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GeneD
08-04-2000, 06:39 PM
Bend me the freak over and shove a camshaft up my butt.
Don, am I pissed off.
I figured on doing a bit of maintence on old 007 today.
Bad idea.
First off, I see a bit of dirt and rust in the distributer, so I take off the rotor, the freaking thing broke in my hand. Not from any defect, it was just the old GeneD "guess I don't know my own strength thing".
Sucks.
Cost me a half an hour at the auto parts store to locate one. Not too bad on the old wallet, just $5.95 total.
Then I put everything back together and start the bitch back up.
Didn't notice the earmuffs had fallen off...
for three minutes...
finally noticed when I smelt the burning rubber. You know the smell.
Freak!!!!!
Melted everything.
I am so depressed.
There goes all my drinking money.
Boats, cars and motorcycles...you gotta love 'em. If not, you'd go insane.

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GeneD
007
Melbourne, Florida

Scott Pearson
08-04-2000, 07:23 PM
Gene,
Sorry to hear about your bad luck...Could be worse...Could be sitting in a fox hole somewhere, getting rained on with someone shooting at you and Mosquitoes biting your ass.

Anyway...Just wanted to pic your brain on something. Im running a Alpha in my 1968 2+3 and I plan on keeping the left hand steering. I know about the tilt to oneside thing but as far as setting the steering up I dont see a problem. I will just run a longer cable. There is plenty of room behind the dash to do this. Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks (NJ)Scott

GeneD
08-04-2000, 08:05 PM
Yeah, you are right. You can run the cable to the right. You'll have to turn the steering 180 degrees around of course. I had thought of that, but at the time I changed mine over, I had the cable already. So changing it to the longer cable would have cost me extra money.
Time wasn't a factor at this point. Parts and money was.
It will work, don't get me wrong. Thing is you WILL be fighting that lean to the left thing. Trim tabs will help out of course, and perhaps you should start thinking about something like this now.
Go ahead, pick my brains for all the good it will do. Let's not forget that I'm standing there, waiting for the water to come out the exhaust pipes. Nice mellow sound coming out of them.
"Boy, it sure is taking a long time for the engine to fill up with water..."
The camshaft is not big enough for me. I'm thinking of using a funnel and ramming a piston up there.
I can't stand myself sometimes.

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GeneD
007
Melbourne, Florida

GeneD
08-04-2000, 08:25 PM
Yeah, running a bit loud. But you know, it hasn't run in a week.
It's fine.
Runs good!
No misfire, no ticking.
Man...what is that smell?

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GeneD
007
Melbourne, Florida

Forrest
08-04-2000, 08:50 PM
Gene . . . and I thought that I was a sh@# magnet. Man! Maybe it's just the water pump and not the exhaust hoses and everything else.

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Forrest

Scott Pearson
08-04-2000, 09:18 PM
Gene,
Thanks for the info. I bought a new Big-T Teleflex Helm. Its the exact same one that was in there. The old one looked a little ratty and had some play in the shaft.I do have Trim Tabs so that will help.

I'm not sure what Throttle to run yet. I like the old Morse but the drive trim is the problem. Im sure I will figure something out.


Thanks (NJ) Scott

GeneD
08-05-2000, 08:04 AM
Scot,
Get into the 21st Century and get either the Morse with the trim in it, or the new Merc 3000 control box. You will love it.
Forrest,
Naw, nothing else is damaged. Just melted the upper housing, the lower housing, tore off every fin on the impeller. Melted rubber and pieces all over the place.
What a sh#$%head I am.

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GeneD
007
Melbourne, Florida

Scott Pearson
08-05-2000, 09:20 AM
Gene,
Thanks! I looked at the 3000 series and its real nice. It says it can be mounted on the right or left side. Thats most likely the way I will go.

(NJ) Scott

GeneD
08-07-2000, 09:16 AM
It never ends, does it?
After fixing my boat's ills, and there was a few...
1. Fixed water pump, only took around 8 hours. I couldn't get the lower unit on the upper half until I found out that I ripped the seal out in the upper driveshaft thingy.
2. Removed and cleaned terminals on starter. Starter was acting funny.
3. Checked hoses for rubber pieces from impeller.
So we go out for a nice pleasant ride. You know, no full throttle runs, just a nice ride at 2000 RPM's.
Decide to open it up after an hour or so...
blew the voltage regulator.
Explains the starter acting funny.
I've had it with alternators, especially the Motorola's. I'm going Delco auto with the marine conversion. I'm going to march myself down to the local discount auto parts joint, get the lifetime warantee alternator, put the marine crap on it and never buy another alternator for the rest of my life.
My ticking noise?
Freaking exhaust manifold gasket. At least that will only cost around $5, and minimal repair time.
Never ends...

