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OEM Reed valves do not usually go bad. They may be slightly open at rest, but close well enough to seal. If the motor doesn't idle, the reeds could (could) be to blame. I did not think reed stops were adjustable. They are factory bent to allow the correct opening.

The bendix engages the ring gear when the starter starts to spin. Once the bendix gear is kicked out, the starter and gear must come to a complete stop, in order to engage the bendix gear again, when the starter starts to spin. The rule of thumb for Starters is about 300RPM cranking speed of...

Buying the wrong pitch or style of stainless prop is an expensive mistake. I would dial in the pitch and style of the prop with an aluminum prop. When you have it, then go to stainless.

That is not usually a starter issue. The bendix is designed to kick out when the engine fires. The engine is not supposed to fire only once, however.

The Bendix will kick out and not re-engage, when the motor fires. It is a common problem on all engines and can be solved by tune up or altering your starting procedure. So, pump the primer up until hard. Hold the choke button and crank the motor until it starts. Is the Quick Start system...

The PTT system needs to pivot a bit on the upper and lower pins. Maybe it is binding on them?

Gee, if grease doesn't fix it, the second choice would be the PTT motor slipping while driving the pump. I do not know if that is possible on your motor, however. Mercury PTTs often have an adaptor from motor to pump. They could strip out.

Try the Turning Point in 21P. They are pretty high performance and hold the water pretty good. They are also cheap enough. Different year Alpha Drives had different gear ratios. So, if you get a recommendation on a particular pitch prop, it makes sense to find out what gear ratio you have vs...

I think you need a PTT unit from the 3 cylinder Mercs starting in the early 70s. I think you can also use one from the 4 cylinder 50HP Merc of the same vintage. I do not think the PTT unit from the 4cyl 800 or 850 or any IL6 will fit. The PTT system consists of 2 PTT brackets, PTT...

You might suspect the top main bearing of knocking. I do not know if you can check it by pulling the spark plugs and moving the flywheel checking for play, but you might try it.

You might check the powerhead for water leaks into the cylinders. Maybe an endoscope in the cylinders? Water leaks into the cylinders, can make it to the crankcase, possibly causing the knock. Your ign timing is correct?

Gee, so many negative vibes. Put the trailer up on ramps, like when changing your oil.

A lot of those V8 MerCruisers have a belt driven raw water pump. If may not leak when the engine is off, but leak when the engine is running.

I would not think that waterleaking from the powerhead base gasket area would affect running. That area also houses the cooling water. Is it possible it is overheating? Overheat can cause knock.

To be fair, the motor is just a bit low. If it was up a few inches, and you never plan to tilt it up, run it!

Rebuild it. The kits are cheap.

The bolts holding the powerhead on Mercs are SS lock nuts. They are not usually an issue. Breaking the powerhead loose from the midsection can be an issue. You need to lift 'em straight and with a 250+# powerhead, that can be tricky. Tilt it up, get a flashlight, take a look and maybe it...

The seal in question is the same one that goes in the outlet of the waterpump. It is a friction fit, however, it is easy to push into the waterpump with a finger, but not so easy to push it into the bottom of the exhaust extension on the top inside of the midsection. You cannot get your hand...

Amazon had a new SS one for my Merc V6 for $141. I did not see a new steel one on the web.

Check any cables that lay in the bottom of the bilge real well. On my speedboat, one of my battery cables had a nick in the insulation. That part of the cable sat in the saltwater, with a fully charged battery overnight. The next morning the battery cable in that spot was blue goo, and the...