Every year I have a fix-it list in addition to a few improvement projects. This year is mostly fix-its . . . stuff that sort of needs fixing, but could be left alone. I decided that I would fix most of them . . . FWIW - the boat is my Formula 330 SS w/ twin Mercruiser 454's / Bravo 3

Install 3" Exhaust Riser Extension Blocks: This is for my extended swim platform, which is going into its 3rd season. When I built the platform I was reminded to check the exhaust riser height, since more weight would probably be at the stern of the boat on occasion. When I did, it was about 1-2" below spec. So, I planned to add 3" extension blocks to the risers to bring them 1" over spec. I've been working on installing the riser blocks for the past few weekends , , , What a PITA it has been, but the end is in sight. I'll post some pictures when done.

Bravo Outdrive Clutch Repair: As per my other thread in this forum, I needed to repair the clutches as they were starting to slip. It is a situation often referred to as 'glazing' - the clutch surface gets to be polished and roughing them up slightly brings the clutch back to life. The alternative is to replace the gear set @ $1,000 in parts. Dave R and WayWeGo have both done this repair. I finished this repair and just have to do the normal maintenance on the outdrives and install them.

Depth Sounder Replacement: It seemed to have crapped out in the past few years. I have a second depth sounder with the GPS, but I'd like the OEM depth sounder to work as well. The OEM depth sounder is thru-hull, I have a Hawkeye Unit that I never installed, I just hope the hole in the hull is the right size for the Hawkeye.

Outdrive Trim Pump Replacement: The port engine's trim pump has been leaking some oil for the past who-knows-how-many years. So, I got a new trim pump to replace it. Maybe I'll fix the existing pump and have a spare I also got stainless steel pump brackets to replace the rusting metal brackets.

Outdrive Skeg Repair: The Port outdrive has a 'bite' out of the skeg . . . been that way since I bought the boat. I finally got tired of looking at it and it is now on the fix-it list.

Engine Spark Plugs and Wires: The distributor crapped out on the port engine last year. So, I replaced them both during the season. The spark plugs are about 8 years old and the ignition wires even older. So, those will get replaced, making the ignition systems for both engines all new.

Exhaust Flappers: While I had the exhaust systems apart, doing the riser extensions, I replaced the exhaust flappers. I put new ones in 8 years ago, and they have lost their springiness. I was a bit surprised to see that the old ones were still there at all.

New Trim Senders: These don't last all that long, so I have two new sets to go in before I install the outdrives.

Engine Bay Clean-up: The engine bay is getting pretty dirty and some of the cable/hose clamps have disintegrated. I've got some stainless steel clamps to replace them.

Anyway, this is about 2-3X my normal list of stuff to do, I believe the engines actually run, but I won't know for sure until a few weeks from now.

Why are the riser blocks such a pain? If it's that 4" exhaust hose, try warming it in the oven before you install it.

Hi Dave,

It is more complicated than the 4" exhaust hose, mostly due to the closed cooling. My riser/elbows are stainless steel and the extension blocks are iron. So, for galvanic isolation reasons, I chose to separate the 2 and pass the seawater through only the elbow and not the extension block. The coolant then would be flowing up from the manifold to the extension block and then return to the heat exchanger. The separator gasket is now between the extension block and the riser/elbow.

Some plumbing re-design, new hoses, and fittings were required, which all worked out after a bit of effort.

Then there are the 'down elbows' . . . which are now sitting 3" higher than they originally were. There are longer down elbows somewhat available, but they are a bit cost prohibitive ($400 per set?) So, I opted for a section of exhaust hose to couple the down elbows to the Y-pipe rather than pricey down elbows and the standard rubber coupler pieces. Wouldn't you know it, the lower end of the down elbows are smaller than a 4" exhaust tube, but bigger than a 3-1/2" tube . . . just about right for a 3-3/4" ID tube. So, the search went on for that diameter tube, which is an odd size. I did find some and was able to make the coupler tubes (4 of them) to join the down elbows to the Y-pipe.

But it did not all end there . . . in putting it all together I needed to slide the 'coupler tube' down the Y-pipe a bit to make room for the down elbow. Well the Y-pipe had different ideas than letting the coupler tube easily slide down and back up. Even with the use of Powertune and soap to lube all the bits, the coupler tubes don't want to slide back up once I have the down elbow in place.

Anyway, I got 1 engine done after about 6 hours, but the other engine is putting up an even bigger fight.

I bought a lot of hose from www.siliconehose.com. They have all kinds of nifty hose solutions and the quality seems excellent. Good luck, heat is your friend when trying to slide hose off stuff. I put dozens of hours on my heat gun doing my engine work and my waste hose work. Nothing smells quite like 29 year old hot rubber sewer hose, lemme tell ya!

That's good to know

Quick Update . . .

The riser extension blocks are done. (I decided to take the riser/elbows off on the remaining engine in order to get the coupler tubes and down elbows in place. That approach worked out better.)

Onto the the other items . . .

I removed the 2 trim pumps and the batteries yesterday in preparation for cleaning up the bilge. I have 1 new trim pump to replace the one that leaks, and a pair of stainless steel brackets to replace the rusty ones. I think I can repair the leaky one, to keep as a spare.

