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First Self-Dewinterization


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After getting my boat back last spring with leaves and dirt ground into the carpet, as well as a bilge full of rain water, I decided to do all of my winterization and dewinterization myself this year.

By reading the manual, and using MBO Cry.gif as a reference, I was able to drain the water, disconnect the battery, change the oil, etc... This spring, I hooked everything back up, took the boat out for a quick spin, and noticed a couple of things:

1. The steering wheel is hard as h*** to turn. I know some of you have had to replace your steering cable, but I wonder if there is a way to grease the current one. I didn't have any problem with it last year, and the longer I drove it the other day, the easier it got to turn. Can I grease this cable, and if so, where do I perform this operation? What other cables need greasing? I know about the rudder, but what else?

2. When I was tightening the hose that goes from the impeller to the strainer, I over tightened the clamp and crumpled the flange. What is the part number for this item, and where can I get it? (And to make me feel better, has anyone else done this?)

Thanks in advance.

Daniel

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After getting my boat back last spring with leaves and dirt ground into the carpet, as well as a bilge full of rain water, I decided to do all of my winterization and dewinterization myself this year.

By reading the manual, and using MBO  Cry.gif as a reference, I was able to drain the water, disconnect the battery, change the oil, etc...  This spring, I hooked everything back up, took the boat out for a quick spin, and noticed a couple of things:

1. The steering wheel is hard as h*** to turn.  I know some of you have had to replace your steering cable, but I wonder if there is a way to grease the current one.  I didn't have any problem with it last year, and the longer I drove it the other day, the easier it got to turn.  Can I grease this cable, and if so, where do I perform this operation?  What other cables need greasing?  I know about the rudder, but what else?

There's a zerk on the steering rack IIRC. Otherwise you may need to replace the cable. There was a good theread on this a while agao on MBO

2.  When I was tightening the hose that goes from the impeller to the strainer, I over tightened the clamp and crumpled the flange.  What is the part number for this item, and where can I get it?  (And to make me feel better, has anyone else done this?)

Not sure what strainer your talking about. Do you mean the transmission cooler? It has a strainer in it.

Thanks in advance.

Daniel

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Daniel...in no particular order...

no zerk fitting on the steering rack, no maintenance possible on that end, but as mentioned above, turn steering wheel to fully extend cable where it connects with the rudder arm, grease, then turn back and forth. After that, if steering is not appreciably better, you'll want to disconnect cable from rudder arm, then turn steering wheel back and forth...if it spins easily, then it's time for a new steering cable, which may be likely with a 1999. The difference was amazing when I replaced my last year...one finger turning lock-to-lock.

Check the rudder zerk fittings while you're on your belly, but don't go crazy pumping in to much of the blue grease...

Do you mean you squashed the flange end of the transmission cooler? If so, just call skiDIM (www.skiDIM.com), tell them your boat and get the part #, then order on line to take advantage of the old 10% MBO discount which is still available, along with about 3 other discounts you can claim once a year each.

..and no, I've never heard of anybody mashing their transmission cooler shut by going godzilla with the hose clamp...you're the first. Congratulations, Tongue.gif

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Whenever I'm dealing with something that was over-tightened I always use the "400 pound gorilla" reference. Crazy.gif

Edited by NorCaliBu
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The part I'm talking about is on the front of the motor. The hose runs from the impellar to this part, and if I'm not mistaken, the transmission cooling lines and another large hose run out of it. I will look when I get home and edit if I'm wrong.

Daniel

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..and no, I've never heard of anybody mashing their transmission cooler shut by going godzilla with the hose clamp...you're the first.  Congratulations, Tongue.gif

Just doing my part to add relavent content to the site Crazy.gif

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that is the transmission cooler you're talking about...technically doesn't have a filter, screen, or strainer, but a bunch of holes through the center in a honeycomb fashion that allow the freshwater to flow through (when it's not clogged up with leaves and junk). The holes just happen to act like a screen to catch all the big stuff. Reach up and clean it out while the hose is off. Anyway, get a new one from skiDIM if needed, but you may be able to straighten out the flange enough to not worry about it.

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but a bunch of holes through the center in a honeycomb fashion that allow the freshwater to flow through (when it's not clogged up with leaves and junk). 

What kind of water do you put your boat in? Mine had a piece of seaweed once, but never, and I repeat NEVER, leaves OR junk.

I will, however, take note of your rudder info. Mine wheel still goes lock-lock one finger, but I have to keep alternating fingers. :Doh:

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Thanks, I figured out that I had damaged it the other day when I was on the lake, so I straightened it out as well as I could and sealed it with some silicone to hold it till I got home. I'm gonna try to round it back out with a plastic easter egg.

