my new old 1988 ss20v

[ab59]

Hey Watermann or guys-- This is a little out of sequence for what I am doing now but I have a cobra out drive , when I removed the shift and throttle cables I left the shifting cables attached to the bracket . My question is , after I install the new engine and re mount everything ( I'm using the same intake manifold ) do I have to worry about the cables not being adjusted rite ?? I don't own any manuals on these stern drives and since I am going to sell this boat after restoration I don't plan on buying any so I hope to find the info I need here with you guys.
what you think ???

 

[Watermann]

I'm not an OMC guy so you may have to pop into that forum section but if you don't spin the barrel adjustments on the cables (wrap them with frog tape) then they should be pretty darn close even after disassembling things.

Yeah I hear much of the country is getting some hot summer weather. We usually have that here towards the end of June too, around 100 but this year 80's is forecast which is great boating weather.

 

[ab59]

bad news about my new engine , after waiting a month and a half and doing some investigation I find that I may have really screwed up. These guys have one of the worst reputations on the internet , I just did not catch it before because of the fact that they are using 5 different names to do business . I used PayPal to pay for the deal so thought I was covered for any wrongdoing so a thorough investigation was not in the cards. MY BAD. Now I'm in the middle of what could turn out to be a real problem but hopefully not.
I post this for the benifit of others doing or thinking about doing a re power job , don't be a dumbass like me , check out ALL THE INFORMATION on your rebuilder BEFORE you do business with them . Funny how things work if you ever forget the lessons you learn then you may just get schooled again .lol.
I have never re built an engine in my life but now I am considering doing so. If I can get my money back through PayPal . I have been able to repair , build , manufacture , most things I have needed and am fairly mechanically inclined so am really considering rebuilding this thing myself. Sometimes I think I'm a glutton for punishment.
After I complete my business with this rebuilder I intend to post his business names here to let others beware of him, he ships free to anywhere in the US so many could become victims here.

 

[ab59]

A funny thing happened to me while tearing down my old engine for rebuild, the engine that I ordered and waited a month and a half for showed up without any notice . Imagine that . Had to call PayPal and ask for my money back to get action but I guess that is what it took . I don't think the old block it rebuildable anyway. Several of the cylinders were heavily rusted to the point that the steel was deeply pitted . See pics. My new rebuilt engine will be mounted on the engine stand tomorrow and dressed for installation. Hope I can get the intake manifold hot tanked quickly as I dont want to be working over the open engine , I'm sure I would drop something in it that would find it's way into it's heart. 110* and hotter all week here , makes for s-l-o-w progress.

 

[laurentide]

You guys are roasting down there. Way to go on the new power. Stay cool!

 

[ab59]

I do the following for my fellow forum members--I purchased a rebuilt engine from an outfit called EXTREME MACHINE aka California engines aka at least 4 other names. After stalling for 6 weeks they did send the engine after I told Paypal that I wanted my money back. The engine arrived but has TBI heads on it so I am out another 250.00 bucks just to button the engine up. Since they use so many different names I did not understand just how unreputable these guys are. Their prices for a Marine 5.7 start at 1095.00 , there is the hook. Any one looking for a bargain should keep looking and thoroughly check their feedback before doing business with them. These guys ship anywhere and just about anywhere they do business there are serious complaints.
If you are doing business online be sure that you don't have these guys as your rebuilder , they change names all the time so it is hard to tell it's them. One easy way is the worthless 5 year guaranty . It is a common con they use but when the engine comes there is no paperwork , no warranty no nothing other than the shipping info with their name on it. Please be my guest and just type in their names and see for your self , other stories are much worse. The BBB in Truckee Ca. give them an "F" rating.
Once again I am delayed by these jerks and the price has gone from 1600 to 1850 or more because they did not build the engine that we contracted for but there is no proof because everything is by conversation and not a written contract . They really have perfected their con game. By the way they demand payment up front BEFORE they will start the order , against the law in many states .
This computer or the site is going bonkers so Ill end this here.
Hopefully I will be back on track in a week or two after I find a way to get the extra money.

 

[Watermann]

If they sent you a motor with vortec heads for the price of non vortec then I would see that as a win. An intake manifold is an extra expense though.

I tried ordering parts from a place that took my money and never shipped and I had to do the same with Pay Pal after they wouldn't answer their phone or emails.

 

[laurentide]

I would work with PayPal on this. They are generally buyer-friendly. You may be out the return shipping but they should be able to refund your purchase. I hope.

For others reading this, always use a credit card for these purchases so you can have them withhold payment when you have a dispute.

 

[ab59]

I sure agree with the credit card advice. I thought that Paypal was just as good for protecting my purchase but when they got a tracking number from the seller they Immediately dropped my case so good or bad it looks like I'm on my own. Kinda wish this was a vortec but it is pre-vortek and the 191 TDI heads won't bolt up o a standard intake manifold. Not a lot of good news on performance for these heads either so maybe a high performance manifold will help.
Had I have used a CC I would have had support all the way through this .

Watermann that is just a great looking cheifton you got there, I read your thread on the restore . That was definatly a lot more thorough restore than I'm doing---great job.
I see chemicalwire has a 74 as well I will have to look into if there was a restore behind that as well. After I flip a couple more boats I will find one for myself. I see a 21 or 22 footer up north now for 2500 . Someday soon, someday soon.

