I have returned... with a Starcraft this time!

[BWR1953]

If you use red locktite on those plugs you'll never remove them again, that's a type of thread sealant that they also use on the welch plugs.. I used teflon tape on my plugs that didn't use fiber washers and they sealed up. Just don't put the tape on the inside end of the plug so it can come off and get into a jet or plug something up.

Thanks! Got it. I'll put some Teflon tape on there. I have plenty of that stuff around here... somewhere.

 

[BWR1953]

T minus 23 days and counting.


Made some good progress today. Sort of. And we're not done yet. Will be going back out there this evening.

My mechanic buddy came over this morning to help me with the shifter controls. I explained that I wanted to take 2 broken shifter controls and swap parts to make one working unit. He's really mechanically inclined. I don't think there's anything mechanical that he can't work on or fix. So we got started.

I went outside to remove the control from the Chieftain motor. While I was doing so, he replaced a pulley on my Gravely Zero Turn mower. I was still working on removing the shifter when he came out and replaced the drag link on my Craftsman garden tractor. I was still working on removing the shifter when he walked over, having finished with the Craftsman, and asked if I was done yet! :lol:

At that point he took over, got the control off the Mercury 70 and we went inside the garage and started checking it out. More than TWO HOURS later he was still working. That shifter stuff is complicated! And it's not done yet. We simply ran out of time. He'll come back "some other time" to finish it up for me. I hope that's before I'm ready to launch!


My young buddy hard at work while my old buddy supervised!








The other major thing that got done was for my buddy and me to remove the motor from the transom and put it back onto the engine stand. Now I can remove the transom, clean up the stern and start filling holes.

 

[BWR1953]

Some more good stuff. My air riveter was delivered this afternoon!

 

[Decker83]

I took this pic before I finished cleaning the carb.

Is that red goop Loctite of some kind? It sort of flakes off when scraped. Acts more like a sealant than a thread locker.

Should I replace it where it's missing? Or maybe use real Loctite?

I have that red sealant on my evinrude carbs. I used the permatex red rtv on mine.

 

[Watermann]

Yeah Permatex ultra black gasket maker will work as a thread sealant too, I think the red is their high temp stuff.

The reason I used teflon tape is because that's what was recommended to be used on the fittings of my spin on fuel filter so I figured it would work fine since neither one of my fuel filters fittings have leaked.

 

[BWR1953]

Ah, I do have some Permatex gasket maker. I even know where it is! :lol:

Got the transom back out of the boat this evening. Easy peasy. Started testing what works best on the gunk on the stern. Tried Goof Off and it was not very effective. Next was Goo Gone and that was definitely better. Planned on trying this drill brush as well but ran out of time.





Talked with my wife about it and she suggested that I try dryer clothes softening sheets! Hmmm... they do work great on removing bug guts from car windshields and bodies so I'll give it a try tomorrow too.

 

[BWR1953]

Oh yeah, the parts motor deal didn't happen. The guy sold it. Never got back to me.

 

[Patfromny]

Careful with permatex and fuel. Most silicone RTV will desolve and gunk up the fuel passages. Read the label. Use something that says safe for use on fuel systems.

 

[BWR1953]

T minus 22 days and counting.

Carburetor decision made. Couldn't obtain a replacement bowl.

Went with JB Weld WaterWeld on the outside of the float bowl only. The putty type. I just didn't feel comfortable with having something on the inside of the bowl. The corrosion on the inside is stopped and with the epoxy on the outside, the bowl should remain leak free for quite some time.

And I also went with the Teflon tape on the plug threads. One tube of my Permatex said not to use with gasoline and the other said nothing. I looked up the data for the second one and it said it "resists" gasoline. Meh. So Teflon tape it is.

In spite of my shaking hands and fumble thumbs, I managed to get the plug wrapped up, leaving only the bottom of the plug exposed.




Plug inserted and tightened.


Excess tape cleaned off.


JB Weld WaterWeld epoxy putty.



Epoxy applied over the scratches and scrapes on the outside of the float bowl. I made the patches as small as I could, but they're overlarge for the job.



Two carbs; clean, dry and serviceable!

 

[BWR1953]

Worked on the stern too. Used the drill brush and Goo Gone and did make some progress cleaning off the gunky stuff. But we still have a ways to go. Other folks have run into the same difficulties as I recall.

Oh yeah, we also tried the dryer fabric softener sheets with some Dawn dish soap but it didn't work. Made the boat smell nice though! ound:

 

[BWR1953]

Guys, do I use the WaterWeld epoxy to plug the holes? Or something else? This boat has a LOT of holes! I just counted 70 holes but some will be used when remounting stuff.

I'll need to buy more of whatever filler I use.

