I am not a basketball fan. March always brings a smile to my face because I know boating is right around the corner. Where do you live and when are you launching your boat in 2006?

Rob..........how can you pass up a perfectly good reason to toss back cold ones and gamble???

By the way, I checked your boat out last weekend. Looks good!!! Last year I boated April 1st, we'll see if I get that lucky again.........

I am picking up a new to me ZT 280 this weekend. I hope to hit the water as soon as it warms up in Northern Indiana!

well splash the 18 once the powerhead gets back, should be about 2 weeks. we will use it to keep other boats out of our big slip for the cig at jamestown . wild willy, where do you launch at, or do you have a slip?

I splash May 1 . Cant wait. I just started another project. Still waiting for a few parts to arrive. They should be here tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have it done this weekend. I should have done this last year when I built the engine, but didnt. I am changing my stock oil cooling system to a thermistatic controlled Hardin Marine set-up. Should make a big difference. I'll post a few pictures when done.

Hatch scoop(thought about, not done), modified side vents and now a modified oil cooling system. How much heat was the 540 creating?

I took a short ride last saturday out of New Buffalo MI. It was a strong south wind, but the lake was flat and air temp wasn't bad.

Check454, I did the same cooler last year. It was a pain to mount and fit. I couldn't mount it in the same location as the stock one. I had to change every hose and mount. I have an older one in which the seat has to come out to do anything. What temps were you running last year?

Magic, where are the picts of that new ride?!

We are going to launch within weeks. This brings up a common question. How cold does it have to get and for how long before you crack the block? Most of us want to maximize our boating season but at what expense. Anyone out there how has experienced a cracked block?

RJBBC,

The oil was getting a bit hot on long runs, about 260*. I was concerned that my stock cooler didnt have enough flow to keep up. Also, it may have been by-passing. With this new system, the temps are controlled by a t-stat. The cooler is overkill. Plenty of flow with 3/4" pipe threads on all the pieces and -12 AN line. The problem is having enough space to mount all this stuff.

I am going to pick it up tomorrow. The picks will come soon!!!