Recent content by GrahamHR

This "Gi-E" engine dates from around late 2002 to early 2003. My 5.7 GXi-F engine was in a 2004 boat, built in late 2003. It is for sure a late type GM V8, as are the Mercruiser versions. All mechanical parts of the engine are the same as for road going cars of that era ( apart from the marine...

I made a T piece/ hose etc., attached to the raw water pump inlet to allow flushing of the 1999 5.7GSi exhausts. The 2004 5.7 GXi-F. It had a T piece in the raw water pump inlet as standard that allowed flushing via an attached hose/ USA garden hose coupling. I put a stainless ball valve and...

Whilst you have it apart, fit a closed cooling system. Block, inlet manifold, water pump and heads cooled in an antifreeze solution. Winterization? Just the exhaust manifolds/ risers/ heat exchanger, flush with freshwater to get rid of the salt and drain. Retrofitted to a Four Winns 225...

Try out the American Four Winns site; customer support, it might be the "fact facts". They indicate all the props fitted to their boats model by model ( SX, DPS, DPH, Bravo 1, Bravo 2, Bravo 3, X etc.) It'll give you an idea of where to start

? The bellows ( driveshaft and exhaust) have no connection with the outdrive lubrication.

The drive is painted, so concentrated HCL won't harm the aluminium below the paint. Aluminium props, there is no exposed alumimium; just a protective rather inert aluminium oxide layer.

The old trolley jack hydraulic parts are massive in comparison to the similar capacity later one. Both 3mt. As assemblies become smaller, accuracy needs to be better. I haven't disassembled the old jack, no need to,; the newer one has tiny O rings and seals in the pump section.

Chinese stuff, cheap, OK in the past but what quality nowadays? The Chinese produced low profile trolley jack I bought from Machine Mart a few years ago failed just within warranty, used 4 times, I asked for replacement O rings/ seals, not available. Fair play to them, they offered a...

Stainless Steel is a pretty poor electrical conductor; Cheap compared to inconel alloys and the like I suppose.

It's a shame Holyhead marina has gone, never to reappear as an incarnation of the original or the ambitious Stena alternative development of the Newry Beach waterfront. A really nice base for exploration of the North Wales coastline.

Agreed, but fresh water cooling makes them even more bomb proof ! (OK, an anode for the heat exchanger needed each year. I made my own for years from old outdrive zinc anodes in a home made aluminium mould; probably well less than £1.00 each for the burner gas).

Have you ever heard about rain? Bilge plug in, boat fills with water; bilge pump connectors with a power supply get exposed to water; have a happy time and drain the battery

The bilge pump(s) supply wiring usually bypasses the isolator. Better to have a flat battery than a boat sunk due to water ingress.

The original cables fitted by VP were not the best; they became stiff quite easily. First thing I'd change would be the shift cable, switch to a Teleflex TFXtreme one ( flexible multistrand wire core and PTFE sheath, rather the solid wire core and PE sheath of the original type). Not easy to...

We ran 2 boats , both with 5.7 V8 Volvo Penta petrol engines from 2001 to 2014. Moved to a (diesel) VP D4-300 EVC-C; big mistake !!!!! As to the petrol engined boats, we had ( still have) 6 x 20 litre steel jerrycans from those days. Easy to fill in North Wales (they know the local market)...