Spray WD-40 into each cylinder crank the motor over by key or by hand to get it into the rings, let set over night then spray a light oil into each and turn engine over again. Had my one boat merc 305 sit for 8 years and it wouldn't turn over did the above and its been fine and running great for...
I ran heavy cable straight from batteries to back of truck with a heavy duty quick disconnect and put two 30 amp breakers wired in parallel as thats the largest breakers I could get and pulls my 290 DA with no problem.
I got a power winch rated at 5000 lbs and pull my 290 DA on the trailer, they come with a extra pulley and you hook that to boat and run cable thru that back to trailer, doubles your pulling capacity.
You'll probably be better off going out and just getting new ones. That's what I did with mine, was a lot less of a problem. I had to drill and tap new holes in the floor mounting piece but the new pedestal bases covered up the old holes.
Why would it need to be shipped flat? Why can't you roll it and box it? Then when you recieve it lay it out on a flat surface and it will flatten out and lay flat in a couple of hours.
I was wondering what the new style screens and gaskets are? I got same boat as you and need new screens and gaskets on both of my heads and the originals are no longer available.
The wood thicknesses are metric, trees cut here, shipped to canada and/or ever seas processed into plywood and shipped back to us. Been doing that for years. If you can remember there was a big stick about trees being cut on federal land then shipped out of country and processed then sold back...
My 1989 maxium has the original gimbal bearing 35 years ( 500 hrs ) and still going strong,every spring one or two pumps from grease gun. Alpha I with 305 merc engine
Why don't you replace it with a 4" LED strip light, you can get them in different colors, I changed mine over an went with a purple/blue color not as annoying and bright as white but still bright enough to see at night.
Atlantic Towers & St. Croix Marine Products out of NJ. They make hard tops for our boats and many others, I got A quote this winter for my 400 DB with pics of their top on same year as my 400. Hope that helps.