Steury Stinger 1700 with 200hp Mercury Motor

ne0hisda0ne

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Feb 22, 2010
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I just bought a Steury Stinger 1700 with a 200hp Mercury motor. It has a reinforced stainless steel stern to support the 200hp motor as this boat is rated at only 125hp. The previous owner said he's gotten it up to 75mph, of course I didn't buy this boat for speed as it's not a speed boat by any means. It was a good bargain and I wanted a boat.

It is my first boat. I am learning as I go. The boat didn't come with any seats. I have already ripped up the rotted carpet and checked the flooring. There are no rotten spots in the wood. Everything feels sturdy when I walk around in the boat. There are some soft spots where the previous seats were mounted as they were screwed into the floor and now they are not there. I am not planning on replacing the floor this year, as I just want to get it on the water this summer. I plan on building seats, painting it and then rebuilding the floor, the seats are the only thing that I plan for this year. The battery in the boat was completely dead. It was a strange looking battery as well. It has 2 large posts and 2 small posts. The positive large posts has a large connector on it. The negative large post had nothing on it. Then both the little posts had several things plugged into it. I have since then tried testing it, it failed, and also almost exploded when trying to charge it. Since that time a friend brought over a car battery. The story I was given is it last ran in September of last year. I was also told they tried to jump the boat before they sold it to me and it started but wouldn't stay started. So back to the battery. We followed wires and hooked a volt/ohm meter up to them and tried to the best of our powers to get it started from the friends car battery. Every attempt failed. My brother and the friend are both mechanics and shrugged their shoulders. They were however amused by the way this outboard motor is designed. Modern marvels, I tell you what.

So I guess my first question in this forum is can one use such a car battery to try to start a boat. Should I get the proper battery. Which battery do I get, as I said I'm a novice and dunno exactly what is what with boating yet. Please be gentle. I will post pics later if it helps. Maybe I can takes pics of the wires and try to identify them for you and one of you can possibly help me out over the world wide web. Ha!
 

Bondo

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70,465
Re: Steury Stinger 1700 with 200hp Mercury Motor

I will post pics later if it helps.

Ayuh,... That'll Help...
A 12v battery is a 12v battery as far as starting purposes go...
 

chenta

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Aug 20, 2006
Messages
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Re: Steury Stinger 1700 with 200hp Mercury Motor

Be carefull not to cause arking when trying to jump start. Lots of expensive electrical parts in a boat motor
 

MyViewGS

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Feb 17, 2010
Messages
83
Re: Steury Stinger 1700 with 200hp Mercury Motor

get rid of the dead battery and get a good deep cycle marine battery with adequate cold cranking amps for that motor. Was the car battery from a smaller car that requires less cold cranking amps? I jumped my 140 with a battery from my SUV two weeks ago and it did fine. Also, you mentioned that it cranked but wouldnt keep running .... and "every attempt failed" with the car battery. Does that mean the car battery turned the motor fine but wouldnt start OR wouldnt turn the motor at all OR turned the motor but too slow?

MyViewGS:cool:
 

ne0hisda0ne

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Feb 22, 2010
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Re: Steury Stinger 1700 with 200hp Mercury Motor

Be carefull not to cause arking when trying to jump start. Lots of expensive electrical parts in a boat motor

Yeah, thanks for the advice, I definitely don't want that.
 

ne0hisda0ne

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Feb 22, 2010
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Re: Steury Stinger 1700 with 200hp Mercury Motor

get rid of the dead battery and get a good deep cycle marine battery with adequate cold cranking amps for that motor. Was the car battery from a smaller car that requires less cold cranking amps? I jumped my 140 with a battery from my SUV two weeks ago and it did fine. Also, you mentioned that it cranked but wouldnt keep running .... and "every attempt failed" with the car battery. Does that mean the car battery turned the motor fine but wouldnt start OR wouldnt turn the motor at all OR turned the motor but too slow?

MyViewGS:cool:

Dead battery is long gone, the battery was prolly from a small car as the friend likes "Honda's". I'm Chevy man myself so him racing his "Honda's" around just makes me shake my head. I have never personally gotten it started, the person that sold it to me claimed they did successfully jump it but said it wouldn't stay started. That it could be a "starter" which I highly doubt if he got it started or it needs carb work, which is more likely I would think. I'm also thinking maybe it's old gas, but like I said I'm pretty new to this boating scene. It's a 2 stroke Mercury 200 V6, the boat is a 79', I dunno the year of the engine though as it didn't come with the boat. I wouldn't even know how to find that out either. I have tried downloading manuals off this website actually but nothing in there really helped, so I don't know if I got the right ones or not.

I appreciate any help in advance. Thanks...
 

chenta

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Aug 20, 2006
Messages
27
Re: Steury Stinger 1700 with 200hp Mercury Motor

there should be a plug on top of the motor or maybe a tag somewhere on the block that will have the engine info for you. Also try looking in the area where the transom mount is located
 

Bob_VT

Moderator & Unofficial iBoats Historian
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26,019
Re: Steury Stinger 1700 with 200hp Mercury Motor

You need to purchase a manual for the motor. No shortcuts. The manual information on this site is provided for I/O only.
 

ne0hisda0ne

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Feb 22, 2010
Messages
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Re: Steury Stinger 1700 with 200hp Mercury Motor

So I finally figured out the wiring. I think I have narrowed it down to a starter. My bindex spring is not activating. I dunno if it's because it needs lube or it's just not spinning fast enough. I have tested it on 3 different batteries though and each one has not been able to activate the bindex spring. I will take this somewhere to get it bench tested by a professional though.

