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  1. K

    Exhaust manifold gasket leak significance

    I'm bummed I just reinstalled my 165hp L6 engine in the boat. No oil leaks, no water leaks, starts right up and idles smooth. All good except for an exhaust leak I can hear. I put my hand up under the exhaust manifold next to the block and can definitely feel air blowing down from between the...
  2. K

    165hp I6 removal

    I might try to tackle removing my engine to fix some suspected leaks at a rear core plug. I've pulled and replaced small block engines from classic Ford cars and trucks so I'm sure I have all the tools to pull the engine from a boat. I know I have to pull the outdrive first, but is there...
  3. K

    Where can this water be coming from?

    1978 165hp inline 6 Mercruiser. I noticed water dripping below the engine only when the engine is running, either in the water or on the ear muffs. Was dripping right down the face of the flywheel cover plate so I dropped the plate down and videoed the drip. I don't see any leaks up the...
  4. K

    Help identify this hardware

    I inherited a box full what looks to me like rollers or guides for a boat. Maybe they are meant to be mounted on a boat dock somehow? Or maybe they're for a boat trailer? Can someone tell me what these are? Each one has u-bolts that appear to be for attaching to "something".
  5. K

    Coil spark strength

    1978 165 hp Mercruiser. Trying to diagnose a no start condition. Originally, with cold engine, boat would start just fine, idle smoothly for about 5 minutes, then start to shudder and shake and finally die and can't restart. Next day, cold engine, same thing. . . starts, idles fine, then...
  6. K

    Aluminum boat motor mount replacement with HDPE?

    I obtained a 12' aluminum boat that's been sitting in a back yard for about 16 years. It's still sound with no leaks but the plywood at the transom where the motor mounts is pretty bad. I thought I could replace both pieces (outboard and inboard) with some Seaboard high density polyethylene...
  7. K

    1975 9.8 hp minimum compression

    Found a 9.8hp 110 outboard for sale and am going to check compression before I buy it. What would be the minimum compression I would want to see before walking away from this purchase? I know I should also check lower unit lube condition too. Anything else I should be wary of with this...
  8. K

    Best way to start engine after sitting for a while

    Mercruiser I6 165hp motor. What's the best way to start the boat after its been sitting for 3 or more weeks? I know the fuel bowl is probably dry so I usually crank the engine AND keep pumping the throttle and hope it starts before I drain the battery (and hope I don't flood it). And I usually...
  9. K

    Oil pressure sending unit orientation critical?

    165hp I6 engine. I'm adding a tee at my engine block so I can add an oil pressure switch next to my oil sender unit. The switch and sender will fit nicely on the new tee but I found the best orientation (to miss the dip stick and nearby wiring harness) will have the original oil sender...
  10. K

    Can I add temperature switch here?

    1978 165hp I6. Purchased an engine alarm kit with oil pressure and engine temp switches. The new temp switch is 3/8" npt and just want to make sure I install it in the right location. There are two plugs on my t'stat housing, but they look like 1/8" or 1/4" npt. One plug is right next to the...
  11. K

    20A fuse at ignition switch missing

    1978 Mercruiser I6 165hp. I'm doing some work on my instrument panel. . tightening connections, cleaning terminals, and maybe changing some gauges when I noticed I don't have the 20A fuse that sits between the ammeter and the ignition switch (according to the shop manual wiring diagram). I...
  12. K

    Hard starting Mercruiser 165

    Still battling my hard staring when warm issues. I thought it was the carb flooding, but after rebuilding carb, installing a phenolic spacer, and insulating the fuel line, I still get intermittent difficulty starting when warm. One other reason I'm ruling out the carb (after the aforementioned...
  13. K

    Maximum RPMs while on flush kit

    I'd like to check my advance timing on my 165hp Mercruiser. Is it ok to run the rpms up to 2800 on a flush kit? Or should I have the boat in the water when revving the engine that high?
  14. K

    Help with timing marks

    165HP mercruiser I6. Set my idle mixture screws to get a smooth idle at 700 rpm. Set my timing to 6 deg BTDC and the engine seemed to run fine. I used a vacuum gauge to get the highest vacuum when setting the mixture screws and the needle was holding at about 15 to 16 Hg. which indicates "Late...
  15. K

    Leaky idle mixture screws

    Mercruiser I6 165hp with a Rochester 2GC carb. I just happened to notice while tuning up the boat that the idle mixture screws would leak after shutting off the engine. Doesn't leak while running, 1st pic is while engine is on, and 2nd pic is about 5 minutes after shutting off engine. I've...
  16. K

    Exhaust manifold gasket leaking . . . Again!

    1978 I6 165hp mercruiser. I have another exhaust manifold leak. I had a shop change the gasket to fix the last leak only 120 hours ago. I'm going to try and change it myself this time to save some money and time (shop is booked til May). seems to me that last gasket failed too soon. What...
  17. K

    Carburetor spacer question

    Mercruiser I6 165hp. Have been battling hard starting when engine is hot and have read many posts about adding a 1/4" phenolic carburetor spacer and insulating the fuel line. Some say it's worked, some say no difference, but I'm willing to give it a try. I removed my carb and noticed the base...
  18. K

    Coil wiring surprise!!!

    165hp Mercruiser I6. I've been trying to troubleshoot my intermittent coil spark/no spark problem when I noticed how the coil is currently wired. It currently has 2 brown wires and 1 black wire are on the (+) terminal (black goes to distributor) and 2 white and 1 tan are on the (-) terminal...
  19. K

    Is there a definitive test for a bad coil?

    1978, 165HP Mercruiser I6. Fired up the boat at the launch ramp, no problem. Slow idled out passed the no wake zone, no problem. Hit the throttle, boat starts to get up on plane, then....Klunk, the engine just dies. Acted as if the coil wire to the distributor just popped off. So I lift the...
  20. K

    Trim cylinders not moving evenly

    I just installed the trim cylinders on my 165hp Mercruiser. They're not attached to the rear shaft yet so I could check their operation since they're used cylinders. When I run the pump in the up direction, the left cylinder starts extending, but the right cylinder won't start extending until...
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