[oldtimer57]

Go to Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc.

You can find good chain there, and some stainless steel caribiners (spring snap-in, when spring snaps back out, the thing is locked into a closed loop). If you want to be classier, you can even find stainless chain, but it is not as easy to find.

You have to watch the state regs, however. some require that the chains be crossed (seems stupid to me) underneath the tongue. I made mine just long enough to comfortably snap the caribiners onto the trailer hitch safety chain eyes, and made sure I can turn left and right without interference. Main thing you want is to hook up the chain, then unhitch the trailer and make sure the tongue will not hit the ground. If you get that right, you are good to go.

There are other safety checks to watch out for. Here in alabama you need a good fire extinguisher (type 3 I think, good for gas, oil and electrical). You also need a throwable life preserver. Not to mention proper lights for nighttime use if you are out after dark. A noisemaker is required here but a good whistle will meet that regulation.

Some states require trailer brakes if the boat/trailer exceeds some weight…

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2008 Pantera Classic
2014 Mercury Pro XS 200

[oldtimer57]

You might be right and I misunderstood.

However, I have not seen a state require that the boat be doubly anchored to the trailer with a safety chain from the bow eye to the wench post, although many require a safety chain to back-up the hitch in case it disconnects while in tow.

If he was talking about the bow eye to wench type of safety chain, it is definitely a good idea. The cloth strap will let go in a wreck and the boat will join you in the cab of your truck. The eye-to-wench safety chain helps (but doesn’t avoid if you are going fast enough) prevent that.

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2008 Pantera Classic
2014 Mercury Pro XS 200

[oldtimer57]

Should have been winch of course. Apparently had “mother-in-law” on my mind.

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2008 Pantera Classic

2014 Mercury Pro XS 200

[oldtimer57]

Buy a small wooden dowel at Lowe’s/Home Depot. One that will fit in the hole with a bit of room to spare. Cut about 12″, then use a band saw to slice a slot in one end (make it look like an old fashioned tinker-toy stick if you know what that is.) Chuck this up in a variable speed drill, then take a good piece of emory cloth, cut a strip about 1-2″ wide, about the same length, and slide it into this slot. Wrap it around the dowel so that the rough side is out, insert this into the bushing and use the drill to spin it. This will open the thing up, while maintaining a smooth finish. Doesn’t take long. You can smooth it further by going to 400 grit or finer, but if you start with 400, expect to be a while. I’d likely start with 240.

Doing it like this, you can get the fit to be “just right” if you want it to have zero slop but not be impossible to turn the post to tighten/loosen it.

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2008 Pantera Classic
2014 Mercury Pro XS 200

 

[oldtimer57]

What about the connections in the back of the boat? Clean them also as water leads to corrosion, corrosion leads to higher resistance, higher resistance leads to lower current flow, lower current flow leads to the dash giving up as being “under voltage” perhaps…

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2008 Pantera Classic
2014 Mercury Pro XS 200

 

[oldtimer57]

If my mercury ever developed a lime-green stripe on the cowl like those boats had, I’d be running it without the cowl.

 

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2008 Pantera Classic
2014 Mercury Pro XS 200

[oldtimer57]

stress cracks will form starting at the “nicks”. Thats why the drag racers shot-peen the connecting rods, etc. To get rid of any tiny imperfection on the surface that serves to focus stress there and allow a crack to form. So any leading edge nicks need to go before they turn into a missing blade.It is possible to DIY, but some experience helps. Ive done this several times using a good file, going slow, and being careful.. Whatever you do to one blade, you have to do to all blades, to avoid imbalance…2008 Pantera Classic2014 Mercury Pro XS 200

[oldtimer57]

You can replace the rope with a lot of elbow grease, and cursing…

BCB sells a poly-rope that fits, but I’ve found similar sizes at home depot / lowes. There are a couple of issues.

1. The slot where the rope fits is very tight. By design. And around the transom corners and up at the bow, the slot is even tighter because the rub rail turns at a tight radius.

2. You need a block of wood and a good heavy hammer. You don’t bang hard, so a heavier hammer gives a more solid “push” which is what you want.

3. Some sort of lubrication will help. To install bike handlebar grips, I’ve used WD-40 with good results. There is also a fishing product called “tangle-free” that is just a slippery liquid you can spray on the rope / rail to make the rope slip in easier. It is just a matter of going slowly and tap-tap-tapping on the block of wood as you work the rope in. Having a helper can be a plus as he/she can pull on the rope and stretch it a bit which shrinks its diameter a bit and makes it easier to tap it in.

Leave some slop at the start/finish, cut ’em flush and after putting the covers back on you will be done. Around the bow, a stream of invectives to accompany the stream of tangle-free and tap-tap-tap will often help.

If you have the old rope, take it with you and an exact match is pretty easy to find.

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2008 Pantera Classic
2014 Mercury Pro XS 200

[oldtimer57]

helps as I said. Had not thought of BCB’s idea of the box-end wrench, which also sounds good.

Certainly “banging” is not needed. I like a heavier hammer so that very light blows will seat the rope. If you swing a light hammer too hard, you can damage the glass (or yourself) on an inaccurate blow. Short easy taps have little opportunity for going awry. And the second person really helps to reduce the diameter while installing.

Glad you “got r done”.

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2008 Pantera Classic
2014 Mercury Pro XS 200

[oldtimer57]

You omitted it. Whats hanging off that transom? Hopefully not a hamster in a cage. 2008 Pantera Classic2014 Mercury Pro XS 200

[oldtimer57]

Used to live in Hattiesburg MS, and would go to see the Saints whenever possible. But the player salaries kept going through the roof, joined by the ticket prices, and I decided that college football was more than good enough for me. And even that is getting to be a bit pricey today. I went to N.O. to see the 1992 championship game where Alabama ripped Miami. Only way you could get tickets was to buy a package with 3 nights in a local 5-star hotel for an outrageous price. We went, but did not stay the entire time… Id rather go to Vegas myself.2008 Pantera Classic2014 Mercury Pro XS 200

[oldtimer57]

some good marine quality RTV can be used to hold most anything in place once it is fairly tight mechanically (wedged in, in other words) but RTV gives you the chance to remove it if necessary, albiet with some effort…A good bead will hold most anything in there so long as the surfaces start out clean and dry.2008 Pantera Classic2014 Mercury Pro XS 200

[oldtimer57]

Have you had it pressure-tested? You didnt mention the shift-shaft seal which can leak as badly as anything. And there have been gearcases with pinholes in them. You get it hot running down the river, and then when you shut down, it gets buried in cooler water and as the air/oil inside contracts on cooling it can suck in water.First step is to make sure that after replacing the seals, it will hold pressure properly. And you could even try a vacuum test as well as there are cases where a seal will hold +pressure back, but collapse and leak on -pressure.If it is the propshaft, you should be able to see the damage.BTW I have also seen some bearing carriers that were porous, there was a group down in LA that sold racing carriers and they had a bad lot they had to send off to be impregnated with something that stopped this kind of leaking.A pressure test will tell a lot by pinpointing where the leak is occuring, otherwise there are too many places to worry with.2008 Pantera Classic2014 Mercury Pro XS 200

[oldtimer57]

please have a video camera ready and rolling when they show up. Id _really_ like to see the expressions on their faces when they see what they are cleaning. 2008 Pantera Classic2014 Mercury Pro XS 200

[oldtimer57]

Thing weighs over 800 pounds (350 4c motor). Ive heard of a tiger in your tank, but an elephant on your transom?2008 Pantera Classic2014 Mercury Pro XS 200

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