High Bidder

There a two types reverse bypass valves on the actuators for disc brakes. The best seemed to be the normally closed type which doesn't lock the brakes if you are backing up a hill. It allows the pressure to release in any situation. You will need a back up light connection in your trailer wiring to release the brakes for backing up. It took just a few hours to change the trailer brakes and discs work much better.

I bought mine where I could try it on and check how comfortable they are. Some cheaper models were so bad I couldn't have worn them for 5 minutes. I ended up buying the $200 models just because I can stand to wear it a long time.

I had the AP2401 for a few years now. No problems and it works well at all speeds. It totally quiet and easy to use.

Simrad seems to be quiet and reliable but it also probably the most expensive. I installed the AP24 with a linear drive a few years ago. I never had any problems and it is really convenient when fishing alone or with just one other person as I usually do. A kicker with remote control would save fuel and give you back up power with about the same cost. From reading other opinions, a helm drive unit would be less than a linear drive.

I don't think you can get more cost effective heat than natural gas heat. I use a Harman pellet stove as a supplement heat. It can keep my 2500 sq. ft. home at 62-65 degrees. I could have bought a larger stove but it would have burned more pellets. I would have to agree that coal is more practical although more dusty. Also coal gives you great ash for using on that ice in your driveway.

What other electronic units do you turn on when you start to troll. It could be a ground issue with those units. I have a ground issue on my boat that I haven't solved yet. After I replaced the dash panel and rewired the gauges, when I turn on my running lights my temp gauge rises. When I turn them off it drops right back to where it should be. If you think its the thermostat buy an infrared temp gauge. They are not expensive and I use mine all the time to check manifold temp, thermostat housing temp and wheel bearing temp on the trailer.

The price increase has made us look closely at the results of previous LOC's. The area where we fish has only produced 1 fish in the top 20 about every other year. We had to decide if we wanted to move to a better area based on the LOC results or just drop the LOC. So it was decided to forgo the LOC this year(all ten of us). It's sort of like poker, you got to know when to fold. Sometimes you are bluffed but most times you are right.

Its also not on the Navionics chart. The chart will show deep water and all of a sudden you go from 145 ft. to 100 ft. or less.

One thing you have to check is what is covered by the insurance on your boat and what is considered equipment. I found out my autopilot , fishfinder, GPS, downriggers, trailer and anything attached to the boat is included in the value of the boat. I pay for an agreed value of my boat and equipment. No matter how old my boat and gear gets it has the same value. You might have to get your boat surveyed and appraised to get an agreed value but it might be worth it.

Humminbirds are nice units but I found out it is much harder and more expensive to connect the GPS to other devices such as an autopilot than Lowrance or Furuno. With Humminbird I had to buy a $200 adapter and $45 cable to connect. With the others all I would have had to do was splice a cable.

I pulled the manifold today. Some antifreeze did leak into the valve port. When I blew air into the cylinder no moisture came out. I sprayed WD40 into the valve and cylinder. and I guess I'll hope not much seeped into the cylinder. I'll change oil again in the spring before I fire it up to check for moisture there. Does it matter if I change only one exhaust manifold? Some places only sell them in pairs.

I didn't have a boat for years until I got hooked on salmon fishing 8 years ago then I bought this boat. I didn't realize that Ford marine parts were going to be so hard to get. They only used Ford engines for a few years I soon found out. I actually had no experience with IO units at all until I bought this boat. Now I have done practically everything you can to this drivetrain from replacing the heads, resealing the transom bracket, replacing numerous gimbal bearings and bellows, replacing the oil pan. I learned quite soon what BOAT stands for. Luckily I have a large garage and can do all my own maintenance and repairs. Thanks High Bidder

I probably should pull it off soon. Unfortunately I have the boat stored in the unheated part of my garage and this coming week is supposed to be colder yet. I don't know how long the crack is and it could be leaking into the cylinder. Thanks for the referral. I always like dealing with a supplier who is reliable and has good products.

As I was checking my boat yesterday I noticed some antifreeze on the motor mount (1993 IO 5.0 Ford OMC). There is a small vertical rust line on the manifold so it must have been cracked while I was using it last year. It didn't leak enough to put a large amount of water in the bilge. There are different brands of aftermarket parts available and I would like an opinion on the better type to buy. GLM or Barr or etc. Or could I have it welded if it didn't rust out from the inside? I was going to pull the manifolds this spring anyway because I have to do that to change spark plugs. Great design, right! High Bidder

Thanks for the info. The Ethernet adapter would work. Now I have to decide if I want to spend the $200 for the adapter and cable. I don't know how long my old Globalmap will last and I wanted to be prepared to change to the Humminbird. I hate to be on a two week fishing vacation and not be able to keep fishing because of equipment failure.

It amazing that my old Lowrance Globalmap is a NMEA 2000 system but this new Humminbird is not. Thanks for the info.

I once again am trying to connect my new Humminbird 858c to my simnet system for my autopilot. I can splice the cables but I need to know which wires to connect together. The Simnet cable has 4 wires, Red(power), Black(grd), Blue and yellow(data). The Humminbird has 3 wires on the GPS puck cable, Green( GPS NMEA out), Black(grd), White(control head NMEA out). I bought a Humminbird unit because my boat has a Airmar thru hull transducer with Humminbird wiring. Thanks High Bidder

My Lowrance GPS turns off when I start my engine but my Humminbird unit doesn't. My Simrad auto pilot also isn't affected by the voltage drop when starting the engine. My batteries are new and fully charged. I do just like Has Been said, Turn on the unit after starting the engine.

thanks

I need some technical advise on connecting my Humminbird 858c to my Simrad AP 24. On the rear of the unit there is a port in the center. Is this a standard NMEA 2000 connection port? It is not shown in the manual as being there so I am not sure what it is or what it is for. If that is the NMEA port I can buy a cable to connect it to my Simrad simnet system and I don't have to make a special cable.