'69 offshore rebuild- BMerr

[oldhaven]

The topic of how to install gauges with your new Merc is different than older analog outboards, but really is made simple in some ways since it is a Smartcraft system. You could simply do it the old way and buy an analog gauge and hook it up to the tank, but then you won't be using some of the nice things the Mercmonitor does like GPH and optimizing fuel use. You need to get a Mercury Smartcraft Fuel/Paddle/Oil Boat harness if it did not come with the motor package. It plugs into the engine under the cowl and has a sender wire that will work with any standard tank sender. it also has a connection for a paddle wheel speed sensor. The engine senses the fuel level in the tank then reports the fuel state and other data to the mercmonitor via the harness/cable that runs from the engine to the Monitor. There are several display functions in the Monitor that report fuel level, or you can have a system linked digital gauge that plugs into the Monitor harness. I felt that I had invested quite a bit on a "Smart" engine and a Mercmonitor, so I should take advantage of what it could do digitally. I notice that you also have a Smartcraft control, just like mine. I had to spend a lot of time learning how these things work, but luckily there is quite a bit of information right here on iboats:


http://forums.iboats.com/forum/engin...rtcraft-system

After my mind got unbent from all the reading, It all went pretty simply.

If you do not have the harnesses or have a dealer that does not understand these things, (it happens a lot), and want to do it yourself like I did then PM me and I can give you the name of someone who can help with supplying the right harnesses and advice you need.

Ron

 

[oldhaven]

I looked back at your pictures and it looks like you have most things hooked up already, and the remote control has the motor harness connected to the motor. I could could not tell if you have a fuel harness already connected to the motor. If you do, your hookup should be easy,just run the sender wire up to the sender. If not, get one and it still should not be too bad. You just have to find the right plug under the cowl,, though you will have to get it through the gasket on the lower left front of the motor. The sender wires are long enough to go up to the front of the boat from the engine plug in.

 

[BMerr509]

Thanks OH- i believe i do have everything i need for the hookup. Maybe i will get that done too, and i can ask the tech when i go to prop it what else i'll need for it. I'm sure he would know. Thank you for taking the time to write all that out- very good reference material.

Last night i got all three 16.4' strips of LED's installed. One up the sides of each gunwhale, then i wrapped one around the interior of the frame of the rear casting deck. I attached them all to a terminal block, then to the switch, then to the fuse panel with a 10 A fuse. Unfortunately, while stripping the wires, i pulled two out of their solder joints. I'll need to re-solder them and its not going to be easy due to their size and the fact that i have a solder iron valued at about $.35.

So here is the rear casting deck pics! I wanted to be able to see the battery and connections while lit up, mission accomplished.

 

[Candutch]

That looks pretty sweet BMerr. I really lie the red, reminds me of when we were tactical in my infantry days. I have red installed as well as white led lights, both on seperate switches but nothing is wired in yet. White is for at the dock and red when on the water. The red light saves the night vision.

 

[Watermann]

That should really light things up when you get all 3 of them going. That looks to me like an out in the open easy solder job, you should've seen me soldering wires on my control ignition switch to install the kill switch. :lol:

 

[RStewart]

Just got caught up on your build BMerr. It's really looking good. I'm looking forward to seeing it splashed. I have a question about the fuel tank placement since most boats have fuel tanks at the stern. Is putting it under the bow not going to negatively effect the ride of the boat because of weight distribution? I'm ignorant in this area so that's why I'm asking. Also, I'm used to bass boats that have the tanks towards the stern.

 

[BMerr509]

Thanks for passing through guys.

WM- i'll get the soldering done in the next few days. Actually have a good string of weather coming up temp-wise, so i'm hoping to actually complete the generic part of my build and begin thinking about the fishing portion.

Ron- Thanks for the complement. The reason i put the tank there is twofold- first that my boat is a '69 with a hp rating of 125, and a '69 2 stroke is (estimating) probably about 100# less than my merc 90, so i wanted to move as much weight forward as possible. I also have one battery up front too. The second reason is my needs. Primary purpose of this boat is to land fish, so everything i do is to make it a better fishing machine. I troll mostly, so if we catch a fish, two guys (potentially 3) will be on the rear casting deck of the boat when we land our fish. So that's 2-3 guys, one battery, 4 stroke motor- i did not like the thought of adding a fuel tank back there as well.

I could have put it back there, and i can always move it, but for my needs, up front is best. I'm sure the other guys will chime in on how it will handle/plane better this way, but that was just a bonus for me!

 

[Watermann]

Having a bow tank is a good way to distribute weight if your stern heavy. The reason most tanks are in the stern is because it's easiest but that doesn't mean it's best. Personally I prefer a belly tank mid-ship so it's neutral.

