New Starcraft Islander?and I have general boat questions!

[CrazyFinn]

For a differing opinion, I still think switching to a Mercruiser is simpler - I'm essentially doing the same on mine (for different reasons). Just my opinion of course...

Although my boat came with a Mercruiser in it (only in the sense that it was in the boat when I got it - partially bolted in, but not properly installed or functional) what I am having to do is essentially the same as a new install/conversion as the previous owner (who had started the install) was switching from a Volvo Penta drive and the transom was full of extra holes - wrong size, wrong location, etc. The outdrive barely covered the gaping hole in the transom. The front mount was a rotting piece of 2x3 attached with green deck screws, at the wrong height. It would never have worked.

I did check the existing Mercruiser "install" height on the transom after removing the outdrive - it was close to the recommended "X" dimension from Mercury (not a difficult thing to determine with a square and a measuring tape). It was within 1/4" of where it should be. Close enough for figuring out a rough front mount height. I suspended the front of the engine from a hoist, and entirely removed the block of wood under the front mount. I then aligned the engine with the gimbal bearing by adjusting the hoist at the front of the engine. I moved the front mount adjuster (hanging from the front of the engine) to roughly the middle of it's travel.

Using that positioning, I took careful measurements and fabricated a support for the front mount out of steel channel - once installed it straddles the stringers. The engine weight is transferred directly to the top of the stringers, straight down. No need to fabricate complex blocks of wood and other engine mounts from what I can see. All the front mount does is hold the front of the engine at the right height relative to the transom to keep things lined up. All of the other load is taken by the rear mounts - attached directly to the drive assembly.

I then removed the whole engine, drive etc. to rebuild the transom and stringers.

For the transom itself, I simply test fit the new wood core in and carefully measured the location of the keyhole (making sure I got it centred, vertical, and the X dimension correct). After the new transom was glued in and glassed from the inside, I sanded down and filled in the extra holes in the outer skin with glass from the outside. Mounting an outboard, you would need to do the same - other than the cutting of the keyhole.

The next is the stringers - all I need to do is ensure that the finished height of my stringers is close to the same as what I removed, and then bolt everything back in. The front bracket has enough adjustment in it to compensate for minor variations. The real critical factor on a Mercruiser is getting the alignment correct. The "X" dimension (transom mounting height) actually has a bit of variation allowed for performance tuning, etc. As long as you have enough vertical movement on the front mount, you can get it aligned.

Personally, it seems a lot simpler (and cheaper) to me than figuring out how to hang an outboard on the back (at least on my boat).

 

[redneck joe]

I'd pay to have the hole made, do the rest yourself.

 

[jasoutside]

I'd pay to have the hole made, do the rest yourself.

The trick there is finding a competent marine tech to do it. Almost always a keyhole will be cut when the boat is manufactured. The local marine tech will likely have very limited experience (or no experience) on that specific job.

Visiting the techs in my area and discussing an OMC Stringer to Merc conversion most of them made it clear that they weren't interested in any part of it. Those that even had a passing interest definitely had no idea even where to start or what the heck to do.

 

[CrazyFinn]

Those that even had a passing interest definitely had no idea even where to start or what the heck to do.

A lot of the people working in these places are (unfortunately) not much more than parts replacers, which is why, when you want something done properly, it's best to figure out how to do it yourself. Measuring for the keyhole isn't as complicated as some people make it seem.

Make up cardboard keyhole template using the inner and outer parts of your drive. Mark the bolt holes, cutout needed, and the vertical and horizontal centre lines of your output shaft. Test fit the template to your gimbal assembly.

Measure the centre of your boat across the transom, draw a vertical line there (should meet your keel at the bottom).

