Recent content by Doug Durako

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    fuel system question

    I have a simple question. Can a 2005 350 Mag be retrofitted to run on E85 fuel? (85 percent ethanol) If it can, has anyone done this?<br /><br />Please Note: I am NOT interested in a debate regarding ethanol fuel. It is here to stay and E85 is readily available where I live. I could care...
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    water flow diagram

    Greetings. Winter is near again in the Midwest. For many years, I have used the "gravity flow" method of pumping antifreeze up from the lower unit impeller through the cooling system. I run on the muffs and the hose until thermostat opens, then switch to a funnel and antifreeze to the muffs...
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    depth finder flashes 0.5

    My in-dash depth sounder just keeps flashing 0.5.<br />I think it is a Lowrance with just two buttons on the front---with up and down arrows. I've tried pushing the buttons in all sequences and all it will do is change from meters to feet and turn the shallow and deep water alarms on and...
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    stupid speedo plugged

    Okay, boys, I have tried about everything to unplug the "built-in" speedo tube in my Alpha 1.<br />Small drill bit, wire from the bottom up, wire from the top down, forced air from the bottom up, forced air from the top (where it connects to the rubber tube) down, lots of penetrating oil...
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    running on muffs

    All this waterinversion/reversion talk gets me nervous.<br /><br />When running the boat on the muffs with water from the hose, is the typical water hose pressure okay to flow into the system at full ON?<br /><br />Also, I heard Merc says not to let the motor run below about 1200 RPM when on the...
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    rev limiter

    An earlier post peaked my interest.<br /><br />Where is the rev limiter? Can it be adjusted? Do all motors act the same when you hit the limiter?
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    put away with new oil?

    Well, looks like we are starting the winterizing and put away discussions, how sad.<br /><br />My questions is about oil changes (motor and drive). What is the point of putting new oil in the motor and drive unit just to let it sit all winter? (I am in the midwest---boat sits in storage from...
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    prop test, second time around

    Bondo and others:<br /><br />If you followed our earlier discussions regarding my torque-shift prop from Land & Sea, you knew I was having trouble getting the thing set right.<br /><br />I called Jim Sullivan from Land & Sea and told him all about it (you can read all the posts from a couple of...
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    need survey

    Hello, all. Several of my boating friends are now tuned in to this site---thanks again for helping all of us.<br /><br />I have a buddy who is looking at a 26-foot Formula somewhere near College Station, Texas. We live 1000 miles from there.<br /><br />Anyone know a trustworthy soul near...
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    grease paranoia

    Some earlier talk about grease has me oozing with fear and distrust.<br /><br />My old boat had a grease zert at the top of the Mercruiser I housing you could pump 15 times---for the ujoint up there, I assume.<br /><br />Nothing like that on my new-old boat for the Alpha drive.<br /><br />Is...
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    Dual prop question

    Does someone have a good explanation of how the counter-rotating dual prop setups work?<br /><br />Do they turn fewer RPMs at wide open than a standard single prop?
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    stern-jack questions

    Okay----I know the theory behind set-backs and jack plates on outboards---moves the prop up/down and forward/back relative to the bottom of the boat for optimum performance. I've also read the theory and testimonials on the Land & Sea website regarding their Stern Jack product for I/Os.<br...
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    mainfolds and risers

    I hate to sound like such a newbie, but I am here to learn and have discovered how little I know.<br /><br />Does someone have a simple source I can go to, or a diagram, that explains exhaust manifolds and risers?<br /><br />Where and how does raw water enter the system to cool the exhaust on...
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    hosepower/ cost breakdown

    Here's one for a cold Monday morning from central Illinois.<br /><br />I've saved for a long time to get a fast boat. We won't go into the reasons why I need speed---lets just say I'm in my 40s and I have convinced my wife there are lots of other things I could focus on that would be worse than...
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