 

[Watermann]

That's what I use now is waterweld to fill holes, if you want it to be a little more user friendly and to soften it up, have a little bit of xylene in a bowl to dip your gloved fingers in when kneading the doughy stuff and it will be a bunch easier to work with and cure all the same. It sands great too similar to marine tex, strong as steel but sands like wood.

 

[BWR1953]

Thanks WM. Do I just block the hole on one side with duck tape to make it flat and smooth?

Am trying to get the lower unit reinstalled now. The motor has power trim so I can't raise it to working height.

 

[Watermann]

I don't because usually there's pitting on the inside around the hole. Since the stuff is so easy to sand I spread it around the hole too and sand it, that's why the xylene comes in handy.

Lower the trailer tongue by folding the jack up and lowering that light little boat tongue to the floor, that should give you some more room in the back. If not pull the trailer tires up onto something solid (ramps if you have them), chalk tires and drop the tongue.

 

[BWR1953]

T minus 21 days and counting.

Behind schedule and running out of time. Typical for me! :lol:

Three weeks from today we'll be in Georgia somewhere.
Will the Kingfisher be with us? Stay tuned to this Bat-Channel! :laugh:

My wife just got home and brought lunch so we're taking a break.

I finally managed to get the grass cutting finished this morning. Ate into my boat time though. Cost me a couple hours. The yard sure looks different than it did a year ago when we were doing the land clearing and burning in preparation for the new garage. The "grass" is coming in nicely to cover the empty space.



We degreased the Merc 50 and started the process to reinstall the lower unit. I did the spraying and the boy used the air compressor and blue paper towels to clean it all off. Worked fine for both of us.

...Lower the trailer tongue by folding the jack up and lowering that light little boat tongue to the floor, that should give you some more room in the back. If not pull the trailer tires up onto something solid (ramps if you have them), chalk tires and drop the tongue.

I have the motor on the engine stand.

We managed to finagle things around and got the lower unit under the motor and have been trying to get everything lined up to bolt into place. That boy sure does come in handy! He can do things that I simply cannot do or that I can only do with great difficulty or by paying a physical price. LOL :crutch:

This is where we are now. The LU is beneath the motor. We've tried lifting it up to make the connections but I think the splines aren't lined up on the drive shaft. The DS won't turn but the prop spins freely in either direction. I remember putting the motor into neutral when we removed the LU.

Any tricks to getting things lined up without me having to get on the floor upside down on my back?

 

[BWR1953]

Orders from headquarters... we're done for the evening! :lol:

I've been directed to stay indoors and watch my old TV shows (like Yancy Derringer & Have Gun Will Travel) while my wife does some stuff around the house. It's a comfort for her. Why, I don't know but she enjoys listening to the shows while she works. :noidea: I dunno. But I'm happy to oblige. :joyous:

The boy and I went back out after lunch (and nap time! ) and cleaned the inside of the stern. Got it done. I'm thinking that I need to patch a few of the larger pits and then spray it with some SE primer. What say y'all?

We started with abrasive brush wheels and they did work a little but I wasn't satisfied. So we moved up to stainless wire wheels and that did the trick. Especially with the A/C powered drill. And yes, we did spray with Goo Gone prior to using the drills.



I finished up with a hand sander and 150 grit paper. That worked well but I couldn't reach the corners. That's when the boy took over and used a small square of the 150 to get the corners clean.



Next we wiped it all down with regular white distilled vinegar. Didn't have any of the cleaning type. And yeah, I got a "look" from my wife about using her kitchen stuff! Who? Sweet little ol' innocent me?

After the vinegar we wiped it down with mineral spirits. Followed by a dry paper towel. I'd say it's clean now!

The pits might look bad, but they really aren't. Heck, I've seen worse on the inside of carburetor float bowls! :laugh:

 

[BWR1953]

The Mercury hood latch has a missing leg and I'll need to get something fabricated in order to use the cowling.

 

[Watermann]

To get that LU back on and line the splines up, someone will need to slowly turn the flywheel since you did the job in neutral that makes it a 2 man job, if in gear then it's a one man job, you just turn the prop while pushing upward. 3 things to line up as it set into place, driveshaft, water tube and gear shift.

Make sure that yellow tarter looking corrosion comes out of those pits, a pick or awl works good for that just like a dentist. :lol:

 

[BWR1953]

Thanks for the tip, WM! Sounds like it's gonna be a job for 2 old men and a boy! :lol:

I'm pretty sure we got most of that tartar out of the KF but will double check in the morning. That pic was taken while the work was in progress.

What say you about SE primer to cover the inner skin?

 

[Watermann]

I'd prime and paint the inner skin for sure, helps protect that surface from deteriorating.