Bernie

My forte is not transmissions but here is what I know. In most automatic transmissions when you are in drive (3rd gear) your transmission is turning the same rpm as your engine at the input shaft as it is at the output shaft. Therefore it is not turning any internal gears creating heat. Heat is a killer when you are pulling extra weight. The overdrive gear will allow the output shaft to turn at a higher rpm than the input and it is going through another gear adding heat. Also the overdrive gear in many automatics isn't designed to pull extra weight and will wear and heat up. My advise-don't use OD when pulling a load.

I will enter it for you Mike. And I will also tell you what a good time it was!

The first time around I looked at this I was eating my lunch. Still can't read it all. Jeez. Don't ever let a dog lick your face. Had a couple of dogs myself and never have seen this. yuuuuuk!

Hiya Tom. Been a while. Nice catch there! Too bad about 3 more weeks of ice. Might be that long here too from the looks of things right now.

When I was a kid we mixed #30 oil with gasoline at around 24/1 ratio. Then they came out with a 50/1 oil late 60's. It wasn't so much tolerances as it is the chemical makeup of the lubricants. We have several engines we run 50/1 that were built in the 50's that work quite well. Never really noticed much differences in tolerance on a crankshaft bearing overhaul from 1957 to a 1997 OMC. They all used needle bearings on the crankshafts. Part of the reason is emissions, not too many like the smoke. So they produced an oil that requires less to do the same job.

Too add to it there is a plastic air snorkle on the carb held on with 4 screws. Remove them before you turn it over in case there is some debris in it. These engines are one of the easiest out there to change a water pump. Do as boatman suggests and do it first. Unless the mice chewed wires and the carb is gummed it should go. Great little engines.

Well done! You two never cease to amaze me. Next time you come here to fish you have to bring Carole. You only catch them when she's around.

On outboards in the past it was almost a necessity to sit starboard because the gearshift was mounted on the starboard of the engine. They are difficult to reach sitting port and makes for a possible dangerous docking procedure. Also often there isn't enough room in some situations to to turn the engine far enough sitting port, the tiller handle will bump into you.

Hey...Funny thing.... I bumped into Jeremy in Mississauga today. Heck of a good guy too! I have never met Snag or seen his his whole face in a picture so I have no idea what he looks like.

EC we are glad when spring arrives so some of us can get out to work the "big shop" (outdoors ) We need more space but it's adequate. Glad we were able to help out NES ! Jacques I have worked in a few places through my career but this has been best so far. It's great to be able to get along with everyone. When it comes right down to it Jim there isn't much we are not capable of doing mechanically. I hope it will be that easy Rattletrap. Good techs are not easy to find. Hopefully we will get someone to fill Gords shoes. I have several applications for apprentices but I am getting too old and crusty to train another one. Hope someday you may have the opportunity Twilight. Anytime Mike.

Yes it will all add up but haven't been anywhere for a while and ya gotta get out sometime! It has been a long winter. Thank you for your input barbless fisher. Not much for crowds but it may be a good place to take the family for a day. Hope to see a few interesting things. Thank you for reply George.

Porpoising can be caused by a few different things. Better to porpoise than plow. It's easier to repair/solve. As mentioned before too much weight to the rear, an engine trimmed too high or a hull that is too curved can also cause this issue. A fin mounted on the lower unit is the easiest to install and will more than likely cure your issue. This will also adjust itself with the engine trim. Another option is to mount trim tabs on the transom. The ultimate would be to have power adjustable trim tabs. These will also level your boat in a side wind or uneven side loads. Just as a side note I mentioned plowing. This is generally caused by excessive negative trim or a hull with a "hook" or concaved. This pulls the nose down and causes the boat to plow water. This creates poor handling, loss of speed and poor fuel economy. A hooked hull is difficult to overcome but sometimes a speciality propeller can help.

Looking it up, not seeing too much info on this on Mitchell. No panel under there like on the GM and Fords. White with a blue tracer is the wire you are looking for. Look for the brake light switch above the brake pedal. Personally don't care too much for those wire "taps", too much risk of damaging the wire and causing problems. Strip, solder and shrink or quality tape to hook in. Give me a holler if you think I can help out.

