Search results

  1. superbenk

    2000+ Cobalts wood free?

    As I've mentioned in other threads recently, we're on the hunt for a new boat & we've been looking at a couple Cobalts in the early 2000's era. I seem to recall reading somewhere that Cobalt boats after ~1998 were 100% wood-free, but I don't know if I'm remembering correctly. The new boats on...
  2. superbenk

    Pros/cons MPI vs. carb?

    We're hunting for boats in the 2000-newer era. Most of the boats we look at are carburated & I'm familiar with working on carburated motors (somewhat), but there's a few that are fuel-injected. Fuel-injected motors tend to provide a bit more horsepower (10-15%) and I'm sure they're easier to...
  3. superbenk

    VIP & Ebbtide boat quality

    We are looking at several boats this weekend & one of them is a 2005 VIP Victory 21' that looks to be really clean. The price seems reasonable but I don't know much about VIP. How does the VIP brand compare to other brands like Maxum, Chapparal, Crownline, Cobalt, etc.? I know when you're...
  4. superbenk

    How does this sell for $2k?

    I found my exact boat (well, this one has a V8 Mercruiser while mine has a 4cyl OMC Stringer, but still) selling for $2k out of a junk yard! I'm considering selling our boat and buying something newer, but my boat is 1000x in better condition than this! 1980 CENTURY Dawsonville GA for Sale...
  5. superbenk

    Lake closed due to drowning

    Sad day. Drove over an hour to get to the lake to find it's closed due to a drowning. Very disappointed at not being able to boat on such a beautiful day, but even more saddened by the news. Stay safe out there! It's at Beltzville Dam in western PA today. Don't know the details of how it...
  6. superbenk

    What to do with the weather?

    We live 1,5 hrs from the closest nice body of water & we constantly struggle with knowing what to do when the weather calls for thunderstorms at some point during the day but is never very specific. We were going to go today but the weather said severe storms starting at 10:30 so we called it...
  7. superbenk

    Marine Tex & fiverglass mat

    Is it possible to use Marine Tex with fiberglass mat to make sturdier patches & repairs? Probably a silly idea and more money than its worth, but I thought it might make for easier repairs of damage that's too big for straight Marine Tex but too small to want to get into a full blown fiberglass...
  8. superbenk

    Finding boat trailers

    Is there a trick to finding good used boat trailers? I may have the opportunity to get a 23' Cobalt but it doesn't have a trailer. I've looked on eBay and Craigslist but can't seem to find anything either big enough or in any kind of decent shape in my area (either Philadelphia, Reading...
  9. superbenk

    Cost to repair chunk out of keel?

    I have a ~3" chunk of gelcoat and a layer or so of fiberglass out of my keel right aft of where the bow drops down and the keel starts to run straight. It's due to the boat bouncing too hard on the front roller of my trailer before I ever got it. It was originally a crack that turned into a...
  10. superbenk

    Wife insists on a manual transmission

    My wife's car is getting older (99 Mazda Protege) so we've started looking at replacements. We have a popup & 19' powerboat. The camper probably maxes out around 2500 lbs fully loaded with water & gear. The boat probably tops out around 3500 fully loaded with gas & gear. I'd like for her to...
  11. superbenk

    Outdrive gear oil - difference between "marine" & other?

    As the title says, is there a difference between 80w-90 gear oil that says it's for "marine use" vs. the 80w-90 gear oil I can buy at my local auto parts store that doesn't say anything about "marine" on it? This is for the gear oil that I'll be putting in my Stringer 400 outdrive &...
  12. superbenk

    First time engine rebuild

    I'm not sure I'll have to do it, but my engine is starting to burn oil and I'm pondering the thought of possibly having to do a rebuild if the rings are shot or something (yes, I know I need to do a compression & leak-down check before I jump into a rebuild). Just curious how hard it is to...
  13. superbenk

    Grayish smoke & rough idle after sitting

    After the boat has sat long enough to cool, it exhausts grayish smoke & idles rough for a bit then runs great. In the driveway I see some sheen on the surface of the water pooled on the ground & I'm seeing black stains around the exhaust relief ports. Obviously it's burning some oil on...
  14. superbenk

    Learned how to float a trailer!

    Today I learned how to float a trailer! All you have to do is forget to remove the transom straps. As an added bonus, if you do it in front of a bunch of people having a party you can enjoy them laughing at you & taking pictures while you try to figure out why you can't float the boat easily...
  15. superbenk

    Salvage moldy cover?

    My custom cover is really moldy! I hate to throw it out because it is a custom cover. It's old & getting a little ratty in spots, but it still looks higher quality than some of the generic covers I've seen. I already scrubbed & power-washed it with bleach water, but all the mold just came...
  16. superbenk

    Carb parts from auto store?

    The choke thermostat plate on my Rochester 2GC on my OMC 140 (Stringer 400) broke at the screwdriver slot. BRP parts lists the part for $75 but I've seen a part similar to it in automotive stores for the Rochester 2G & 2GC carb for about $5. Will the auto parts store version work & fit just as...
  17. superbenk

    OMC/Century tach calibration marks

    I put an electronic points conversion kit on my boat today! VERY happy with the difference already even just in the driveway! Anyhow, I took the opportunity to fiddle with my tach as well. I confirmed on my last outing with my shop tach that the dash tach is reading a bit high as the RPMs...
  18. superbenk

    Rebuild Stringer SelecTrim motor mount?

    I think the rubber inside my SelecTrim front motor mount on my OMC 400 is shot, but it's an obsolete part now. Has anyone ever rebuilt one of these mounts and come up with a solution to replace the rubber? Are there any alternative solutions or companies that will make custom replacement...
  19. superbenk

    Pentronix conversion - how important is Flamethrower coil?

    My points crapped out this morning and nearly ruined a planned boating day. I was able to nurse them back to help with some sand-paper, but I'm seriously considering the Pentronix electronic conversion kit so these things aren't anything I ever have to worry about again. I'm wondering what...
  20. superbenk

    OMC 400 increase pitch?

    I have an 18' 1980 Century with an OMC 140/400 Stringer. At WOT with my wife & 2 young kids (6 & 9) in the boat I run about 5000-5100 RPM according to the dash tach. GPS reads about 32-33 mph. According to my Solec manual the engine should only do 4500-4600 RPM at WOT. My current prop is a...
Top