Run a straightedge running straight out the back of the bottom of the boat along the keel, and protruding past the back of the boat. Measure straight up (at a 90 degree angle to the straight edge) 13 9/16" up the transom (don't follow the transom angle - or your hole will be too low). Mark where that meets the vertical line you drew earlier. That point is the centre of your output shaft on a standard install. Place your template on the transom, lining up the mark for the centre of your output shaft (on the transom) with the template. Make sure the template is square, straight, etc. Trace the bolt holes and keyhole shape to the transom. Drill and cut with jigsaw.

Just make sure you double and triple check all measurements before you cut!

 

[jbcurt00]

Its all premature as Frank hasnt decided which way HE wants to proceed.

He's got lots to consider and probably lots of time to make the decision.

He hasnt even asked about flotation or battery placement yet :facepalm:

So let him catch up and decide.

Besides, an aluminum transom repair is different then a glass one CrazyFinns

Completely different, esp filling/covering a large OMC hole. Ask the guys that have gotten warped transom skins after having the existing hole welded.

 

[CrazyFinn]

Its all premature as Frank hasnt decided which way HE wants to proceed.

He's got lots to consider and probably lots of time to make the decision.

He hasnt even asked about flotation or battery placement yet :facepalm:

So let him catch up and decide.

Probably right - but no need to be frightened away from a Mercruiser swap. I/O or OB are both valid options (even keeping the OMC is an option). It's just good to be aware of what is involved either way.

 

[jasoutside]

It's just good to be aware of what is involved either way.

Absolutely.

JB - without this kind of information and commentary Frank wouldn't really have anything to base his decision on.

 

[proshadetree]

Yep everone has an opinion on power options. OB do offer more room inside. IO is normally simpler for some to understand. OB engines are more expensive around here. I try to stay with an automotive based engine. Blocks ,cranks , heads are cheaper than their marine counterpart. Lot more to an IO though, more bellows, more waterpumps, more moving parts. You can however fix anything. Buddy just bought a flatheaded six cylinder direct drive boat he plans to restore. The engine is Ford, the drive can be updated or rebuilt. This thing is from the late 50s or early 60s. So you obsolete isn't quite as bad as his. Cant wait to see some more progress.

 

[strokendiesel002]

It's a shame when people rush the welding of aluminum. If your welder takes their time and jumps around, no warping will occur

 

[jbcurt00]

Again, its been 2days and nearly 20posts since Frank checked in.

Let him catch up and if he has questions, hopefully he'll ask.

 

[GA_Boater]

Frank has been here, even this evening. Maybe he's thinking or coming up with more questions. :noidea:

 

[Pusher]

Ahoy Frank! Welcome. You're lucky. Not only do you have what seems to be a brand favorite among iboats, but you also seem to have most of the resource pool following you (myself not being in the above statement).

It's good you picked your project up in January. It'll give you time to budget and plan ahead. The power plant question is a fun problem to have. I like the pod for OB conversion myself, but I've been drooling for years on that idea. A major perk for me would be the storage cooler you can strap on the back instead of needing an inboard livewell and the deck space gained. Plus, my dad almost lost his boat because a water intake valve broke and slowly flooded his bilge at the marina over the weekend...oye oye oye!

I THINK the Armstrong bracket has a model that fits over your keyhole and bolts to the original pattern... I THINK.
Help anyone?
Side note, how come guys don't just flush mount a new skin over the hole instead of welding it like they do on aircraft?

My neighbor knows nothing about boats but he has two seasons on me already because he has an inboard and knows car motors. I say this because you've already stated you know how to work on outboards. You might want to consider that heavily when weighing your options. If one outboard doesn't run, you can buy a new one off CL and part out the first. You can do the same with an I/O obviously, but you might lose money learning the new system when you'll certainly be spending money elsewhere.

Of course, you already have the motor, so hopefully she starts up for you and shifts through.

Either way, you'll be spending thousands on this build, both in cash and time so make sure you're enjoying your coffee and make your choices with that in mind.

Again, myself excluded, the guys following you have a lot of experience they can guide you with. You're golden there.

One last thought. You didn't really say what you were going to use it for did you? Sorry if I missed it, I just know someone asked earlier.