On a side note though I have tried just manual moving the bindex up to the flywheel. When both of them meet and I try to start the boat it spins slightly but not by much. Not enough to even try sparking the plugs. Does this sound like a bad starter?
 

ne0hisda0ne

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Feb 22, 2010
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Re: Steury Stinger 1700 with 200hp Mercury Motor

Thanks for replying... :confused: Anyways, I got the starter tested at Advance Auto Parts, they said it was bad. I decided to see what AutoZone said about it too and they refused to test it since it didn't come from a automobile. So that makes me wonder. When Advance tested it, I saw the bindex gear jump halfway, but not all the way, farther than I've ever gotten it by jumping it. He said it wasn't in the green. I think he was talking maybe amps, cause when I looked at the meter where he was referring to I saw the green was about at 15 and I think mine only got to 7 or 8...does that sound right?
 

NYBo

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Oct 23, 2008
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Re: Steury Stinger 1700 with 200hp Mercury Motor

Welcome to iboats!:cool:

One way around your engine woes: Sell it and buy one of the proper rating. The reinforcement of the transom does NOT increase the HP rating, and you could have various legal and operational problems running the 200.
 

ne0hisda0ne

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Feb 22, 2010
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Re: Steury Stinger 1700 with 200hp Mercury Motor

Welcome to iboats!:cool:

One way around your engine woes: Sell it and buy one of the proper rating. The reinforcement of the transom does NOT increase the HP rating, and you could have various legal and operational problems running the 200.

Well thank you...first one to welcome me..

Not going to happen, try again...I'm in Texas, no laws about overpowering and I was quoted through I think it was Progressive with them knowing I have a higher powered motor on it. Also as I said, I didn't buy it expecting it to be a speed boat, it just happened to have that motor on the boat.

Now could we please stay on topic here? Thanks!
 

NYBo

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Re: Steury Stinger 1700 with 200hp Mercury Motor

Sorry, but I'm a "safety first" kind of guy, especially when it comes to boating.

Okay, on-topic it is.

How big is this boat? Seventy five MPH is really flying, even for 200 HP. Could this have been a bit of, um, optimism on the part of the previous owner?

A new starter (or a rebuild of your current one) is the first place to start. Then proceed to a test of compression and spark.

But even before diagnosing the motor problems, have you checked the structure of the boat- any rot? You said the spots where the seats used to be are soft. Hopefully, no water got into the structure from any bolt holes.

Of course, this entire discussion would be much more satisfying with with some pictures!:)
 

ne0hisda0ne

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Feb 22, 2010
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Re: Steury Stinger 1700 with 200hp Mercury Motor

Sorry, but I'm a "safety first" kind of guy, especially when it comes to boating.

Okay, on-topic it is.

How big is this boat? Seventy five MPH is really flying, even for 200 HP. Could this have been a bit of, um, optimism on the part of the previous owner?

A new starter (or a rebuild of your current one) is the first place to start. Then proceed to a test of compression and spark.

But even before diagnosing the motor problems, have you checked the structure of the boat- any rot? You said the spots where the seats used to be are soft. Hopefully, no water got into the structure from any bolt holes.

Of course, this entire discussion would be much more satisfying with with some pictures!:)

Yeah, I got you on the safety part. I'm a father, I'm all about safety.

I was told the boat was a 16ft, but it's a 1700 steury and I'm guessing the 17 maybe means it's 17 ft? I haven't measured her myself. I'll do that tomorrow.

Where would one start to rebuild a starter? Will a marine shop do it for me or will I have to ship it off to someone?

I've actually been pulling up more and more carpet. Wife noticed something I didn't, there was a snake skin laying under some of the carpet. I'm completely afraid of snakes, past experience. Anyways, looking around everything seems to be fiberglass, the holes I speak of are really tiny and it has been left out in the rain a few times, past owner and myself. I also hope there hasn't been any rot below. Floor feels fine though. I trust it.

I will get some pics tomorrow when it's bright out and I'm doing yard/house work. Until then!
 

NYBo

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Oct 23, 2008
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7,107
Re: Steury Stinger 1700 with 200hp Mercury Motor

Looks to be just shy of 16 1/2', if this is the right family:
1979 S1700 RAB

A regular automotive starter/alternator shop may be able do a rebuild. If not, a new one is available right here at iboats for less than $200. (You should be aware that "boat" is actually an acronym that stands for "Break Out Another Thousand".:p)
 

ne0hisda0ne

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Feb 22, 2010
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Re: Steury Stinger 1700 with 200hp Mercury Motor

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ne0hisda0ne

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Joined
Feb 22, 2010
Messages
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Re: Steury Stinger 1700 with 200hp Mercury Motor

Sorry it took so long, hope this helps to those who have asked.
 
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