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As I recall, the other 3 pistons did not move at all when pressed with the rod. The bad one was obvious. I''ve actually blown up 3 power heads over the years on big motors and one on a kicker. I'm also an old guy. Back in the 70s and early 80s, when they began reformulating fuel on an annual...

I've owned both the older 22 and a 226. The 226 with the SV2 hull has a softer and drier ride. The older hull design is lighter and requires less hp. It is a slightly more stable fishing platform. The older hull has excellent low speed handling characteristics and is very easy to dock. The...

I had a wrist pin go on a 140 hp Evinrude years ago. It had the same symptom. You could hear a knock at idle, but not if you increased the rpm. When we tore the engine down, part of the wrist pin had fallen out and gouged the cylinder below the ring area. I had the block re-bored and replaced...

The octane level should be the same throughout the gasoline layer. Diffusion rapidly distributes the remaining ethanol.

I would drain some of that oil so that the level is between the full and add lines on the dipstick. It is not unusual for at least a half quart of oil to remain in the engine after it is drained. To much oil in the crankcase can cause too much pressure to build up, which can affect performance...

You might need to re-think your plan. The gasoline phase of separated E10 is below the octane rating required by any gasoline engine. You could damage your equipment and wind up paying more than what you spent for the 90 gallons of fuel. You might be able to add an octane booster, but most of...

They are both the same material: high density polyethylene plastic When I lived on the west coast, everybody used SeaBoard sold by TAP Plastic. Now that I live on the east coast, everybody uses King StarBoard. There may be a difference in the products. But I haven't noticed any difference...

If the problem occurs with the battery switch in the off position, the most common source of current leakage is a bilge pump float switch or a bilge pump. Disconnect the positive leads one at a time in order to isolate the problem. They will either run from one of the positive terminals on the...

I use Scotty gimbel mounts: They fit in the rod holders and are easily removed. You can add the swivel mounts to them if you use Scottys with long arms.

If you have a true 3 - stage "smart" charger with an AGM setting and either temperature compensation or a temperature set point, you can use any amp rating that you like. One of the best things about an AGM battery is that it can take a very high current flow during the bulk charge cycle. This...

How old are your throttle and shift cables? Once they start to bind a little, the problem that you described is fairly common. Replacing the cables generally fixes the issue.

A basic question: Did you measure the water pressure? What does it read at low speed? It should be around 4-5 psi at idle. If it is low, I would suspect the water pump. It may be defective despite it being new. "New" lower units for older engines have typically been siting around for a long...

E10 is E10. The marinas get their fuel delivered by the same tankers as the local filling stations. If anything, the street gas will be drier. StaBil and Ringfree has always worked for me. Keep your tank full and you should be fine. Most of the E10 problems (except for a decrease in...

The red StaBil used to contain isopropyl alcohol. They quietly changed the formulation after the onset of E10 fuel. The new MSDS no longer included IPA in the list of ingredients. IPA can potentially cause problems with E10 in part because it can raise the alcohol content beyond the 10% allowed...

Every hull and load is different. Using a set number of clicks or indicator bars is not the best practice. Start out with the engine trimmed in and the trim tabs all the way up. Begin to trim out as the boat starts to get up on plane. There is no reason to plow the bow until the boat is...

The reason the Grady/Yamaha don't want us using AGM batteries is because non of the AGM marine stating batteries meet the 182 min reserve capacity requirement of the big Yamaha motors. You can use Optimas or any other smaller battery as long as you don't spend much time at idle speed. At low...

It's not a $3000 job on the older Gradies. I used to change all of the wiring and fuse blocks on my 1975 and 1986 Gradies every 3 years fishing out of Tarpon Springs years ago. It never took me more than a long day each time. I would replace the switches on an "as needed" basis and always...

Fuel polishing won't remove the 2-stroke oil. You'll have to sell or give away that tank of fuel. I agree that running poor fuel or fuel containing 2-stroke oil during the beak in period is a bad idea. You don't want deposits forming as you try to seat the rings.

I recently tested both boats and ended up deciding on a 226. The major difference I found was that the 226 will stay on plane at a lower speed than the 228. This makes for a softer, drier, but slower ride when the seas get snotty. The rear cockpit layout of the 228 is nicer. Every boat...

Those are black skimmers. This is how they feed with those specialized beaks: