'77 Starcraft SS 16 (freshen)

[deadstriper]

Re: '77 Starcraft SS 16 (freshen)

I'll admit the existing board is entirely nasty but I think I'll put one back on. The area that sits between the tilt and the transom evidently "never" dries out, so it rotted like crazy.

I thought I had read that epoxy is not very flexible and is prone to cracking over time. Is that true, or is there some sort of penetrating epoxy sealer that resists cracking (because it's flexible or otherwise)? Are you guys using an special brand of epoxy?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: '77 Starcraft SS 16 (freshen)

Epoxy is a bit more flexible than poly (or so I've read). If really want to do it up right.....glass the thing.

 

[deadstriper]

Re: '77 Starcraft SS 16 (freshen)

I'll have to do some reading. On my old Lone Star, I applied fiberglass resin to the floor w/o hardener on a 90+ day. It worked great, soaked in very well, and cured nicely with the heat/sunshine, although I put a layer of carpet over the top so I didn't see the long term effects of walking on it.

 

[deadstriper]

Re: '77 Starcraft SS 16 (freshen)

I had a few minutes this evening, so I decided to hoist the outboard and remove the exterior ply.

Levitating engine:

Rot city:

Looking into one of the lower outboard bolt holes through the transom. Not so purty. There's a fungus among us (soft maybe 1/2" in):

 

[deadstriper]

Re: '77 Starcraft SS 16 (freshen)

While waiting on the epoxy & paint to dry on the transom stiffener, I did a little work on the trailer that will go under the boat.

The rear keel roller was in bad shape. I had been prolonging its life by using some washers that would fit inside the rotted section.

I tend to mount my rollers a bit high and roll the boat on much of the way (instead of clunking it into the trailer), so I really appreciate rollers that roll. I bought a greasable roller shaft, but the grease outlets didn't sit within the roller, so I'm sending it back. Here's the new poly replacement with the solid roller shaft:

... and installed on the trailer under my LoneStar.

 

[deadstriper]

Re: '77 Starcraft SS 16 (freshen)

Here are some pics of my work in installing a new transom stiffener. I gave it a couple coats of epoxy and then a couple coats of marine paint.

Stiffener w/ fresh epoxy:

Top coat applied -- only a few bugs and bubbles

I hadn't noticed when I removed the old stiffener that the aluminum behind the stiffener had some corrosion. I noticed it only as I went to install the new stiffener:

I shined up the corrosion as best as a person in a rush can do, and rolled on one coat of paint (and another bug):

It was a bit chilly, so I ran a heater on the new paint for a bit, and then installed the stiffener. Paint matching? White is white, right?

The knee brace bolts really could be a 1/4" longer. Why so short Starcraft? This was the WORST part of the install and I struggled with each nut to bite a single thread (fortunately I didn't strip anything).

 

[86 century]

Re: '77 Starcraft SS 16 (freshen)

Looks good dead; I love that old starcraft white looks fine till you put actual white near it. I just finished that piece myself. I had to replace the bolts so I put 5/16 ss slot heads i think 3" long and they just clear the nylocks. My transom is a little thicker than stock. I didn't want my v6 merc to fall off the first time i hit the throttle

 

[deadstriper]

Re: '77 Starcraft SS 16 (freshen)

86: You are definitely putting some juice on the back of your boat. Hold on!

 

[86 century]

Re: '77 Starcraft SS 16 (freshen)

86: You are definitely putting some juice on the back of your boat. Hold on!

I don't think it will be that fast topend wise but it should be fast as hell out of the hole. Or it will rip the transom off the first time out. However it turns out I sure it will be a good story.

 

[deadstriper]

Re: '77 Starcraft SS 16 (freshen)

Didn't get too much accomplished this weekend. Did a little work on the tilt/trim.

I threw a little paint at the badly corroded tilt cylinder:

Got some thrust pads for the trim rods:

... and installed them:

Removed the base of the previous tilt motor to install a new one.

I mostly installed the new tilt motor (with two of the three screws in) but I can't get to the back corner screw (in the left of the pic above). Looks like I will be removing the outboard (again) so that I can put that third screw in. For now, I put some fluid in the tilt/trim and made it go up and down so that I felt like I accomplished something meaningful.

