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  1. 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...
  2. 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...
  3. 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...
  4. 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...
  5. 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...
  6. 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...
  7. 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...
  8. jumpjets

    Cheap Go-fast parts (vortec head swap)

    Re: Cheap Go-fast parts (vortec head swap) Thanks. I used the boatinfo.com manual. very nice. I pulled apart the distributor, and it was a little messy. The cap had a huge crack in it, and the rotor was slightly loose. I replaced the cap and rotor, and tried to clean out all the loose debris...
  9. 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...
  10. 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...
  11. 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...
  12. jumpjets

    Gimbal bearing replacement. Found water in bellows!

    Re: Gimbal bearing replacement. Found water in bellows! Don S, thanks for the reply. I'm working on all that now. I have another couple questions though if anyone will entertain them. It looks to me like water is somehow leaking into my shift cable compartment. The shift cable end is...
  13. 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...
  14. jumpjets

    What do you pull your boat with?

    Re: What do you pull your boat with? I pull my 21' wellcraft eclipse cuddy with a 2002 ford explorer. The truck has 91k miles, and I'm just waiting for it to explode. I expect the transmission to cave in at any moment, but it just keeps begging for more punishment. P. S..... I usually have...
  15. 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...
  16. jumpjets

    HOW TO: install trailer disc brakes

    Re: HOW TO: install trailer disc brakes TO bleed the system, I detached the shock absorber depicted above. This made the actuator much easier to move. THen, I used a metal rod as a lever to pump the master cylinder, as in the pic above. Once the plumbing was run out to each caliper, I bled...
  17. jumpjets

    HOW TO: install trailer disc brakes

    Re: HOW TO: install trailer disc brakes Here is the actuator and all the tools I needed. Remove the old hitch/coupler/whateryoucallthepartwheretheballgoesin.Running the hyd line from the front to the rear is a pain. I don't have any advice or pics. Good luck. It took me a while. Test...
  18. jumpjets

    HOW TO: install trailer disc brakes

    Re: HOW TO: install trailer disc brakes The caliper is in place and bolted down. With the caliper in place, it's time to install the plumbing on the caliper. Note the holes on the front side of the caliper. Here you can see the bleeder screw and hydraulic line fitting installed. Here...
  19. jumpjets

    HOW TO: install trailer disc brakes

    Re: HOW TO: install trailer disc brakes I was a little dissappointed that the TITAN kit did not include new castle nuts or cotter pins. I cleaned and reused the old stuff from my rusty inop drum brakes. I slid the steel donut onto the spindle and made sure it was snugly holding the outer...
  20. jumpjets

    HOW TO: install trailer disc brakes

    Re: HOW TO: install trailer disc brakes Next I installed my caliper bracket. I guess I could have done this first if I wanted. This is also the time to decide whether you want your caliper to face front or aft. I selected forward, for no good reason at all... Test fit everything!!!! I...
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