During the "peak" of boating season, its sometimes hard to take time out to start a new blog. But that's no excuse. BargainBoatParts.com has been making some changes to increase our customer service. One important step to that is to add live phone support. Have questions about an order, or about products? Call us at 208-650-7200, and someone will be able to help you find the answers.
As our business grows, we meet new and fun people. One of the groups we have met are the folks over at AlterEgoOutdoors.com. They are outdoors enthusiasts, and have a great network for people with the same passion. They are headquarters to members stretching the globe. Its a great place to meet up or add your 2 cents worth on a vast array of topics. BargainBoatParts.com and AlterEgoOutdoors.com will be teaming up shortly on a couple projects, so check back at both websites soon.
Thanks to all of friends, new and old!
BargainBoatParts.com
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Expert Advice
What makes us an expert? What makes anyone an expert? Is someone an expert who has simply been doing something for a long time? A dictionary may define expert as:
A person with a high degree of skill in or knowledge of a certain subject.
We at BargainBoatParts.com have 100,000 different products we sell, and we are not experts with all products. What we do have though, is the ability to find out questions from experts in the industry. Sometimes it is simple as calling the manufacturer to ask questions, but other times we have to incorporate the help of experts in the field.
BargainBoatParts.com may not have all the answers, but we are experts at finding out the answers! If you are looking for boat parts and quality marine products, just stop on by. If you have questions or need expert advice, we can get it for you!
Thanks from your friends @
Monday, January 3, 2011
Stay Tuned!
As we enter into 2011, we have some exciting things coming up. We have a new product line we are going to be featuring, as well as featuring more specially priced items. In the coming weeks we should be able to pair you with the products you are looking for faster and more accurate.
All in all BargainBoatParts.com is going to make your shopping experience easier, faster and making sure we have the products you want. So stay tuned and check back often!
Happy New Year!
BargainBoatParts.com
All in all BargainBoatParts.com is going to make your shopping experience easier, faster and making sure we have the products you want. So stay tuned and check back often!
Happy New Year!
BargainBoatParts.com
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Merry Christmas
Well 2010 is drawing to a close, and from everyone here at BargainBoatParts.com
we want to wish you a very Merry Christmas. As we look back over the previous year, we have tried to make some changes to our site that make shopping and buying from us easier and more secure. Some of these things have been successful and some have not. I suppose that is true with most things though. We have some exciting changes and additions we are making for 2011, so please check back often to take advantage. If you haven't been to the site in a while, check out our close out items found on the bottom of this page.
Thanks again to all of our customers, and we look forward to a great 2011! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
we want to wish you a very Merry Christmas. As we look back over the previous year, we have tried to make some changes to our site that make shopping and buying from us easier and more secure. Some of these things have been successful and some have not. I suppose that is true with most things though. We have some exciting changes and additions we are making for 2011, so please check back often to take advantage. If you haven't been to the site in a while, check out our close out items found on the bottom of this page.
Thanks again to all of our customers, and we look forward to a great 2011! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Ethanol and your boat's performance
This is a follow up to our earlier post about Ethanol fuel and how to handle it. Please check it out!! http://www.fuel-testers.com/gasoline_octane_and_ethanol_E10.html
Jim Hinson
www.bargainboatparts.com
Jim Hinson
www.bargainboatparts.com
Monday, December 14, 2009
Canadian Pleasure Craft Operator Card
Beginning September 15, 2009, Canada will require a Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC)for anyone operating a powered recreational vessel in Canada as a form of competency. Although the PCOC is not the only form of competency that Canada will recognize, it is the most common form. If you are caught driving a motorized boat without proof of competency, you can be fined $250 plus provincial administration fee. The test to obtain a PCOC cover boating topics from safety equipment to sharing waterways with other users. To find out more about obtaining PCOC you can go to www.boatingsafety.gc.ca. You can test online or complete a training course found at on site location near you.
Good Luck and Happy/Safe Boating!
BargainBoatParts.com
Good Luck and Happy/Safe Boating!
BargainBoatParts.com
Monday, August 31, 2009
Winterizing Your Boat
First and foremost, if you are new to boating, please take your boat to a trusted professional to winterize your boat. This step of maintenance is quite likely the most important, and some insurance companies will not pay for lack of maintenance.
