ETEC 90 on 1959 Alumacraft Queen Merrie

Joined
Sep 7, 2012
Messages
21
I finally got the new outboard installed on the Queen Merrie. Much work left to be done, but with this beast hanging on the back and the river back down to safe levels I should have more than enough to motivate me to keep working on it. The interior wood is painted and ready to be installed. I need to install the fuel tank, and run a fuel line and install a filter/water trap, rewire the navigation lights, searchlight, horn, and bilge pump, install the floatation foam, and a dozen other tasks, but it should be ready for the river in a couple weeks!
 

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craveman85

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 15, 2010
Messages
107
Do you have more close up pictures of the motor mounted on your transom? Looks like it doesn't go all the way to the bottom. Of the motor. Also what dimensions of lumber did you use? I've got a 61 Merrie I plan on doing this to soon. I don't like there glasses plywood one I built last year.
 
Joined
Sep 7, 2012
Messages
21
It was a big pain finding the lumber for the transom. It was originally white oak. I found clean and clear, quarter-sawn, white oak boards at a local cabinet makers. I had to plane the boards down to a little over 7/8" thick for the back board, and 1 1/8" for the interior board. The motor rests on a 1/4" strip of micarta board that is screwed onto the transom boards. I used a piece of marine ply for the lower part. The boat is in storage, but I'll see if I have closer pictures.
 

craveman85

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 15, 2010
Messages
107
Is that an 8" wide board?I can get white oak in 1x12" and may cut it down to 8" but have it 12 where the motor mounts. I think my interior board (1961) is 3/4 and I did my exterior about 1-1/2". I used glassed marine ply and hate it. I like the look of bare wood on the transom. It would nicely compliment my charred cedar floor and my benches I'm planning. However I may not be able to get white oak thick enough so I may use a thin piece of mahogany as a plate where the motor mounts. Unless I can find some 1x and 2x mahogany boards. Where do you get mircata. I made a cap for my transom using a hyfax runner from a snowmobile track that I milled just right on my table saw. I had no idea what the original stuff was called.
 
Joined
Sep 7, 2012
Messages
21
The board is slightly over 8" wide I think. I would need to measure to be sure. I just used the chunk of unfinished marine ply for the lower portion of the motor to mount to. I am going to replace it with a machined aluminum plate this spring. The transom boards are finished with 11 coats of spar varnish, nothing special, just varnish, shiny and flexible. I can take measurements or trace the old boards on paper if I can't find the paper templates I used. I bought a really pretty piece of highly-figured, quarter-sawn white oak for the dash cover. It will replace the varnished marine ply dash plate I made to cover all the drilled out mess that previous owners, and the dealership I had install the hydraulic steering had made of the original dash. The ICON Pro guage in my dash is multifunction, tach, speed, fuel level, fuel economy, all in one, so I won't have to drill any more holes. I still haven't decided how the interior is to be laid out. I am leaning towards a couple coolers with seat tops behind the front seat towers, and two removable pedestal captains chairs with flush mounted mounts for the back. The other thing I did do when I had the interior out is paint every seam and rivet with gluvit. The whole hull is sealed just in case. I have no idea if it leaked before, but I did it anyway. I'm very happy with it so far, it will see the Mississippi at least four days a week when it warms up, that's when the fine tuning starts.
 

craveman85

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 15, 2010
Messages
107
How did you like the 90? What was your top speed? Ever feel it was too much for that light of a boat? I've got an opportunity on a Merc 1150 which would probably be about the same performance. Or I might just hold out till someone I know decides to sell their 70hp Johnson then I can use mine for parts.
 
Joined
Sep 7, 2012
Messages
21
I love the 90 so far. Saturday I took it out of storage for the first time this year and went out on the Mississippi for a 30 mile cruise. The engine started instantly with no problems. I was thinking it might be a little hard to start because it was just stored in the cold barn with no fuel stabilizer, but it fired up instantly.
The motor is about 288 pounds, so I don't think it is too heavy for the boat, and I don't think it is too much power. It comes up on plane like a scalded dog and runs and drives great. I did add hydraulic steering instead of cable, and there is no feedback at all at the helm, so I can't say what it would be like with Teleflex steering. With just me at the helm it will hit about 43 knots on the GPS, but it starts to porpoise very slowly and I have to back off the throttle or trim down the motor. With me and two other adult passengers it goes about 38 knots upriver and 40 knots downriver. It seems that the sweet spot is about 3100 rpms, the motor is very quiet at that speed and the fuel consumption gauge shows 5.1 gallon per hour, that's at about 26 knots. I will probably be adding some smart tabs to try to correct the porpoising at WOT. My wife and I are just getting back to the project so I'll be finalizing the layout of the interior, installing all the electrics, finishing the dash and a bunch of other things to get ready for everyday use this summer.
I have a 70 hp Johnson on a stand in the barn that I originally bought from the guy who found the Queen Merrie for me, my intent was to use that motor on the boat, but I went with the ETEC instead.
 
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