Daniel

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What kind of water do you put your boat in? Mine had a piece of seaweed once, but never, and I repeat NEVER, leaves OR junk.

I will, however, take note of your rudder info. Mine wheel still goes lock-lock one finger, but I have to keep alternating fingers. :Doh:

mostly little cypress tree twigs, and an occasional small leaf or two...doesn't take much. But since you live just north of the arctic circle, you may not have any vegetation near your water.

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still got your detailed instructions from that "other" forum we used to visit in another life...what was it called? BOM? BMO? OBGYN? Anyway, I'll get to it sometime. I want to do the cut-off valve at the same time, but just wasn't finding the right valve/connectors, etc and still have enough room for all of it and the strainer in the bilge, but I'll get there sooner or later.

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still got your detailed instructions from that "other" forum we used to visit in another life...what was it called? BOM? BMO? OBGYN?

:lol::)

My detailed instructions weren't all that detailed. And pictures are worth a thousand words right? I guess I'm gonna have to pony up some cash so that I can repost the pic's. I can probably remember the step-by-step, I'm not that old yet (close but not quite). Biggrin.gif

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Looks like I'm gonna be replacing the cable.

Hank, did you just get the cable, or did you get the whole set up?

Cable

Whole Setup

I also remember that you had posted about your experiences replacing the cable. Do you mind giving me an idea about how you did it or pm'ing me with the details.

Thanks

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Daniel, I'll tell you what I did. I can't remember your location, but since I don't have a dealer anywhere nearby, I called Peter at Smoothwatersports since he was always a great MBO member and very helpful. He helped me troubleshoot a bit, and I ordered my cable from him. I think he had it dropped shipped straight from the TN plant, and I could be sure I was getting the correct length. You need the cable and rack, but not all the other parts shown in the whole package. Mine was only $100 from Peter, but was the 15' length.

Also, try one more thing just to be sure it's the cable...Peter had me do this. Underneath the dash, disconnect the 4 bolts attaching the rack to the helm (steering mechanism). After it is disconnected, spin the steering wheel...if it spins freely, then it is for sure the cable and not per chance the helm.

Then put back together until your cable and rack arrives. You will look at it after you take it out of the shipping package and wonder how that thing will snake all the way through your hull. Disconnect the cable at the rudder end, tie a decently stout length of twine or line to the end of it. Take off the kick plate by the driver's feet, and disconnect the rack also. Then start pulling the cable out from under the dash. Have some rags handy because it will come out kind of greasy and dirty.

Now the fun part, which is like using a proctoscope on your boat. Tie the length of line that came through the passage with the old cable, and tie it to the new. You really need a helper at this point, one to start pushing the metal end of the cable down and toward the bilge, and the other to pull on the line to help it make its way through. This is the part I found very aggravating and for awhile thought it just wasn't going to happen. It feels like there are so many cables and wires under there that you will tear something up, but you can't be very gentle. Eventually I realized that my line itself had gotten tangled so that when I pulled, the cable went the wrong direction! I took the bilge vents off, which allows you to see and feel up toward the front. I just cut the line, and while my son kept shoving from his end, I reached up and finally felt the end of the cable. After that it was easy sledding, just pulling it through and taking it to the back and reconnecting to the rudder arm. Attach the rack underneath with the four bolts, and you're all through. You'll be amazed at the difference.

Where you able to detach the cable OK from the rudder? It helps to turn the steering wheel so that the cable end is fully telescoped out, so it flexes when you push down on it to clear the bolt on the rudder arm. Let me know if you have other questions. Hope this rambling helps.

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This confirms my belief that Hank is capable of lucid, informational, almost brilliant posts. :salute:

What, you couldn't attach a mini-cam to the end of the cable and show us the innards of the boat, while you were at it? Tomato.gif

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Thanks, Hank, I knew I could count on you Clap.gif

I have not taken the cable loose from the helm, I'll try that.

The crappy part of the whole deal is that I just finished installing my sub-box, which is a PITA. Now I'm going to have to take it loose, again, if I have to replace the cable.

I'll get in touch with Peter, he's been very helpful in the past.

Thanks,

Daniel

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Sorry to beat a dead horse, but I just re-read your first post, and some how I missed the part about taking the cable loose from the rudder. I'll do that tomorrow afternoon and see what that does. If it spins freely, wouldn't that mean there is a problem with the rudder? If the cable was bad, it would still be binding, would it not?

Daniel

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right...sorry to not be clear there. Taking the cable loose from the rudder arm is to confirm that it's not the rudder as the culprit. You should be able to reach under the boat and easily move the rudder back and forth by hand. The steering will still be stiff if it's the cable, though maybe not as difficult since it's not having to push/pull the rudder arm.

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