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  1. 6

    Water in Engine

    A couple of days ago my son took out our 1981 Sea Ray 260 Sundancer (5.7L with Alpha Drive). This is what he says happened: He got out onto the lake, shut off the engine, and went swimming with his buddy. The engine wouldn't re-start. He tried cranking it about 7 or 8 times (it turned over...
  2. 6

    1981 Merc Oil Pressure Gauge

    Hi: I have a 1981 Sea Ray with a Merc 260 and alpha drive. The oil pressure gauge has been pegged at max for a while (even when shut off), so I need to replace it. It looks like the original gauge from 1981. The oil pressure sending unit is a single wire connection. I am assuming I need to...
  3. 6

    Backup Bilge Pump

    I have a 19811 Sea Ray 26' Sundancer. The bilge normally gets little water into it. There is a bilge pump now with a float switch that came with the boat when I bought it a few years ago. I want to add a high-capacity backup pump in case the original fails or something big happens to let more...
  4. 6

    Bottom paint

    A quick question. I am adding new bottom paint. There are a few bare spots after pressure washing, but most paint is good. What grit of sandpaper did you use to rough-up the existing paint? I have a bunch of 120 grit, but it gums up quickly. Should I try 80 grit? Hand sand or use a pad...
  5. 6

    Bennett Tab upper hinge seal

    I am replacing the upper hinge on my Bennett tabs and need recommendations on a sealer for the hinge-to-hull joint. Bennett says just to use a "sealer". I have an opportunity to do this today before a bunch of rainy days coming. The only marine sealant available locally is 3m 5200, which...
  6. 6

    Re-sealing window

    One of the windows on my1981 Sea Ray 260DA has a persistent leak. The window is about 11" x 90" and is a slider. It's hard to tell where the rain water is coming in exactly, as it can run along the aluminum frame and show up elsewhere. I could run a bead of sealer around the window edge, but...
  7. 6

    What is this surface?

    I have a 1981 Sea Ray 260DA. The maroon-colored dash surface under the windshield is shot due to the UV from the sun. If I wipe it, it leaves maroon dust on the cloth. It looks like a textured surface on top of fiberglass. How would I restore this surface? Do I just sand down the old stuff...
  8. 6

    Painting Outdrive

    I am in the process of painting my Merc Alpha 1 outdrive. I have searched and read the previous posts on outdrive painting. The outdrive is in my shop and off the boat. A couple of questions: 1) I have a can of spray zinc chromate primer. I assume you only have to spray the bare aluminum...
  9. 6

    Shell Rotella rebates

    I know that quite a few people here use Shell Rotella oil for their boats (me included). I am going to buy some for my 5.7L, and I noticed that it has a rebate from Shell going until the end of October. You do have to buy it from a participating retailer, the list is on the Shell web site. I...
  10. 6

    Distributor Cap Issues

    I'm trying to replace the ignition parts (dist cap, points, etc) on my 1981 Sea Ray 260 with MCM 260 (5.7L) engine. I bought the boat 3 years ago and haven't replaced any ignition parts yet. The previous owner says that a new crate engine was put in. All sources I can find say that this...
  11. 6

    Bennett Trim Tab switch upgrade

    Hi: I have a 1981 Sea Ray 260 that I bought 3 years ago. The boat has a Bennett hydraulic trim tab setup that is pretty old. The old-style switch is starting to malfunction (physically broken) and one of the actuators is intermittent. I will troubleshoot the actuator problem (thanks to...
  12. 6

    Merc vs Sierra Ignition Parts

    I have a 1981 Sea Ray 260 with the MCM 260 drive. I bought the boat 3 years ago but have used it very little ( it went out a couple dozen times total). This year I want to replace the ignition parts (points, condenser, rotor, dist cap, plugs, plug wires) in anticipation of using the boat a lot...
  13. 6

    Bell Housing Gasket

    Hi guys: I am getting ready to put the outdrive back on my Alpha Gen 1. I have been reading the posts and several people have mentioned that they prefer the aftermarket gaskets that are wider. What brand of gasket are they referring to? I'm not even sure what brand I used in the past, there...
  14. 6

    Winterization Question

    I have a 1981 Mercruiser MCM 260 (5.7L). Last year I pulled the thermostat out so I could pour antifreeze into the engine after I drained it. I wanted to replace the thermostat anyways as I didn't know how old it was (turns out it was fairly corroded). After draining, I connected my shop-vac...
  15. 6

    Coolant Hose Sealer?

    I removed the thermostat housing and the hoses attached to it. The cast surface where the hoses slide onto is somewhat rough after I wire brushed the rust off. Should I put some sealer (RTV,etc) between the hose and cast nipple or will it seal with just the clamp? Steve
  16. 6

    Oil Viscosity

    I have a 1981 Sea Ray SR260 Sundancer with the 5.7L engine. I bought the boat last year and the previous owner said he replaced the engine with a crate motor about 8yrs ago (There is a Jasper Engines label on the motor). I have looked through old posts on engine oil viscosity and they said to...
  17. 6

    Thermostat Gasket Sealer

    I have a 1981 Mercruiser 260 with a 5.7L V8 (Edelbrock 4-barrel). As per previous suggestions on this forum, I am replacing the 140 degree thermostat with a 160 degree thermostat (freshwater only for my boat- Lake Ontario). I have some Permatex Aviation Form-A-Gasket (#3 I think), can I use...
  18. 6

    Cleaned Up Wiring Mess Finally

    Last Year I bought the 1981 Sea Ray 260. It was maintained very well exterior, interior and mechanically. However, the add-on electrical circuits were done sloppily. This year I said it wasn't going in the water until I rewired the messy part. being an electrical engineer that has worked on...
  19. 6

    Muffs

    I have never run on muffs before (1981 Sea Ray 5.7L, Alpha 1 Gen 1). This is my first boat ever and just bought it last year. I am doing a bunch of maintenance and de-winterizing soon and would like to run it at home. Is there a step-by-step checklist on running with muffs? I don't want to...
  20. 6

    Thermostat

    I have a 1981 Sea Ray 260 with a Mercruiser 260 5.7L V8 and Alpha 1 Gen 1 (SEI) outdrive. The previous owner says the engine is a replacement crate engine. Last fall I winterized the engine and removed the thermostat cover and thermostat so I could fill with AF. I want to replace the...
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