 

[BMerr509]

Right, i calculated that a full tank of my size (17 gal) is about 170# extra in the stern. That's not ideal. A belly tank would have worked but i like having it be accessable in case something happens. As a backup, i plan on have a 2 gal tank in the back with a hose/hose clamp end so i can at least get to shore if something in my fuel system fails.

 

[RStewart]

BMerr, that makes sense for moving it to the bow. I'm of the same mind as Watermann. I think I would like one in the belly mid ship. I would probably put a hatch over the connections & sending unit for access. I think I would also like to move the consoles back towards the stern about 6 inches to make for a little bit bigger front casting deck as long as it doesn't upset the weight distribution & it's not too overly complicated to remount them in a new spot. Who knows, when I eventually get a project boat I might find the factory front space big enough.

 

[BMerr509]

Hey Guys, sorry i have been away for some time. My grandfather passed two weeks ago so my time has been split in various directions (i appreciate the condolences, but he was older and is now at peace planting his flowers/with his dog in the Lord's land ).

However, i did manage to get not only some work done on the boat, but also splashed yesterday for about 6 hours! It has some kind of leak somewhere, but it is not substantial and the bilge worked great to eradicate the problem, i noticed i got some primer in the drain tube when i installed the new plug, wonder if it could be from there. Good news is i am rarely on the water for more than a day, so it's not a huge problem. Question- the bilge worked great when my battery voltage was at 13.7-14v, but then we trolled at 550 rpm, leading to 12-12.4v and the bilge did not work as well, really struggled. Do they require the whole 13.7v to operate at peak power? I apologize for the length of this post but it may be helpful for someone else. pics at the end! That is 9 mile power plant in the background- launched at mexico point for all that are wondering. Tow vehicle is a 2010 jeep grand cherokee with the 3.7l engine, 3500# rating.

We trolled for browns on Ontario, maybe the nicest night i've ever seen in a boat. Didn't land anything but had 2 fish on, not super impressive i know lol: Few things to note:

- This hull would not survive with the tank in the back. Too much weight. At least it would be a bit scary.
- Prop is 3 prop black max, pitch 19. wide open only brought me to 5000 rpm, planes at 3200 rpm. Sweet spot is 3300.
- zero fuel line issues. no leaking through the vent as i had anticipated.
- will need a plate or smart tabs. even at 550 rpm, we were going 2.5 to 3 mph. That's too fast.
- had 4 guys, my border collie, fishing gear and ~20 gal of gas, 2 batteries (one front, one back) with the numbers above. Top speed of 32 mph.
- This hull does not lift from the water, rather it bulldozes it haha it's interesting
- Water/fuel separator fills up with gas in the clear bowl- is that normal?
- Rod locker is a failure haha works for rods with small butts but otherwise is no use.
- my seat pedestals do not fit in my bases nor in the seat mounts. can someone help me? they are the 2-3/8" everything but the plastic bushing forced me to utilize a sledge hammer to get them to fit. Totally not by design.
- it is unbelievable how quiet this motor is. numerous times we thought it stalled but was just idling. (we did stall once while running at 550 rpm)
- mercmonitor is a must. tach monitors so many things- batt voltage, water temp, fuel amount, hours etc
- broke motor in and used maybe 3-4 gal of gas all day. incredibly efficient.
- rear casting deck/transom support is adaquate. No idea by how much but it does it's job.
- new aluminum trailer- fit is still a tad small, but it works. yacht club 1825b and it is built extremely well.

Thanks to all who have supported me, helped me and given me a hand. Now that the boat is water ready and the weather is great, my progress will slow- but i'd rather be on the water! I'll post pics with updates and design changes.

 

[Watermann]

Wow, thanks for the ride along, she looks great out there on the water!

You sure skipped over a bunch of work done since the last update, the deck wasn't on let alone covered.

Bulldozing the water? It should only have about the last 3 feet of the boat in the water when on a good cruise speed plane unless the weight was distributed too far forward that is.

 

[BMerr509]

Thanks for stopping in Rob. By bulldozing the water, i should have clarified that's what it feels like. It's just a heavier hull than i'm used to.

Sorry about skipping the steps, but the rear deck actually isnt fully set in place. Has 8 or so rivets in now but i keep messing up my rivet gun where it doesn't let go of the grip part of the rivet, not sure why it's doing that.

