1976 22' Starcraft Islander Rebuild

[Huron Angler]

Re: 1976 22' Starcraft Islander Rebuild

AW, just cut the danged thing. If it's wrong, we'll find you another boat you don't really have that much time tied up on this one!

LOL

Yeah I'm glad to see you getting back to work...I was starting to think that you spend altogether to much time thinking about flocks of geese flying around.

Seriously though, very nice story...and also nice work on this important cut. No need to rush into anything here.

After that...I think you can get her painted and have the deck in before the holidays(says the guy who has only painted a 12 footer).

 

[Bwana Don]

Re: 1976 22' Starcraft Islander Rebuild

Good work Jason. That aluminum welding deal looks intereasting. I've had my eye on it for a while, just didn't have an immediate use for it. I hope it works for you.

I was a paper boy when we lived in Chicago. I'd be waiting at the curb at 4:00 am for my load. I'd deliver them and ride 45 minutes by bike out to the bass pond. Fish from sunrise to 9:00, then home and take a nap. Those were the days.

Measure, measure, contemplate the meaning of life, measure, measure. Drink some more Costa Rican black gold, re-measure. Sleep on it for a while. Talk to your Starmada buddies about it. Look at Thumpers skeleton one more time.

Then CUT.

Best of luck to you.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 1976 22' Starcraft Islander Rebuild

Thanks for stopping buy fellas! Ya, we'll pull out the measuring sticks a few more times on this here deal before any blade touches that hull.

Interesting to note...

NB gave me the dimensions off of his rig and it looks like my keyhole will be sitting just a little higher that where his is. Hmmmmm. That must mean one of two things are true. 1) I measured wrong, or 2) the 4.3 V6 has a little higher mounting pattern than the inline 6 that came with his rig.

I'll do a bunch more measuring to be sure I didn't do anything silly.

Anybody have a inline 6 installation manual handy to tell me the "X Dimention" height on a 14 degree transom? That would confirm whether they should be the same/different.

Hey fanny, so help me out - in all of my readings I am seeing that the setting of the motor mounts is one of the LAST things that should be done in this process. In other words...

1. Find the X...
2. Make the cut...
3. Install the Gimbal Housing...
4. Hang the motor with the alignment tool...
5. Set the motor mounts...
6. Repeat 4 and 5 a few times, adjust mounts as needed...
7. Bolt down, recheck alignment yet again.

(a few other steps in the mix too, seal up the transom, check transom thickness, etc., etc.)

In my mind the "X" dictates where the Gimbal Housing should be - which in turn dictates where the motor should be - which in turn dictates where the motor mounts should be. Eh??

Have a great Thurs guys!

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: 1976 22' Starcraft Islander Rebuild

I am just sitting quietly and watching everything looks like it is progressing nicely

 

[fshngho]

Re: 1976 22' Starcraft Islander Rebuild

I am just sitting quietly and watching everything looks like it is progressing nicely

Same thing here. Never owned, operated, removed and IB/OB. Don't want to.
Well, ok, I'll run one.
Jas it would seem you have plenty of people with experience to help. Forgive my ignorance but since you used the template from Thumper, did you do a comparasin measurement for the motor mounts between the two boats?
Thats all I have.
Patiently waiting for the scapel & the first incesion.

 

[dozerII]

Re: 1976 22' Starcraft Islander Rebuild

I would say this is the ultimate MEASURE TWICE CUT ONCE SENARIO
I would be real nervous myaelf about the first cut. Looks like you are covering all the baces and have a bead on it. Good luck
Glen

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 1976 22' Starcraft Islander Rebuild

I am just sitting quietly and watching everything looks like it is progressing nicely

Thanks man! Hey, if you see me doing something stupid wave a really bright colored flag or something shiny buddy!

Forgive my ignorance but since you used the template from Thumper, did you do a comparasin measurement for the motor mounts between the two boats?
Thats all I have.
Patiently waiting for the scapel & the first incesion.

Yup sure did. Well half of the measurement anyway. I built the motor stand to identical specs to the stringers in my Islander. Measured it all out and it looks as though the mounts will hit dead on, cool! I may need to work away some of the stringer to accommodate for the space the starter will need.

The other half of the measurements would be the height the motor needs to sit at. That won't happen (can't happen as I see it) until I get the Gimbal housing in and line everything up. From there I'll need to either build the stringer up or dig down to accommodate the height variation from the original OMC Stringer. My rough estimates tell me that I may not need to do either which would be awesome!

I would say this is the ultimate MEASURE TWICE CUT ONCE SENARIO
I would be real nervous myaelf about the first cut. Looks like you are covering all the baces and have a bead on it. Good luck
Glen

You got that right bro!

Yah, I have done a fair amount of thinking, staring, measuring, remeasuring, more thinking, standing, looking, eating pizza (important, trust me), lots of quality time in the manuals, studying what other OMC Stringer to Merc transplant guys have done (not many)...

I'm going to start from scratch and go through all the numbers/templates again to get a fresh look at it.

Fanny is right, that would be a lot of potting soil I'd need to come up with I just assume do this correctly the first time

 

[fshngho]

Re: 1976 22' Starcraft Islander Rebuild

I am here for you Jas. With all the on again, off again Mob get togethers I have sharpened my axe to a fine edge. Would you like me to come over and start the cut for you? I mean, after a couple good swing and hits on the 'ol transom, I am sure you will find a starting point somewhere.
Please, no need to thank me.

