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[ptroost]

Hi all,

I bought a 2003 Sportster 4-tec this spring and have a few questions -- but first a free offer! I replaced the bimini and have the old one -- complete setup including the mounting hardware and instructions. The old bimini has a lot of mildew stains on the bimini and bimini cover, and a couple of the frame crimp plugs are pulling out, but it's functional. It's too functional to throw away, so if anyone wants it, come get it. It's located on Martha's Vineyard and unfortunately I don't want to deal with shipping it. I tried to clean it up with mildew stain remover but it didn't work, so if you want it you'll have to live with a speckled one.

Tech questions on my boat:

1) The fuel gauge always reads full. I was down 6 gallons and the gauge was still pegged on full. Is this normal when the sending unit is bad in the fuel tank, or does a bad sending unit make the gauge read empty? Can anyone tell me how to access the sending unit in the Sportster?

2) On the water, the boat seems to blow a lot of white smoke or vapor, it doesn't smell, but there's a lot of it. It doesn't seem to do this on the hose in the driveway. The dealer said it's likely just water vapor from the exhaust cooling. Is this normal?

3) The engine seems to "pulse" below 5,000 rpm. Above 5,000 it runs strong, but below 5,000 you can see the tach needle dip, dip, dip and feel the engine pulsing. It's slight, but noticeable. The dealer said that indicates that it's running lean and is "searching" for fuel. The problem is that it's inconvenient and a long drive to get the boat to the dealer. Is it possible to make the mixture more rich myself?

Thanks!