On Mon, 22 Feb 2016 00:29:39 -0500, wrote:

On Sun, 21 Feb 2016 12:55:32 -0500, John H.
wrote:

On Sat, 20 Feb 2016 21:40:45 -0500, Alex wrote:

True North wrote:
John H.
- show quoted text -
"So? Come on...tell us more. Pictures?

Here I've spent hours reading and listening to computer sound systems, and you're
doing something constructive!"


Won't actually have it until May. Have to go back to the Boat Show on their dime to sign the paperwork around 1100 hrs.
Since I'm somewhat limited by our narrow driveway, the new boat is only a foot longer and a few inches wider. Since it's made of fiberglass, it's about 50 per cent heavier. In order to not get bitten by our seventy cent dollar, I opted for a brand new 2015 model.
Since I'll be doing my deep water sailing on a 39 foot sailboat this summer the idea was to not spend too much money to get something the wife will want to go out on on fine days.
There were two versions of the same boat. The outboard model and a MerCruiser 3.0 I/O model with a big extended swim platform to make it easier for us and the dog to re-board. It's a compromise as usual. Could have gotten a bare bones more sea worthy boat for a bit more, but the wife wouldn't hear of it.
It's a Bayliner 175BR. Yeah, I know...they had their problems with quality a few years back but the salesman convinced me that they are reasonably solid now and with the light useage and short season up here, it should last me the rest of my boating career.


Did you expect the salesman to convince you of anything else? I would
never own an I/O for sal****er use on any boat.

The exhaust manifold should be pretty easy to switch out on that inline 4. Very
accessible, and only one of them. I had to replace mine, on the 5.7L, after about
seven years. But, if I had the choice, I'd take the outboard. Either way he'll have
to flush it after every trip. Keeping the boat in the driveway makes flushing much
more handy then trying to find a wash rack somewhere.

You are not really is salt water tho, The upper bay and the river is
barely brackish at 10 ppt or less, much less up near DC or Annapolis.
I have caught small mouth Bass on Haines Point. (down near where that
"crawling out of the ground" sculpture used to be.)

But almost all of my fishing was between Deale and the Patuxent. Only fishing in the
Potomac was for catfish in the channel with grandkids.

The extra salt may mean a new exhaust manifold sooner...five years, maybe? But, it
appeas very easy to replace on that four. And it looks like they run less than $400.
On the V8, they were a bitch, and much more expensive, of course.
--

Ban liars, tax cheats, idiots, and narcissists...not guns!

John H.
- show quoted text -
"But almost all of my fishing was between Deale and the Patuxent. Only fishing in the
Potomac was for catfish in the channel with grandkids.

The extra salt may mean a new exhaust manifold sooner...five years, maybe? But, it
appeas very easy to replace on that four. And it looks like they run less than $400.
On the V8, they were a bitch, and much more expensive, of course."


....and I was worried about the bellows rotting out! Salesman said it should last 15 years.
A new exhaust manifold every five years doesn't appeal to me. You'd think they would come up with a better material.
I've never owned an inboard/outboard and I am a bit leary about it. I'd better start reading up on how the engine cooling system works and how much routine maintenance is required.
Already I can see that the optional 23" deep swim platform is going to make flushing the lower end a bit harder. The idea is that platform will make it easier for the dog to reboard after swimming. The 170BR with outboard motor has a very narrow reboarding spot next to the outboard well.

On Mon, 22 Feb 2016 05:03:47 -0800 (PST), True North wrote:

John H.
- show quoted text -
"But almost all of my fishing was between Deale and the Patuxent. Only fishing in the
Potomac was for catfish in the channel with grandkids.

The extra salt may mean a new exhaust manifold sooner...five years, maybe? But, it
appeas very easy to replace on that four. And it looks like they run less than $400.
On the V8, they were a bitch, and much more expensive, of course."


...and I was worried about the bellows rotting out! Salesman said it should last 15 years.
A new exhaust manifold every five years doesn't appeal to me. You'd think they would come up with a better material.
I've never owned an inboard/outboard and I am a bit leary about it. I'd better start reading up on how the engine cooling system works and how much routine maintenance is required.
Already I can see that the optional 23" deep swim platform is going to make flushing the lower end a bit harder. The idea is that platform will make it easier for the dog to reboard after swimming. The 170BR with outboard motor has a very narrow reboarding spot next to the outboard well.

