Recent content by Dabbler_E

  1. Dabbler_E

    1965 Starcraft Jupiter Restore/Repurpose

    Finally joining the Starmada! Picked up for $275 (plus new trailer tires & lights to haul home) Teaser pix: (lots more to come) Starcraft Jupiter by Eric Schauber, on Flickr
  2. Dabbler_E

    1979 Johnson 4hp one cylinder rich

    Hi iBrains, I have a 1979 4hp Johnson that runs pretty well, and the bottom spark plug looks fine (light tan) but the top plug consistently shows a rich condition. Both cylinders share a single carb, both have good compression (within 2 psi), both have strong and consistent spark (based on gap...
  3. Dabbler_E

    1979 Johnson 4hp carb won't stop overflowing

    Hi all, This one has me pulling my hair out and I'm hoping somebody sees something I've missed. Picked up a 1979 4hp off CL, good compression, very good spark, had to fix the recoil starter (minor battle there), got it started. Yay. Problem is that no matter what I do, fuel comes running up...
  4. Dabbler_E

    Beaufort SC kayak fishing

    Hi All, I'm about to head on a family vacation to the Beaufort, S.C. area (Harbor island, specifically). There are tons of tidal marshes, and I'm bringing my kayak. This is the first time I've done saltwater 'yak fishing, and I'm hoping for some general pointers (not honey holes) -- time &...
  5. Dabbler_E

    Starter bendix riding up when under way

    Hi All, I've got a 1971 Evinrude 25 hp Sportster that I bought last year for $80. It's been a journey getting the motor back to life, but now it's running pretty darned good.....except that when it's running at WOT or nearly so, the bendix gear rides up and rub on the fly wheel. As soon as I...
  6. Dabbler_E

    Hunting down an air leak for a '71 25 hp (Or, how Iboats forum saved me about $100)

    Like airline employees, denizens of this forum sometimes see people at their worst: stressed out, frustrated, at wits end. We hear ?I'm almost ready to chuck this @#$% motor? and ?I?ve rebuilt the carb 3 times, how could it possibly be a carb problem?? Yet, these forums have helped untold...
  7. Dabbler_E

    1971 Rude 25 hp -- head gasket

    Just bought a '71 25hp sportster for $80, has sat for years. Tested compression and got zero on both cyls, before realizing that the PO had removed most (but not the bottom 2) of the cylinder head bolts. I put them back in and lightly torqued (I know there's a very specific torquing sequence...
  8. Dabbler_E

    Evinrude 1976 9.9/15 - multiple failures, but could have been a lot worse

    Hi All, Sorry for the rant nature of this post, but yesterday was a pretty difficult day. Ultimately, I'm pretty sure that the fix will involve a complete carb teardown, but any more specific pointers would be helpful. This is a motor I got on eBay last year as a 9.9 and installed 15 hp carbs...
  9. Dabbler_E

    Adding tell tale to '76 Evinrude 9.9 -- where to drill?

    Hi All, My '76 9.9 lacks a tell tale. It isn't overheating, but I sure would like to know that all's well in the water flow department before any bad things start to happen. I've read the Machinist's page that discusses adding a tell tale (link here...
  10. Dabbler_E

    Ground bus bar: insulated from the hull?

    Hi All, I know that wiring should not be grounded to an aluminum hull -- there should be direct wire connections back to the negative pole of the battery. But, if I use a ground bus bar wired to the battery, does that bar need to be electrically insulated from the hull, or is it OK to simply...
  11. Dabbler_E

    Trailer ID -- Gator? Year?

    Hi trailer gurus, I recently purchased a 14' Lowe boat on this tilt trailer. It's titled as Homemade, but that could be because a previous owner couldn't find a VIN or SN. It has characteristics of some Gator trailers I've seen on here, but I'm not sure. If it is, I'd be interested in...
  12. Dabbler_E

    '76 Evinrude 9.9 -- plugged high speed jet?

    Hi All -- I'm pretty sure I know what's going on, but want to get more feedback to confirm. I recently acquired a 1976 Evinrude 9.9 rope start. Good compression (90, 93), good spark in both cyls (>1/4 in). Starts with difficulty, and only runs if the low-speed mixture knob is set to VERY...
  13. Dabbler_E

    1980 14' Lowe Superior V Restore/Repurpose -- with FDF (Frameless Deck Foundation)

    After giving up on my Terry bass boat (transom + deck + stringers + major hull cracks = more that I was willing to throw effort at, especially since the hull layout was really crummy for my needs) (see thread in my signature), I picked up this 1448 tinny + tilt trailer + 45# foot controlled...
  14. Dabbler_E

    1967 Mercury 90 hp

    Found an ad for someone selling a 1967 merc 90 hp really cheap. PO claims to have run it a couple years ago yadda yadda yadda. Assuming it holds compression and lower unit is OK, is this a motor worth working on? Any special problems or idiosyncrasies? I'm familiar with OMCs, but a Tower...
  15. Dabbler_E

    1973 Chrysler 130 -- decent motor?

    Hi Chrysler folks, I'm used to OMC's, so I don't know much about these motors, but I have an opportunity on a 1973 130 hp (no t/t). Any feedback on the quality / reliability / idiosyncrasies / decent purchase price of this beast would be fantastic. Thanks! Eric
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