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    Alpha 1 gear oil leak out drive shaft

    Hello All. I recently did a full service on my Alpha 1 Gen 2 (new u-joints, water pump, bellows, etc) and first time out on the water the reservoir kept getting low so I would top it off. I figured I may not have gotten it quite full after I refilled it and it was just seeking it's happy level...
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    Sources of bellows water

    I started up the boat for the first time this season and noticed an audible knock. It sounded like rocks inside the crank case, but the engine ran smooth. Trimming up the drive quieted the noise so I figured it was a U-joint going bad. I noticed a slight tick starting late last season, but it...
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    Volvo style raw water pump on a 4.3

    Hello All, Is it possible to convert a 4.3 with an Alpha 1 gen 2 to use a crank driven Volvo style raw water pump? I've seen some conversion kits for V8 equipped boats, but I've yet to come across anything for the V6's.
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    Engine code/casting numbers for Vortec vs non?

    My boat originally had a 1994 2 barrel non-vortec engine installed. A few years ago the previous owner sucked some seaweed around the water intake and overheated/ruined the engine. They had a Jasper rebuild installed, which I believe they bought as a short block and installed the original...
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    Roller Trailer conversion

    The rollers on the trailer for my 21" center console is in bad shape. Most of them are rusted/cracked and some are falling apart already. There are 64 rollers on they two tilting sections. To replace all the rollers and get the trailer back into prime condition, it's going to be over $500. Has...
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    overheating while trolling

    Issue is on a 1994 2 barrel 4.3L. I was out on the water last weekend and on the way back in decided to troll an umbrella rig just for kicks. After about 5 minutes at 2.8-3 mph and engine just off idle, I noticed the temp gauge was creeping toward the hot end, about 3/4 up the gauge. Pushing in...
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    self-learning EFI conversion

    There have been some interesting advances in self-learning, self-tuning, return-less EFI systems for the street car market lately. I saw Holley has a 2 barrel version that will support up to 300 HP, and 4 barrel that will do 6-650. It would be ridiculously expensive and a waste of $$, but...
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    Alpha shift cable adjustment issue

    I pinched my lower unit shift cable installing my drive after I had the engine out to replace the Y pipe. I replaced it with a new one yesterday, and today when trying to adjust it per the book, I can get forward with no issue but reverse just hits the shift dogs and clicks. If I leave...
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    Engine alignment changed after engine pull

    I had to pull my 4.3 Mercruiser due to a leaky Y pipe. It turns out the shop that installed the rebuilt engine before I bought the boat did not use the right transom hardware setup, specifically the washers between engine and transom mount. That let the bolts run to far through the mounting nuts...
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    Tilt/trim gasket bilge leak?

    I pulled my engine and Y pipe today to diagnose what I thought was a cracked Y pipe which was letting water into the boat up to the level of the bottom of the pipe. The pipe looks perfect, still nicely painted black, no signs of corrosion, cracks, holes, etc. The O ring was still intact and the...
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    Time to winterize again...

    I got my boat all winterized again last weekend, and I got to thinking. The block drain on the port side is a HUGE pain to get to with the alternator, power steering pump, exhaust manifold, etc right in the way. The starboard one is a piece of cake. I usually pull the circulation hose off the...
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    filling test bore holes

    I have a number of holes in my transom I drilled to test for wet wood. The largest ones are from a 1/4" drill bit. The good news is I only found discoloration/wet wood around where the drain hole was, as it appears the copper insert has split at one point and was never repaired. I was able to...
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    ALpha 1 gen 2 adjusting shift cable at controls

    My control handle has 3 dents for neutral/forward/reverse positions. The handle drops in and locks firmly into these grooves which allows for the boat to be shifted into gear before engine RPM is affected. I replaced all of my bellows, gimbal bearing, and lower shift cable on my alpha 1 gen 2...
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    Destroyed U joint bellows putting on retaining ring

    All I had left to do in my bellows replacement project was put the U-joint retaining ring on, and the ring wouldn't seat inside the bellow, it just pushed it out the back side of the tilt assembly and ripped off the bellow retaining ring in the process. I'm using the special tool required to...
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    Mercruiser trailer button missing

    While going through my spring boat prep I've been finding more and more things done to the boat during its lifetime (wiring issues, missing parts, etc). There has always been a bracket mounted on my dash that I had no idea what it was for. Last night while correcting the missing trim limit...
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    How often do you verify carb/timing settings?

    Getting ready to put my 1994 4.3L back into service for the season and wondering if I should do a timing/carb check to verify everything is till within spec. I did a full tune-up last fall during winterization (plugs, cap, rotor, wires, oil change, fuel/water seperator). I bought the boat back...
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    Long thru-hull fittings

    Anyone got a good source for long fittings? The ones I bought for my live well setup are too short and the threads do not pass all the way through the transom. Transom is 2.5" thick so need threaded lengths at least 3" or longer. 3/4 and 1 1/2 hose ID. Thanks
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    Which replacement flappers do I need?

    I pulled my exhaust elbows today on my new-used boat to verify if the flappers were still there, and found one missing and one at the bottom of the Y pipe. I have a set of aftermarket exhaust risers, and the flapper pivot holes are round with no provisions for the square locking pieces like on...
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    Testing Y pipe for leaks- no outdrive installed

    I'm getting ready to get my boat out of winter storage this weekend, and before I put the drive back on, I want to verify the flaps are still in the exhaust, and check the Y-pipe for leaks. I was having an issue last season with water leaking into the bilge, and I want to verify if the Y-pipe is...
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    Digital dash conversion?

    I'd like replace my old analog gauge package on my boat with an electronic/digital panel setup. The engine is a 1994 4.3, so no FI. Is there a kit or aftermarket package someone offers to convert the old analog setup to digital? I'm assuming I'd need all new sending units, or some way to...
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