 

[MD28]

Sympathies on your Grandpa even though he was at a good old age. Im no expert Bmerr, but maybe you need less pitch on the prop for slower trolling speed. I think that would increase your wot rpm if that is what you are lookin for. Just a humble suggestion. Ive used a trolling plate before and they work, until you forget to unlock it and take off. Then they bend up and dont work so well anymore :lol:. Congrats on the splash! It looked like a beautiful night. Id love to see how you tied the casting decks together too if you get a chance

 

[oldhaven]

Well done! From the one picture of the boat floating it looks like the boat sits nicely in the water with no passengers, but you had a lot of weight in it depending on the size of the passengers, what they brought with them, and where they were sitting. I would try it with just you, a friend and the dog before making any judgements about pitch for cruise speed. Still, if trolling at 550 is the goal, you may want to change to a lower number, but if the cruise is good, a plate might be better. I am using a 13 x 18 pitch with the same Merc and it is just about right. I tried a 21, and it did OK when it was not finished yet with just me and a friend and a few gallons of fuel. Next trip, after putting in the front cabin plywood, gear for the trip in the cabin, a full tank of fuel in the slightly forward of midships 24 gallon belly tank, two persons, two big dogs, and gear and it could not get above 4800. After putting on the 18 prop, no problem. It jumps right up on plane in the low teens, runs right up to 5800 and 41 MPH with most economical plane at 3600 and 27 MPH. I think you have a heavier hull even though it has no cabin, so you should get about the same as my 18 footer. I don't think it is any wider than mine. Have you used the Optomize feature of the Mercmonitor yet? I am assuming you played with the trim enough to know you got the best economical speed with that prop and it displays that on the monitor.

 

[Pusher]

There's never a good time to lose a Grandpa, but it sure helps knowing where he went. The blessig, in my mind anyway, is the more loved ones that pass the faster time seems to go until it's your turn to go reunite. That's the hope!

It's good to see her in the water! You wrapped her up at just the right time. That's a LOT of weight. I bet she'll hop right to with three less people. It sounds like you were carrying a 1,000 lbs of human cargo on the maiden voyage.

 

[BMerr509]

Thanks for the comments guys. The real issue with losing a grandfather is what to do with the grandmother. We are a handy family though.

MD- i've worked with trolling plates before, my dad had one on his 15hp yamaha, and now on his 40 merc. I like the Troll-a-matic, which is always down until there's enough prop force to pop it up. It's 100$ too. I'm going to try two 5 gal buckets deployed from the front to slow me down. Should know friday when i take it out for browns in the AM. Thanks for the prop suggestion and i think you're right. I should have gone with either the 17 or 18 pitch! When i called the mechanic at the marina he said i should start with a 19, but was sure he wasn't sure. I think i underestimated the weight of this hull. The prop will serve me just fine for this year at least. For the casting deck tie-in, what are your questions? i just riveted the deck to the aluminum supports. Matter of fact, i didn't even finish it, i just tacked it down for the trip.

OH- I know, i need more pics of the boat in the water while underway. Wasn't much chance though. From the sounds of it, your 21 pitch prop and my 19 pitch performed very similar. perhaps i need a 17. I should have mentioned i did play with the trim, but i don't think its hooked up to my mercmonitor. I should look into that. We got maybe 2-3 miles from shore at WOT where the waves were significant and since i wasn't positive of my hulls integrity, not to mention my casting deck, i didn't play around too much.

Pusher- it is a lot of weight, probably ~700# worth of passengers, then 20+ gal of fuel. I was definitely nervous at WOT. But it is solid.

 

[BMerr509]

Hey Iboats guys! Sorry about the elusiveness, but I have been busy!
Here are some things i did to the offshore since my last post, and pics to go along (i imagine 90% will just go right to the pics lol)

- new navigation lights up front, the two strips of LED's
- radio and 4 speakers
- finished interior paint job
- White LED's up the two sides
- finished rear casting deck
- completed the floor (i didnt get any pics of that but there are no longer holes in it!)
- Bimini top installed
- created a homemade "mywedge", see pic
- only caught three fish so far, one coho, one brown and one perch.
- 40 hours on the motor, mostly cruising

Love this setup and have received compliments on it every time i've launched. Zero leaks to speak of. I know the fish numbers are embarassing but that will change as i'm going up to Quebec next week to Bryson Lake Lodge, where i've been every year since '95 (yes, i was only 5) and will boat somewhere between 50-60 walleyes. I'll also have better pics of the boat while underway from the vantage point of a different boat. Enjoy, i hope you all had a great 4th! God Bless.

 

[BMerr509]

Some more pics

 

[Candutch]

Nice to see she's getting a lot of use. Goodluck on your Quebec trip, hope to get mine out tomorrow for some walleyes and it's first fishing trip.