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  1. SSTKO81

    Say it ain’t the transom!

    I’m really not sure what to make of this. Running on the muffs in the driveway I have what appears to be water dripping down the transom. I checked around hoses and the exhaust and didn’t see any signs of water. In theory that should be the only place water could be coming from unless there’s...
  2. SSTKO81

    Tachometer bouncing

    1981 SeaSprite Mercruiser 140 with Alpha drive, converted from points to EST two years ago. Recently when I get RPMs over 1800 the tach will begin bouncing as it works its way up to 4K. Simultaneously there is a rattling noise almost like valve train heard from the engine. (Possibly unrelated?)...
  3. SSTKO81

    Chattering in out drive

    Well its that time of year again. And no time like the present to find out what's going to fail this year... Luckily this time it showed its ugly face before I got on the water. While testing the motor for the first time on the muffs this season, it started and ran beautifully for about a...
  4. SSTKO81

    Looking for oil drain hose

    Good afternoon, I’m trying to find an oil drain hose kit that will make my oil changes an easier, cleaner job. I see the kits offered on line and even in Oreillys but I’m not confident in what fits my engine so I don’t want to buy the wrong part. Mine is a 1981 sea sprite with a mercruiser 140...
  5. SSTKO81

    Outdrive leaking oil

    Good afternoon everyone. I had the boat out at the lake this weekend and it ran very well yesterday but this morning acted did like it had a pretty bad misfire to the point that it actually died on me a few times while coming back to the dock. I found that there was a spark plug wire that had a...
  6. SSTKO81

    Need second battery pointers

    I'm installing a second battery ("house battery") in my '81 SeaSprite w/ Mercruiser 140. I'd like to use that second battery to basically run everything but the starter and ignition system. Meaning all pumps, blower, lights, radio, fish finder, ect. I was hoping I could just move the red/purple...
  7. SSTKO81

    Sea Sprite Hull Flex

    Hello folks, I took the ol ‘81 Sea Sprite out on a nice long run over the weekend over some fairly rough water and it felt like the whole thing was coming apart around me. The dash boards flexed so much that the center windshield fell in and got wedged between the port and starboard wind...
  8. SSTKO81

    140 getting warm at 3K

    Took my boat out today for its first trip in nearly 3 years. All went pretty well as it idled out of the cove at 1500 RPM sounding very healthy. Good temp, oil pres, voltage etc. I decided to goose it to about 3K and it was doing fine then suddenly began gaining RPMs on its own. -slowly, nothing...
  9. SSTKO81

    Shift rod sitting too low

    Good morning sailors! I've got my boat just about ready for her first summer outing, but I'm trying to solve one more mystery. I had replaced the lower shift cable and bellows and put everything back together and it seemed to be working well EXCEPT that it was getting stuck in forward gear. Come...
  10. SSTKO81

    Is an old drive worth the repairs

    1981 SeaSprite 140 with the original (I believe) pre-alpha still hanging on the transom. Pulled it yesterday to replace a damaged lower shift cable and the whole drive bellows was full of gear oil. My immediate assumption is that the upper driveshaft seal finally gave up. It looks like I can...
  11. SSTKO81

    Electronic ignition Delco Est

    Good afternoon boys and girls! The time has come to replace my distributor (worn bushings) and rather than just replace ive decided to upgrade. I purchased a gently used electronic distributor that I thought would come with the wiring harness and coil, but it did not... No biggie, I can make my...
  12. SSTKO81

    140 won’t idle correctly

    Good morning! I’ve been running down ignition gremlins and now that I’ve got this licked it seems there could be a fuel problem. (Long story made longer) this engine had to have a new crank and #2 piston due to spinning a bearing.So it’s been blown Apart and back together, timing set to 6* and...
  13. SSTKO81

    timing bouncing around

    1981 Mercruiser 140, timing is bouncing around all over the place when trying to set it. It’s not by much but I need to have it at six and it will fluctuate up to 12 BTDC then back to six. Idle is approximately 900-1000 RPM. So I almost wonder if that’s too high to set it initially.... also...
  14. SSTKO81

    Vacuum advance for 140?

    I recently found myself in need of a new distributor and found a part number cross reference that directed me to one with a vacuum advance. Now mine (1981) doesn’t have vacuum advance but I guess I could see the benefit of adding it. Has this been tried? Any thoughts on why it would be a bad...
  15. SSTKO81

    rebuilt 140 doesn’t like to idle

    Rebuilt ‘81 140 doesnt like to start without really feathering the idle. -even if I’ve just shut it off, it won’t restart without pumping the throttle than holding it down to bring it up to 14-1600 RPM. After About 20-30 seconds of that I can bring it down to 1000 rpm and it’ll hang out there...
  16. SSTKO81

    Will a transducer for a Super 60 work on Humminbird Wide Eye?

    The whole question is in the title.... I'm trying to find out if the old (but still working transducer from the old Humminbird Super Sixty will work with a 2007 Humminbird Wide Eye. I don't know what to look for or check or what kind of wiring adaptations I might have to make but I figured...
  17. SSTKO81

    140 won’t turn over

    Good afternoon everyone. Thought my project was coming to an end; had the bottom end and bearings replaced on my 140 over the winter, everything is back together, and engine was test fired for just a brief minute to make sure everything was in order before putting in back in the boat. But now...
  18. SSTKO81

    Coupler swap question

    I’m sure it’s been covered but I’m gonna ask again. I’ve got and 82 merc 140 that soun the round style coupler, found a guy on Craigslist parting out a late 80s 120 w the triangle coupler. Will they swap?
  19. SSTKO81

    Lots of ignition/starter/alternator questions

    I'm going to enclose plenty of pictures here soon so you'll see what I see. I'm trying to make sure all my Ts are crossed and i(s) dotted.... So the alternator I've got is a GM unit. The 4 wire system is now a 3. I've got the red and orange wires spliced together. That just leaves my ground and...
  20. SSTKO81

    140 RUNNING (& DYING & SCREECHING) AGAIN

    Hello boys and girls. After a long out of body experience my 140 is back in the hull where it belongs. Had everything realigned and reconnected by a real live boat mechanic and it was probably the easiest $500 I ever spent. Got a new Optima battery yesterday and went to fire it up for the first...
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