New boat owner needs advice

i just bought my first boat. i

i just bought my first boat. it is a 98 stingray and has a 3.0 in it. im a machnic but never messed with a boat before. I dont know what kind of fluids to use on any thing. i dont want to put anything in there that not supose to be there. basic operation i understand but i need any maintance tips and long term tips

First thing to do is to get a

First thing to do is to get a manual. That will tell you how to fix stuff and what fluids to use and how much. What this site is best for is figuring out what needs fixed when you have a problem.

If you browse around in these

If you browse around in these posts you will find a lot of usefull information about upkeep and minor/major repairs. Look around and welcome to the board!

"Ralph;
You should have gotte

"Ralph;
You should have gotten an owners manual with the boat. It will give you a good basic rundown of what fluids to use where, and how often to change them.
Failing that, a Seloc or Clymer aftermarket manual is a good reference for all sorts of repair and maintenance stuff.
The basic fluids:
-Merc 25W-50 4 cycle motor oil.
-Merc high performance gear lube for the drive leg (blue-green in color)
-Merc PS and Trim oil for the tilt/trim pump (though this does not need changing unless contaminated, and should not ever be low unless there is a leak)
-or just Dexron III for the PS pump
You can get the oil and fuel filter numbers off them, and you will need to buy them at a Merc dealer. I would write them down along with the belt (or belts) part numbers and keep them handy for future reference.
Rod"

whats the best way to drain th

whats the best way to drain the fuel tank on a 1998 3.0 merc the boat set for three years i tink it has bad gas

"You could use an inline drill

"You could use an inline drill pump hooked up to the fuel line, or the old fashioned way, by siphoning. You can get the drill pump at napa. Good luck
Graham"

"If you can get to the tank fi

"If you can get to the tank fill connection, remove the main fill hose there and push a cut off garden hose thru the fitting to the bottom of the tank. Then run the other end out thru the bilge plug and syphon it out. This is the fastest way, and avoids the potential thrills associated with using electric drills around gasoline vapors.
Better yet, some tanks have a low point drain plug, but not many.
If there is not too much gas in the tank (1/3 or less) the easiest thing to do would be to fill her up with fresh gas and go boating. This should run just fine.
Rod"

"my boat sat for years and did

"my boat sat for years and did not run at all when i got it. i started with starting and charging systems. i was able to get it started, it ran for about an hour then i started it the next day and it had a hard time staying running. it would run for a few mintes and die so i changed the spark plugs, they looked fowled out. tonight i drained all the gas . tommorow im going to put new gas in it. is there anything i need to try before i try to start it up and what should i do if it wont start. it has good compression. what kind of fuel pressure should it have. when it runs it feels like it only running on two or three cyls. is it common for it to vibrate the whole boat when it out of the water.how long should you run it for when out of the water. i have a hose hooked to it when running"

"Start by checking and replaci

"Start by checking and replacing all fuel filters and water seperators. If it's carburated it should have 4 to 6 psi of fuel pressure. Not sure about fuel injected, but in cars EFI runs alot higher. May need to have a rebuild on the carb if it sat with bad gas (no stablizer) for a while."

where are the water seperators

where are the water seperators at on my 98 3.0 merc

"Your boat may not have come e

"Your boat may not have come equipped with a water seperator, if it does have one it would be inline from your tank to your fuel pump. It looks very similar to an oil filter."