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  1. jumpjets

    Repair shop disprepancies

    I normally do all my own repairs and preventive maintenance. My alpha 1 gen 1 outdrive had an oil leak that was leaking into the bellows. The weather has been cold lately, and I've been busy at work, so I took my outdrive off, and brought it to a local repair shop instead of re-sealing it...
  2. jumpjets

    Thinking of buying a slip

    I'm thinking about buying a boat slip and lift down by the ocean. I currently live 45 miles from the shore, but I enjoy boating there. I intend to move down to that area within the next 1 year or so. Is buying a slip generally a good investment? Do these things generally appreciate over time...
  3. jumpjets

    Where is the water leak?!

    My engine (5.7L 1990 merc v8) is leaking about 1 gallon of raw water per hour. It leaks on the trailer on muffs, and on the river. When I pull the drain plug after running the motor, water dumps out. Where could it be leaking from? I de winterized it myself. I'm pretty sure I reconnected all...
  4. jumpjets

    Merc 5.7 oil pressure is unusually high

    I just did my own oil change. Over the past two years, the shop that winterized my boat has done an oil change for me as part of the winterization service. I do not know what type of oil they used. I put synthetic 10W-30 in the engine when I did the oil change. Now the oil pressure is pretty...
  5. jumpjets

    What do I do if it sinks? (administratively)

    Theoretically, what are my administrative responsibilities if my boat sinks? Let's say that the boat sinks in the 10ft deep river that I normally boat on. We'll assume that it sank due to an outdrive failure, and not due to drunken negligence or anything like that. My wife and I safely swim to...
  6. jumpjets

    Has anyone towed with a Durango, Aspen, or Tahoe Hybrid?

    Has anyone used any of the late model SUVs for towing thier boat? I'm window shopping and looking at the Hybrid Durangos, Aspens, and Tahoes right now. They are all listed with CVT transmissions? Arent' these fragile compared to standard automatics? Does anyone have experience with these trucks...
  7. jumpjets

    Trim won't go full down

    My outdrive is behaving oddly. It has been stored in a mostly down position since september. I gave it a function check today, and it wouldn't go all the way down. This is the position it gets stuck in. This outdrive will trim all the way up to the trailer position with no issues. It will...
  8. jumpjets

    Exhaust Replacement Questions!

    I have read here on iboats that the Merc exhaust system should be periodically replaced. I pulled apart my exhaust system to inspect it, and I am not sure if I need to replace it or not. I have an open cooling system, and I primarily boat in the ocean, or very brackish rivers within 20 miles of...
  9. jumpjets

    Modifying truck to increase tow performance?

    I have a 2002 ford explorer V6. It's got 102k miles on it. I just replaced the transmission with a rebuilt heavy duty trans. I have been using the exploder to tow my 4600lb boat and trailer on low speed back roads. I have done the following mods to improve towing performance: 1. added 2"...
  10. jumpjets

    Towing with and old Ford Bronco

    I am currently pulling my boat with a 2002 ford explorer. The boat and trailer weigh ~4600lbs, and the trailer has titan surge disc brakes. The exploder pulls the boat OK, but it's a little down on power, and when my rig is fully loaded, it's right at the truck's GCWR of 10,220 lbs. I've...
  11. jumpjets

    Crazy idea for keeping winterized batteries fresh

    I just winterized my boat, and I have my deep cycle and starting battery stored in my garage. Instead of buying a battery tender or other gizmo to keep my two (relatively new) batteries fresh and healthy over the winter, what if I just put them in my truck? Every few weeks I can cycle a battery...
  12. jumpjets

    Gear oil in bilge

    See sig for drivetrain info. I just replaced my water impeller, so I had drained and refilled the oil in the drive. I used squeeze bottles of 80w-90 oil and squeezed about 1 quart into the drain hole on the front end of the bullet. I squeezed in the oil until my squeeze bottle was giving me...
  13. jumpjets

    Whoops! Muffs on, hose off, no water flow

    I accidentally ran my engine for a minute with the muffs on, but I forgot to turn on the hose. It was only run for a couple minutes like that. I let it cool for a few hours, and ran it again. As it was running, there was no water flow exiting the engine from the prop hub or the 2 exhaust ports...
  14. jumpjets

    What Type of 1 Part Topside Paint?

    I've tried multiple methods to re-invigorate the shine and luster of my gel-coat, but nothing will get it to the gloss level that I want. I'm pretty sure I"m just going to repaint the boat. The big question is: What type of paint should I use? Obviously, I'll use Marine topside paint, but there...
  15. jumpjets

    Fusion stereo upgrade

    I have had two stereo systems on my boat, and they both have been very poor. They are very "treblicious" with no range at all. They are quiet and generally just don't sound good. I'd like upgrade to a decent sound quality stereo. I'm not an audiophile, and I do not want to break the bank...
  16. jumpjets

    Can I "paint" a fiberglass boat?

    My boat has the industry standard fiberglass hull covered with gelcoat. The boat was white when it was new with a red band around the cap. Over the years, the white has become dingy, and the red has faded to a dried blood pinkish color. I've tried polishing it and waxing it, but i can't get the...
  17. jumpjets

    Cheap Go-fast parts (vortec head swap)

    I'm thinking of doing a vortec head swap on my 5.7L merc. I'm not trying to break any speed records or anything, I honestly just like tinkering on engines, and the ol' SBC has a pretty robust aftermarket. I currently top out a 46mph, and I would be tickled pink if I could touch 50mph. The motor...
  18. jumpjets

    I tried to kill myself, but I lived

    The Beaufort NC inlet almost got the best of me tonight. My wife would have gone down as well. It was a blazing hot Saturday afternoon, and I wanted to do something fun once the temperature started to decrease around 6pm. Three days earlier, on the 4th or July, I was able to navigate a very...
  19. jumpjets

    I admit defeat

    I have been working on replacing my gimbal bearing and bellows the past few days. I got the gimbal bearing out and back in no problem, but the bellows have been a total nightmare. I have had rusty, broken bolts at every step, and I'm no longer having fun. Usually I like tinkering with mechanical...
  20. jumpjets

    Gimbal bearing replacement. Found water in bellows!

    I cracked open my outdrive to replace my gimbal bearing, and I found rusty U-joints and standing water in my bellows. The drive looked fine on the outside, and it runs great. THe only problem I've found is a roaring gimbal bearing during low speed turns. The U-joints were rusty, but it's just...
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