step down pump?

[berth control]

Tail - I thought you ordered that new engine already. Why are you doing all that mant. to an engine you are about to take out?

 

[Tail Chaser 661]

Tail - I thought you ordered that new engine already. Why are you doing all that mant. to an engine you are about to take out?

I just want to use the boat now.
I'm totally burned out on doing unnecessary work.
I only had it on the water 4 times last year.
I wanted the repower to be the last upgrade on the boat.
I just found out,
Any new 2008 engine must have cats on it in Calif. Or you can not register the boat in Calif.
I found this pre 2008 8.1 Mag Merc crate engine at a xlnt price. So I grabbed it. Should arrive any day now.
I still have another 9K to spend on the Bravo 3, Transom assembly, custom fuel tank etc.
I dont feel like fooling with it now, A good local mechanic with the hoist just had a nightmare repowering/fitting a brand new (20HRS) 23 ft ski boat with the 8.1 Mag. Customer hated the Orig 350 mag. Mechanics busy now, So I mentioned doing it in the off season. Getting the measurements getting a custom fuel tank built for an easy install and plenty of room for future work on the engine.
Want to get it right the first time.

So spending maybe 200.00 on maintenance on my 5.7 for a good trouble free season seems like the smart thing to do.
It also keeps me on the orig plan.
Install the new helm seats on a insulated fish box.
And get some walnut shells for some poly deck paint I have for non slip decks.
Then this boat is finally complete.
There actually is an end to this labor of love. :smt101
Sure looking forward to having my life back :lol:

After reading all the EFI problems on CSR.
Kind of wishing I some how pieced together a 502ci with a Edelbroc Carb and my MSD ignition.
Rumor has it, The 8.1 is the best Big Block engine. They only come in EFI :huh:

 

[BarryCF]

TC, I'm curious. Did you ever consider converting to outboard(s) on a bracket? I'm pretty sure you are going to like the 8.1/B3. I'm considering the bracket and a Verado 275 or 300 on my smaller boat (24.5 ft). Lower weight by roughly 400 pounds and increased power at the prop. So, in the event you gave it some thought I'd like to know what you think.

 

[stevea661]

steve,
Fish had lockjaw. Didnt catch the right kind. Warm water had just left the area the day prior.
My trl had two leaky wheel cyls :smt089 I left a day later having to replace a second cyl.
I had wishful thinking that one fluid leak was a brake line needing 1/2 turn tighter.
Complete brand new assembly 3 seasons ago. And had 3 of the 4 new cyls go bad :smt013

Lots of baitfish everywhere. Maybe the good fishys were full :huh:
I didn't put a real lot of effort in the fishing. Was getting annoyed having floating kelp patty's getting tangled in my lines.
I was just enjoying being on the boat. Kind of a three day shake down run. Getting cruise speeds, fuel burn rates, etc.
Hoping I can live with my 5.7 engine till the end of the season.

I must have been sleeping good the second night.
First time ever I did not hear my clicker go off.
Something spooled and broke off my 65# Spectra.:wow:

Funny about the toilet discharge. Probably worth being yelled at :lol:
My boat is Ghetto. Only has a porta potty.
I'm guessing your holding tank is in the engine compartment?

With a little rearranging in my engine room. I can install two 30 gal aux fuel tanks if needed.
A single 30 gal should give me a safe 230 mile range after the repower.
These are upgrades I want to drag my feet on.
Say...... Nov till April. :huh:
You know what ever tools you take out of your boat.
Will be the tool you need next :lol:

I need to clean up my garage today. Make room for the Merc 8.1
What a nice change :grin:
Tuesday tune up the boat. And hope that ethanol did not screw up the idle circuit on the 4 barrel.

Sucks about the wheel cylinders. Always something. The head on my boat is just like a portapotty, it has the holding tank underneath like yours. You can pull the whole thing out, all you have to do is unclip it, and disconnect the discharge and vent. To fill it with water you remove the top 1/2 and fill it from a hose. The suction / discharge is in the bottom of the tank. when the tank gets full you can either get it pumped or turn the wye valve so it goes to the masserator pump instead of the pump out, hit the switch for the pump, and it pumps the holding tank contents out over board, The pump is located under the bathroom sink and is self priming. Now that I know how it works, it wouldn't be hard to retrofit into an existing boat.
As far as your idle circuit. It could be that or could be the float not closing all the way, or points (if you still have them) going bad or pick something else. Normally if it just quits its electric, if it acts weird, lacks power, or loads up its fuel. Try to make the old engine and drive last the season and do the change out in the winter. Rock fish are good to eat but not fun to catch.

