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  1. johnzonh

    Carb paint?

    hey guys, we have a 4.3 1995 and part of my winter projects was to rebuild the carb. I bought a Bayliner Capri that runs well but looking back at the maint. records it doesn't look like a rebuild had ever been done...at least for a while. Now one thing I ran against is a bad black carb paint...
  2. johnzonh

    4.3 NOISY all speeds

    hi guys. before I rip this engine apart or have someone else do it...need some quick thoughts on this one.. 1995 4.3 serial 0F433207 alpha one gen 2 sitting on a bayliner capri. 350 hours on the engine. Anyway I am attaching a video of this engine and at all speeds, in gear or not...I get...
  3. johnzonh

    anyone else rebuilding / cleaning carbs yearly from ethanol garbage

    just a show of hands out there... this is my first year I am able to use a boat from year to year...it sure is nice not to have a cracked block for a change. Mine is a 165 1987 with a mercarb on it... engine runs well.... However, aside from the usual crap in the fuel line and bad gas...is it...
  4. johnzonh

    taking slack out of throttle control cable

    hi guys, I posted something like this elsewhere and would like some input here... I have a commander 4000 with a merc 165 with an alpha 1 and all of the sudden I have lots of slack in the control...so much that I can't get the engine back to idle without smacking the carb throttle arm with my...
  5. johnzonh

    Removing throttle slack

    Hey Guys... Finally got my engine going this year after doing some alpha one service. Merc 165. Anyway after a good year last year with no issues getting back to idle all of the sudden my control cable for the carb has 1/4 inch slack in it...enough to not allow the carb to return to idle...
  6. johnzonh

    sharp bowrider window edges

    anyone have any good suggestions for the window edges for a bowrider? I ripped my skin several times last year on ours... short of grinding them down to round... I don't know what to do about them. :(
  7. johnzonh

    Shift shaft washer dishing

    Hey quick question. Keep seeing this referred to but thought if ask. Just doing a bit of lower unit work and the stainless washer for the lower unit shift shaft spline is dished. How bad before I should chuck it? I don't want that to give me issues. Thanks. John
  8. johnzonh

    trim ram pins...how tight?

    hey guys... been through many posts and youtube videos..just wondering how tight the joints should be for trim rams (alpha one gen one) I am doing a bellows job and am almost ready to put things back together...just noticed that the pins are tight enough to make me wonder how loose that joint...
  9. johnzonh

    Gelcoat sand down...what do I need to see

    Hi guys I'm new at sanding down and restoring a very oxidized boat. Like many have suggested I started with the least aggressive method to get down to the true color. Worked backwards from compound to 2000 wet all the way to 320 dry before I actually made it to the gelcoat and actually seeing...
  10. johnzonh

    adding a 2nd battery

    hi guys.... I have a spare battery from a previous boat...hate to see it go to waste so I want to add it in to the system..and give it the ability to recharge, start if necessary, or power the radio on occasion. I have room on the other side of the engine to put it... wondering what I need to...
  11. johnzonh

    seat box ply waterproofing

    hi guys, I have a marathon runabout that eventually will need a new ply floor / glass / foaming but that is a project i wont have time or money for until next season...for now..this season I am reburbishing vinyl seat, replacing plywood seat boxes (back to back seats) and replacing various bits...
  12. johnzonh

    3.7 / alpha 1 winterizing questions

    well my season was kinda short but I got my engine going..ran like a charm. I am going to pull the outdrive over the winter so I can paint it, repair an oil leak. The gears have been great and otherwise have had absolutely no issues. regarding the engine with the closed cooling... on the...
  13. johnzonh

    1987 3.7 165 flooding intake ...why why why???

    i have put up several posts about my non-start issues with this and figured I would update again. I need help figuring out this one. I was trying to diagnose a non start situation over the last two months after a new head gasket...new starter...carb rebuild...(Mercarb 2bbl) new coil ...
  14. johnzonh

    no start issue to a flooding issue 3.7 165

    Ok I am at wits end. I have the black sheep of mercs but after getting rid of a coolant leak with a riser gasket (and subsequent new head, intake, and exhaust gaskets..) couldn't get my engine to start. did quite a few things... rebuilt the carb during the winter (mercarb 2bbl) had a bad...
  15. johnzonh

    red garbage at carb inlet..what is it

    so I am troubleshooting a no start situation... got spark..good compression... and fuel does come up through the pump...but checking the inline filter at the carb..noticed a bunch of red crap clogging it up. I haven't checked the fuel / water separator at the pump yet... and also notice that...
  16. johnzonh

    hand turning a 3.7..how much resistance is ok?

    hey guys... finishing up my milkshaker 3.7 (found out I had a bad riser gasket... and so far not a drop of coolant has gone back into the oil pan yipee!!!) I am rebuilding my starter because it is very weak and rusted .... but out of curiousity...with the plugs off I can hand turn it...
  17. johnzonh

    anything wrong with rotella 10-30 as interim oil

    hey again, I have to flush out overfilled oil (and winter water) out of my engine (165 3.7 224)...I do plan on being on the water with 30W oil ..but I just need to get this stuff flushed out..up to temp..drained and filled again with new oil at the proper level. I have 5 gallons of rotella...
  18. johnzonh

    why disc an interrupt switch

    just in need of some opinion... outside of just plain stupidity...why would you want to disconnect the shift interrupt? the guy I got ours from (alpha one drive/ merc 165) just left the wires hanging. so like a good boy I reconnected things... adjusted cables to specs, lubricated etc. Just...
  19. johnzonh

    merc 165 milky oil out of crankcase vent

    hi guys, before you harass me about my engine (yes, the alt rotor is still putting out just fine and the fuel pump hasn't flooded me out yet ) after finally getting it started of course got the bad oil....it has had a history of replaced head gaskets...is this a likely scenario every few years...
  20. johnzonh

    O ring on alpha 1 missing

    Hey Guys Conflicting info and I need input. Dropped my a1 lower unit to do the impeller and being older with the o ring slot on the shaft noticed it was missing. Should I go fetch a new o ring or leave it. 1987 alpha one. Noticed a bit of oil sliding down the shaft when I pulled it down...
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