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    '88 7.4 Drain Plugs

    Mobile marine mechanics are so unreliable. I can't wait for mine to show up anymore and decided to go ahead and do this myself. I found the block drain plugs, removed those, and poked around in there and got plenty of water and crap out, but I couldn't find any on the manifolds. I did find a...
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    Boating Movies

    Post your favorite "boating" movies for those of us that have to endure long cold winters. Obviously there probably aren't any specifically about boating, but I'm sure there are some you enjoy with some boating elements and scenery.
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    1988 7.4/Alpha Repower Options

    Since we are moving to Tampa with the old, HEAVY Sorrento that I intend to keep for a long time I need to face my repower options soon since I have raw water cooling. It has been performing well this year, and I will continue to trailer it for a while and flush well, but it won't be long before...
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    Secure storage for 250DA in Tampa?

    I'm moving to St. Pete in January, and am considering bringing the boat down earlier (next week) so as not to have to winterize it and tow it down when we move in January with possible poor weather. Can anyone in the area recommend a secure storage yard preferably at a Marina? Thanks!
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    Moving to Richmond - Hampton VA

    We'll be moving to VA in January and as a field service engineer I would be ideally located somewhere between Richmond and Hampton. I'm looking for an inexpensive smaller rural house with a few acres (the nest is real close to empty now :) ), and good access for trailer boating in the area. Can...
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    Apollo 14 3/8 x 15 too much?? 15 x 14?

    I'm not sure of my drive ratio and I'm guessing it may be 1.5, but an old beat up 15 pitch aluminum prop turned about 4400 when I first got this boat and before I added about 400 lbs to it. Now the new Apollo SS 15" only turns about 4100 at 36. Cruise is about 3500 at 31. What would be a good...
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    Bennett Tab Problem

    I had my tabs off to do some hull cleanup, and they worked fine last year, but now the starboard one closest to the pump only travels in the range from 2/3 down to 3/3 down. It started all the way up but once it passed the 2/3 down point it never traveled up past that point again. It moves up...
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    Instrument Panel Circuit Breaker Boot/Covers

    The small instrument panel circuit breakers with the threaded shaft and plastic finger-nut for mounting through a half inch hole can be mounted with a threaded rubber boot cover. I see that newer boats have these, and I just bought one new breaker that included three - black, white, and clear...
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    Remove and plug through-hull seacock?

    I have a seacock on a macerator that I can't use anyway. I plan to remove the hose to it, the macerator, the Y-valve, and then replace the pump-out hose to the PP. This leaves me with a seacock that I'd rather remove than cap off. Whats the best way to do this and end up with a smooth bottom again?
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    Anybody use LED bulbs?

    I found these: http://www.ledshoponline.com/FLUX_masthead_lights.htm 3W vs. 25 for a regular bulb. Anybody tried them for anchor lights or know of a better source and price??
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    1988 Merc 7.4 Oval Port?

    Is this an oval port or rectangular port engine? When did Merc switch over to rectangular port heads? Edit: I just found this searching on the net -> The 454/Alpha combo was only available for one year, 1987, then promptly discontinued. It just was not designed to handle the torque of the 454...
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    Head and Hot Water Questions

    New to the cabin cruiser world here... My boat has a portable type head with an integral tank etc. It has a waste pump-out. That seems simple enough to understand. It also has a macerator pump that is inop. Do I need to replace this? Is this only to pump out waste if the shore facility cannot...
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    Flush teak plugs over trim attachment screws.

    I have some trim around the rear of my cockpit that I would like to remove to buff the glass adjacent to it that is stained with teak oil, and to restore the teak. What is the trick to safely remove the plugs over the screws without destroying anything? What are some options for replacing them...
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    Inaccurate Tach

    My tach seems to read a little high at times. Idle will show 1500 etc. and at other times it seems 100% accurate. Is this a bad gauge or could there be another issue?? 88 Sea Ray Sorreto 25 7.4L Merc
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    Not designed for service are they??

    What a miserable day. Yesterday went fine. I popped in a new VHF in about 30 minutes. Today I spent about 8 hours on the boat and all I planned to do was install a new depth sounder. Mistake #1: Thinking I was being clever I decided to fish some extra wires up to the cabin for some AV stuff...
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    Auto DVD head unit in boat.

    Will I have any problems installing one of these in my cabin due to shock? It won't be used underway but I'm wondering if the mechanism can be damaged anyway. I'm guessing marine electronics are only marine because of their weatherproofing and I should be OK?
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    Soft clicking noise when turning and docking.

    I heard this noise when I bought my boat and having been an auto mechanic for many years I wasn't too concerned. The seller stated that he had just replaced one U-joint and that it could be the other or the gimbal bearing. I just pulled the drive and both U-joints appear and feel very smooth...
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    Apostle Islands

    Has anybody ever cruised this area? I'm looking for any tips/recommendations/interested vacationers for a 2007 cruise.
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    Flushing saltwater blocks

    I have a saltwater '88 7.4 with only 236 hours on the meter that may have overheating issues from saltwater deposits. I picked up some Salt-Away. It looks like 4-6 treatments with 24 hours in between is recommended. Does anyone have any experience with this product or tips for its use?
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    '88 7.4/Alpha 5500 lbs. Apollo 15.5 x 17

    Would this be a decent propeller for this combo in my Sorrento 25 (1.47 ratio??).
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