 

[Watermann]

Thanks for taking a look at my Chief thread, it was a fun restore and now after the SS it's nice to having a break with 2 sweet SC boats to use.

Non vortec, oh man too bad, must be an early 90's long block.

 

[ab59]

Watermann I started reading the restore on the v5 and I've just got to say that NO ONE can call you lazy that's for sure , lol, Interesting thread and I will continue to read it . Some of the things you mentioned about live wells etc is what I am considering as well but is a ways away right now. I have a tennis court for my work area and a Harbor Freight 10 x 20 ' canopy but no shop , I'm already jealous of your hanger . I'm still trying to find an intake manifold used but looks like I'm just going to have to scrape up a couple hundred and buy new. Better that way I'm sure. Well it's late so I'm headed for the sack , tomorrow brings better things.

 

[Candutch]

Sorry to hear about you getting screwed around on the engine. Hope you find a good deal on an intake manifold, you definately deserve a break after that. Here's to a smooth trouble free remainder of the restoration.

 

[ab59]

Well , found a rebuilt Edelbrock intake on eBay and it's on it's way . Just realized that I will need new valve covers as well because my old ones don't bolt down the middle . I guess I can chalk it all up to a revisit to old lessons that I forgot along the line and just got a refresher course, lol .
I keep chippin away at this thing each day that it's under 110* . Just got the carpet up on the sides in the boat and started putting a little of the jewelry on the new engine , still got a ways to go yet but this heat among other set backs have me paced a little slower than I want . A little a day keeps the doctor away.

 

[Watermann]

Nice carpet press idea. I forgot about the valve cover bolts, that's the same as my 94 Chev 2500 5.7L TBI. I hope the rest of the tin and dizzy you have works out.

 

[ab59]

My little press idea was one of many that I considered and just a last minute thought. The poles are long extendable paint roller poles with the exception of the gray one that is the handle to my Fruit Picker that I use to harvest my citrus and apple trees with and the wood is left over siding where I did a little remodeling with a couple of years ago. Worked good ,nice clean flat carpet on the sides . Think I will tape some plastic along the inside of the gunnels and scratch around on the black crap stuck all over them . I can only hope that they look half as good as the gunnels on your V5 when I'm done.
Speaking of your V5 , did you install live wells during the restore ? I'm thinking of a set up similar to what my 1999 Starcraft Fishmaster 196 had up front but may just rig the area for a 120 qt. Ice chest with a live well pump set up but I dunno , still kickin it around some.

 

[Watermann]

Thanks, yeah I did add a livewell and in deck cooler.

http://forums.iboats.com/forum/owne...79-starcraft-18-v5-ss?p=10423067#post10423067

 

[ab59]

Wow , what a slick set up . Makes me wish that I gave more consideration to the livewell when I had the deck ripped out though . By the way I took a wire wheel to that ugly black stuff on the gunnels and it does take it off pretty good but I need to get something a little less aggressive that the stiff steel wheel that I used for the test. The 1999 Fishmaster had a huge well in the bow and a smaller bait well at the transom that worked out good although my brother nearly sank us by letting the transom bait tank run for hours after I told him it would put more water in than could drain out so only run it 5 min here now and then. I opened up a hatch in the bow to see it had two or three feet of water in it and when I started checking the rest of the boat I realized that he had let the well run so long that we were sinking. Thank God and whoever dreamed up the bilge pump because if I had started across the lake in the afternoon chop the day we y have ended in more than just a tale to tell. for some reason iboats is doing something to prevent me from finishing this so Im done

 

[ab59]

Chased parts all day but started to mess with the black mess on my gunnels. Hit it a little yesterday with a stiff wire wheel and it would remove the stuff but I did not want to scratch the livin daylights out of the Aluminum so I quit and decided to wait until I found a softer wire wheel before any more wire wheel work was done .While I was BBQ ing some pork steaks this afternoon I would walk over and pick at the stuff and oddly I began to see that I was getting kind of an edge working up. Kinda like tape I guess so I began to work up an edge and pull it up like removing tape stuck to a slick surface . It's coming off but I do not know if I have the patience to do the entire boat like this. At least I know it will come up and will leave a smooth surface behind.
Still waiting on the new ( rebuilt ) Edelbrock intake to get here .and my new starter. Broke the starer housing while removing the solenoid for replacement , Par for the course at this point in the game. Oil pump and pan go on tomorrow , I hope and then I'll run the valves.

 

[Watermann]

Stuff looks like another case of the dreaded bedliner on a boat goof job.

 

[ab59]

Could be , it sure is a major pain in the hole lower region you know . I got some old hard plastic scrapers and maybe if I put them on the grinder or belt sander I can make a nice sharp edge on one and use that to scrape that crap off there a little quicker. Man that is a whole bunch of gunnel to scrape of with my thumbnail which is how I got most of it off so far. bet it would take two months working every day to get that stuff all the way off. Hmmm maybe I could do the gunnels last and kinda scrape the stuff off while I'm sturgeon or cat fishin , lol. Naw would not want that garbage in the water either.
More progress tomorrow I hope , I guess I got a little jewelry yet to put on the engine anyway but do need the manifold before I can do a lot.
listen to me ! I sound like I've already got the upholstery done too . I got plenty to do.
Anyone good with electronics ? When I first let the outdrive down for removal the rpm gauge did a strange thing , when I turned the key on he gauge went from zero to pegged out without the motor even running ! Any idea what might cause that to happen ?