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  1. Lou C

    Newer era Mercury 4 stroke cooling temperatures

    There is that issue (people think it’s salt dropping out of suspension but I think it’s actually calcium), and the fact that open or raw water cooling is not pressurized. Pressurizing your cooling system to 15 psi with 50/50 water/antifreeze keeps the coolant from boiling till approx 265* F. In...
  2. Lou C

    4.3 merc water in #5 cylinder

    In the pix it’s hard to say where the water could be coming in but when I had the same problem it was the 2 front cyls, #s 1&2. The Head gaskets looked ok when I took the heads off but when I removed the gaskets the fire rings on those cyls were slit around the circumference. My thought was this...
  3. Lou C

    No power under load

    Without checking fuel pressure/fuel delivery you are putting the cart before the horse.... gas tank vent anti siphon valve fuel pressure fuel volume I've been driving fuel injected cars since 1987 and haven't had to clean injectors yet.
  4. Lou C

    Wonder if I should go IO again or go OB?

    OBs have several safety advantages over I/Os that is just one….here’s others: No risk of fuel vapors in the bilge A cooling system hose failure won’t flood the bilge with seawater AND overheat the engine (this happened to me back in 2013). The issue of the bellows letting in water is actually...
  5. Lou C

    Overheat on 5.0 with SX outdrive

    Great to hear that it’s fixed and you’re back on the water! Old school American engines are easy to take apart, easy to put back together and parts are reasonably priced. Great for old school DIY guys…
  6. Lou C

    EXHAUST

    Well then you can! You now have to decide If you have enough cooling water flow to be able to install a full system (including the exhaust manifolds) or only a half system (block only).
  7. Lou C

    Exhaust Manifold bolts

    As far as how bad the rust on the valves is, a compression test will tell you if one or more are not seating, so will a backfire through the intake. If so you might need to have a valve job done. Not a big deal to pull the heads on one of these. Just a few hrs work once you get the...
  8. Lou C

    EXHAUST

    Yep, once cast iron starts corroding, you can never really stop the flaking. It corrodes differently than cast aluminum. Closed cooling is really only for a new engine or a reman one that came from an auto application where antifreeze was used in the cooling system.
  9. Lou C

    Exhaust Manifold bolts

    You want your exhaust ports to look like this (when I as changing my manifolds back in 2011, for the second time) see how they are grey in color with no rust. The rust on the cyl head is just from trapped moisture (condensation, damp climate) from the gasket. This is when I still had the old...
  10. Lou C

    No power under load

    You have to make a decision either pay the mechanic for their knowledge of modern systems or make the investment in diagnostic tools and learn yourself. If I had a modern boat for sure I’d have one of those scanners that would pay for itself in a few years. With my old boat I can use the same...
  11. Lou C

    Exhaust Manifold bolts

    With these it’s hard to see a leak path till you clean off the old gaskets. What’s important: Check the sealing surfaces of the manifolds & elbows with a straight edge & feeler gauges you want them flat & level to less than .002”. If they need to be decked you can take them to a machine shop or...
  12. Lou C

    No power under load

    In addition don’t forget simple causes of low rpm like a rusted or clogged anti siphon valve or a blocked fuel tank vent.
  13. Lou C

    3.0 mercruiser i/o

    I knew that the plastic bowl was not allowed on inboards but I thought the metal bowl was allowed….
  14. Lou C

    Exhaust Manifold bolts

    Those look like the exhaust has been leaking for quite a while. The Barr gaskets are good I installed a set 5 years ago and had to remove the manifolds to get at the steering actuator and no leaks & no rust on the exhaust ports or valves
  15. Lou C

    3.0 mercruiser i/o

    The difference is that an EFI or throttle body system stays full of fuel that is not exposed to air between the fuel pump & the injectors. A carb bowl has to be vented so the fuel in the bowl is exposed to air and it oxidizes and evaporates leaving deposits behind. With small engines used on...
  16. Lou C

    Chris Craft - Which should i purchase

    The modules for the Prestolite BID system which they used are NLA, but that can be replaced with a Petronix. However, if these boats come with a Ford marine engine (5.0 or 5.8 V8s) a lot of those parts are NLA. The engines themselves were fine, its the add ons that are no longer available.
  17. Lou C

    Volvo Penta 4.3 GL-A Cutting Out After Idling

    The OP switch is how Mercruiser and aftermarket installations wire in the electric pump. I think Volvo used a diode and voltage from the alt to achieve the same end.
  18. Lou C

    Chris Craft - Which should i purchase

    Also, besides checking the wood/composite structure out VERY carefully if both are Volvo Penta engines do they have GM marine engines or Ford marine engines? If GM parts are somewhat easier to find. Ford Marine parts can be tough to find. Look to see if you can get parts for the ignition system...
  19. Lou C

    Chris Craft - Which should i purchase

    Neither too old and many VP engine parts from that era are NLA. Do yourself a favor and get a much newer boat. An old boat with twin I/Os to me is a nightmare.
  20. Lou C

    Wonder if I should go IO again or go OB?

    As I’ve often said, I/Os made sense when the engines were simple carbed GM marine engines and boat design allowed reasonable access to the engine, exhaust etc. At the same time back then carbed 2 stroke outboards were loud and smokey. Now, 4 stroke outboards are powerful, light and low...
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