Found in the woods...free to haul off.

poconojoe

Lieutenant Commander
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Sep 10, 2010
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1,966
No disrespect, but as already said....give it up. That drive train is nothing but a rusted chunk of iron.
Seriously, look on Craigslist. Many great deals on there. Boats are like motorcycles. A lot of people buy them and hardly use them for many different reasons. Many good deals out there.
If your just looking for a decent engine, there are Craigslist ads for that too. You can buy remanufactured engines too from many reputable companies. Long blocks too. You can buy a beater car that still runs and rebuild that engine. At least you know it was running recently.
 

poconojoe

Lieutenant Commander
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1,966
bolt should be 7/16 x 20
Not sure why that is important, seems to be the last thing that would need replacing or worrying about.

lol

I think he wanted to know the size wrench he would need to turn the engine by hand.
 

Blind Date

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 5, 2014
Messages
462
Sorry - you can't go on private property and take something because you think it's abandoned. You can't go on private property and take anything, period. As someone already said find out who the property owner is and ask him if he'd like you to get rid of it. He may be more than happy to see it go or he might try & sell it to you for $500, You just never know what the story is behind something like that.
 

WIMUSKY

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bolt should be 7/16 x 20
Not sure why that is important, seems to be the last thing that would need replacing or worrying about.

lol


Grab a few sockets, 7/16 and up, breaker bar and a cheater pipe. If it's on public land, or u have the land owners permission, go for it.....
 

roscoe

Supreme Mariner
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Oct 30, 2002
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21,657
I think he wanted to know the size wrench he would need to turn the engine by hand.

I know, that would be more relative, but he asked for someone to answer the question he had asked, so I did. :D

I'm thinking I'd show up with a toolbox full of gadgets and wrenches.
Taking just one wrench to an engine fight is like taking just one bullet to stop a fugitive.
 
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Old Ironmaker

Captain
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Dec 28, 2015
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I know, that would be more relative, but he asked for someone to answer the question he had asked, so I did. :D

I'm thinking I'd show up with a toolbox full of gadgets and wrenches.
Taking just one wrench to an engine fight is like taking just one bullet to stop a fugitive.

I'd do the landowner a favour and show up with a gallon of gas and a Zippo. I too was wondering what Jeff was thinking about the 1 wrench thing too. Taking 1 wrench for that job is like showing up to a gunfight with a hand full of stones. Maybe take a thumb wrench.

I'm going to take a wild guess and say we won't hear from the OP anytime soon.
 

GA_Boater

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I know, that would be more relative, but he asked for someone to answer the question he had asked, so I did. :D

I'm thinking I'd show up with a toolbox full of gadgets and wrenches.
Taking just one wrench to an engine fight is like taking just one bullet to stop a fugitive.

The one reason I've been trying to talk some sense to the OP.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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Agree with everyone its junk, and its most likely on someones privat property and you could get shot for touching someones junk

Most importantly....Never ever ever attempt to turn a motor from the crank bolt (even a freshly manufactured motor). You will snap the bolt and wreck the crank

Always use a crank socket, or 3 long bolts in the damper and a pry-bar or turn from the flywheel.
 

mickyryan

Rear Admiral
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Apr 18, 2016
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4,210
if you continue with permission here is how i would do it , take plugs out 5/8 socket then take and pb blaster and marvel mystery oil just fill them up and let them sit over night go back next day and using a dampener bolts usually fine thread 3/8 size "1/2 inch socket" or 9/16", thread all the way in and using a pry bar as close to the dampener as you can put a couple vise grips on bolts to keep pry bar next to dampener then start trying to turn it if it frees up its got hope.
 

Joniantrey

Recruit
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Nov 19, 2017
Messages
3
if you continue with permission here is how i would do it , take plugs out 5/8 socket then take and pb blaster and marvel mystery oil just fill them up and let them sit over night go back next day and using a dampener bolts usually fine thread 3/8 size "1/2 inch socket" or 9/16", thread all the way in and using a pry bar as close to the dampener as you can put a couple vise grips on bolts to keep pry bar next to dampener then start trying to turn it if it frees up its got hope.


