I live in Virginia and want to catch some cobia this season in the Chesapeake Bay.<br /><br />Could I get some advice? Water temp, what size line and how much, bait, what do to do once I hook it, etc?<br /><br />Thanks.
I need to get new ignition coils for my 1989 125 HP Force. Does anybody have any experience using electrical parts, such as coils, from the online distributors that are so much less expensive than OEM parts? <br /><br />Am I just getting what I pay for or am I really saving money?
The service manual for my 1989 125 HP Force shows two different water pump plates that might be used in my engine. One has a small hole in it that appears to bleed some of the water from the high pressure side back to the low pressure side presumably to reduce the water pressure in the engine...
I'm having my 1989 125 HP Force rebuilt and have a few questions that I'm hoping you guys can help with.<br /><br />1) Wiseco or Mercury pistons? The Wisecos are less expensive, but only have a 30 day warranty compared to 1 year for Mercury.<br /><br />2) What bearings should be replaced...
I've got a 1989 125 HP Force and have been having intermittent overheating problems. I took the exhaust port cover off and found several large bits of broken impeller lying in the cooling chamber and one bit wedged in a cooling passage. Now I'm concerned about impeller bits also being lodged...
I've got a 1989 125 HP Force and have been having intermittent cooling problems. I've changed the T-stat and water pump, but still get the overheat alarm too often. I'm thinking of pulling off the exhuast port plate to see if my cooling passages are blocked in some way. Does anyone have any...
I pulled my starter motor apart because of intermittent trouble and found that a small metal bead that connects two of the brush wires to the electrical lead post had pulled off. Apparently it used to be spot welded in place, but now is free to move around inside the housing and possibly short...
Apparently there are two versions of the water pump backing plate for this vintage Force engine. One has an extra hole it that must relieve the pressure somewhat because it provides a small vent between the intake and exit of the pump. Does anyone know if my engine model requires the extra...
I just bought a new Venture 2800S trailer for my 18' Wellcraft. Is there anything I should check before towing or anything I can do before I put it in the salt water to help slow down corrosion?
Does anyone have any experience with Venture trailers? I'm looking at a 2800# bunk trailer w/ torsion axles. They seem to have a few less adjustments than EZ Loader, but are several hundred dollars less.
I need to buy a new trailer for my 18' center console (axle rusted out of old one). What should I look for in a new trailer? How do I determine if it is right for my boat?
I have a 1988 125 Force. Twice today the overheat alarm went off about 5 minutes AFTER I had stopped the engine. Is this an indication of a water pump going bad? I know an engine will heat up slightly after it is stopped, but I've never had the alarm go off like this. When stopping, does it...
I have an 18' center console Wellcraft with a 125 HP outboard motor. How do I know what is the proper vertical location to put a small single step swim platform? Too high and it is hard to use, too low and it submerges while under way.
I asked this question in an earlier post, but got no replies so here it is again.<br /><br />Can anyone make a recommendation between these two fishfinders? The Eagle has a smaller screen size (~3" x 2.5"),lower power (1200 W) but better vertical resolution (240x160). The Garmin has lower...
Am I better off getting a fishfinder with a smaller screen size, but better resolution (240 x160 i.e. Lowrance x-51 or Eagle Fish Easy 2) compared to one with a larger screen size but only 160 x 160 pixels (i.e. Garmin 160)? I've got about $200 to spend and am narrowing it down to these...
Most of the bolts and springs on my EZ Load trailer (for 1989 18 footer) are quite rusted and flaking away. Is there a way to tell if they are in danger of breaking and need to be replaced? How do I get the bolts off if they won't turn? The trailer itself is in relatively good shape. This is...
I have a 1989 Force 125 HP. Often, mostly when starting cold, the starter motor bendix will disengage after only a few seconds and stop cranking the flywheel. Eventually it will start, but sometimes it takes MANY trys before it will crank long enough to catch. Any ideas what causes this?
I'm buying my first fish finder. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the different transducer types? I was thinking Humminbird, but they don't seem very popular here. What can I get in the $150-$200 range that will last? Do the thru-hull transducers work as well as the transom mount?
I always have trouble getting a good seal on my 1989 125 HP Force and never feel like I'm getting enough water through the engine to flush it well. I suspect that I even damaged the water impeller once when trying to flush the engine because there wasn't enough flow. I'd like to find a set of...
I had my 1989 Force 125 out for the first time this year and found two problems.<br /><br />1) The engine is overheating at idle. The T-stat and water impeller were replaced last year. I pulled out the T-stat and ran for a few minutes, but it still overheated. What else could be causing it...
