Ski213

I've got a little problem that isn't really creating a problem yet. If I lower the outboard from a tilted position, as it close to hitting what I'm gonna call the trim shafts, it shakes or jumps a little. It's only in a pretty small portion of its travel and then it smooths back out real quick. It's not an issue when its in the trim range and only does it when being lowered. No leaks that I can see and fluid level seems ok. I figured maybe air so I did what I understood to be the bleeding procedure of cycling all the way up then all the way down several times. That allowed me to find that my tilt limit switch isn't working properly as it will allow the engine to tilt to the point that you have to manually release to lower it. Something else to fix. Everything is greased and as far as I can tell everything is tight. Anybody experience this or have any suggestions? As it stands its not hurting anything but I'm a little concerned that its an early warning sign of something that is going to be a problem.

The way I have done it is pretty simple. I put fuel stabilizer in the tank per it's instructions. I fill the tank all the way up to minimize air in it. I run the engine on the hose until I'm confident that the stabilized fuel has filled the carb bowls. I get fogging oil and fog the cylinders. Then I make sure all the water is drained from the outboard. I change the lower unit oil (at the very least make sure no water has infiltrated the oil), I hit all the grease fittings, and then I lower the motor so no water can stand in it. As far as the boat I just take everything out of it, charge the batteries, and remove the hose to the water pressure gauge and blow any water out of it. Make sure the plug is left out and get any water that might be in the live wells out. Also I like to periodically make sure all three batteries remain fully charged. I feel like I'm forgetting something for some reason but that's most of what I do.

Good luck man! Fish where you know, what you know, and how you know. The most important thing is to enjoy the day. It sounds like a great cause. Let us know how it goes.

Also, if there's anything somebody is telling you to check and you don't know how or where just ask. In my experience everybody here just wants to help.

Could be the pump is bad, could also be electrical in nature. Check for power at the pump first. If you've got power it's most likely the pump. If you don't have power it could be a bad connection, blown, fuse, or switch. I made the mistake of assuming I had a bad pump last year. Replaced it only to find out a connection failed between Thursday night and Friday morning.

I'd agree with everybody else. Plumbing leaks can be tough to find. The pumps and valves get pretty brittle with age. I'd get the boat totally dry and then put it in the slip and just watch the bilge like a hawk. Wiggle the hoses and such a little. It's amazing how hard it can be to find one sometimes. I don't know where the waterline falls in relation to the transom tie downs but that might be something to look at. As has been suggested already plugging off the thru hull fittings is time well spent. It can eliminate a lot of potential problem areas. If that doesn't stop it you're at least narrowed way down. Another thing to check on a boat that age would be the underside of the rub rail. Probably not your current problem since it takes on water sitting still, but you can take on a bunch of water when underway if there's not a good seal.

That's awesome.

Yeah it sure sounds like something's wrong. Especially given that bluebasser had the same motor and no issue with power. I guess they're not open to exchanging it? That would let you know for sure if you got a bad one or it's just not enough motor. You had mentioned a length issue with getting a higher # thrust. I'm fairly certain that you can shorten the shaft on one. Don't quote me on it though.

If I were you I'd ask him what led him to that conclusion. Unfortunately it's possible that he went through a process of elimination that went with everything checking out ok and ended with its probably the computer. There's probably not a way to really test the computer so it's eliminate all else then throw a computer at it and hope for the best. If it's not something you're wanting to troubleshoot yourself then I would probably get a second opinion from another mechanic.

There's a ton of info on here as Long Mike said. As downman said I think t rig is a great idea. It is really easy to get overwhelmed with all the techniques and advice. Keep it simple for now. Read all you can and gain whatever info you can then slowly incorporate it. As was mentioned, the t rig can be worked a lot of different ways. I would add to that the spinnerbait. It can also Be worked many ways in many different conditions.

Well it's been awhile since this was originally posted but it's taken that long to get a situation where I could really hold WOT long enough to see if it's fixed. I can't swear to it yet but I'm pretty sure it is. I figure the fuel screw adjustment did it. 5 1/2 turns out as suggested. It was either that or doing the linc and sync again, or something that I inadvertently did when I pulled the head to check the cooling mod. I'm guessing the screws. I once again appreciate the help. The only bad part is that if this part is fixed I'll have to start messing with with p shaft height and maybe prop to see what she really likes. Gotta have something to keep you busy I guess.

This is repetitive i suppose but the hull that is being pushed is at least as important as the outboard that's pushing it. There's a whole lot that factors in. You can't say that this or that prop is the way to go with 150 anymore than you can say 33x12.50 is the right tire size for any vehicle with a 350 in it. If that 350 is pushing a full size truck ok, but if it's in a Camaro its not gonna work out so well. Man I'm in no way criticizing your question but one hull with that 150 will respond very differently than another hull with the same 150.

I have one on a 98 pro elite. I've had some issues, but they've mostly been related to the builder who rebuilt the power head. Outside of that its been a reliable and strong engine. Way2slow is an guru on this thing. He's the one that's gonna have the best advice.

Welcome to the forums. Good to have another KY boy on here. Was up your way at Guist a couple weeks ago.

