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  1. J

    Vehicle service

    Why is it so hard to get trustworthy vehicle service???<br /><br />I do my maintenance myself, except rotating tires on my F-150 since the tires on it have lifetime rotate/balance. I carried it in for JUST a rotate/balance this am. Got a call this afternoon that the rotate/balance was done...
  2. J

    Carb studs

    One of the carb studs on my '76 Johnson 85 has stripped. Can they be replaced, or are they permanently attached to the intake?
  3. J

    Rebuilt carbs

    With the help of others here, I have successfully rebuilt the carbs on my '76 85hp and she now runs on all 4 cylinders, which is a huge improvement. Now I have a new question. I'm wondering if I goofed something in this simple job. All this is on the hose with muffs as I just finished and...
  4. J

    '76 85hp, suspect carb issue

    Took the boat out 3 weeks ago and it ran like a top, never better. Took it out yesterday. Hard starting, rough idle, dies trying to get in gear, just like the last time the power pak blew one bank of cylinders. Tested in the driveway by pulling various plugs and found that the top two...
  5. J

    Commuter vehicle?

    With all the talk lately of gas prices, how many people have an extra vehicle just for commuting to work? <br /><br />I have a nice F-150 that gets 18-20mpg, but I still have my old Ranger 5spd that can get up to 26mpg. I drive 27 miles each way to work and the fuel economy of the little truck...
  6. J

    Mercruiser 888 cooling issue - update

    '76 Merc 888 started running too warm. <br /><br />Last week, I dropped the LU and changed the entire water pump this time, new base, impeller, and housing. Also pulled the tstat and checked it, tested out ok. The tstat is a 140deg.<br /><br />Took the boat out Saturday. It idles perfectly at...
  7. J

    Sand/bead blasting

    Anyone do any sand/bead blasting. I need to have a manifold bead blasted. In checking with my local machine shop, it's going to cost me at least $50. For $50, I can by a basic handheld sandblaster and nmedia. I'm not really trying to be cheap here, but I enjoy learning new things and would...
  8. J

    Merc water pumps

    When installing a new impeller or water pump, which is preferred.. dry gaskets, or a small bit of sealer?
  9. J

    Opinion on 1976 Merc 888 cooling issue

    I replaced the impeller and tstat on my 888 and it dow does something odd. When running it saturday, it idled perfectly at 140 degrees. While running on plane, it was up to 165, which is odd, and after shutdown for 10-15 min, it had heat-soaked to 180-185. At this point it wouldn't idle for...
  10. J

    End of rope... Carb upgrade gone wrong -updated with Vacuum test

    I decided that since the tired 2bbl on my 302 Ford was in need of a rebuild, seemed like a good time to install a 4bbl. I installed a Weiand al intake, 2x 1" spacers, and a Weber 500cfm 4bbl that was previously tested on a 302. The engine will start (finicky), but if you let it fall below 1200...
  11. J

    Boat racing fans in range of Nashville-

    Just got wind of this: http://www.musiccityhydrofest.com/index.html <br /><br />I'm almost surprised that they are having this race on JPP, but hey, I'm there! This is a rare event around here.
  12. J

    Automaniac

    Anyone else watch this show on the History Channel? Just saw the one that ended with Burt Reynolds showing off "Bandit" for Smokey and the Bandit, his 1977 6.6l Firebird from the movie. Man it's sad taht emissions had those engines so restrained. It only had 200hp....
  13. J

    Cav plate torque/trim tab

    On my Mercruiser #1R (1976 vintage), I have always had a flat plate instead of the standard trim/torque tab. I'm guessing this was to clear the prop at some point. In my quest to minimize the steering torque of hanging onto a small block V8 without power steerng, i want to install a regular...
  14. J

    MerControl adjustment

    I think I know the answer to this question, but I'll as anyway. I have replaced the control cable on my '76 888. I Have always felt the slack in the controller was a little much, so is there any way to adjust it? The slack I'm referring to is the "dead" throttle space between where the outdrive...
  15. J

    disassemble MerControl

    I need to remove the Mercontrol throttle on my '76 Mercruiser. It is the one that has the triangular silver handle without trim on the handle. Mercontrol is stamped in the circular portion of the base around the release button. It looks like the handle has to come off of it so i can release it...
  16. J

    Projects gone wrong.....

    Anyone else get so disgusted with projects going wrong that you just want to pull your hair out??<br /><br />A few weeks ago, I started a lazy process to replace the intake and carb on my sterndrive boat to finish off its mechanical upgrade list I started 3 years ago when I rebuilt it. I goofed...
  17. J

    4 lug wheels

    My fishing boat trailer has 4 lug 5.3 x 12" wheels. I would like to upgrade to 13" wheels, but don't want the expense of replacing the hubs too. Did any vehicles over the years use a compatible wheel?
  18. J

    Distributor Springs

    While checking things out during my Carb swap adventure, I pulled the electronic ignition out of my otherwise stock distributor to check the weights. They are ok and slide easily, but the springs are looking rough and one is more/less sprung. This is a Prestolite clip-cap distributor from a...
  19. J

    4bbl back to 2bbl

    Ok, due to numerous factors I won;t get into at the moment, I'm aborting the 4bbl upgrade on my Mercruiser 888/Ford 302 for now and putting the 2bbl back on. I already have the dual plane alum intake on, so I want to leave it on there and mount the old Rochester on top of it with an adapter...
  20. J

    Temp sender

    I have swapped my manifold to a nice aftermarket unit. All is well, except I have found that the temp sender from my 2bbl manifold is to small. I know the issues of using auto parts on a marine engine and avoid doing so, but I'm thinking this sensor may be ok. Is the sensor from an automotive...
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