Totally agree with this guy.
 

Maclin

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May 27, 2007
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6,761
Regarding the advice not matching the original query... Many times posts like this come up from web searches. Much of the sound advice so far regarding treading lightly is aimed at a wider audience. As in future intrepid searchers that may be naive about boat titling and such, and only focus on a free abandoned boat. It is not prudent to leave out the bad stuff that can happen if one tries to do just that.

The advice about how to begin checking is good. I say that, but totally agree with the assessment that there will be nothing of value regarding transferring to another boat.

Deeper dive into legalities that may apply........Some states require engine and hull and outdrive serial numbers to title. If one is wanting to use stuff from one boat to get another running, then wants to title it (if it is now already) there could be problems with the new serial numbers. They may already be titled, and need to have that title salvaged out so they would not show up as belonging to another person and cause problems.
 
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jkust

Rear Admiral
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Aug 2, 2008
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4,942
This whole private property thing has me thinking. One of my homes is on a large piece of property that happens to be in a high-demand, resort area where most of the land was subdivided many years ago. This piece was owned for a million years by the same people who sold it as part of an estate. I only bought the house because of the land being so valuable and for the garages to store some of my boats and stuff in but the house sits unused. I've owned it less than three years and am seeing this odd situation of people using the land for various things such as hunting, constantly dumping and even putting their used cars on there to sell. They tear my no trespassing signs down constantly and can't seem to come to grips with the fact that someone owns all of this land and it isn't there for their personal usage. If I had an old boat on there sure as shooting, someone would try to take it from me. We are constantly amazed at this whole private property/trespassing thing on our land. When I see private property, I steer clear. It's a whole sort of entitlement attitude that I didn't even realize existed until recently.
 

DeepCMark58A

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Aug 17, 2015
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All in all I would say that all hassles can be avoided by leaving that piece of junk right where it is rotting into the ground.
 

WIMUSKY

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The OP stopped caring about opinions a while ago. He hasn't been active since the day he asked the question.....
 

Jeff Fro

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Nov 17, 2017
Messages
202
The OP stopped caring about opinions a while ago. He hasn't been active since the day he asked the question.....
Sorry WIMUSKY, work and family comes first. If I didn't want to know the answer, I wouldn't have asked the question. Unlike some people, not being specific, I don't live on forums.

First off, I never asked any one on how I could just take this boat and make it my own. I asked about motor cracks from freezing in a motor section. Second of all, I do have thick skin and can handle any amount of flaming ya'll want to toss my way. Third, I did contact DMV and found out how to go about getting the info I needed. Fourth, most of you automatically jumped to this turd being on private land, its not on private land, its on forestry land. Fifth, I did find, after poking around, a rather large hole in the bottom of the boat. Will walk away from this one for sure. Sixth, I apologize for not asking quite the right question about the crank bolt. Should've been about the bolt head size. I have worked on enough engines to know not to turn it over by the crank bolt head. I just want to see if it would move.

While I was looking at this boat on PUBLIC land, an older guy stopped and asked what I was doing. I told him and he said he may have a boat I might be interested in. And had title for both the boat and the trailer. I went by and checked it out. Went back by yesterday and bought it. A 1985 Wellcraft 260 Aft cabin is now my next project.

So, thanks everyone for the replies. I do appreciate it. Have a great Thanksgiving!!
 

WIMUSKY

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Sorry WIMUSKY, work and family comes first. If I didn't want to know the answer, I wouldn't have asked the question. Unlike some people, not being specific, I don't live on forums.

So, thanks everyone for the replies. I do appreciate it. Have a great Thanksgiving!!

No problem. After all the flaming I wouldn't have replied either. A lot of members played cop rather than answer your question. It's up to you to determine the legalities of the hull....... Us Mods should have reeled in the answers to your original question.... Our bad........

Congrats on the new project!

Musky
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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. Went back by yesterday and bought it. A 1985 Wellcraft 260 Aft cabin is now my next project.

So, thanks everyone for the replies. I do appreciate it. Have a great Thanksgiving!!

a 33 year old boat may need a full gut-n-restore.
 
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