Well, you'd best adapt to the extra difficulty, 'cause you'll want to flush it every
time you use it. Do they have a hose connection on them now, or will you have to get
a set of muffs? If muffs, don't skimp. Get good ones that fit snugly. My I/O boat was
11 years old when I traded it in, and I'd put new manifolds on it at about the 9-10
year mark, not seven as I'd said earlier. I did have mine magnaflux tested about the
7 year mark. That was worthwhile, but luckily I had a son-in-law who had it done for
me - free.
--

Ban liars, tax cheats, idiots, and narcissists...not guns!

John H.
- show quoted text -
"Well, you'd best adapt to the extra difficulty, 'cause you'll want to flush it every
time you use it. Do they have a hose connection on them now, or will you have to get
a set of muffs? If muffs, don't skimp. Get good ones that fit snugly. My I/O boat was
11 years old when I traded it in, and I'd put new manifolds on it at about the 9-10
year mark, not seven as I'd said earlier. I did have mine magnaflux tested about the
7 year mark. That was worthwhile, but luckily I had a son-in-law who had it done for
me - free."


I guess I can skip the flushing when boating on freshwater lakes...as I do with the Mercury 60 Big Foot.
I much prefer salt ot brackish water and I estimate I'll be flushing 75 per cent of the time. My current outboard does have the hose connection so I flush it both ways. I have two sets of muffs. The newer version is the one I saw the dealer use so I bought it at a local Marine store. It has the thin metal rod that passes through the inlet holes and out the other side to help snug the rubber cups up. Sometimes you have to fiddle a bit more with it and that will make it worse reaching under that platform. Might have to dig out my garage creeper to get down there. Did your boat spend many nights on the water or was it loaded back on the trailer every time?

10:38 AMTrue North
John H.
- show quoted text -
"Well, you'd best adapt to the extra difficulty, 'cause you'll want to flush it every
time you use it. Do they have a hose connection on them now, or will you have to get
a set of muffs? If muffs, don't skimp. Get good ones that fit snugly. My I/O boat was
11 years old when I traded it in, and I'd put new manifolds on it at about the 9-10
year mark, not seven as I'd said earlier. I did have mine magnaflux tested about the
7 year mark. That was worthwhile, but luckily I had a son-in-law who had it done for
me - free."


I guess I can skip the flushing when boating on freshwater lakes...as I do with the Mercury 60 Big Foot.
I much prefer salt ot brackish water and I estimate I'll be flushing 75 per cent of the time. My current outboard does have the hose connection so I flush it both ways. I have two sets of muffs. The newer version is the one I saw the dealer use so I bought it at a local Marine store. It has the thin metal rod that passes through the inlet holes and out the other side to help snug the rubber cups up. Sometimes you have to fiddle a bit more with it and that will make it worse reaching under that platform. Might have to dig out my garage creeper to get down there. Did your boat spend many nights on the water or was it loaded back on the trailer every time?
-------

Don, even on fresh water it doesn't hurt to occasionall flush the system to get what ever stuff might settle inside.

On 2/22/2016 11:54 AM, Tim wrote:

10:38 AMTrue North
John H.
- show quoted text -
"Well, you'd best adapt to the extra difficulty, 'cause you'll want to flush it every
time you use it. Do they have a hose connection on them now, or will you have to get
a set of muffs? If muffs, don't skimp. Get good ones that fit snugly. My I/O boat was
11 years old when I traded it in, and I'd put new manifolds on it at about the 9-10
year mark, not seven as I'd said earlier. I did have mine magnaflux tested about the
7 year mark. That was worthwhile, but luckily I had a son-in-law who had it done for
me - free."


