OMC Stringer Ebay Adventure

[Mercybenz63]

Total noob here...to boat ownership and OMC.

I had been watching this boat drop in price on craigslist all of last fall. The boat had attractive lines and a decent story.

After watching all fall, I saw it pop up on a boat donation sight on ebay a few days before Christmas. After briefly consulting with the wife I tossed in a throw away bid for $250.00.

Lo an behold, I was the lucky winner, $227.50!

And what did I buy? A 1976 Crestliner 995 Crusader with an electric shift OMC stringer 235 (351 Windsor).

The PO told me it had a bad starter and popped freeze plugs...Ouch! But otherwise thought it to be a viable vessel.

Well, after getting it unstuck from the frozen Iowa field and dragging it home on the 1986 EZ Loader roller trailer...with rotted tires...I set it to defrost in my father's garage.

Inspection revealed; an indicated 307 hours on the motor, solid stringers, transom and fiberglass, vinyl in decent shape, popped freeze plugs (behind the motor mounts, cracked exhaust log on the LH bank, bad starter, rotted transom seal.

Over the winter I set to work, pulling everything out that came out easy to get access to the motor. I purchased a new starter and freeze plug kit. My hope was to determine if the boat would run before getting more money into it than I could sell the trailer for (at least that is what I told my wife.)

Dried it out, replaced the starter, ground out the crack on the exhaust log and JB welded and popped on a new gasket, got real familiar with the tilty system on the stringer when I removed it all to replace the freeze plugs. (I discovered that the tilt motor works but the switch/solenoids may be bad as the switch does nothing in the course of bleeding the system out during reassembly.) Replaced transom seal.

Spring approaching...excitement building.

Attempt to turn over the motor...it turns but does not fire, sound healthy though! Still worried about horribly cracked block and waste of $500. Diagnose no spark condition as failed condenser (yes, really...I know.)

After all that, hooked it to the hose (finally warm enough here in the frozen plains), set the gap on the points, and turned the key. It fired immediately and settled into a healthy idle! Huzzah! is this even possible!?!? Revving fine, and the litmus test for the e-drive...put in gear...click...prop spinning!!!!

Wow! So excited now!!! Cannot wait to get this thing on the water. Took the day off early Monday to register the boat, fill 'er up, and take it out. Perfect sunny weather, boat ramp all to myself. Trailered boat in the water, no filling with water. Push it off the trailer, it floats!! Dreams really do come true.

Start it up, and throw her in reverse. Whoa! this thing is powerful! Boat runs great up and down the river, but running a little hotter than I would like especially after idling through the no wake zone, up to 220. Better get it back on the trailer before things go from good to bad.

Hmmm...no experience pulling up on a roller trailer in a super powerful boat in a cross current. Stern tends to drift crooked on approach. Forward, damn crooked. Backward, forward...damn crooked. Backward, forward, backward, forward, backward...frustration...forward...jammy, beads of sweat, forward, backward....for...nothing...nothing...nothing!

Aack! I must have bodged the super sensitive crazy spring I have been reading about. YOU IDIOT! Break the damn thing on the first outing...MORON!

Well, I finally manually get it up on the trailer and pull it put of the water...dejected, loser. What a waste of work.

Walk around back to strap it down and...no prop? Wait, what happened to the prop?

Questions for the group...can the prop just fall off after being abused trying to get on the trailer (obviously yes, but how)?

What prop should I buy now that I am in the market 14x14,16,18,20? (I plan to use the boat recreationally to teach my kids how to ski and tube.)

What controls cooling, the impeller in the stern drive unit or the water pump looking thing on the motor?

Am I crazy to keep putting money in this thing?

Thanks for all the great info I have gleaned from your experts so far iBoats. Truly a great bunch of boater folks!

 

[Baylinerchuck]

Welcome to iBoats!! Impeller in the stern drive controls water flow to the motor. Pump on the motor circulates water around the block through the t-stat. I understand that the OMC impellers are easy to change??

Sounds like you got a decent boat for the money. Good luck!!

 

[southkogs]

At $500 in, if she's solid and runs (mostly) then "no," you're not crazy ... yet

Welcome aboard.

The Stringer can bleed you dry if you don't watch it. The system has been obsolete since 1986, and OMC has been outta' business since the 90s. Lotsa' marine techs you'll meet have never seen one, and really don't know 'em. Some parts are getting hard to find, and a few are even NLA. You need to realize you're running an antique system and that it'll want some time from you in the garage as well as in the water. If you can live with that, you can keep 'em going.

I actually liked the electric shift for a few reasons - immediate shifting at low power was one. It just shifted fast and easy. One of the other things was the sound ... the Stringer is really quiet at idle. It made for nice "puttin'" around the lake.

Good chance the cotter pin on your prop cap busted and things just fell off. If you didn't check that before you put in the water, then that's what I would bet on. The electric shift stringers have a smooth shaft, so without that pin everything else can come out/off. My best guess on a 235 would be a 14/16 or 14/17 was the original prop. That drive will take either a 14" or 14.25" diameter prop. Somewhere between 16 and 20 pitch is where I think it'll do best. How long and how heavy is the boat?

