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  1. isaacs

    Antifreeze Question

    My boat runs flawlessly and has never had any rust coming out of the manifolds or engine block when I drain it. So why am I complaining? The price of pure propylene glycol antifreeze, which I have always used, is up to $8/gallon at Home Depot. I'm tempted to either use the cheap stuff (half...
  2. isaacs

    Is E-10 Fuel Acceptable Early in the Season?

    When I put my boat to bed at the end of the season, I try to make sure it has no ethanol in the fuel. Early in the following season I will put E-10 into it for two reasons: First, I save a few bucks. I figure the ethanol will will be quickly burned up before it can cause any problems...
  3. isaacs

    How to Keep my Outdrive Looking Good

    My boat has always lived in my driveway and been trailered to the launch. As a result, my outdrive looks almost new. I'm going to be keeping the boat in the water this summer and am wondering if there are any products that I can put on my outdrive to help keep it clean. Or should I just keep...
  4. isaacs

    No Water Draining From Port Exhaust Manifold

    This year when I drained my engine I drained the starboard side first and by the time I went to drain the port exhaust manifold there was no water in it. I poked way up into the hole with my "poking wire" but got nothing. I seem to remember this may have happened in some previous years. Has...
  5. isaacs

    I Need a Mooring Cover

    My boat has lived in my driveway for years and has always stayed perfectly dry under my cover that straps down to the trailer. Next year, I plan to keep it in a slip and will need a mooring cover. Does anyone have any suggestions as to canvas types or anything I should insist upon when I get...
  6. isaacs

    Distributor Cap Needs Frequent Replacement

    Ever since my boat was new it has had problems with the distributor cap. It will start to run poorly and when I remove the cap it's always kind of greasy inside and there are blue/green boogers growing from the rotor and metal contact points. I usually wind up replacing the cap every other...
  7. isaacs

    Can I Add a Trim Position Guage?

    My boat came with a trim limit switch which works well but I have no trim position indicator. Can I add one? Are the wires already there or do I have to tear the out-drive apart?
  8. isaacs

    Boat Hard to Start After a Long Sit

    My boat is sometimes hard to start after it has been sitting in my driveway for a couple of weeks. Once I get it going (after lots of pumping and cranking) it runs and idles like new. If it sits for only a day or two I usually have no problem. I should mention that the boat has a carburetor...
  9. isaacs

    Does My Boat Have a Ballast Resistor?

    I recently had some engine troubles and considered installing a new coil. The coil I bought said "For use with external resistor". I don't see a ballast resistor but I'm reading about resistor wire. How do I know if I have this? As it turned out, there was nothing wrong with my original coil...
  10. isaacs

    Can I Clean My Brake Shoes?

    My trailer brakes work fine but when I took them apart to free up the brake adjuster I found everything covered with grease. The rear seal must have been leaking and made a real mess from the EZ lube spindle. The shoes and drums are in good shape; can I clean them up or do I have to buy new...
  11. isaacs

    Where is my oil warning switch located?

    While trying to fix an ignition problem on my boat I realized that my warning buzzer no longer sounds when my key is turned on. It would always squeal 'till the oil pressure built up. My boat has three oil pressure sensors according to the schematic. One is the pressure sender for the gauge...
  12. isaacs

    Bad Fuel/Water Seperator/Filter?

    Today, while underway, my 2002 5L engine started to stumble and hesitate. It got progressively worse over the course of about five minutes but I made it back to my launch without incident. When I got home I was thinking of possible fuel problems and realized that I had not changed my...
  13. isaacs

    Not Getting Emails for Suscribed Topics

    If I comment in a topic or start one of my own, it says "Suscribed" but I get no emails when others add comments. I've checked my deleted, bulk, and junk mail; it's not showing up there. I've checked my notifications in my account and everything seems to be in order. Any ideas?
  14. isaacs

    New Trailer Coupler Takes Off With a Clunk

    Last year I fitted my 2002 single axle trailer with a new new Demco surge brake coupler; this is a replacement for the original one made by Titan. Everything works fine except every time I leave a stop sign or traffic light the coupler bumps or slams itself back into its "non breaking" normal...
  15. isaacs

    Boat Hull Stains Easily

    My Bayliner runabout (white) is always getting stained, mostly when I boat in brownish or muddy water. These stains are easily removed by using oxalic acid but they keep reoccurring. It doesn't seem to matter whether the hull is waxed with quality wax, the stains just keep coming back. Perhaps...
  16. isaacs

    Should Engine Be Warm When Draining?

    When I winterize my boat (5L Alpha 1, Gen 2) I always warm the engine up before draining it. I figure this way the thermostat will be open after I replace the plugs and run AF from a five gallon jug with headphones through it resulting in the AF getting into the block. I use the pink RV...
  17. isaacs

    Should I Align My Engine?

    I bought my boat new, it is now fifteen years old. Should I be checking my engine alignment? I've never had any problems and don't feel like spending $120 on an alignment tool just to look for some! Then again, pulling the engine and replacing the coupler is no fun either...
  18. isaacs

    How Do I Add a Subscription

    How do I add a subscription with an email notification to a topic? All I can find are the "Automatic Subscriptions'".
  19. isaacs

    Outdrive Removal and Oil Reservoir

    I have a question on removing my outdrive. Won't the gear oil reservoir up in the engine compartment start to empty out onto my garage floor when the outdrive is removed? Pinch off the hose? Empty the reservoir first?
  20. isaacs

    Port Side Not Getting Enough Water

    I recently winterized my daughter's boat for her. It's a 5L V8 Mercruiser Alpha1 Gen2, 2006(?). When I was warming the engine up with the muffs on, I noticed steam coming out of the port exhaust hole, very little water. The muffs were supplying plenty of water as it was squirting out around...
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