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  1. Lou C

    Merc 4.3

    The pre Vortec intake with 12 bolts drained when you drain the engine. The Vortec intake with 8 bolts has a larger water passage that added the extra drain plug in front. I guess these could trap water depending on the angle of the engine in the boat. The water passage in the Vortec was larger...
  2. Lou C

    Merc 4.3

    Compared to outboards? There’s the good: simple engine & inexpensive parts and not so good: sometimes difficult access and the issues that arise from deferred maintenance. Once you learn how to do all the services they need to stay reliable they aren’t that bad…as long as the boat has good...
  3. Lou C

    Never owned a boat!

    Can't really see now long it is here but you get the idea. I was able to get a factory Load Rite tongue with all the holes already drilled so it wasn't a hard job. Ramp is shallow so with a short tongue your tires would be in salt water maybe even the axle housing.
  4. Lou C

    Never owned a boat!

    I put a 4’ long tongue on my old Load Rite for that reason. The only ramp I know of that is grooved is the one maintained by the town. None of the private ones here are grooved & most are in rough condition with cracked concrete, pot holes etc. Storms & bad winters take a toll. For this reason...
  5. Lou C

    350 MAG winterizing - which method is correct?

    #2, just make sure to use antifreeze that will stay liquid down to the coldest temp you would expect. #1 is just a waste of antifreeze, if you're not leaving it in, don't bother to use it. Remember you DRAIN to prevent FREEZE damage, AF is ONLY for corrosion protection. Also, there may be a PS...
  6. Lou C

    Never owned a boat!

    The other issue is that 4x4s have low range which is a huge benefit in pulling out a heavy boat. Here's the NV242 transfer case shifter in our old '98 Jeep, the low range gives you a 2.73:1 gear reduction. Our '07 has an automatic full time transfer case with electronically shifted low range...
  7. Lou C

    Never owned a boat!

    I would: Buy a smaller and much newer boat. A 22 year old I/O powered boat could have many unseen problems anybody here who has worked on older boats knows that. Suggestion: 20-22’ dual console saltwater style boat with 175-200 hp outboard power. 3-5 years old. If I ever get another boat...
  8. Lou C

    Vista 275

    If you can get Barr Marine aftermarket exhaust where you are they are good quality & a good deal cheaper than Mercury OEM. But first the mechanic must remove the elbows to verify that the exhaust is actually the problem.
  9. Lou C

    Vista 275

    The exhaust elbows will be getting hotter than normal because the cooling passages inside are blocked with rust. It’s one of the costs of boating every 5-7 years in salt water you have to replace at least the elbows if not both the elbows & manifolds.
  10. Lou C

    Never owned a boat!

    I have a 20’ bow rider that is supposed to have a dry weight of about 2700 lbs. Fully fueled and full of gear it weighs 5050 lbs on the trailer! I towed it at first with our ‘98 Grand Cherokee 4.0 rated at 5,000 lbs but after a few years switched to the ‘07 Grand Cherokee 5.7 rated at 7200 lbs...
  11. Lou C

    Engine bay blower question

    Add a gas vapor detector to any gas inboard
  12. Lou C

    2012 VP 300 C-A Exhaust manifolds getting too hot - DTC 441 & 442

    Good to know what you’re dealing with before bad things happen!
  13. Lou C

    2012 VP 300 C-A Exhaust manifolds getting too hot - DTC 441 & 442

    I’ve done a few on the boat and my 07 Jeep. The ones done on the boat actually predicted the head gasket failure I had in 2016. It had overheated in 2013 but ran fine the next 2 seasons. Then at the end of the ‘16 season the head gaskets started leaking and let water in a cyl. An oil analysis...
  14. Lou C

    2012 VP 300 C-A Exhaust manifolds getting too hot - DTC 441 & 442

    Yes I still visit BoaterEd and do read BITOG It’s actually amusing to see how obsessed people are with motor oil. I do find oil analyses very interesting I’ll admit…
  15. Lou C

    2012 VP 300 C-A Exhaust manifolds getting too hot - DTC 441 & 442

    Ah yes I remember BTW are you also on the old BoaterEd board? I thought I saw the same question being asked there… At any rate when you do solve it that will be great information for someone in the future…
  16. Lou C

    Winterizing: Fuel in tank options?

    I think people are worrying about this issue way too much. Just use a good stabilizer & make sure that your gas cap gasket is good & you don’t have water pooling on top of the sending unit. I have a 34 year old tank run on E10 for 15+ years, the first start of the season the old 4.3 cranks till...
  17. Lou C

    2012 VP 300 C-A Exhaust manifolds getting too hot - DTC 441 & 442

    I haven’t had a boat with closed cooling so I can’t say how they behave but vehicles bleed out air gradually you wind up having to run them for a while to get it all out. That leak we saw from the top of the manifold is that fixed now?
  18. Lou C

    1988 Rogue 2420

    Sorry to hear about her injury! In our family my wife mows the lawn & I do the more injury prone stuff (weedwacker & hedge trimmer)….I haven’t mowed a lawn in over 20 years all I have to do is keep the mower full of gas & make sure it starts!
  19. Lou C

    1988 Rogue 2420

    The classic Holley look….love it!
  20. Lou C

    Gas turning milky

    In the old days when we had straight gas we used “dry gas” to absorb water in the fuel if that was a problem. All we can get is E10 here and after the initial change over about 15 years ago I haven’t had problems with the fuel system. I dump out my fuel filter each spring and the gas is always...
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