Heading to south to the International Center this weekend. Going to take in the Cottage Life show. Never have been to it before. Looking forward to seeing it but not too crazy about the drive down anymore. Anyone else going?

Joe it will be a sad day next Friday. For both of us. But double the money and more benefits are something I can't match. We are like family in here Gerritt. Just like family some may have to move on from time to time. Only 4 guys have left here over the last 30 years and one just came back.

Actually the 200 ton crane is the only thing we don't have. And the pit isn't quite 40'. As for the girl in the office if I posted a pic of her you guys would just drool on your keyboard.

I apologize Joeytier, I neglected to put NF on the title. It will be added on.

On Mercs to be honest I have worked on very little. But we have a couple of Merc techs. Bill has been working on them for 30 years. I was raised on OMC. Then I went and started working on automotive for the last 28 years. But we all work together and if we have a difficult issue we will brainstorm on it. Sad to lose people you have worked with for a long time Fang. Gord and I have known each other for close to 40 years. Says he will come in and give me a break for a week or two this summer on his time off. I will need to find a guy soon or maybe I will end up going north too.

Wow. Well done! Lots of elbow grease there!

I sometimes wonder what others do here and what their days are like. So today was a little quiet at my shop and took advantage of it to take a couple pictures of a somewhat typical day. Not trying to spam here. Just thought some may find it interesting. This is Gord, a top notch guy as well as a great mechanic. Gord is leaving my employ at the end of next week after being with me for around 12 years. He's off to Attiwapiskat to work in the mine up there. Big bucks apparently. Going to miss him around here, he's a good friend too. When checking the air filter on this van he found a fairly common problem. A mouse/chipmunk nest that took 10 minutes with a vacuum to get it all out. This is Dan, our service counter guy. Always cheery. Sorry about the fuzzy pic. My son Nick. Talent galore. Still learning, but knows parts and has incredible computer skills. Wouldn't stay still for a picture. This came up from the boat shop to get rigged for a new engine. This is almost identical to my first boat in 1976. My brother Mark and our sales guy Larry. Goofing off as usual. This is head marine tech Jim rigging up the new engine. Been here for over 30 years. This is another Nick tuning up a bike. He was a kid in my scout troop. Jeez I'm getting old. This is a generator I am fixing up as an emergency backup for my home in town. I can then take my smaller one out to the cottage. There a some more people that I didn't get pictures of. Our girl looking after the books Pauline that puts up with us teasing her (she gives it back though ), Bill who was away at service school, Andy who was unloading boats, Ash my part time car mechanic, John our apprentice in school and Mom and Dad who come in and keep us all in line.

Good set of plans, lots of time, a place to do it, a multitude of good woodworking tools, a little skill with working with wood, and patience. It would likely be less to buy one than to build it yourself if you include the price of tools. But many like the satisfaction of doing it themselves. Come by the boatshop up here and I will give you a tour so you can get an idea of what you may need. http://www.gieslerboats.ca/Images/wherry013.jpg

Steel boats are great for what they were designed for. Wham bam treat me rough. A cord of maple, half a dozen outboards to take to the outpost down the lake, the 100lb propane cylinders for the generator......anyway you get the idea. Not really a good fishing boat.

Hope you are enjoying your birthday today Beans!

Unless you really need a steel boat my recommendation is don't bother. Another thing is a compression test only tells you it has compression. It doesn't tell you if the magneto is worn out, the crankshaft bearings are rusted or the rod bearings have play or so on...... A lot of guys selling an outboard that have no scruples will change the gear lube long before you arrive to check it. Switching gears on an outboard in thin air isn't a good indicator of the gears condition either, there is no load on the prop to make the gears slip. Needs to be in water for a proper test. Pressure testing the lower unit is the best way to check for leaks. Ummm Wayne......I don't see any rivets?

Any engine that uses a thermostat (properly working) should run the same temperature internally when fully warmed whether it's -30 or +30.