Don't know the manual without the s/n. #24 maybe?
Depending on which boot pops off either nothing will happen or the boat will sink. I'd still be checking for rot before wasting time on the mechanicals.
I trust and verify. I don't have a particular urge to drive it to Florida is all. It's officially an antique now, so don't want the mileage to hurt its resale/collector status.
Took @Scott Danforth advice and had a nice top down drive to the river and back. I've doubled my HP now that I can actually step on the gas :) Amazingly it would seem that I didn't forget to install any now inaccessible vacuum lines, connectors, etc. No CEL. Managed to install new lower shift...
Impossible access. Don't bother. Your engine 100% needs to come out one way or another. You either have a rotten transom and/or the transom bolts are corroded through. If you don't have a rotten transom and you half ass a repair, you will soon have a rotten transom.
To be fair, I've had it for 30k miles and it's been pretty good. It's an absolute blast to drive though; 4 seats is why I keep it (had to sell the boxster when I had kids. Sigh). Not a lot of sporty 4 seat convertibles with a stick out there. A JCW 6 speed convertible is probably a different...
I built a gantry, 10' high. That was cutting it close. I had planned on taking it apart when done, but haven't. I know that as soon as I disassemble it I'll need to pull the engine 😁
No budget + no knowledge isn't a good combo in the Marine world. No such thing as a bargain $400 boat.
That said, first priority is seeing if your boat is rotted. Second is seeing if your engine has freeze damage. If neither of the above, it may be worth fixing. If not you'll need a bigger...
Oh dear. It's a mini, but every repair seems designed to maximize pain. Took me about 18 hours easy if I'm being honest. Needed to remove subframe, which included removing steering rack. Tons of stuff in the engine compartment. Exhaust. Etc. Clutch was in rough shape, as was flywheel. I didn't...
Fwiw, Rick's calibration ran waaay lean for me. I think I'm pretty close to stock ATM (forget what I have in there exactly). Michigan motorz uses stock 1409 with stock jetting on their vortec 4.3s
Again, I'd question your troubleshooting and conclusions if your tach is working. I think you've given the parts cannon a good workout and are all over the place with the diagnostics. Good luck.