oumills

Happy to help - apologies for the slow response. I got the arm on Ebay. I did a search of the seller I bought it from and am pasting a link below for your reference. http://cgi.ebay.com/BLACK-13-30-SWIVEL-LCD...1742.m153.l1262 As far as where I mounted the arm, imagine facing the hole where the old tv/vcr combo is. I mounted the arm inside that console over to the right on the bulkhead that seperates the cabin from the head. It's the same wall that the tv cabinet is mounted to. I suggest unscrewing one of the screws used to hold the tv cabinet to that wall so you'll know what length of screw to use. I also (for safety sake) took the mirror off the wall in the head just in case the screw hit it. So, with measurements done to center the arm so that the tv will center OVER the hole that the other tv sat in, I screwed the arm to the bulkhead. After that, I mounted the tv w/ 4 screws that go into the tv and plugged the tv in (these screws came with the arm). With the tv mounted this way, it allows (just as you have described) you to use the cabinet for storage because the arm enables you to pull the tv out or off to the side. A couple of notes however. I let the new tv rest on the "lip" created by the piece of wood that the old tv set on. You'll see what I"m talking about when you pull your old television. I think it needs this if you are in heavy chop - maybe not, but I'd err on the side of caution. Lastly, I added a velcro strips. I did this by sticking the velcro on the wood cabinet, peeled off the tape exposing the sticky side. I pushed the tv against the wood cabinet using the lip to set the tv on. The velcro helps keep the tv in place while underway in rough water. I've been in some pretty heavy chop and it has never moved. Hope this helps.

I had the same problem (i've got an 04 SC as well). I couldn't find a tv that would fit in there and certainly not one w/ the 12V option. We live in Texas and if we're out of the slip, the genset is running and the air is on so I decided that probably would never use the 12V funtion of a tv anyway. I went back w/a Samsung LCD flat panel that installed on an arm that I could swing in and out. I can now use the area where the TV used to sit as storage for my movies/cd's. As you probably know, the SC is lacking in the storage department so this extra benefit of a flat panel was nice. I got the Samsung LN-T1953H and installed it on an arm which bolted to the bulkhead behind the tv cabinet. It works perfect. I bought an external DVD player which can fit behind the television or on top of the tv cabinet. It was an install that took maybe an hour (at most). The arm was pretty stiff, but just for good measure, I added velcro strips to the back the television which match up w/ strips on the t.v console. I've not had a problem with it yet and it looks really nice. You can actually see the telvision now.

You got it man. It supposed to be an ice bucket as there is a drain in the bottom. I'll use if for that every once in awhile but use a plastic bag as a liner. No way I'm eating ice out of that thing after it has sat. Having said that, I've got a small fire extinguisher in there now.

Great looking boat cyclical! Where do you usually go?

Soonerjake: if you see me on Texoma, say hello(hopefully the pic attaches)!

Can someone tell me where the fuse is for the bilige/float switch on an 04 298SC? I assume the breaker is on the panel just left of the cockpit sink. Is there another fuse somewhere in the engine compartment? I've not yet pulled the panel to test the battery side of the breaker, but that's next.

Apparently no one else has had this problem, but I'll give an account of what happened to mine in the event they do. My port engine would start and idle fine. When taking off to get on plane it would (after about 10 seconds) start losing RPM's and "popping". I would immediately pull the throttle back and it would go back to idling just fine, but I noticed the fuel pump was making a whining or "screaming" noise. I thought it could be a corroded rotor cap (causing the popping sound) which I pulled, inspected, cleaned and replaced. It didn't fix the issue so I ruled out ignition. I then changed the fuel filter and it didn't fix it either. I then read online somewhere that the anti-siphon valves could get stuck and starve the engine of fuel at higher RPM's. It sounded to me like this was more than plausable and the starvation could make the pump produce the whining if it was laboring to get fuel from the tank. In the back of my mind, I knew it was probably the fuel pump, but hated the idea of dropping $750 for the fuel cell. I checked the anti-siphon valve which is located (on the 298SC) under the plywood plate they install the macerator pump on. If you remove the (4) screws of that panel, you can get to all of the fuel lines/anti-siphon valves. Anyway, the valve was clean as it could be. Next stop - fuel pump. I tested the high pressure pump and the pressure was right on target. The weird thing was the low pressure pump tested fine as well, but it just didn't sound right - not like the starboard side anyway. When I turned the key on, it just sounded like it struggled despite what the gauge was telling me. I ended up biting the bullett and buying a new fuel cell (consists of both the high and low pressure pumps). I put it on and it fixed the problem. My only guess is the old pump would heat up and start to fail. I hope this helps anyone else who might experience the same problem.

