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  1. jumpjets

    Is there an Alpha one gen one gimbal bearing replacement guide?

    My 1990 alpha one gen one is getting quite loud, especially when I'm turning the boat. I had a qualified technician tell me that the gimbal bearing is failing, and he wants over $500 to fix it. Since I just put a new disc brake upgrade kit on my trailer, I think I can handle replacing the gimbal...
  2. jumpjets

    HOW TO: install trailer disc brakes

    So, I'm towing this big 22' boat with this small Ford Explorer. The truck has good power and acceleration, but trailer control and stopping power kinda stank. I decided to install some upgraded disc trailer brakes, and ditch the inop drum brakes. I bought a complete TITAN disc conversion kit for...
  3. jumpjets

    Synthane washers

    I just got my boat out of storage, and the shop told me that my synthane washers are gone, hence my loose outdrive and sloppy steering. These seem like a very simple fix, but I don't quite know where to begin. Has anyone replaced synthane washers before? Is it difficult? Does anyone have any...
  4. jumpjets

    What batteries should I buy?

    My boat and engine are in my signature. I have two ~600CCA 12v batteries in the boat right now. The marine mechanic who stored my boat for me over the winter told me they were close to being dead, but they were holding a charge. I cranked the boat on earmuffs today, and that was just enough to...
  5. jumpjets

    Trying to get a little more speed with tabs and hydrofoil

    I have a 22' wellcraft cuddy with a 5.7 merc and alpha one. Currently, it tops out at 42mph at about 4000rpm. I'm thinking of doing some upgrades to improve speed and efficiency. 1. Smart Tabs SX: these look like they would do exactly what I wanted. They aren't expensive either. I'm super...
  6. jumpjets

    Trailer brakes overhaul

    My two axle trailer has rusted out useless drum brakes on one of the axles. They are hydraulic surge brakes with the compression style master cylinder on the hitch. I need to replace or repair them before I use the trailer again. My truck is an 02 explorer, and since it's towing near 5000lbs, it...
  7. jumpjets

    Novice question regarding I/O efficiency

    Please help me perfect my technique for maximizing fuel efficiency in my 5.7 Alpha one Sterndrive boat. See my sig for complete details. My current technique is to use a high power setting to get on a plane, then pull the throttle back to ~2100rpm and trim the nose down so that I am moving as...
  8. jumpjets

    Rocket Ship!....Almost (low RPM WOT)

    I just installed a 19 pitch 4 blade prop, and a new 1.47 Alpha one outdrive on my 21ft wellcraft. My old drive had a 21 pitch 3 blade with a bent hub and a bent prop shaft. See my sig for more details on the boat/engine The new drive/prop combo is like night and day! The boat comes up on plane...
  9. jumpjets

    What do I check on a new outdrive shakedown run?

    I was doing a routine inspection on my old alpha one gen I outdrive last week, and it ended up being filled with water. It also had a bent prop shaft and bent prop hub. I bought a reman alpha one gen I outdrive with the same gear ratio off ebay, and I bought a 4 blade solas amita aluminum...
  10. jumpjets

    Outdrive filled w/ water! Drive oil is in Bilge

    I noticed after my last outing that my bilge had a lot of oil in it. I checked the engine oil, and it was full and clean. I pulled the screw out of the bottom of the drive, and about a cup of water drained out!! It was followed by a rather small amount of chunky sludgy super dirty drive oil. It...
  11. jumpjets

    Transmission: let it die?

    I recently acquired a 2002 ford explorer 4.0V6 with 88K hard inner-city miles, which I use almost exclusivley as my boat towing rig. According to ford, it has a sealed transmission which only needs service every 150k miles. However, this vehicle has lived a hard abused life of inner city...
  12. jumpjets

    Cost effectiveness: new prop shaft or new lower drive?

    I have a bent prop shaft. It doesn't leak at all, and it works just fine, but I'm sure it will fail eventually. The skeg is also erroded on the lower drive. What would be more cost effective repair wise: having a certified mechanic install a fresh prop shaft and all associated bearings and...
  13. jumpjets

    Thunderstorm safety

    Those of us that live in the southeast US know that thunderstorms can pop out of nowhere on a summer afternoon. Furthermore, any summer weather forecast will say there is a 40% chance of thunderstorms on any given summer day from may to september. I have conculded that the weather forecast is...
  14. jumpjets

    Is there a good way to text funtionality of a dual battery switch?

    I've got a perko dual battery switch, and two charged batteries. I don't think that the dual battery switch is hooked up correctly though. Is there a foolproof way to check the funtionality of the switch and see if it is indeed hooked up correctly?
  15. jumpjets

    First ever overnighter: Cape Lookout NC camping/astronomy

    http://www.nps.gov/calo/planyourvisit/boating.htm WARNING: I'm still a novice boater. I've only owned a boat for a few months. I'd like to do an overnight camping trip to Cape lookout NC. Ideally, I'd like to drop my boat in at a ramp in Moorehead or Beaufort NC, and head out to the cape on...
  16. jumpjets

    Bent prop shaft

    I took my 1990 Wellcraft eclipse out for it's maiden voyage this weekend after finishing a pseudo-restoration. It was my first time ever driving a boat, and my buddy had only slightly more experience than me. Long story short: upon post-flight inspection, I noticed that the prop shaft seems to...
  17. jumpjets

    would this be a bad gimbal bearing?

    I just "de-winterized" my boat. Mind you, I'm a super novice boater, and pretty much everything I've done to the boat so far has been influenced by reading threads on this board. It started right up, and idled fine. The gear shift works, as does almost all of the other systems on the boat. I...
  18. jumpjets

    north carolina outer banks

    I took this picture while flying around the central North Carolina coastline, near Cherry Point. It's a break in the outer banks. It looks like a convenient way to get from the ICW to the ocean, but the sandy stuff nearby made me curious. This also looks like it could be a nasty trap in...
  19. jumpjets

    In and out of winterization

    In the area I live in, during the winter months it can get up to 50-60*F during the daytime, but fall to below freezing at night. My boat is currently winterized, with the drive and block drained of water, and the engine lightly fogged with WD-40. If I were to reinstall the drain plugs on a...
  20. jumpjets

    "Freshening" up a 1990 wellcraft eclipe 216

    I just bought my first boat, and I feel I got a great bargain on it. I have no experience with boats, so this will be an adventure and a learning experience for me. Here are a few pics of the exterior. It is in pretty good shape, and the hull is still smooth and nice. The red area is...
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