That being said, if you are an experienced boater and know the workings of your boat this could be quite helpful and help cut down on maintenance costs. There are 3 types of engines I will discuss for winterizing, Inboard engines, Inboard/Outboard engines and Outboard engines. If your boat is used in a saltwater environment, first flush the system with fresh water to help push out the corrosive saltwater. You can do this using our motor flusher attachment. Then proceed as follows.
First add fuel stabilizer to the fuel tank. It is important to follow the steps written on the bottle to make sure you add the appropriate amount of stabilizer to fuel. It is recommended to keep the fuel tank as full as possible when in storage to minimize condensation that can build in your fuel tank. Start and run your engine making sure to supply the engine with adequate fresh water to keep the engine cool. Bring the engine up to operating temperature and shut off. Now change the engine oil and oil filter. (Shown here if needed). Now remove the engine block drain plugs, as well as all other drain plugs as indicated in your owner’s or service manual. If you need a manual click here. Remember to drain all accessories that may be on your boat, showers, sinks, heaters and heads for example. Reinstall all the drain plugs you removed. Now is where you need to get a little creative. By visiting your local hardware store you should be able to rig up a bilge pump to attach to your motor flusher. Then drop the bilge pump into a 5 gallon bucket filled with RV antifreeze with a rating of at least –50 degrees. Connect your pump to a 12 volt power source and start the engine. BE CAREFUL! Only run the engine while the bilge pump is feeding the RV antifreeze and shut off immediately when it reaches the bottom of the bucket. Also the RV antifreeze will be exiting the exhaust of your boat, and should be reclaimed either in a bucket or some other device to stop it from leaking on the ground of shop floor. After the engine is shut off, allow to sit for a few minutes, recheck your engine oil level and check for oil leaks. With a can of fogging oil, remove the spark arrestor or air plenum and spray liberally into the carburetor in all venturies. Replace the air plenum or spark arrestor. Remove the spark plugs and liberally spray fogging oil into the cylinders and replace the spark plug into the cylinder head. It may be easier to remove one spark plug at a time to insure the wires go back on in the same order as they came off. This is also a good time to inspect the condition of your spark plugs, they should have a chocolate brown electrode. Any other color of build up on your spark plug could indicate problems, and signal the need to take into a professional service center. Now disable the boat, so it will not start, which can be as easy as switching the emergency kill switch to “off”. Now crank the engine for about 30-45 seconds and shut the switch off. Now that the fogging oil has coated the internal portion of the engine, apply fogging oil to a shop rag and wipe down the exterior of the engine. This helps from corrosion build up on your engine. Now disconnect the battery, always removing the negative side first. A battery has the best chance of surviving the winter if it stored in a warm dry environment, but sometimes that is not an option. If your boat is an inboard, check the transmission oil level and condition and make sure if equipped the transmission drain has been removed and reinstalled. Now your inboard is ready for storage. If you have an inboard/outboard (sterndrive) or an outboard you have some more work to do. On the sterndrive unit or lower gearcase on an outboard remove the bottom drain plug and place an oil pan underneath to catch the oil. Now remove the upper fill plug and vent plug if it has one. On some models, you’ll need to remove the gear lube bottle fill cap located on the engine. Pay close attention to condition of the oil, if it is milky water has contaminated the system and the gearcase mat need resealed. If it has metal shavings or flakes, it may indicate gear failure and should be taken to a professional service center. Now refill the gearcase with the recommended oil as prescribed in your service manual, our gear lube selection is here. Your application may require an oil pump to fill the gearcase. IMPORTANT fill the gearcase from the bottom grain plug up to the fill level. Air can become trapped if it is filled from the top down! Reinstall the bottom drain plug and the upper fill plug and vent plug, or fill bottle cap. Now remove the propeller and inspect the propeller shaft seal, it is not uncommon to find fishing line wrapped around here and if caught soon enough it will save a costly repair. Lube the propeller shaft with spline grease. If needed, now would be the ideal time to have your propeller repaired or tuned up. Before storage it is a good idea to clean the outside and inside (including bilge) as it will be easier to remove a lot of the contamination before it dries on all winter.
Please keep in mind this is a recommendation of procedures from BargainBoatParts.com and in no way is it meant as a replacement for your specific models service manual. BargainBoatParts.com will not held responsible if these procedures are followed and failure still occurs, as all models and applications can be different.
Hope to see you all next year for more Happy and Safe Boating!