I'm working through some fuel starvation issues on the port side engine of my boat. It's a 5.7GXI-E. One of the things it could be is the anti-siphon valve. I can do the pressure checks on the high and low pressure pumps, but not sure on the anti-siphon valve. Checking to see if any of the marina mechanics that post on here have any advice/instructions that might help me? Is the valve right at the fuel line connection on the tank? The boat is an 04 298SC. Thanks.

CHL: I bought this one: http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/store...mp;classNum=170 I used it this weekend and it worked ok. Don't believe that you'll change the oil in 5 minutes though. I didn't want to warm the engine so I pumped the oil out cold and it still did ok. I had to pump it every so often for it to keep suction. It was nice that you could do other stuff to the boat while this thing was removing the oil. I removed (including the filter) about 5 to 5.5Qts from my 5.7L GXI engines so it got the biggest part of the oil. I don't think it's a great unit, but not bad either given the price of it compared to others.

Many Thanks!

I just bought one from West Marine and will be using it this weekend. I'll let you know how it goes.

Does Monterey make some sort of gelcoat repair kit? My '04 298 has a few nicks in it that I'd like to fix. They're not deep enough that they've gone all the way through the blue so I would think they're fairly easily fixed. I've seen the repair kits at West Marine, but thought if Monterey makes a kit my chance of a color match would be much greater. Thanks in advance.

Yes. That's good information. Thanks.

For the MOST I'm looking at my maintenance schedule on the Volvo 5.7GXI with the DP-S outdrives (on a 298 SC) and I have a question about one of the line items. I follow all of the requirements for the 100hr or annual schedule, but they're calling for lubrication of the engine coupling (not talking the gimble bearing). If I'm not mistaken, (and according to the shop manual) you have to pull the drives to do this. What's the point in this and how important is it just to grease the splines? Maybe I've completely missed something, but would like to understand.

Thanks for the advice. I could have sworn the couch was leather and not vinyl!

Bump. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I just don't want to put something on there that's going to change the color or mess it up.

You the same one that's on Lake Pirates? If so, pretty boat! I don't know for sure, but don't believe that have been any hull changes since at least '02?

THANKS!!!! I'll check both of those and report back

Good suggestion. I wouldn't use a crescent wrench. I'd use the 9/16" or a smaller pipe wrench. The 9/16" wrench is your best bet. Also, tap on the plug w/ a small hammer in addition to spraying it with WD-40 or something similiar. This will sometimes help break it loose. I'm not saying hit it w/ a 5lb sledge, just tap it. Use a cheater pipe if you have small wrench.

That would help, wouldn't it? Sorry! It's a 2004 298 SC.

Just curious what you can clean/protect them with? They seem so soft, I'm afraid to touch them w/ anything until I find out what to use. Is there some type of protectant as well?

I've now spent some more time on the boat and was able to answer (at least get a better idea) of the problems I was asking about below. Figured it out. It was the vacum pump generator. What is an appropriate amount of time between cycles considering no flushes? I think there might be a leak somewhere? Fuel gauge still jumps and appears to be electrical - not just fuel sloshing around. Thanks! LM

I know my questions will be silly to some, but to give you some background I moved from a 240 Sea Ray Sundeck. The systems are not quite as elaborate as they are on the 298SC we just bought. I'm back tonight from my maiden voyage and I have a couple of questions. They are: When I got back to the slip, I put on the shore power and was just sitting there listening to the radio, I could hear a humming coming from the engine compartment. I decided after a process of elimination that it must be some sort of 12V regulator. Does that sound right? The water pump on the vau-flush system seem to kick on and off. It may just be low on water, but could something else make the water pump surge on and off? I didn't spend anytime checking it out, I just turned it off at the breaker panel. It just sounded like it was low on water so I'll fill it later, but since I'm asking questions I'll go ahead and throw that one out here. Lastly, all of the gauges seem to be a tad irratic at times. In my experience when gauges do that it has been a ground wire. My gauges are bouncing just a little, but seem to work ok with a tap on the glass. Any suggestions? Pull the panel and hit them with some contact cleaner? I know these are probably silly questions, but all this is new territory for me and just trying to learn as much as I can. Would love to hear what you tech guys say. Thanks in advance.

Someone who knows will chime in. It's not super active on this forum just yet, but I'd bet you'll get a response. Boomer

You guys are great. That's very nice of you to offer up support like that. I'm sure I'll have more than a couple questions.