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    Oil Filter Tricks

    Every year when I change my oil, the filter seems to get harder and harder to remove from the metal bracket that it sits on. I lube the ring on the filter with a little oil but it seems to be less and less effective. QUESTION: What is your trick for getting the filter off or preventing this...
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    1989 sea Ray won't start, gauges just flicker

    I'm getting my 1989 sea Ray 220DA ready for spring and have an issue that's got me stumped. I thought I had two dead batteries as I went to turn the ignition and all I heard was a click at the ignition switch. I replaced both batteries and it's doing the same thing. Checked the battery switch...
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    App for chartplotting

    I'm looking for an app to help plan out trips in and around the ICW in South Carolina...any suggestions? I've got a Lowrance GPS on the boat but would like to be able to research routes and whatnot on my smartphone or iPad. What do you use? Are there any good free apps?
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    Low Compression and Ping Under Load Mercruiser 5.7

    I had my boat out this weekend and noticed that when putting the engine under a significant load, there is a high pitched pinging on the front starboard side of the engine for a few seconds. At low speeds and in neutral, the condition is not present. Boat is a 1989 SeaRay 220DA with a Mercruiser...
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    Spark Plug blew out of engine...ever seen it?

    Has anyone ever heard of ?spark plug failure? on a boat? We had our 1989 Sea Ray 220DA with 5.7 Mercruiser out yesterday and had a spark plug fly out of the head (see attached photo). The failure appears to have occurred internal to the plug but it is likely that the plug was lose, as it came...
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    Seeking advice on use of a boat lift and flushing engine

    A friend of mine is letting me use his boat lift for the next few months while his boat is on land for the winter. I?ve never put the boat on a lift before and wanted to see if anyone had any insight. My friend has a 24 foot SeaRay Sundeck and I?ve got a 220 DA Sundancer, so the hulls are pretty...
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    How to connect a generator to the transfer box on the house

    Hi Everyone - I'm trying to do some prep for Hurricane Matthew and am looking for a little insight into how to connect my generator to my house. I've got a transfer switch and the transfer switch is wired through my circuit breaker (see attached photos). I thought all I had to do was connect the...
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    Rheem heat pumps...ever heard of them?

    My air conditioning went out and I'm looking to replace with a Rheem unit, anyone have any experience with them?
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    Mercruiser 5.7 Port Side Manifold Strange Behavior

    I had my boat running on the muffs yesterday after a day in the salt water and noticed a slight difference in the amount of water coming out of the port and starboard exhaust when I first turned the boat on. It wasnt enough difference to cause concern but I kept an eye on it. Over the next ~8-10...
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    What's the best buffing compound for removing overspray?

    My wonderful neighbor got overspray all over my boat when he painted his house about 2 months ago. Just getting around to getting it off and the regular Meguiars compound isn't cutting it. I've got a standard polisher (random orbital) and would rather do it myself vs. Spending the $600 that a...
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    SeaTow vs. BoatUS

    I'm looking at both, they are both about the same price...is there any major differences between SeaTow and BoatUS when it comes to on-water towing services? I'm located in the Charleston, South Carolina area if that makes a difference. Any insight is greatly appreciated!
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    Boat runs warmer in warmer water and hot weather

    I recently moved from the Seattle area to the Charleston area and noticed by boat runs about 20 degrees warmer, is this normal? The water temperatures went from the mid 40?s to the upper 70?s and the weather is hotter here but other than that nothing has changed. Boat runs excellent, oil...
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    Simple Oil Change has me scratching my head

    Was finishing up on an oil change in my 5.7 Mercruiser last night and wasn?t able to unscrew the cap to add oil back in to the engine. I couldn?t turn right and all I got was a clicking sound when I turned left. I grabbed a pair of pliers and tried to turn?now the cap just turns both ways and...
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    Trim got wet...whats your trick for removing the stains it caused?

    Hi Everyone, I did my bi-weekly check on my winterized boat yesterday and noticed that water has entered through the anchor chain hole and has created the condition shown in the attached photo. I've "stopped the bleeding" by covering up the hole where water was entering, but Is there a secret...
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    Outdrive "leak" w/ photo...is this normal?

    I noticed a steady stream of water coming from the side of my alpha I outdrive this afternoon when I had it hooked up to the muffs..is this normal?
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    Boating In South Carolina

    I?m about to move to Charleston, SC and would like to learn a little bit more about the boating there to determine if I have the ?right boat? for the area. I currently reside in the Seattle area and enjoy overnight trips at the many destinations that the Puget Sound and San Juan Islands have...
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    Clogged Impellor and Winterization

    Better file size. @Imperial - I was referring to the low spots at the marina near the boat ramp while parking at the dock. I agree that the "manual" way is the better way to get the boat on the trailer for the reasons you stated above!
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    Clogged Impellor and Winterization

    Last week I took my boat out of the water and the ramp was quite shallow due to low lake level and I ran through a good bit of sand/mud, to the point that it killed the engine a couple times when I was trying to get it on the trailer. Last night, while running the engine on the earmuffs, I...
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    Winch cable or strap?

    I was pulling my boat out of the water last night (1989 SeaRay 220DA) and the winch cable snapped. I've had it ~5 years with a lot of use..I go in/out of the water on a trailer at least once a week during the season and use fresh and salt water. I'm thinking about replacing it with a winch...
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    Canadian Gulf Islands...ever been there?

    I’m looking for some advice on the Canadian Gulf Islands...ever been there? If so, whats your favorite place? Any insight is greatly appreciated!
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