Outdrive clutches are all set (I hope )

I fixed the skeg on the port outdrive.

As for the depth sounder - the Hawkeye unit was not what I was hoping for . . . does not work for 20˚ and over hulls. So, that went in the trash. I got a Faria unit that has an 'in-hull' transducer that works up to 22˚ hulls. ( my boat is 20˚ ) It should be easier to install.

I also took a run to the local recycling site and dropped of 12 gallons of spent antifreeze and 17 gallons of waste oil. (It has been a while since I got rid of that sort of stuff)

Dave R . . . Speaking of poopy pipe Another item got unexpectedly added to the list yesterday . . .

As I was running the new wiring for the depth sounder, I came across the waste pipe which normally is quite hidden under the engine bay step. Lifting the step revealed all kinds of undocumented species of slime and scum. After fighting it off with bleach and Isopropyl, I realized the hose had been pinched by the step and now had an unhealthy crack in it.

So off to the local marine store I went to buy a few feet of waste pipe. . .

Upon removing the waste pipe from the 'Y' valve, all hell broke loose as the engine bay started filling up with the brown stuff. ABANDON SHIP !!! was the call at that point. After a while the brown coming out of the pipe then became pink (AF from winterization) and then clear. Not sure what the clear was all about since I winterized the plumbing system.

Anyway, I notched the engine bay step to avoid crushing the hose and replace the crushed section. Hopefully all will be good.

In other news . . .

I got the engine bay cleaned up (and re-cleaned), the trim pumps installed, and trim senders replaced. Also replaced a bunch of the cable harness clamps that had disintegrated and replaced a few of the bonding wires on the outdrive assembly.

No time left in the weekend to install the outdrives, due to the 'hazardous' waste event, so that will be waiting for next weekend.

Knowing that the solution to pollution is dilution, I flushed many gallons of very hot, soapy water through both heads last Fall, just before Winterization, so my hoses, vacuflush tanks and pumps, holding tanks, and macerators were all clean before I started the hose replacement work. The work to repalce 56 feet of 1.5" hose and 5 feet of 1" hose was still awful and took 30 man hours, but at least it was not disgusting. If you ever have to replace all your hose, I HIGHLY recommend Raritan Sani-Flex (Defender sells it by the foot). It's vastly superior to the Shields stuff that WM sells, IMO.

Wow Ted this goes to show, that no task on a boat, is beyond your ability to complete, no matter how difficult, or unsavory lol!
When I was fixing rot about 15 years ago I found a colony of disgusting looking insects, who must have loved the mositure and damp wood, must have been the CPES I used + epoxy resin that discouraged them from returning.

. . . and the hits just keep on coming

I checked the engine alignment as per usual when I install the outdrives. The port engine definitely needs a tweak . . . the front mounts need to go up a smidge. The alignment has been marginal the last few years, so I figured that I should adjust it. The starboard engine might be OK.

Of course getting at the mounts with twin engines as closely mounted as they are is another story. I got to run out in the AM to get a 1-1/16" box wrench as that is the only tool that I have a chance at getting to the adjusting nuts with.

Update . . .

I managed to get the alignment sorted out and the outdrives installed. Then I went about checking and testing various things, including the automatic switch for the bilge pump. It was a no-go . . . as I filled the bilge with water the pump did not turn on . . . waiting, . . . . waiting . . . no. The manual switch worked, but not the automatic.

I was just about to order a new float switch, then I thought . . . CIRCUIT BREAKER !!! Yup. All is good now. . . except maybe for the circuit breaker, which was a little finicky about re-activating.

The only items remaining on my fix-it list are the spark plugs and wires. Then it will be antifouling paint and a general cleaning inside & out.

My seasonal launch is scheduled for June 2nd.

Picture Time . . .

Here are the outdrives all fixed up and ready to go. The port skeg is the one I repaired.

The new trim pumps are working fine. I was trying to adjust the new trim senders and limit switches today. It seems like the port engine sender is unresponsive . . . Gonna have to get my multimeter and figure out what is going on.

Looking at the paint on your drives and props reminded me of something... A bunch of folks on a trawler forum I frequent are using Rustoleum Cold Galvanizing spray paint as anti-foul on the props, shafts and rudders. I decided to give it a try this year, eager to see if it works as advertised. It sure is reasonably-priced. It's supposedly 93% zinc, so I'm thinking that perhaps it works as an anti-foul by simply galvanically ablating like an anode. I'll know if it works or not this Fall. It's only 7 bucks a can at Lowes and is really easy to apply. Perhaps it would work on a stern drive...

Yes I use Rustoleum cold galvanizing spray (or similar) on the outdrives - propellers only. I tried one year using just the cold galvanizing on the props, since it would have a dual purpose . . . anti-fouling and sacrificial metal. No barnacles at all, but green algae grew on the props quite rapidly. Even leaving the boat for a week was problematic and I ended up scrubbing the props frequently.