I guess I can skip the flushing when boating on freshwater lakes...as I do with the Mercury 60 Big Foot.
I much prefer salt ot brackish water and I estimate I'll be flushing 75 per cent of the time. My current outboard does have the hose connection so I flush it both ways. I have two sets of muffs. The newer version is the one I saw the dealer use so I bought it at a local Marine store. It has the thin metal rod that passes through the inlet holes and out the other side to help snug the rubber cups up. Sometimes you have to fiddle a bit more with it and that will make it worse reaching under that platform. Might have to dig out my garage creeper to get down there. Did your boat spend many nights on the water or was it loaded back on the trailer every time?
-------

Don, even on fresh water it doesn't hurt to occasionall flush the system to get what ever stuff might settle inside.

Don't you have to flush out the zebra mussel seeds before they grow and
clog stuff up?

Tim

10:38 AMTrue North
- show quoted text -
-------

"Don, even on fresh water it doesn't hurt to occasionall flush the system to get what ever stuff might settle inside."

That sounds like good advice Tim. Especially in areas where the water may be silted or not pristine.

On Mon, 22 Feb 2016 08:38:21 -0800 (PST), True North wrote:

John H.
- show quoted text -
"Well, you'd best adapt to the extra difficulty, 'cause you'll want to flush it every
time you use it. Do they have a hose connection on them now, or will you have to get
a set of muffs? If muffs, don't skimp. Get good ones that fit snugly. My I/O boat was
11 years old when I traded it in, and I'd put new manifolds on it at about the 9-10
year mark, not seven as I'd said earlier. I did have mine magnaflux tested about the
7 year mark. That was worthwhile, but luckily I had a son-in-law who had it done for
me - free."


I guess I can skip the flushing when boating on freshwater lakes...as I do with the Mercury 60 Big Foot.
I much prefer salt ot brackish water and I estimate I'll be flushing 75 per cent of the time. My current outboard does have the hose connection so I flush it both ways. I have two sets of muffs. The newer version is the one I saw the dealer use so I bought it at a local Marine store. It has the thin metal rod that passes through the inlet holes and out the other side to help snug the rubber cups up. Sometimes you have to fiddle a bit more with it and that will make it worse reaching under that platform. Might have to dig out my garage creeper to get down there. Did your boat spend many nights on the water or was it loaded back on the trailer every time?

I wouldn't skip flushing, ever.
--

Ban liars, tax cheats, idiots, and narcissists...not guns!

On Mon, 22 Feb 2016 08:38:21 -0800 (PST), True North wrote:

John H.
- show quoted text -
"Well, you'd best adapt to the extra difficulty, 'cause you'll want to flush it every
time you use it. Do they have a hose connection on them now, or will you have to get
a set of muffs? If muffs, don't skimp. Get good ones that fit snugly. My I/O boat was
11 years old when I traded it in, and I'd put new manifolds on it at about the 9-10
year mark, not seven as I'd said earlier. I did have mine magnaflux tested about the
7 year mark. That was worthwhile, but luckily I had a son-in-law who had it done for
me - free."


I guess I can skip the flushing when boating on freshwater lakes...as I do with the Mercury 60 Big Foot.
I much prefer salt ot brackish water and I estimate I'll be flushing 75 per cent of the time. My current outboard does have the hose connection so I flush it both ways. I have two sets of muffs. The newer version is the one I saw the dealer use so I bought it at a local Marine store. It has the thin metal rod that passes through the inlet holes and out the other side to help snug the rubber cups up. Sometimes you have to fiddle a bit more with it and that will make it worse reaching under that platform. Might have to dig out my garage creeper to get down there. Did your boat spend many nights on the water or was it loaded back on the trailer every time?

Whoops, hit 'send' too soon. My boats were always taken out of the water after each
trip, either loaded on the trailer or lifted into an indoor bay.

Something like this? Looks like it would work well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrYNJa8y9Zc
--

Ban liars, tax cheats, idiots, and narcissists...not guns!

John H.
On Mon, 22 Feb 2016 08:38:21 -0800 (PST), True North wrote:

- show quoted text -
"Whoops, hit 'send' too soon. My boats were always taken out of the water after each
trip, either loaded on the trailer or lifted into an indoor bay.

Something like this? Looks like it would work well."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrYNJa8y9Zc


That's my new muffs he's using except mine didn't come with the short piece of hose.