Help me decide "to keep it not to keep "

[Mcdaniel1991]

I'll start with the pictures,


OK now that you have familiarized yourself with my boat here are the problems. We purchased this boat just as you see it for $400. I now have about $1000 total in it from a new gimble bearing and bellows kit, a few special tools, and registration fees.

I have discovered that the engine is getting water in it some where, have done a compression test and got in order 120,110,110,95. My next step was to pressure test the block to see if it's a crack.



The floor appears to be in good shape. It has only 2 soft spots one forward and one rear of the center storage. In the pictures below the anchor is setting on the soft spots.

It appears that the rest of the floor is solid.

The outdrive appears to be in good shape, the oil looks decent and the few times I have had the boat out I have heard no noise from it. In the video below you can hear and see the engine running, I think the noise is from a bad engine coupler.

Now my delima is, should I put the money into this boat to get it running right? What should be my stopping point as far as what this thing is worth. I'm not attached to it by any means. Just trying to capitalize on what I thought to be a good deal at the time.

 

[Tnstratofam]

In my opinion no I would not put any more money in it.

First you have an obsolete motor and outdrive. OMC has been out of businesses since around 2000.
Second soft spots in the floor translates to rotten stringers and deck in 99% of cases.
Third the goop around the garboard drain and the patched transducer spots point to a rotten transom.
Fourth you're getting water in the obsolete engine.

All of the above point to thousands of dollars in resto costs and mechanical repairs. I would try to part it out for the $1000 dollars I have in it and look for a boat with a Mercruiser drive system. We have an OMC Cobra drive system in our Stratos and will be changing over to a Mercruiser if and when I can no longer find parts ( Almost all of them used. ) to repair it. That's on a boat we love.

If you love this boat you could tear out the rotten deck, stringers, and transom. Replace them and find a replacement motor and drive. Your in the right place for help.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Howdy,

Welcome aboard!

NICE TRUCK!!


Bad boat! You didn't indicate the results of the block pressure check. I would suspect that you have a cracked block. That makes the engine basically "junk" and since the engine is worn out (due to the poor compression numbers) that settles it.

If the boat has a soft floor, unless you want to do a complete hull restoration by replacing the stringers and floor, I would part it out.

The drive and the trailer are probably the most valuable parts of the whole.

Regards,


Rick

 

[vasy]

don't be sinking any more funds into this.
That truck deserver to pull a much nicer boat behind.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

2.3 was a horrid idea in a boat - screaming away at 5500 rpm or whatever.... cut your losses

 

[samt]

I've been in a similar spot as you with mine. I chose to put some money in it and it snowballed. Ball is still rolling. There's days I have cussed myself and days I've been glad I did. I rebuilt stringers in mine, then stuck a generic 350 in it. Then ended up having to do the drive. I'd have been better off with a newer boat.

What scares me is if I buy say a 10k boat, how do I know it isn't a big POS too? I'm kinda thinking I will limp mine until I can afford to buy a new one. In the back of my mind I've been keeping my eye out for a nicer boat with a blown motor, but seems people fix them instead of cutting ties.

 

[Mcdaniel1991]

Update


After 5 oil changes and 2 trips to the lake I have no water in my oil anymore.

I think I may have a bad lower unit. The loud nock I keep randomly hearing is the dog clutch I think.

I have tried to adjust the linkages at the engine but they seem stretched.

Thinking about trying a new shift cable.

 

[jspringator]

The shift cables are a known problem on these outdrives. The new ones are red. Be careful with the gearset; they are hard to come by.

This stuff can firm up a rotten floor. You will have to pull up the carpeting.

http://www.rotdoctor.com/

 

[bruceb58]

The gearsets are not hard to come by....they are just very expensive.

 

[jbcurt00]

I wouldnt recommemd that rot stuff. A rotten deck is typically not the full extent of rot, covering it up w some goop that may or may not firm it up is just that, a cover-up IMO.

 

[Mcdaniel1991]

No Title

Well I ordered this factory service manual, hope it helps me rebuild the lower.

 

[Mcdaniel1991]

Went ahead and ordered a new shift cable and setup gauge.

 

[bruceb58]

Went ahead and ordered a new shift cable and setup gauge.

You bought both tools right? You need the one that holds the bell crank too.

BTW, that loud knock you randomly heard was the clutch dogs releasing and re engaging. It's too late to save them with a new cable so be prepared to dig into that next.

 

[Mcdaniel1991]

You bought both tools right? You need the one that holds the bell crank too.

BTW, that loud knock you randomly heard was the clutch dogs releasing and re engaging. It's too late to save them with a new cable so be prepared to dig into that next.

That's the plan, I already found the gears online. Just waiting to order until I get it pulled apart to confirm that's all I need.

 

[Mcdaniel1991]

UPDATE! I I replaced the lower unit gears and clutch dog, new oil in engine and outdrive and a new transom shift cable. The boat is running great. No water in the engine oil or the outdrive. I still hear a little noise and it sounds like it's coming from the engine coupler but for now she is running good and we're are getting some use.out of her.

 

[bruceb58]

Did you do an alignment of the gimbal bearing and the engine?

 

[Mcdaniel1991]

I did, I bought the tool off eBay.

 

[njlarry]

Forgive the obvious, but have you checked out the risers and their gaskets? I would check for moisture in the transom with a moisture meter or simply drill a small hole low on the outside and look to see if water drips out. The rest of the hull can be fixed with gelcoat brushed on followed by lots of sanding. Boatworks has some great fiberglass video on YouTube.