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  1. cecho

    Is this gimbal bearing okay to use?

    I was spinning it by hand and notices what may be a defect. This is a shot of opposite sides of the bearing (rotated 180 degrees) shown side by side. The bearing is facing the same way.: Please ignore the color difference. I have no idea why the camera decided to change tint between shots.
  2. cecho

    Kettering points at extended idle / trolling.

    I seem to remember someone telling me kettering points can cause trouble if you have them and idle for extended periods... like when trolling at minimum speed. Plug fouling and excessive wear on the ignition system is what happens if I remember correctly. Is this true? I can't seem to find any...
  3. cecho

    Does running in very silty water cause any extra wear on the engine or outdrive?

    The water I run in is full of silt. 6 inches of visibility is a good day. The silt readily falls out of the water when it sits as well. I'm wondering if this causes any extra wear or tear on the water pump or impeller. I know props get sandblasted after a few hours of run time.
  4. cecho

    Hinge surface on gimbal housing scuffed.

    The port side hinge surface did not have a washer in it. I have since ordered two new washers, but is this scuffing going to cause a problem later down the road (or now)?
  5. cecho

    Bad alternator.

    My alternator is bad. I'm planning on getting a cheap 100+ amp 10SI marine rated Delco alternators available for sale on ebay. I bought a pair of them a few years ago for a twin engine boat I had and they seemed to do rather well, but I'd like some opinions. The alternative is to get a repair...
  6. cecho

    magnetic drain plug

    Is there any advantage to having a magnetic plug on the top and bottom plug? If I remove a drain plug after 1 hour of use will I still need a new drain plug gasket?
  7. cecho

    New (to me) trailer needs a little maintenance. I have some questions.

    I'm getting ready to take my new (to me) boat out for its first outing in a week and a half. Now that I've got most of the engine and out drive taken care of it's time to focus on the trailer. While towing the trailer home after buying it (In a 30 MPH headwind :( ), one wheel bearing got hot...
  8. cecho

    Will powder graphite lube be okay to use on a ball in place of grease?

    Will powder graphite lube be okay to use on a ball in place of grease? or should I just grease up the ball every once in a while?
  9. cecho

    Will Sierra 18-7268 for an OMC 305 Chevy engine work on a mercruiser Chevy engine?

    It'll bolt into place, but is there any problem using it? I have a brand new in the box one lying around, should I keep it for parts on my 898 or sell it? It's a mechanical fuel pump for an 305 OMC cobra
  10. cecho

    What metal are the water pump housing nuts made of?

    After I dropped one in the grass I found out the hard way they are non ferrous. :lol:
  11. cecho

    Reconditioning teak wood.

    Would it be okay to use a power washer on the teak wood, let it dry, than put teak wood oil on it?
  12. cecho

    How do I empty my black water tank?

    The tank is up front and the hose that it's supposed to be emptied with exits the hull a good 4 feet above it which makes gravity not an option.
  13. cecho

    New (to me) boat has a "whale tail," should I leave it off or put it back on?

    New (to me) boat has a "whale tail," should I leave it off or put it back on? I recently purchased a used 1979 20' Tiara 2000 cuddy cabin with a 198 HP 305 898 mercruiser. It had a whale tail on it but I had to remove it to service the out drive. Should I bother putting it back on? I've heard...
  14. cecho

    Chevy 305 (198 HP 2 BBL Carb) VS (228 HP 4 BBL Carb)

    Does the 4 BBL carb on a Chevy 305 generate any more power while accelerating out of the hole than a 2 BBL carb? It seems to me the extra power wouldn't come into play until at a higher RPM, but carbs aren't really my thing. Fuel injection makes a lot more sense to me.
  15. cecho

    (MC-1 Alpha 1) Removing shift shaft and replacing seals / bushings.

    I have several questions on this subject. The manual is not very clear on this. What's the best way to remove the shift shaft? I assume apply heat and hope the screw head doesn't strip is my best bet. How much heat should I apply? Should I try to remove it while hot or am I just trying to...
  16. cecho

    Are these rubber tilt and trim bushings OK to use?

    They look rather beat up and the inner washers are out of shape.
  17. cecho

    Lower Shift Cable: Sierra, Mallory or OEM?

    I thought I read somewhere one should only ever get the OEM shift cable for the mercruiser alpha 1 drives. I can't find that post though. Is there some reason this is the case or will the Sierra or Mallory shift cable work just as well? iboats.com only sells the Mallory or Sierra it seems.
  18. cecho

    Should I replace my points ignition with an electronic ignition upgrade?

    I'm not a big fan of points and I'd like to get some opinions on this upgrade. I don't own a dwell meter and I need to tune up the 898 Mercruiser with the 198 HP 305/5.0 Chevy engine. Should I just take the money I was going to put towards the meter and points / condenser into a Pertronix under...
  19. cecho

    Took MC-1 drive off boat, Water in bellows?

    I just took the drive off the boat and this is what greeted me inside, what should I do next? Could this just be from condensation?
  20. cecho

    Should I rebuild my carb on an unknown boat or is that just a waste of money?

    Would it be a waste of $50 to rebuild the 2 bbl carb on my Mercruiser 898 / Chevy 305 before I even take it to the lake? I don't think it's been used in 18 months. I have no reason to believe there anything wrong with it other than the current lack of use. I'm planning on taking the boat out to...
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