Its a cool looking boat! I look forward to seeing how you put your talents to use and learning from you.

(Sorry that was long-winded)

 

[Pusher]

By the way, I'm guessing you'll be in close to a $700 for the floors alone.

A custom canvas curtain job for that boat might be $1,200+.

Maybe the others would have a better guess.

I don't think anyone said it, but if you're worried about the transom and are basing motor choices off of its condition you might want to drill some test spots in the transom down low where water would be. I've seen on here where the top is rotten and not the bottom too though because the water entered from the transom cap and ran down. You're best off doing some test drills in something so important.

 

[oceanfrank]

wow! I feel like everytime I catch up, I come back to a lot more posts. Very much appreciated I just wanted to check in and say that I'm still following this thread and intend to use it to go through the whole process! I'm doing some research and trying to figure out what I want to do, including first steps, etc.

Just a quick post to say thanks and let everyone know that I'm still here! I will have time to really spend with the boat this weekend, but M-F are much tougher for me to find time, so that's why the silence. thanks again everyone! super excited for the next few weeks/months/years

 

[g0nef1sshn]

Whoooo id take restoring that whole thing over the three snapped bolts on my outboard im still building the courage to tackle! I cant help which the mechanical or electrical side at all but seems like you will be fine with all the help here.

Not a rich guy here to dump thousands at once. I redid mine over a year and some change. Not feeling rushed makes the restore enjoyable. Goodluck! Ill be checking often for updates. And..... a lota pics! I think there is a rule something like 5 pics per page?

 

[Patfromny]

I am building mine over the course of time. Like most, my disposable income is the change in my pocket at the end of the day. The first year I did the flotation, floors and Transom. The second year turned out to be about the engine. Top seal and other things. Year three was Paint. Little by little and she'll get there. The best part about my way of building was I got to use her every year.

 

[oceanfrank]

hi guys,

I finally have time to go down and do some work on the boat this weekend. First order of business will be to do a thorough test and see what works and what doesn't.

I'm hoping I'll have time to start the motor, but I worry without knowing the condition of the tank, etc. I have an extinguisher handy, but I'd also like to blow out the bilge just in case.

I can either use a battery-powered fan or something, but maybe this boat has a blower? If so, is it one of these switches?



thanks!!



So the plan this weekend is check the electronics, get a few bins for any of the loose odds and ends that are salvageable and a few trash bags for that many odds and ends and crap that isn't.

My general game plan is: work from the bottom up. Once it's clean and I know what I'm dealing with, take out the floor and get the hull in good condition. Clean it, power wash, re-rivet where it needs it, gluvit just to be sure, get a good bilge pump and blower in there, etc. Then put in a new floor, then take out the cabin and re-do that, then the dash/cockpit area, then all the motor controls and stuff, and by then I'll be years in probably and may have decided whether to go with a bracket or a re-power. So transom area will be last.

Seem like a good progression? Or are there reasons to do, say, the engine first? Or some other reason the order is wrong? Or I'm missing something huge?

Thanks!

 

[Watermann]

First off remove any contents that remains in the fuel tank(s). With the doghouse off the motor and it's all open there's no problem trying to start the motor. I wouldn't try starting it with the fuel feed line hooked up to the pump. Use some starting fluid to just see if she'll kick off, don't try to run it on gas.

 

[Pusher]

I don't think any of us could tell you what the switches go to. I'm think you could narrow it down though. Trace the switches that go to gauges. That should narrow down half of them. You could just rip them all out and rewire the entire boat to your liking and understanding.

 

[oceanfrank]

Watermann: Cool, good to know and good advice. I'll give it a go with fluid and see what's what. Although, I am now realizing that I have no idea how to drain the fuel?should there be a drain, or will I need to siphon or something?

Pusher: You're probably right. I kind of figured that there were standard switches, but I guess things change over the years! Ha. Who knows what they do now. I'll figure it out thanks!