same practice here or just install them bare? My engine is a 1982 Mercruiser 470 with the...
  14. Blueghost924

    Mercruiser 470 3.7L - replacing exhaust elbow & shutters and got unpleasant surprises

    Mercruiser 470 3.7L - replacing exhaust elbow & shutters and got unpleasant surprises Well, I've finished up a lot of the electrical wiring, and now I've shifted to the exhaust system. This is an engine I bought earlier this year and installed recently - and I knew the exhaust elbow and...
  15. Blueghost924

    Mercruiser 470 - replace exhaust shutter with boat still in the engine?

    I've gotten a lot of my electrical problems straightened out on my project boat (21 foot Renken with Mercruiser 470 / 1.84 sterndrive) and will focus on exhaust and sterndrive soon. I'm sure I need to replace the exhaust pipe shutter. My engine is installed in the boat, but the sterndrive is...
  16. Blueghost924

    Mercruiser 470 with 1.84 MC-I sterndrive - exhaust bellows still good?

    Need an opinion on something. When I bought my boat last year, it didn't have the exhaust bellows or the shift cable bellows. But, inside the cabin the previous owner left an exhaust bellows that looks like it's never been used. Again, this is from November 2013. This exhaust bellows has...
  17. Blueghost924

    Mercruiser 470 wiring system - extra red wire?

    I'm still working out electrical problems with my 1982 Mercruiser 470 electrical system. I'm looking at my 9 pin wiring harness that goes from the engine connection to the 8 pin rectangular plug inside the center console. Aside from the 10 gauge red wire, there appears to be a 14 gauge red...
  18. Blueghost924

    1985 Renkin with 1982 Mercruiser 470 engine harness - instrumentation wiring help

    I bought a 1985 Renkin that has a 1982 Mercruiser 470 with the typical round plug engine wiring (9 pin I believe). It runs through the boat and up to the center console, where it plugs into the instrumentation harness via an 8 pin rectangular connector (although there's only 7 wires). BTW - in...
  19. Blueghost924

    5 pin wiring harness - blue wire is about 1.3 volts

    I've bought the 5 pin wiring harness to allow the blue wire to connect to my solenoid bypass (I have a disc brake hydraulic actuator). Just to test things out, I connected the 5 pin harness to my adapter, had my son put the truck in reverse, and I measure voltage from the blue wire across to...
  20. Blueghost924

    Tie Down calipers - are they shot? Switch to Kodiac?

    Attached are pictures of my Tie Down disc calipers that may not be useable. I've tried to push the pistons back a little and they won't budge (maybe they are bottomed out already?). Anyway, I obtained them and the discs at a cheap price. Looking at the calipers, are they even worth trying to...
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