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    delco est vs thunderbolt timing curve

    looking into a ''ready to run'' distributor set up. no reason in particular and reason doesnt matter really lol but i have the thunderbolt IV on my 1987 mercruiser 260. the ignition module is the 24S i guess meaning it has a 24 degree timing advance on top of the base timing of 8 degrees giving...
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    WORKLOG - 1986 Four Winns 225

    this is my worklog for my 1987 Four Winns Sundowner 225 cuddy cabin powered by a mercruiser 260 V8 and an alpha 1 gen 1 drive. purchased september of 2015 from someone who maintained it very very well, stored indoors. had gotten a marine survey so i felt comfortable getting a good boat. no...
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    stupid question - headgaskets

    curious to know how long head gaskets on a mercruiser 260 open cooling can/should last? i am not experiencing any problems but unlike in a car where coolant has anti corrosion/rust inhibitors, FRESH lake water does not... does lake water (freshwater) tend to rust the head and deck surface over...
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    growling **not gimbal or ujoints**

    so a growling noise has started happening halfway through a boat trip. i get a growling rotational related noise during a hard turn left and right and when i am trimmed down all the way or up too high. if i have it trimmed just perfectly when the driveline is straight the noise is gone. gets...
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    Trouble with shift cable

    Replacing shift cable on my alpha 1 gen 1 outdrive. SEI cable kit same kit i used last year and had no issues and replacing again this year as i just rebuikt the entire gimbal. I got the cable tube in and threaded into the bellhousing and tried inserting the core into it but the core gets stuck...
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    my 1987 Four Winns Sundowner 225

    not really a restoration as you can see even for a 30 year old boat it is in mint shape. the previous owner took extremely good care of it!! i am in the middle of ripping the carpeting out of it and am going to have the inside of the boat bedlined by a shop here locally. the engine is out due to...
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    riser restrictor gaskets

    so..... my engine is a 1987 mercruiser 260hp 350CID, i have my manifolds and riser elbows off, and i noticed that the elbow gaskets have the 2 larger holes and 2 small holes in them. i ordered by mistake this past winter the gaskets with the 4 larger holes, without the 2 small holes..... do i...
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    seaming nautolex floor vinyl

    im having a hard time finding floor vinyl that is wider than 6 feet... a place an hour from me sells nautolex for a very very good price but only has 6 foot wide rolls. my boats floor is probably about 7 feet wide. is there a way to seam the floor vinyl together and have it waterproof at the...
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    u-joint spanner torque table

    the other year i had gotten one of those ebay special u-joint spanner wrench tools for my alpha gen 1 outdrive. since it is a shorter version than the OEM mercruiser tool it had come with a new torque value table, that has since been lost long ago lol. does anyone have that torque table they can...
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    cleaning bennett rams and plates

    does someone know of any good way of cleaning the trim rams and plates on my boat? i have dipped my prop in a solution of vinegar and water (i hope i didnt damage the rubber hub)... the vinegar worked GREAT made the prop look like brand new, but i do not want to just dip my rams in vinegar as i...
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    bennett trim tab users!

    i am not sure if this is the right section to post this in. anyway i have bennett trim tabs that came with the purchase of my boat bennett V351. it is leaking fluid at the little compression fitting nuts (nut/ferrule) my boat is at the marina all shrinkwrapped and stored so i cannot size the...
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    convert splined pin to square pin?

    i have been searching and trying to find the answer. can one convert from a splined steering pin to a square steering pin/lever? what all is needed?? hopefully just the upper bushing, pin and lever at the minimum. do i need the whole gimbal housing?? i have an alpha 1 gen 1, boat is an 87' and...
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    msd wires merc 260hp 350cid

    are there MSD wires that work with the merc 260? thunderbolt ignition. they make wires for the 350cid car engine but those go over the manifolds while marine application go under so im not sure if the length difference will matter. anyone have problems running a low resistance wire? i realize...
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    1987 mercruiser 350 compression

    does anyone know what the compression is supposed to be for a mercruiser 260hp 350 chevy engine??? boat year is 1987. what is the minimum allowable and the 'new' condition compression set out by mercruiser??
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    fiberglass delaminated from stringers

    i am in the mids of doing work on my boat, the stringers are solid and good and like most boats the fiberglass from factory only stems 2/3 of the way up the stringers. well the fiberglass has delaminated from the fiberglass and want to fix it. i just want to know what the best glue is to re bond...
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    which gimbal housing seal is best??

    i got a couple outdrives here and am going to take the best parts of each and make 1 really good unit with all new seals etc. one outdrive has the rulebber o-ring type and the other looks like it uses a flat cork style gasket... which one would you use and why? the rubber i can see having the...
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    NOT another oil debate!!

    i thought this would have been the easiest thing to find on the internet..... what viscosity oil is recommended??? my manual says an SAE 30 oil, mercruiser recommends their 20w-40 but is that for their newer engines?? also read using full synthetics is not recommended yet their quicksilver oil...
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    trim rams rebuildable? *pic*

    my trim ram cylinders just started leaking fluid (yay!) but not from a spot i would have expected it to. are these rebuildable? or do i need to buy all new cylinders? would a new seal kit fix this problem?? the picture shows where it started leaking..
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    testing interruptor switch via test light

    well i discovered the shift interruptor switches were not connected on my boat (i havent even had this boat on the water yet) before i take my boat on the water for the first time with new engine and outdrive i want these switches connected. i have read what they do and why it is beneficial but...
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    will this 11 pound battery work? (braille)

    i have a mercruiser 140hp (1977) and looking at batteries. ive looked at hundreds, read reviews etc. i know most people dont think weight should be an issue but im trying everywhere to try and save as much weight as i can. the braille B14115 battery weighing in at only 11 pounds. will this work...
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