So, I switched the method up a bit and do both galvanizing and antifouling. In order to make sure the galvanizing sticks, I pre-heat the props in the oven to about 250˚F and then paint them (hot) with the cold galvanizing. Once the props are mounted on the outdrives, I just spray the AF paint (Trilux 33). The Bravo 3's certainly benefit from extra sacrificial metal, and having it right on the 'strongest' metal (stainless steel propellers) seems to be quite effective. I also have the prop anodes.

After each season, I can definitely see the cold galvanizing depletion on the props. Also, the back side of the props are fairly bare to the stainless, due to the vacuum/low pressure created by the propeller blades.

When I first got the boat, the props had a bit of surface rust, and I soaked them in a bucket of 'Iron Out' solution before baking them in the oven and applying the cold galvanizing.

Speaking of outdrive paint . . . When I rebuilt the outdrives quite a few years back, I tried using the zinc chromate (or zinc phosphate) paint as an underwater primer. The results were marginal at best. Then I tried Interlux Interprotect EP2000, which is a 2-part epoxy paint often used for barrier coat. However the instructions mention that it can be used as a bare metal primer. (yea, I know why was I reading the instructions )

So, I painted the outdrives with it, and it has worked fantastically. I also used it as the primer/paint on the fuel tank that I refurbished.

A couple of add-on's to the fix-it list . . .

The anchor locker hatch had a nasty run-in with the windlass and anchor chain a few years ago and the hatch lost. So I fixed that with some resin and 1708 biaxial cloth and painted the anchor locker as well (it's really the rode locker since the anchor is on a windlass and roller)

Then the hinges for the 'glove box' at the helm sacrificed themselves to the Sea Gods this past year, so I replaced those.

This is good information about the magnesium on the prop. I just cleaned the prop this week. Most successful were the 3M style wheels for a Dremel. Just be careful to stay low on the pressure. In a previous message, I made a statement about the wheels getting too hot and leaving residue. This year, I kept the pressure just high enough to clean off the magnesium. Worked much better. Not sure of any additional action is reuired.

Regarding painting the drives, here is a write-up procedure I reported in 2017. Out boat is used only on fresh water, so all this process may not apply. I thank BoatingABC for keeping all my messages so I can resurrect things like this. Find the report at

http://www.boatingabc.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/567707/re-painting-a-volvo-dp.html#Post567707

Actually, zinc paint on the prop. Magnesium is a fresh water thing. Not sure if there is magnesium paint

Anyway, zinc paint would probably be fine in any type of water. I don't bring the props down to bare metal every year, but when I do it is my angle grinder with a wire wheel. It takes the built-up paint off like nobody's business. I'm not all that picky about painting the outdrives, since they get antifouling paint on them anyway.

Thanks for that link to the thread about outdrive painting. It is nice to go back and read through past experiences and dialogs. I find that many of the older threads have lost their pictures, as photo web hosting sites have changed over the years.

I started the engines today . . . the starboard engine seemed fine, started right up . . . a little squeaky, so I'll have to see what that is all about. The port engine started right up as well, but I quickly noticed the water pump pulley was not turning. It seems that the V-belt has given it up . . . stretched and slick to the point of no return. The pump itself seems OK, because it easily turns one way, but not the other, indicating that the impeller is still intact.

So, I'm adding V-belts to my fix-it list. I'll have to scramble a bit to find them in the next day or 2, since the boat gets launched on Wednesday and tomorrow (Monday) is the holiday, leaving just Tuesday to get it all sorted out.

"Actually, zinc paint on the prop. Magnesium is a fresh water thing. Not sure if there is magnesium paint."

You are correct. Mixed things up a bit. My boo boo. Some people do no know that Volvo Penta has three types of anodes--zinc, aluminum, and magnesium. Zn is for salt water. Al is for brackish water. Mg is for fresh water. On our drive, there are two anodes on the outdrive and anodes in the exhaust manifolds (which I have found even some top mechanics do not know about), if I remember correctly. Anodes are not supposed to be mixed on the same drive system.

It is nice to see a fresh water boater concerned about anodes.

When I bought my boat (which had been kept exclusively in fresh water) the anodes had rarely if ever been changed. The stainless steel of the dual propellers did a number on the closest 'weaker' metal, which happened to be the bearing carriers of the counter-rotating prop shafts. It cost me $800 in parts, plus my labor in tearing the outdrives apart.

Mostly for salt water - aluminum is the preferred metal, and is also fine for brackish water. I don't often see zinc sold as outdrive anode sets, mostly as individual add-on anodes.

To add to the 'drama' of my boat launch preparations . . . the v-belt issue turned out to be not only the belts, but the impeller vanes in the sea water pump had (somehow) flipped themselves backwards of their normal/correct orientation, preventing the pump from turning the proper direction. I had to get that resolved before attempting to re-start the engine. So, the fix-it list got even longer . . .

On the holiday, I managed to get 2 sets of belts at AutoZone, based on the belt sizes. (NAPA was closed). With the new belts on the engine, I could immediately tell the improvement, because the alternator was now putting out a full 14 volts on one engine at idle, which it never could before (always needed both engines running to do that)