That being said, if you are an experienced boater and know the workings of your boat this could be quite helpful and help cut down on maintenance costs. There are 3 types of engines I will discuss for winterizing, Inboard engines, Inboard/Outboard engines and Outboard engines. If your boat is used in a saltwater environment, first flush the system with fresh water to help push out the corrosive saltwater. You can do this using our motor flusher attachment. Then proceed as follows.
First add fuel stabilizer to the fuel tank. It is important to follow the steps written on the bottle to make sure you add the appropriate amount of stabilizer to fuel. It is recommended to keep the fuel tank as full as possible when in storage to minimize condensation that can build in your fuel tank. Start and run your engine making sure to supply the engine with adequate fresh water to keep the engine cool. Bring the engine up to operating temperature and shut off. Now change the engine oil and oil filter. (Shown here if needed). Now remove the engine block drain plugs, as well as all other drain plugs as indicated in your owner’s or service manual. If you need a manual click here. Remember to drain all accessories that may be on your boat, showers, sinks, heaters and heads for example. Reinstall all the drain plugs you removed. Now is where you need to get a little creative. By visiting your local hardware store you should be able to rig up a bilge pump to attach to your motor flusher. Then drop the bilge pump into a 5 gallon bucket filled with RV antifreeze with a rating of at least –50 degrees. Connect your pump to a 12 volt power source and start the engine. BE CAREFUL! Only run the engine while the bilge pump is feeding the RV antifreeze and shut off immediately when it reaches the bottom of the bucket. Also the RV antifreeze will be exiting the exhaust of your boat, and should be reclaimed either in a bucket or some other device to stop it from leaking on the ground of shop floor. After the engine is shut off, allow to sit for a few minutes, recheck your engine oil level and check for oil leaks. With a can of fogging oil, remove the spark arrestor or air plenum and spray liberally into the carburetor in all venturies. Replace the air plenum or spark arrestor. Remove the spark plugs and liberally spray fogging oil into the cylinders and replace the spark plug into the cylinder head. It may be easier to remove one spark plug at a time to insure the wires go back on in the same order as they came off. This is also a good time to inspect the condition of your spark plugs, they should have a chocolate brown electrode. Any other color of build up on your spark plug could indicate problems, and signal the need to take into a professional service center. Now disable the boat, so it will not start, which can be as easy as switching the emergency kill switch to “off”. Now crank the engine for about 30-45 seconds and shut the switch off. Now that the fogging oil has coated the internal portion of the engine, apply fogging oil to a shop rag and wipe down the exterior of the engine. This helps from corrosion build up on your engine. Now disconnect the battery, always removing the negative side first. A battery has the best chance of surviving the winter if it stored in a warm dry environment, but sometimes that is not an option. If your boat is an inboard, check the transmission oil level and condition and make sure if equipped the transmission drain has been removed and reinstalled. Now your inboard is ready for storage. If you have an inboard/outboard (sterndrive) or an outboard you have some more work to do. On the sterndrive unit or lower gearcase on an outboard remove the bottom drain plug and place an oil pan underneath to catch the oil. Now remove the upper fill plug and vent plug if it has one. On some models, you’ll need to remove the gear lube bottle fill cap located on the engine. Pay close attention to condition of the oil, if it is milky water has contaminated the system and the gearcase mat need resealed. If it has metal shavings or flakes, it may indicate gear failure and should be taken to a professional service center. Now refill the gearcase with the recommended oil as prescribed in your service manual, our gear lube selection is here. Your application may require an oil pump to fill the gearcase. IMPORTANT fill the gearcase from the bottom grain plug up to the fill level. Air can become trapped if it is filled from the top down! Reinstall the bottom drain plug and the upper fill plug and vent plug, or fill bottle cap. Now remove the propeller and inspect the propeller shaft seal, it is not uncommon to find fishing line wrapped around here and if caught soon enough it will save a costly repair. Lube the propeller shaft with spline grease. If needed, now would be the ideal time to have your propeller repaired or tuned up. Before storage it is a good idea to clean the outside and inside (including bilge) as it will be easier to remove a lot of the contamination before it dries on all winter.
Please keep in mind this is a recommendation of procedures from BargainBoatParts.com and in no way is it meant as a replacement for your specific models service manual. BargainBoatParts.com will not held responsible if these procedures are followed and failure still occurs, as all models and applications can be different.
Hope to see you all next year for more Happy and Safe Boating!
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