Newbie questions for the group
 

OK so I am the proud owner of a 342 Baja with twin 502's. Now the learning begins. I have a few questions, probably more to come so I will say that I am sorry if they are stupid in advance.

-Belts, waterpump, hoses etc. I know that these motors are just marinized GM motors. Can I get these parts off the shelf at the local auto parts store? If so does anyone have the part numbers?

-Hatch actuator. What do you do if it dies or the batteries die and the hatch is down? Is there a disconnect somewhere to get the hatch open?

-Water holding tank. The guy I got it from didn't use it and I think there is some water in there that may be 4-5 years old. Will bleach get the smell and nasty stuff out of it?

-Seam sealant. Some of the places where the boat is put together look like they had sealant applied and then a clear coat put over the seam. Some places this is cracking. Can I scrape the old stuff out and put normal marine sealant in its place?

I guess that is it for now. Thanks in advance for any help.

Re: Newbie questions for the group
 

D,

Here's what I know:

1) Even though the parts look similar and perform identical functions, marine parts are beefed up to handle the stresses of marine life. I would stick to the Mercruiser parts and leave the GM parts on the shelf. I could be wrong, though...

2) My 342 has the batteries under the port bench seat. If I were to have a dead battery I'd just hook the jumper up to the terminals...If your batteries are in the engine compartment, there SHOULD be access terminals somewhere - I would look under the rear bench and you may see some.

3) I just bought stuff called TastePure in the RV aisle at Wal-Mart. $5.49 for a bottle, and it says two capfuls treat 20 gallons, so I guess this stuff is pretty strong. I plan on pouring a little into my tank this weekend. I would try something like this first before you go for the strong stuff like bleach...

4) I'd ask the dealer about this one....

What year is your boat? Post some pics & specs!!!

Re: Newbie questions for the group
 

Nice boat, there are no stupid questions. I have learned a lot from the guys on this site.

Hoses do not match auto hoses at all. As for the water circulating pump I have never heard of anyone using an auto pump. I do not think they are the same. As for the belt, NO PROBLEM, I ran Gates on the last 502 Mag we had and now on my 500EFI's. Gates is the leading rubber manufacturer in the world and probably makes them for Mercury. I have never had any problems. Take your old belt to a good auto store and they can match it by size. It should be a Gates "K" series serpentine belt.

I would be surprised if you batteries are not under the back seat. I would also be surprised if there was not a sliding tube extension on the top of your actuator that allows you to raise the hatch high enough to reach in and pull the pin. If I'm wrong then you need to add jumper posts under your seat to the batteries to be able to jump it off. I relocated my batteries to the engine compartment and added the post this season. Got them from Summit Racing. Easy to do, but I bet you will not need them.


I would flush it many times. fill and empty, then repeat. Go to West Marine, they have what you need.

I think they use 3M 5200 sealant to fill the cracks and help hold it all together. 5200 may be too strong, but any good white marine silicone sealant will work fine. Again you can get this at West Marine.



Enjoy the boat! There are many good people on this site to help you along.

Dock

Re: Newbie questions for the group
 

My batteries are under the hatch. Will have to look to see if there are terminals under the seat.

What are good places to get Mercruiser parts online?

Re: Newbie questions for the group
 

You should be able to lift the hatch by hand. There is a slide tube over the ram. It might take alittle grunt to lift it but it should open.

Frank

Re: Newbie questions for the group
 

You will pay LIST price from all the online parts suppliers.

Call Sarah at Dell Marine in Jacksonville, Florida at 904-730-9968.

Or you can email her at [email protected]

I always email her with my list and she will get back to me with a good price, and she ships the parts from her inventory, or directly from Merc in Atlanta and will give you a discount off of list.

Tell her that Dock Holiday sent you and I said to give you a good price.

Re: Newbie questions for the group
 

Look at the following pictures and you will see the slide tube that Frank, Craig and myself are referring to.

It slips over the actuator and allows you to lift the hatch up.

You should have one of these, maybe not this big, but they do work.

Re: Newbie questions for the group
 

Dock, thanks for the info on Dell marine. I emailed her yesterday and she can drop ship parts from the Atlanta warehouse if she does not have them in stock. Her prices were better than any online site I checked. Another place to spend money..... :rolleyes:

Re: Newbie questions for the group
 

The Good Doctor will not steer you wrong! :D

She is also good looking and single! :evilb:

Re: Newbie questions for the group
 

The words out now
:evilb: