4.3 Mercruiser - randomly dies

[tedthebrit]

Yep agreed with all your points. I have a lot of spares too
2 carbs
2 fuel pumps
starter
alternator
PS pump
Prestolite points distributor
transom assembly that I have already harvested a number of parts from
outdrive that probably needs a rebuild
and many OMC Cobra spares, because you can't just go to a dealer and buy them like a Merc or Volvo Penta garage is full of stuff. If I ever sell the boat, I will have to open an eBay store!

Normally I run this:
View attachment 38014
little bit of oxidation on a 38 year old Quadrajet

but I also have these just in case lol:
Marine Holley and Edelbrock
View attachment 38015

My 1992 still looks pristine. Granted, we only took the boat in salt water a few times to see the Blue Angels from under the Golden Gate bridge. But a couple of times a year I sprayed the carb and all the electrical stuff with WD40. Never had any problems even with crimp connections that weren't even sleeved.

 

[kghost]

You are clearly a wise man based on your posts and your hardware stockpile!

Been doing this stuff for a long time. All my friends have boats as well as their adult children and almost all are carbed mecruiser V8 or V6.

I also do some numbers matching Holleys and Rochesters for 60's 70's muscule cars (Nova, Camaro, Chevelle) for a friend who buys/restores/sells the cars.

He has in his garage right now a 1970 Chevelle Red with two black stripe modle with a original LS6 454 4 speed 100% ALL original except paint. Build sheet and Build O Plate. California car never been molested in any way. But the 1969 Camaro next to it is a 396 HP model with 375 hp and that Holley 780 CFM, I just rebuilt two weeks ago.