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Recent content by jimn

  1. J

    Mercruiser 3.0 Power Steering Add On

    The boat is only 17' and it's easy to steer but I should clarify the "I didn't bu this boat to spend a lot on it- I have worked on boats professionally and this one only cost $500 on the trailer. I knew about the overheat, but didn't expect it to be so severe and if I had wanted to deal with...
  2. J

    Mercruiser 3.0 Power Steering Add On

    As I posted, I'm not trying to spend a lot and the boat was made in 1984. More of a personal preference than anything.
  3. J

    Mercruiser 3.0 Power Steering Add On

    The boat had a DetMar steering assembly (no longer available) that seemed OK when I bought it, but the repairs and killing my knee caused it to become very hard to steer- I tried letting solvent enter as a way to loosen it, but that didn't work, so I replaced it with a SeaStar that was described...
  4. J

    Mercruiser 3.0 Power Steering Add On

    I know- I have worked for three boat dealers and worked on many of these- it has been a few years but we didn't really see many older boats and I don't remember everything, although at least we have resources. I'm thinking of adding some kind of gas shock absorber like the ones used for hatches...
  5. J

    Mercruiser 3.0 Power Steering Add On

    Mine is an Alpha M/R and it's only a 17' boat, so there was no power steering. I just don't like steering that's so loose- it reminds me of the little boats from the '50s and '60s that had cables and pulleys. Thanks.
  6. J

    Mercruiser 3.0 Power Steering Add On

    In light of the question about loose steering in my reply, have you seen a steering damper as an add-on? I have an '84 4Winns and the steering has more input from the outdrive than I like- I'm more accustomed to power steering and the helm doesn't have a way to control this.
  7. J

    Mercruiser 3.0 Power Steering Add On

    There's no way to install this without it robbing power from the engine. Do you want this because the steering is more controlled, rather than loose like an outboard motor? If so, I can agree that it would be a good thing.
  8. J

    454 starter only reaches part of the ring gear

    Smaller & lighter usually means it uses gear reduction and there's nothing wrong with that- just make sure to service it annually, as I wrote in my earlier post.
  9. J

    2003 Mercruiser 4.3L Trim Pump Leak

    I know- I worked for three boat dealers, but the fact is, many products can be used as substitutes with good/great results. Parts are often different- substituting can cause problems. One example is OEM raw water pump housings from Merc use a different plastic from what is used in Sierra, but...
  10. J

    2003 Mercruiser 4.3L Trim Pump Leak

    A friend asked Ray Kimber (founder of VERY expensive Kimber Cables) why he charges so much and Kimber answered with "Because I make a lot of money". Brunswick (Mercury/Mercruiser), OMC, Volvo-Penta and others sell accessories so the owners of their products have a variety of places where they...
  11. J

    2003 Mercruiser 4.3L Trim Pump Leak

    The plastic reservoir came in because the steel ones rusted, but neither is under pressure. Technically, any fluid could be used- it's just a small hydraulic system and these recirculate the fluid, so they don't need to be bled. W20 has been used in marine transmissions, too- I worked on lots...
  12. J

    2003 Mercruiser 4.3L Trim Pump Leak

    Dex II was sped'd because that was the PS fluid used at that time- newer boats spec more recent versions of PS fluid. It's nothing special, it just needs to A) be in the reservoir and B it needs to be clean.
  13. J

    150 EFI needs install instructions for Harness-Fuse

    A properly sized wire and fuse won't be damaged badly enough to warrant replacement because they're adequate for the load. When battery cables are reversed, there's usually some other protection for the electronics, especially when some kind of controller/switch box/ECM is involved and often, a...
  14. J

    150 EFI needs install instructions for Harness-Fuse

    You tested the stator, right?
  15. J

    2003 Mercruiser 4.3L Trim Pump Leak

    Your title/registration should show the serial numbers.
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