My first I/0

[dodgeram2500]

Hi all, just bought a 18' Holiday with 120 Mercruiser. $1800. Runs great, takes on a bit of water though...not sure where. Seller told me it was a '79 but the serial number starts with a 68....do the first two numbers of the serial number designate the year?

Also, I'd like to do an impellor, bellows, gimble bearing, etc but am having a hard time finding parts on the net for such an old sterndrive... Serial number is 2330944 if that matters.

Good site, a wealth of knowledge here for sure...

- Pat - 18 Hoilday I/O -

 

[ezmobee]

Re: My first I/0

Nice boat. Looks to be been exceptionally maintained. Definitely older than '79. Might very well be a '68. Mine is a '66 and the model # starts with 66. The guys in the I/O repair forum will have all the answers for your motor/drive questions. Where are you located?

 

[North Beach]

Re: My first I/0

DR,
The concensus here is that the serial numbers do not designate the year even though they sometimes coincide with the year. I don't have the 67 & 68 brochure but I do have the 69 and the Holiday is identical to yours except the interioe vinyl is a much lighter color so you may just have a 68. I'm not sure what year they went to the walk thru windshield. Between 67 and 69 for sure.

This is where you can get all the replacement parts for your outdrive and most of the externals for your motor.
http://www.marineengine.com/parts/s...ne/index.htm?gclid=COX64c6oip0CFdVL5QodsHWt2Q

Internal engine parts you can get from carquest or any of the other car parts folks it's a 153 ci GM 4 cilynder from a Nova II. Mine'a a 66 110 HP but the engines are almost identical.

And welcome to iboats!

 

[elkhunter338]

Re: My first I/0

Since this your first I/O I have a couple of tips I learned over the past 5 yrs of running a 140hp merc. I/O.
1. make sure you drain the manifold/riser/engine block. Make sure water comes out of all these holes. just don't open the peckcock and walk away rust will plug them up and water remain inside to freeze and cause you big trouble.
2. Make sure and run the motor with a garden hose if you run it in salt water.
3. Do not shut the motor down while the boat is under way with any kind of speed, you risk water comming into the engine, especally if the flapper valve that is just below the elbow is not there. I had water enter the engine when the motor quite at 20 mph and came to a spot. The water rushing up to the transom with a dead engine puts water in the exhaust port. My case was not a big deal because I broke a timing gear and scrapped the motor for a new crate engine.
4. With the 4 cylinder chevy motor if you let the engine cool down idle for 2-3 minutes this cools the manifold and the engine will start better while it is warm.
5.Do not use any brass pipe on the oil sender. I installed a brass pipe on the oil sender because I also added a low pressure alarm. The brass pipe cracked and put oil into the bilge. Luckly I did not run the engine out of oil. Use steel pipe and as short of piece as possible.
I would recommend a low oil pressure and water temp alarm. I have both hooked up to a light and buzzer on the dash.
6. run 30 or 40 weight oil depending on your air temp.
7. make sure and smell the bilge for gas fumes and use your blower. Gas fumes in a boat bilge will catch fire with the starter brushes arcing.
8. make sure the engine coupler and splines on the outdrive are greased and aligned. If the splines show wear you likely have a coupler going out. I lost my splines on my coupler a few years back, left me 7 miles from port.
9.Make sure and grease the outdrive grease fittings. Changing the bottom bearing in the outdrive piviot is a pain, the guy prior to me did not grease and the bearing rusted and was sloppy. I give mine one pump of grease everytime I take it out of the water and then I rotate the outdrive back and forth to move the new grease around.
10. Don't forget to raise the outdrive before you pull the boat out of the water. I have watched a couple of guys drag their outdrive on the pavement.
11. don't forget the plug in the boat.
12. do not unstrap your boats bow cable until the boat is partway in the water, watched a guy drop is boat on the boat ramp last year when he removed the bow line and started down the ramp, the boat slide of the bunks and onto the ramp. It was ok it was not a starcraft.

That is about all I can think of off the top of my head.

 

[dodgeram2500]

Re: My first I/0

Thanks for the responses.

EZ: I'm in Thunder Bay ON, Canada (on Lake Superior). I guess I should add that to my profile...

North Beach: Thanks for the link...Nice resto by the way. When mine needs a floor I'll be doing the same thing!

Elk Hunter: Woah! Very informative!

I expected her to be a "PIG" on fuel but she's actually not that bad...surprised me really.

- Pat - 18 Hoilday I/O -

 

[Kainon]

Re: My first I/0

The last 2 numbers of a HIN are suppose to designate the year, check out this link for more information. http://www.nordicaboats.com/html/hin-numbers.html

The Hull Identification Number (referred to as a ?HIN number?) typically consists of (12) characters ? usually capital letters and Arabic numbers with no spaces, slashes, hyphens or other marks in between the letters.
A (3) digit ?Manufacturers Identification Code ? MIC? is followed by a (5) character set representing the manufacturers hull serial number and? another (4) figures that will represent the date of manufacture.​

 

[North Beach]

Re: My first I/0

Kainon, I don't that that was the case until later on say late 70's early 80's.

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: My first I/0

Pat nice SC..
I will go out on a line and say that is a 68 fo sho!

It is identical (just much cleaner) to my 68 Holiday.

My boat had the exact same brown vinyl as well. On the dash, the side boards...

You have the Deluxe model (like mine) with that snazzy glovebox..lol


Enjoy your boat!

 

[elkhunter338]

Re: My first I/0

The 120 should be good on fuel. Mine 140 hp in 21 foot cuddy cabin run about 2-4 miles per gallon. A 40 mile halibut trip will take 18 or so gallons of fuel. This year I ran 9 hrs on about 10 gallons. Run time of about 15 miles rest trolling for salmon. I am happy with the fuel economy, which I had a little 4 cylinder cummins/mercruiser 130 hp diesel in her, they turn upto 4,000 rpms and I cruise most of the time at 2800 rpms (20 mph). A diesel would be a sweet motor to have, not to say a safer way to go. I cannot justify the cost.

 

[dodgeram2500]

Re: My first I/0

Uh oh, another diesel addict... LOL

4bt cummins would be the natural choice, although heavy.

A 1.9 or 2.5 VW turbo diesel would be sweet, those things love to rev! Then it would be REALLY fuel efficient.

hmmm....

 

[elkhunter338]

Re: My first I/0

Yeh a 4bt would be a bit heavy for a starcraft. I was thinking of the cummins/mercruiser 120hp 1.7ms (rpms 4400) boat engine. Mercruiser/cummins offers many different boat/drive engine combos.
My dream boat would be a custom version of a starcraft islander or cheiftain in a 26 or 28 foot model with twin 4 cylinder diesels.
I will have to stick with my 1986 21 foot chieftain for many more years. It has a 2007 3.0 Gm engine and I just installed a new sei 106 outdrive (stern drive engineering) so I should be good to go for many many years. I ran the boat 100+ hrs this year and hope to do the same next year.
If you have any question on the i/o let me know. I have swapped engines, replaced bellows, and many other items. Never did the same thing twice, exept the exhaust flapper valve.