 

[Floyd M]

Re: 1976 22' Starcraft Islander Rebuild

Measure once, make a mark. Measure twice, change to a finer point pencil and make another mark. Go get a beer. Sit awhile. Call a friend to contemplate your measurements with you. Since he is there, offer him a beer and sit awhile. Now the beer is gone and it is getting dark. Get out the shop lights. Now you are tired and sweaty, so go down to the store with your friend and get a six-pack. Have another beer. Sit awhile and contemplate why you are even doing this project. Remember how happy your wife is that you are tied up with this "boat thingy" and what a "great deal" it was. Measure again and cut. Now sit down and have another beer because you just realized that the line you marked is the right length.....but on the wrong peice of marine plywood................Have another beer.

Floyd

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 1976 22' Starcraft Islander Rebuild

Ok, I am through studying. Time for the exam...

 

[fat fanny]

Re: 1976 22' Starcraft Islander Rebuild

Jsorry I have'nt responded earlier (kids homework) but my mention of the hieght of the motor on the boats mounts up to the C/L of the crank shouldnt vert to much but that adjustment dimention must be known so you have a plus and minus tolerance (up and down) from that dimention use a plumb bob and a framing square to locate the C/L on the transom where the the yolk will contact the coupler compare that to the outside C/L than hold up and or hang the transom assembly and see what you have for a rough alignment and keep in mind you +/- dimention this should put you in the ball park. I have seen this practice performed on the worlds largest crop shear our company just built on a piece of 6" plate to mount the gear drive and the hole was a rough burn out before machininng and it was within .0005 after being welded on and machined a simple plum bob and a framming square aligned a 2million pound machine and a 400,000lb gear box within a 1/2 thow with only 3/4" adjustment slots. Hope this helps if not I'm @ a loss for words but take your time and you'll be fine

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 1976 22' Starcraft Islander Rebuild

Ok fellas, here it is...

Almost looks like a Merc could fit in there!

I can't tell you how many more times I measured and remeasured! You can see the red Sharpie line at the top of the cut there. I did end up moving it down just barely a smidge based on my measurements. Basically the width of my Sharpie down from where my original marks were.

Man, I have been reading up on this and thinking about this cut since clear back when there was snow on the ground last. The cut itself probably took, what, 5 minutes? I feel pretty darn good that it's where it needs to be.

If not, I'll just put the order in for a spring delivery of top soil and a few hundred tulip bulbs.

 

[fat fanny]

Re: 1976 22' Starcraft Islander Rebuild

Looks good J and I'm sure it will recieve both ends of those merc pieces in thier correct orientation.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 1976 22' Starcraft Islander Rebuild

Thanks fanny! Besides the measurements required by the manual I did do one extra for the heck of it of it prior to cutting. I spent a minute with the outdrive and measured from the crankshaft/yoke ***. centerline down to the anti cavitation plate then took those numbers to the hull. Ran a straight edge along the bottom and hung a plumb line from the "X". Looked darn good from there too! I kinda, sorta think that was the jest of yur post up above. I'm not sure I went at it the same way you were wanting me to, but I think I got er!

I thought I'd be shaking in my boots about making that cut but the move really wasn't all that bad. I think the more time I spent checking and rechecking my work, the better I was feeling about the whole set up!

Tell ya what, I am pretty pumped this keyhole is in my hull!

 

[fshngho]

Re: 1976 22' Starcraft Islander Rebuild

Congrats Jas. We all know you did it correctly and have no doubt it will fit like a glove.
We also know you are wanting to drop the motor in now. Patience my friend. I know I would be thinking " I just want to see if it lines up, then bolts up, then how does it look?" Ya know after all this, the rest is going to be soooo boring for you.

 

[proshadetree]

Re: 1976 22' Starcraft Islander Rebuild

In the end if the prop sticks in the water and the outdrive seals up to the transom all you have to do is make sure an alignment tool fits and will not bind and there you go. I have heard a lot of talk about sitting level and I must remind everyone the nose will be up in the air when your on the throttle anyway. Looks good from my house. Great writeup so far.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 1976 22' Starcraft Islander Rebuild

I actually dropped the motor in last night and took her for a run on the near shore waters of Lake Huron. She ran 40 MPH WOT on the GPS and purred like a kitten. I hauled in a cooler full of walleye and there were purple unicorns dancing across the water. CBK was there too, he was just running the B Ticket in circles. Odd.

Then I woke up.




Thanks for stopping by guys! Yah, I can see that I still have a fudge factor up and down of a couple of inches or so, per the manual, for the different applications of a motor. If I am off I am nearly certain that it can't be more than a fraction of an inch, 1/16" - 1/8" maybe. So, I should be aok!

Yah, I am pretty excited to see where the project goes from here. I should probably think through a short list again.

Cheers!

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1976 22' Starcraft Islander Rebuild

CBK was there, he was running the B Ticket

This is how I knew this was fake.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 1976 22' Starcraft Islander Rebuild

This is how I knew this was fake.

Yah, purple unicorns dancing across the water would be more likely.

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: 1976 22' Starcraft Islander Rebuild

This is how I knew this was fake.

Ouch...The mob turns inward out of boredom!

Yah, purple unicorns dancing across the water would be more likely.

What? all my crazy boat dreams have Hooters Waitresses swimming around my boat and climbing in just to bring me a beer from the cooler...
But hey....Purple Unicorns are just as cool........ok not really..lol




GREAT JOB on the cut Jas....I mean the boat, not my pride...LOL