Chuck is right - if you haven't changed the impeller that needs to be done. Also, if you've not greased the swivel bearing on the front of the stern drive, that will help keep exhaust gasses from helping you overheat.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I would be on the lookout for a new block, heads and manifolds. those are core plugs, not freeze plugs. their intended use is to get core sand out of the block during casting. they dont save a block if you freeze it. check your oil, if you have foam frothy oil, you have an internal crack. I would also never trust a cracked exhaust manifold - that is a sure fired way to hydro-lock a motor

220 is way way way too hot. that motor should never be above 160

as indicated above, change the impeller, or best, change the whole raw water pump assembly since they wear out on the stringers (impeller on raw aluminum). when you pull the drive apart, inspect the splines on the vertical drive shaft. that is a known failure point. also, what condition are the ball gears in? you did change the gear lube in all 3 gear boxes, correct? if not, do that right after you change the raw water pump

also, check the temps of your manifolds, you should be able to put your hands on them (they should both be about same temp, and about 160) if they get too hot, the temps burn the rubber exhaust hoses

 

[Bondo]

Am I crazy to keep putting money in this thing?

Ayuh,..... Welcome Aboard,..... Does the motor's oil, still look like oil,..??
Or is it over-full, 'n milky,..??

Honestly, ya bought about the worst possible motor/ drive combo,....

 

[ezmobee]

Am I crazy to keep putting money in this thing?

Yes. I'd polish it up and get it running acceptably again and sell it to the first sucker that comes along with Spring fever.

 

[Mercybenz63]

Great responses, Fellas!

Last night I ordered:

2 Prop Cap Kits and 1 Prop 14x16. (I agree Southkogs, I foolishly did not inspect. After learning how it is pinned together, that is about the only possibility.)
An impeller kit and t-stat
C type oil for the lower drive unit

Again, I am trying to bring this thing to life in economically reasonable (is there any such thing with boats?) stages.

Thanks for the hint on the swivel bearing, I will lube all points when I change the drive oils.

Danforth, the oil is clean and looks new even after running. Not sure I would ever put a new motor in this thing. The JB weld repair I view as a cheap diagnostic. I guess there are a few NOS manifold around. Yeouch!$!$!

Just out of curiosity, how many others agree with ezmobee?

I'm not afraid to tinker and would like to spend time with my family having fun not failure...

Thanks for the super advice.

 

[southkogs]

Just out of curiosity, how many others agree with ezmobee?

LOL ... most

I picked up my Stringer for under $1000 and ran it for about 5 years or so not really spending more than $300 or $400 per year on average keeping it going (and that may be a big fix one year and nothing the next) ... over the 5 years I doubt I had $6k into that boat unless you count gas. If you can keep it in that kind of range, the system is not bad - just obsolete.

When you start thinking, "I want something nicer / faster / bigger" - go with EZ's plan for sure.

 

[Mercybenz63]

Well, got some time to wrench on the boat this weekend...

Pulled apart the drive to replace the impeller, all the fluids were in good shape, so I guess that was a good sign.

Impeller had one broken wiper arm and passages seemed to have some crud in them, so I am hoping a good cleaning and new impeller will take care of the overheat.

I also have a new T-stat to install.

Everything was going well until inspected the splines on the impeller shaft. They were pretty worn, more so on the shaft than the female end. I ordered another shaft online, $60.

Hopefully it will arrive this week and I can finish up the job and put it in the water.

Wish me luck (I'm going to need it!)

 

[tazman85305]

I would highly suggest checking for clubs that you can join that help with towing. I have basically the same set-up you do and put my boat in the water in the same manner you did. Starting solenoid caused engine to lock up just as I came up on plane. Found out that a boat tow at my lake runs $300+..Same guy said that If I belonged to this club, it was a flat rate of $75. I ended up paddling back until a fellow boater stopped and towed me back. I am ready to put it back in the water, but gonna rent a second boat to go out with me. Keep us posted on how it goes.....

 

[Mercybenz63]

Thanks for the tip Tazman...

All put back together and awaiting a trip to the water, hopefully, one night this week.

Does anyone have experience with the fuel gauge style that has a mechanical sender topped by an electronic capsule? My gas gauge pegs to the empty when the ignition is on. Grounds are good and clean. Is this failure common? Do I have to replace the whole sender?

Thanks!

 

[Mercybenz63]

Ok, so I but the boat in the water last night and ran it with the hose hose coming from the stern drive up to the tstat housing off. Nothing came out of the hose from the stern drive and water came spitting out of the tstat housing. I was under the impression that I was to get a strong stream from the drive side hose. I shut it off and pulled it out.

Any thoughts on how water would flow through backwards?

Thanks!!

 

[Mercybenz63]

Well for the first time I am beginning to get discouraged.

