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  1. greg82255

    Merc Alpha 1 Water Pump Kit

    Hello, So I just bought this water pump repair kit for a 1986 Merc Alpha One, and I thought the seals were going to come installed. It's the Sierra equivalent of GLM Kit 12120. Does anyone have a diagram of this kit? I want to make sure I install all of the seals in the correct places. Thanks...
  2. greg82255

    3 inch vs 4 inch exhaust elbows

    1986 Merc 260/Alpha One. I need to replace the manifolds and risers, and it currently has 3 inch risers on it. When running a Mercruiser center rise exhaust is there any noticeable difference in power or fuel economy when using 4 inch risers vs 3 inch risers? I've heard that there's a...
  3. greg82255

    Alpha One Water Pump

    After watching several instructional videos and reading some manuals on how to do the water pump on an Alpha One, It doesn't seem too hard, but I have one question. Once you reassemble the upper gearcase and lower unit, how does the mate between the two units seal? I've never seen anything about...
  4. greg82255

    Gimbal Bearing and Bellows

    Hello, Just bought a new boat at the end of the season. 1986 Formula 206 Spider with a Merc 260/Alpha One. The previous owner claims to have had the boat dealer serviced for its entire life, and that maintenance was done as needed, but who knows. I want to check out the gimbal bearing and...
  5. greg82255

    Water Pump Rebuild Kit

    Hello, I need to rebuild the water pump on my 1986 alpha one drive. Never done it before so I don't know which kit to buy. I don't know when it was last done so I figure that I'll replace the impeller and the housing just to be safe. It appears that there are a few different kits with...
  6. greg82255

    Water Pump Questions

    This may be a dumb question, but when people say that a water pump should be replaced/rebuilt every 2 years, is it the impeller in the outdrive, the circulating pump on the motor, or both? I just bought a 1986 Formula with a 350/Alpha One, and the guy I bought it from said it needs a new...
  7. greg82255

    What Prop is Right for My Boat?

    Hello, Just bought a new boat, a 1986 Formula 206 LS Spyder (open bow). It has the original 350 merc/alpha one package. The guy I bought it from was running what he says was the original propeller (a 14.25x21" cleaver) and the boat did about 47 (I did a water test), but I forgot to look at the...
  8. greg82255

    Eagle Trailer Bunks

    Hello, I just bought a new boat that came with an Eagle trailer, about 23' long. The boat sitting on it is a 21' Formula and weighs 3250 lbs. I took a close look at it today and it looks like a few of the bunks have rotted and are not really supporting the boat. Is this going to damage the boat...
  9. greg82255

    Y-Pipe Covers

    Hello, Just discovered which Y-pipe I have via another post. I want to add thru-hull exhaust to my boat and would rather not pull the motor to remove the Y-pipe. Are there some kind of caps that can be secured to the two top ends of the Y-pipe so water does not get into the bilge? They would...
  10. greg82255

    Merc 350 Y-Pipe

    Hello, I just bought a new boat with a 1986 Merc 350. I am thinking about doing some modifications to the exhaust and noticed that the Y-pipe isn't exactly what I expected. I have heard that from 1983-2002 the same Y-pipe was used in the merc small blocks, with oval-shaped ends. The ends on...
  11. greg82255

    Thru Hull/Diverters, Formula 206

    Hello, Just bought a 1986 Formula 206 Spider, Merc 350/Alpha One. Finally picked it up this weekend and started thinking about adding a thru hull exhaust. I read in the Formula manual that it was offered as an option for this boat, and I saw that it has two square spaces in the transom where...
  12. greg82255

    Shifter/Throttle Control Replacement

    Hello, Just bought a new boat, 1986 Formula 206 Spider with Merc 350/Alpha one. I like the boat a lot but i really don't like the stock Quicksilver shifter/throttle. I am wondering how hard it would be to switch this unit out for Gaffrig or Livorsi controls like the one in this link...
  13. greg82255

    Merc 350

    Hello, Just bought a new boat. 1986 Formula 206 Spider, original Merc 350/alpha one package. Does about 48-50 right now. Besides switching away from the old cleaver prop, I was thinking about doing some quick/easy engine upgrades to give it a little more power. Any suggestions? I was thinking...
  14. greg82255

    24' Baja w/ 350

    Hello, I am looking to purchase a 24' Baja Bowrider. The boat I am looking at is advertised as having a Merc 350/Alpha one, and the guy says it goes 55 mph.. I asked him what kind of prop he is running and the RPMs, and he said he does not know but he consistently gets it up to 55. Does this...
  15. greg82255

    Mercruiser 898 Cranks but Won't Start

    Hello, I have a 1982 Mercruiser 898. I was cruising around the lake for about 2 hours yesterday, no problems at all. I go to dock the boat at the end of the day, we get to the dock and as I am about to turn the key off and call it a day, the engine stalls. I figured it was nothing and tried to...
  16. greg82255

    How Much Does Hull Condition Affect Speed?

    Hello, I have a 1982 19' Checkmate, did a bunch of engine modifications over the winter, added 30-40 horsepower. My top speed, however, isn't changing. I also painted the boat on the trailer, taped up the rollers and the bottom of the hull. A good amount of tape is still stuck on the hull...
  17. greg82255

    Mercruiser 898 timing settings

    Hello, I have been digging through the archives and can't seem to find this question. What is the correct setting for initial timing on a 1982 Mercruiser 898? I've heard 8 degrees BTDC is about right, but I just want to make sure. The timing mark only reads 8 degrees BTDC to 8 degrees after...
  18. greg82255

    What size Holley jets should I use?

    Hello, Just installed a Holley 4160 600 CFM on my 305. Running too rich, any suggestions for what size jets should be used on this engine? Not sure what size is in there now (bought the carb remanufactured). Before I go and change the jets, what other adjustments can I make to try and lean...
  19. greg82255

    Mercruiser 898 Spark Plug Problem

    Hello again, After my last thread of asking everyone what type of spark plugs to use, I went out and bought some NGK plugs. When I went to take the old ones out, the # 1, 3, 5, and 7 cylinder plugs looked alittle dirty, but still OK. The # 2, 4, 6, and 8 cylinder plugs had crap all over them...
  20. greg82255

    Trim Sender Wiring

    Does anyone know where I can find the wiring diagram for a trim sender switch? The really old ones that go on the side of the drive, with the limit switch on the other side. Better yet, if it is simple, can someone just tell me how it hooks to the gauge positive, ground and whatnot? I can't...
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