Jim Warman Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 So I do actually get an eclectic mix of things to do on a regular basis... and today was no different. Now and again, along with trailers, motorhomes and ATVs, we sell boats. Not enough to warrant any full time boat guys - but enough where my modest success rate makes me the "boat guy". So - I have this 2009 Mercruiser 5.0 with a leaking lower water distribution valve. With little more than a cursory look at it today, I am reasonably sure that I am going to be replacing this valve.... But I would really like to know what the hell the knob (this is a remote actuated valve) does. I see the valve has a separate drain plug for winterizing and I see that the valve can be a source of problems.... One of the things you can't see is the valve -even standing on your head.... Any help, suggestions and criticisms welcome and accepted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Amacker Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YukonTyler Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 I should have snapped a picture of my bay before leaving on Friday. I put my 1952 Evinrude 15 Fastwin on the stand next to my hoist. Time for new coils, points, condensers and ignition wires. At the ripe ol' age of 26 this will be my first time changing points. Good luck with your inboard. Hope that you can find a way to get at the valve without much of a hassle, such as pulling the 4.6 on a Sport Track to drill out somebody else's easy-out that broke in the exhaust manifold stud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted July 2, 2012 Author Share Posted July 2, 2012 As it turns out, my water leak was nothing more than a missing plug in the lower water distribution valve... but I still don't know what the damned knob is for.... I only had to stand on my head a little bit to get at it. Tuesday (Monday being a holiday here in Gods country), I still have a hot water tank in a 37 foot 5er, the landing gear on a 39 footer and a Chironex Komodo (Commode???) that overheats. This is a Chinese made ATV, BTW. Between these and diesels and whatever else happens (the service manager approaches me about 4 times a day to say "You are gonna hate me....") during the course of my day, at least it never gets boring. Thank yahweh that I'm not flat rape.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YukonTyler Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 ha. so you, too, have the privilege of working on Chironex. my dealership pushes them up here and they are a supreme piece of garbage. the handful that we have sold are repeatedly back in the stalls for service. our best chironex so far was one which intermittently blew its 4x4 fuse. after playing around with no diagrams it was traced back to the 4x module/motor itself, but reaching that diagnosis was not a good time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted July 2, 2012 Author Share Posted July 2, 2012 Way back when our store branched into holiday trailers, I didn't think it was too big of a deal. We sell trucks, what could be more natural than selling something for the truck to pull? A TOY for the truck to pull. And then we started selling boats... we're not a boat dealer but if the powers that be snag a good deal on a decent used boat. Either one of these can be a supreme pain in the ass if repairs or service are needed. Winterizing a boat, for example... I've never owned a boat with any kind of a motor, but it always seems to land in my lap if we need to overwinter one. More, I suppose, because I'm anal about getting stuff done as right as I can than for any vast amount of knowledge. We've even taken bikes in trade - of course they always seem to ask me if I want first choice... last one was a Harley Rocker C and here I am torn between a cruiser and a bagger. RVs, trailers, boats... the store can't make a profit on repairs if you are paying auto tech wages - at least not in Canada (or more precisely, Alberta). Between 20 and 30 bucks an hour is going to be the limit for this kind of labour... but I'm digressing. Enter the ATV (not forgetting the crotch rocket wannabe MadAss 125) and it becomes obvious that we are forgetting about what it is we do... what it is that made us what we are. A dealer.... any auto dealer, is geared to working on corporate products that have not been modified and are less than ten years old. Our tools, our manuals, our schools - they are all designed around a specific niche. And if we stay in that zone, life will be as good as it can be. As you can see around your store, it is when we start to leave that zone of comfort without proper preparation.... does the term "clusterfuck" remind you of anything? Chironex is a recent addition for us. I have here a 2011 Komodo sold from another dealer... between 2011 and 2013 (there is no 2012 Komodo), they gave the motor a 90 degree twist... Yay!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Clayton Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 It's kinda funny this thread was started, 'cause I worked on a boat today. Very odd goings on lately, the shop is dead and I am desperate for work. A local heavy truck shop owner calls me and says he's lookin at a Ford powered boat that runs like a bag and could use some Ford advise. I picked the heavy truck shop onwer up and we skipped over to the boat place to take a look see. It's a pretty nice unit, a '95 with a fuel injected 5.8 Liter. I don't know shit about boats but it looks like your typical sleek ski boat. The boat shop put head gaskets in it and it wouldn't run very well afterwards. After a little poking and prodding and NGS'ing, the timing was adjusted properly and I determined they had crimped the fuel inlet line from the tank to the lift pump. It worked out pretty good for all involved and I got a bit of a tan while out of the shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Saunoras Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 I've got my own boat to go home and mess with. It's got a 4-stroke nissan 18hp. The wiring diagram for it is one page recently had a starter solenoid go bad and some loose ground wire woes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbriggs Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 We sold those chironex piles of shit for a while as well.(couple years ago now) Several of them broke down or fell appart just sitting here. Everyone we sold was back for something. Had to replace a centifugal clutch assy on one, waited 5 weeks for parts. Service manuals are shit, dealer tech assistance is shit. Finally we said enough, and sent all our stock back. (I think they transfered it to another dealer.) I regularily work on a few boats for some friends. Replacing the steering cable on a tige ski boat is not a fun job. Very nearly had to remove the entire power train, to remove the fuel tank, to replace the cable. I also installed a new samson waketower on the same boat, another interesting job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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