Hooked the hose up tonight and everything cools as designed.

Ran it out of a barrel and again no flow from the stern drive hose. I took a video of the setup if I can figure out how to upload.

Although, water did spit out of the tstat housing. I have studied the flow diagram in the manual and cannot figure out how that could happen. Also, since the impeller shaft only spins one direction there is really no way to make it pump backwards. Is it possible to rotate the housing upon installation such the pickup and discharge are reversed?

Also, the forward shift did not engage with the shift lever, though reverse did. I powered it directly from the battery and it did engage the forward clutch. Thank god! but now I have to mess with the dreaded lever switch!?!?

I am thinking I should quit now and part the whole mess out. But I also feel like I am so damn close to being on the water. Argh!!!

I will probably pull the outdrive in the morning and at least look at the impeller setup to see if I can see the problem. I would love some advice from someone who knows these things.

Thanks!

 

[ondarvr]

If you want a project, and that's the part of boating you enjoy, keep it and enjoy, if you want to be out on the water, get a different boat.

 

[southkogs]

First - If you've not replaced the impeller, do so. That's a regular service item (I did mine every two years). If you have sit tight for a moment.

The Stringer doesn't "draw" water that much. Putting it in a barrel won't do anything for cooling. The drive is designed to be submerged for the most part, so you kinda' flood it with water that way and then the impeller more circulates it. Do you have the hookup on the pivot cap for a hose?

There's a circulation pump up in the engine itself as well. Not sure if it could pressure water back through the t-stat housing, but I don't see why not.

If you can hook a garden hose to the connection at the pivot cap, and you get water coming out the intake line into the t-stat housing then the line is clear and you can stop worrying about too much between the intermediate and the t-stat. If you have changed the impeller, and you can put the boat in the lake and get water up through that same hose to the stat housing, you can probably let that end go and look at the stat and the circulation pump on the engine.

HERE is a trip in the "Way Back" machine to when I was dealing with my new-to-me Stringer. There's a couple tests in there from the guys who pulled me through on the electric shift. Read through and run those tests before you decide it's the shifter.

Sent you a PM.

 

[Mercybenz63]

Thanks ondavr and southcogs. I read the old string and will dive into that issue once I have the cooling figured out.

Well, this morning I pulled the drive off and pulled it all apart again. Everything appears correct. The new impeller, hosing and plate are in new shape. The impeller is keyed to the shaft and spins by hand. I confirmed that the bolt pattern aligns the pump housing in a single orientation. When the gear case is assembled and the ball gear is spun by hand everything seems good and the pump makes a nice "glug, glug" sound.

I do have the hose connection at the pivot cap. When run off the hose all is good. I also hooked the pump pickup directly to the hose and ran a few inches into a overflowing bucket of water. Ran the engine - no flow. When the hose is held directly to the pickup, water flows to all the right places.

About the pivot hose connection - when I got the boat this was not capped. Does it need to be in normal operating conditions?

It appears that it does because it is the path of least resistance. When I took it to the lake last time and had no flow, there was no cap on the hose connection. Could this have been the problem all along?

The manual claims the pump act as both a displacement pump and a centrifugal pump at high speeds. Southkogs indicated that it is not a great displacement pump. Would it not be able to pick up water out of a bucket roughly 10 inches below?

Taking the boat to the lake is the next diagnostic I suppose, but I really hope I can nail it before I deal with a busy boat ramp.

Thank you everyone for the great advice. I welcome any input.

 

[Mercybenz63]

Well, turns out the hose connection should be capped. Boat ran great on the lake for about 30 min last night, stayed steady at 160 the whole time.

The shift issue turned out to be a wiring connection.

The boat was running great, very smooth and dry. Then something went "clunk" and the engine died and would not restart.

Some nice folks towed me back to the ramp.

I have a feeling the timing chain let loose...more to follow...

 

[garbageguy]

interesting read, and pics make it look like it was moth-balled nicely

looking forward to seeing how it goes, thanks for sharing

 

[southkogs]

Yeah - as you found out, that cap needs to be on the pivot point.

When you can, disconnect the drive from the intermediate. If the engine will start and idle ... you'll know it's one of the stern drive gear cases.

 

[Mercybenz63]

No Title

Well, they say confession is good for the soul...right?

I remember as I was putting the outdrive on last time that I had a nagging feeling that I had not gotten enough gear lube into the upper gear case. I remember thinking to myself that I better give the dipstick one last look before putting it into the water.

Well...I didn't check. And it turns out that lack of lubrication can affect the durability of the gear set. See pics...

So, I am wondering if anyone knows where I might find a good price on a gearset? And also, does anyone know the appropriate gear/teeth ratio? I have seen 21:16, 21:18, 21:19. I have the OMC 235 5.8 Ford V8, model 981105.

I feel like a total ass. I grenaded a perfect gearset by getting in too big a hurry to get on the water.

Having a perfect summer outing with my family may help me forgive myself.