Maybe just talk to him. Tell him how what you think about it. Given that you put him on the spot he should respect what you have to say. Doesn't mean he will. If he doesn't then the good is you've culled a friend you didn't need, bad is maybe he ruins the spot but probably just temporarily. is this on public land?

I hate that. I'd double and triple check all wiring, connections, and battery. If it's all good I would call MK. It's possible you got a dud. It's also possible that the new one just isn't built as well as the old one. I've been finding that in a lot of things. I think I'm upgrading and although I get more bells and whistles, basic functionality goes down. How bad did you tear the old one up? Perhaps you can just return the new one and repair the old one.

Are you talking about the pickup for the recirc? If so mine has the same type of screw on steel mesh filter as the thru hull intake fittings. Looks like a small kitchen strainer.

I totally agree with the unrealistic expectations. I probably did, but did not intend to sound like I felt that any of what I tried performed at a level less than was promised by the manufacturer. The type III PFDs did exactly what they promised to do. I just kind of feel that people make uneducated assumptions that they're "safe" when maybe they're not as much so as they assume. Myself included at times. Anything is better than nothing for sure and its on the end user to understand what they're dealing with. I'm going to check out those links. I hope others do as well. I think that I speak for all of us when I say that we appreciate your service and your advice.

It seems like I've seen more topics about the potential results of not wearing PFDs here lately. I just wanted to share the results of a little unscientific testing of the PFDs I've been carrying on my boat, which to some extent was prompted by what I've read here. I've been carrying 3 outfits. Two class III vests, and an inflatable (manual) that I bought years ago. I've been saying for a year or so that I was gonna see how they actually performed. I did that last weekend. I basically wanted to see how they would float me if I was knocked out. I figure there is a good chance that if I get tossed, its going to be at interstate speed so there's a good chance I'm either going to be out cold, injured, or at the very least extremely disoriented. None of those three options are ok in the water. All three vests floated me. The two type IIIs flipped me on my face if I remained limp every single time. One much faster than the other. The inflatable held me face up. Even if I tried to get my face in the water I couldn't. The fact that its manual makes it even more ineffective in a high speed or knock out situation than the others, but its flotation characteristics were far superior. One of the vests probably wouldn't even stay on me in a high impact situation. All would work in a slightly less than ideal situation but not if I was out cold. I'm absolutely NOT saying that you shouldn't wear a PFD of any kind. I'm saying that you should take the time to know what you're actually trusting your life to. When I did MX, I wore over a grand worth of protective gear and didn't blink an eye buying that but I've skimped on marine safety. I'm not trying to lecture or down talk any available equipment, I just don't want anyone else to have the false sense of security that I have had, and make informed decisions when purchasing that equipment.

I don't think I could back reel but I have done the thumb bar thing with a baitcaster many times. I've never really given any thought as to why. I guess I feel like it gives me more control when I've got a good size fish that has a lot of attitude close to the boat.

I like a breaker just for the fact that you can reset it once you fix whatever caused it to trip. Negates the need to carry spare fuses as well. 50 bucks seems insane for the breaker. I think I gave 10 or 12 a piece for mine. They are only 50A though. I bought mine locally for that price. I've seen them on marineengine.com for a little less than that.

Also you need to know for absolute certain what you are drilling in to. I re read your post and you're right you could very well hit foam. I have a little, mostly useless, cooler in the floor between the consoles. It has a drain inside. If I were going to install an additional drain I would probably put it in that lid. I think that's where the water in that area ends up anyway. It's also possible that one of the little holes that allow the water to drain to the bilge is clogged up. That may be worth checking before you do any modifications.

I can't speak to that specific boat. When you say dissipate are you saying standing water or very wet carpet?On mine the water will run off the deck and compartment tops into what is essentially a channel that ultimately leads into the hull and thereby to the bilge. The water that gets in the console areas takes a little longer to drain out and after a heavy rain that carpet will remain wet for a much longer period of time. You would kind of think they would come up with a little better system to get the water out of that area. If you do a drain of some type my advice would be to make sure that the uppermost surface of the drain is at hard surface level rather than on top of the carpet if that makes sense.

Its a tragic story and a good reminder to all of us, whether in a kayak or any other type of boat. The water can be pretty unforgiving.

I hate when I go to do this but then end up having to do five things, but youre right, way better in the driveway than at the lake and sometimes those aggravations are actually saving you. Crazy how it sometimes works out like that. Literally just got off the phone with a guy who is losing his mind troubleshooting a 87 chevy 350. I told him a short version of when I had a hard to find problem on my truck. On a very aggressive test drive that occurred after fixing a problem that wasnt the problem, but a problem i didnt know I had, I blew the brake lines from the master cylinder to the abs module. That truck seldom rolls without something hooked too it. Had there not been the original problem those lines would have come apart with just the boat behind it, best case. After rolling around under the truck for several days replacing brake lines I decided to just button it all back up and take it to the mechanic for the first problem. Which I hate doing. I figure I should be able to fix it myself. I was getting ready to shut the hood and I saw what ended up being the original problem that should have been obvious two weeks earlier. Sometimes it just works out I guess.