 

[Tail Chaser 661]

TC, I'm curious. Did you ever consider converting to outboard(s) on a bracket? I'm pretty sure you are going to like the 8.1/B3. I'm considering the bracket and a Verado 275 or 300 on my smaller boat (24.5 ft). Lower weight by roughly 400 pounds and increased power at the prop. So, in the event you gave it some thought I'd like to know what you think.

I'm not a fan of outboards. The things are in the way on the back of the boat. And add a lot of weight far aft.
Not to mention there would be a lot of work filling in the sterndrive transom hole.

PM SENT

 

[Tail Chaser 661]

Sucks about the wheel cylinders. Always something. The head on my boat is just like a portapotty, it has the holding tank underneath like yours. You can pull the whole thing out, all you have to do is unclip it, and disconnect the discharge and vent. To fill it with water you remove the top 1/2 and fill it from a hose. The suction / discharge is in the bottom of the tank. when the tank gets full you can either get it pumped or turn the wye valve so it goes to the masserator pump instead of the pump out, hit the switch for the pump, and it pumps the holding tank contents out over board, The pump is located under the bathroom sink and is self priming. Now that I know how it works, it wouldn't be hard to retrofit into an existing boat.
As far as your idle circuit. It could be that or could be the float not closing all the way, or points (if you still have them) going bad or pick something else. Normally if it just quits its electric, if it acts weird, lacks power, or loads up its fuel. Try to make the old engine and drive last the season and do the change out in the winter. Rock fish are good to eat but not fun to catch.

Thanks for the info on the holding tank setup. :thumbsup:
Everything in the bathroom makes for a super easy upgrade.
I thought the holding tank was stashed somewhere else on the boat. :huh:
Do the boat ramps have pump out stations?

The wheel cyls pissed me off. When you buy new supposedly good stuff. Then it needs replacing again asap.
Thats BS.
The parts were.... Tie Down engineering's complete freebacking drum brake assembly's. Must be China junk.

My distributor cap has a little black soot at the rotor where the coil wire fires in the center of the cap.
The Caps been on there 5 yrs and the MSD ignition puts a lot of juice to it.
Also, I know my tank has some varnish in it.
I occasionally get a rough idle.
A tuneup and fuel filter change will probably cure may bad idle woes. Looking to install a Racor filter also. They have a unit designed for inboards. It has a metal bowl with a drain plug. Good for draining water and muck out of if need be.

WSB are being caught a Catalina and some Yellowtail were caught a San Clemente island. Think my next three day trip will be at them islands.
O'Yea, WSB were taken with the speargun at the Channel islands. Nothing on the hook. And to think I was too lazy to jump in the water with my gun while I was out there :smt021

Hey berth control,
I forgot to mention. My boats sitting in the sun now.
I want to build or buy a RV shelter for it.
Its bad enough having to buy a 10K engine before I was ready. Its more important to have shade for the boat then spend another 6K on the new drive assembly.
I'm on hiatus at work for like two months. I'm trying to save my penny's for fuel money also.
Now if I could just get off the dang computer :smt021

 

[Peloza]

Stupid question.. I found my step pump in the rear sleeper, and the big fat hose from the shower drain.. question is, why didn't they just run the hose for the drain either straight out the side or to bildge pump in the rear?? Why another pump under a sleeper???

 

[Lazy Daze]

Head floor is either below the waterline or too close to the waterline to efficiently drain... and you could get outside water backing up through the hose into the head.

If the drain was routed to the bilge, you could get bilge fumes entering the cabin area. The cabin and fwd bilge should be sealed from the aft bilge.

Newer versions of your boat... the step-down pump is encased in a (approximately) 1-foot square, sealed box to eliminate smells in the cabin from the drainage water. Keeps things cleaner, too.