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: '77 Starcraft SS 16 (freshen)

I don't think it will be that fast topend wise but it should be fast as hell out of the hole. Or it will rip the transom off the first time out. However it turns out I sure it will be a good story.

LOL

Deadstriper, I'm in favor of keeping that exterior board as well, they help cut down on vibrations and since I have an inline 4 cylinder Merc I can use less vibration.

The V4 Johnnyrudes run much more smoothly.

Lookin good

 

[deadstriper]

Re: '77 Starcraft SS 16 (freshen)

HA: I've been a little under the weather lately so my progress has been slowed. I'm hoping to have the boat/trailer ready/safe for a road trip in three weeks, so I need to kick it into gear.

Haven't run a v4 before. Surely smoother than a 3 cyl.

 

[deadstriper]

Re: '77 Starcraft SS 16 (freshen)

Finally got back to it.

Took the engine off AGAIN. I'm sure the engine is wondering why it needs a boat at this point. Turns out I had the tilt/trim motor oriented wrong, so I had to rotate it around a bit. Note the high tech wiring bushing.

Unfortunately, the wiring outlet on top of the tilt motor hit on the tilt lock lever:

So I removed it. The bushings from the manual tilt cylinder are evidently different than the power tilt. Patience running thin so I fabricated an alternative. Pex plus washers from an oil jug. The washers should be oil resistant I read that pex is resistant up to 73F.

The end result is working tilt/trim. Finally!

The tilt cylinder looks like it might leak a bit, but it seems like the leak will be slow enough for now. I'm going to use it as is. I only temporaried the wiring. I did a three wire setup because that's what I had to work with. I need to mount the solenoid in a good/safe/dry location -- need to think where that might be.

I started to think about new axle bearings and ran into a nicely pitted spindle which I posted about here.

 

[HopeSheFloats]

Re: '77 Starcraft SS 16 (freshen)

Nice work getting the tilt trim working
Just realized I haven't posted in here yet. Man every day or two I find another I hadn't commented in...I read most of them, which gets me to thinking about whatever that member is working on, is something I need to do or how I would do it etc and absentmindedly forget to say something :redface:...anyways, cool little project ya got going on...keep on gettin after it!

 

[deadstriper]

Re: '77 Starcraft SS 16 (freshen)

Thanks HopeSheFloats. I can't say that I make many posts. Lots of cool stuff going on all over the place.

It didn't occur to me that using a transom saver might be a challenge w/o a trim switch on the motor. I'll have to work on that at some point. For now, I'll make sure I take along a helper on the boating excursions.

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: '77 Starcraft SS 16 (freshen)

My 16' SS came with a transom saver and I agree...easier to operate solo with a stern trim switch.

Good reason to bring a buddy along...I will have to teach my 4-year-old son how to trim the Merc down for me

 

[deadstriper]

Re: '77 Starcraft SS 16 (freshen)

HA: Given the opportunity, my boy would be more than willing to burn out the new trim motor for me.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: '77 Starcraft SS 16 (freshen)

I bought this for mine. Haven't installed it yet http://www.wholesalemarine.com/p/T-H-TTC-1/

 

[deadstriper]

Re: '77 Starcraft SS 16 (freshen)

I bought this for mine. Haven't installed it yet http://www.wholesalemarine.com/p/T-H-TTC-1/

Where do you plan to mount it? I was thinking about something like that, but with a 3-wire motor, I would need to run the wires a little further up to the solenoid.

 

[deadstriper]

Re: '77 Starcraft SS 16 (freshen)

Switched my boat to a different trailer. This SS has more of a vee to it, so the rollers can be lowered a bunch and the bunks raised a little (where needed).

In the short amount of time it took to switch trailers and go for a short boat ride, the boat took on a fair amount of water (seemed like more than it had in the previous boat ride). I thought it was odd, but forgot about it because I was busy fixing other issues. There was still some water in the boat, and in the process of adjusting bunks and rollers, a good amount of water started running out. I traced it to one of the knee brace rivets. Upon further inspection, I can see another missing as well. I'll have to get a couple rivets and some 5200.