GeneD
007
Melbourne, Florida

[This message has been edited by GeneD (edited 08-07-2000).]

Forrest
08-07-2000, 10:04 AM
Gene, not only will you need the screen kit, you will also need to open that new Delco alternator up and replace the voltage regulator with a "one-wire" self-energizing regulator. Also you will have to initially energize it by installing the regulator in the alternator, attaching the alternator's output to a battery, get it spinning, and then with a small jumper wire connected to the + terminal on the battery, touch one of the two prongs on the voltage regulator. When you do that, you will hear the alternator kick in and start to charge. At the point you will be ready to install the rear screen-cover and bolt it all in the boat. The self-energizing voltage regulator will cost about $20 and are available from those Auto-Electric type places. The morons at DAP won't have any idea what you are talking about, so don't even bother asking them.

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Forrest

GeneD
08-07-2000, 10:21 AM
You're kidding me?
Self-energizing voltage regulator?
Forrest, you're going to be the death of me!
Is this REALLY necessary?
Why is it that I can not go and get the alt from DAP, and hook up all my stuff?
I've got the screens, front and rear, and I also got the little two prong plug that plugs in to the two prong connection on the Delco. Red and purple wires come out of it and hook up directly to my wiring harness.
If there was more to this than that, the freaks over at the alt place are going to hear from me.
This is what they sold me and told me that these parts were all I needed.
Don, will it ever stop?

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GeneD
007
Melbourne, Florida

GeneD
08-12-2000, 10:39 AM
Well, I broke down and brought the alternator to the local alt guy.
After about 5 minutes he told me that it was working fine.
I explained the problem, he put it back on the machine and reved it up to 10K RPM's.
He they conceded that indeed somthing was wrong.
$65 later, I have a working unit.
But hey! I beat the standard $100 fee for anything associated with boating!

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GeneD
007
Melbourne, Florida

[This message has been edited by GeneD (edited 08-12-2000).]

GeneD
08-15-2000, 04:05 PM
So hey, I put my new alternator on the boat. Got to fire it up and the battery is dead. That's okay, we'll just jump it right?
Well, jump started it and everything is working just wonderful...
Except for that tapping noise, in front of the engine. That tapping noise that is getting louder as the motor warms up...that tapping noise that is turning into a clunking noise.
Hmmm, oil pressure seems to be fine, a bit erratic though.
Rev it up to check things out, whoa!
Lots of smoke in the engine compartment. From where?
Oh, it's only coming out of the valve covers really bad. Take off the oil fill and the motor revs up! Put it back on and the motor's idle goes down!
I'm telling you, blue smoke is pouring out, it is just about liquid!
Freak!!!!!
Blown piston.
Just goes to show you. I didn't check that piston good enough when that valve went bad. Must've poked a hole in it somewhere!
I DID do a compression test when I put it back together though.
Oh well, guess what I'll be doing the week I come back from Philly?

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GeneD
007
Melbourne, Florida

Forrest
08-15-2000, 05:22 PM
AAAhhhh Gene! Looks like you might have to get that 400 engine together a little sooner than you thought.

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Forrest

GeneD
08-16-2000, 06:45 AM
No, I'll never be able to get that 400 together in less than a week.
Current thinking is to repair this one, or put that 1998 Merc together.
Problems with that motor though. I have no intake manifold or carb or ignition or exhaust or accessories. So what we are going to do is this, and I'm glad we had this opportunity to discuss it, is to repair the one in the boat now. How much could it take?
One head gasket, intake set, oil pan set, manifold set. Of course a piston and rings, maybe a new bearing set for the old war horse.
Might put a new cam in there too.
Why?
I don't know, it sounds good!
All easily done in 5 days.
Unless of course the thing is wasted. Then the 1998 motor is sounding really GOOD!

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GeneD
007
Melbourne, Florida