Replacing my 16ft SS Starcrafts Transom

[GA_Boater]

Re: Replacing my 16ft SS Starcrafts Transom

Your drains look good, TN. Just took some practice.

Stick on the motor and make wakes!

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Replacing my 16ft SS Starcrafts Transom

Ok, The Drain Tube work deserves one of these...

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Re: Replacing my 16ft SS Starcrafts Transom

What size hole did you drill in the transom?

 

[Tnstratofam]

Re: Replacing my 16ft SS Starcrafts Transom

What size hole did you drill in the transom?

Here is what I used for the Drain tubes. A 1 inch paddle bit.



I used my drill guide to keep them straight.



For the ski ties I used this 3/8 inch paddle bit with the same drill guide.



One thing I forgot to mention is that I haven't attached the splash well to the transom yet. That allowed me room to drill out the drain tubes, and to get clearance for the bolt, washer, and nuts to crimp them. I think in this picture you can see there is a small gap between the splash well and the transom wood.



Without this gap you don't have clearance for the washers or the nuts. I will say that removing the splash well is probably a better way to avoid some aggravation, but I like doing things the hard way. Also I didn't think I wanted to remove the trim at the gunwales. Just me being lazy I know.

 

[Tnstratofam]

Re: Replacing my 16ft SS Starcrafts Transom

Your drains look good, TN. Just took some practice.

Stick on the motor and make wakes! [/QUOTE

GA if all goes well I'm making wakes Saturday!!

Woodonglass

Re: Replacing my 16ft SS Starcrafts Transom
Ok, The Drain Tube work deserves one of these...

Thanks WOG that means allot to me.

jbcurt00

Re: Replacing my 16ft SS Starcrafts Transom
Learning as we go, yep, that's how we do it here

Nice work!

Thanks Jb. This is definitely a learning experience.:facepalm:

lakelover

Re: Replacing my 16ft SS Starcrafts Transom
Flaring the drain tubes can be a little tricky. Slow & easy is the way to go, frequently backing off and then going a little more forward. Great job in the end though.

Thanks Lakelover. Yeah slow and steady that's the way to do those tubes for sure.

dozerII

Re: Replacing my 16ft SS Starcrafts Transom
Nice job on the drain tubes, practice makes perfect.

Dozer if I could fabricate half as well as you do I think I would be able to tackle anything. You sir do some amazing work.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Replacing my 16ft SS Starcrafts Transom

Maybe the "lazy" way, but it works, TN. It's awful tight with the S/W attached.

 

[Tnstratofam]

Re: Replacing my 16ft SS Starcrafts Transom

Yeah GA early in this thread I got advice from much more knowledgeable people on removing the splash well. I would advise people to follow that advice. It may take a few more rivets, but you get pretty good at replacing them doing a transom on a tin boat.:watermelon:

 

[Tnstratofam]

Re: Replacing my 16ft SS Starcrafts Transom

I know that I put allot of pictures up when I'm posting, but I am a visual kind of person. If I can see how something is done I can usually repeat the steps. I don't have a photographic memory so having pictures to go back to help me figure out what I did, and how to put it back together. I've read lots of threads where you see the finished product and that's all good, but how did they get there. For me at least seeing the process is almost as important, and interesting as the end result.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Replacing my 16ft SS Starcrafts Transom

Yep ^^^ lots of pix help a great deal, and I try to take more then I post, 'just in case'

I like to shoot pix w/ a tape measure visible:

 

[Tnstratofam]

Re: Replacing my 16ft SS Starcrafts Transom

JB that is good advice. Working on the Stratos I have had to do that so I can remember where stuff goes. That project is gonna be a long one I'm afraid.

 

[SigSaurP229]

Re: Replacing my 16ft SS Starcrafts Transom

Ditch the glasser you have a perfectly useable tinny now.


Great work TN I remember how intimidated you seemed to be at the start, and it really isn't that bad. If I had it to do over I would have pulled the sw in 16' too but I to must be a Masochist because I knew better and still didn't pull it.

Fancy work on the drain tubes, my 16' is getting the thread together kind why because it has to have the drain tubes but I don't think any buyer will see value in all that hard work.

My 18 is getting the same treatment though.

 

[Tnstratofam]

Re: Replacing my 16ft SS Starcrafts Transom

Ditch the glasser you have a perfectly useable tinny now.

Sig I would sell the glasser tomorrow at a loss even, but the Admiral likes the sound that 350 chevy makes running up the lake. I think once she spends some time on the Starcraft I might be able to persuade her to get rid of the Stratos in favor of a Chieften if I'm lucky.

 

[Tnstratofam]

Re: Replacing my 16ft SS Starcrafts Transom

Of course then I'd have to get a mod to change my handle to something else. Something snazzy like oh I don't know maybe tnstarcraftfam. Yeah that has a nice ring to it.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Replacing my 16ft SS Starcrafts Transom

Lots of pics are good for those that make the switch or step into a tinny re-do for the first time. Also there is a completed resto section here where a cleaned up thread can be posted with the assistance of a Mod. By cleaned up I mean getting rid of posts like this so it is what you went through with some of the highlights and answers to some of your questions. I don't think it's added to enough, but it's a good reference for the builder and others.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Replacing my 16ft SS Starcrafts Transom

Since the Admiral likes the sound of a honkin' V8, keep the drivetrain and sell parts off the glasser to to finance a big Chieftain or Islander to transplant the V8 into? Ya gotta plan ahead to keep the Admiral happy. :smile:

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Replacing my 16ft SS Starcrafts Transom

In fact, I think there are several recently added 24ft biggin's in the SC @CL thread that would be a right nice landing spot for a good running V8, aren't there?

 

[SigSaurP229]

Re: Replacing my 16ft SS Starcrafts Transom

I like JB's train of thought there, find a 22' SS like Ol'Blue the one that Glenn (DozerII) did and drop that monsterous V8 in it. You get to run around in bad to the bone Tinny and the Admiral gets the roar of the V8, and working on a 22SS would probably be enough incentive for some help to make that hour treck north to maybe throw in a hand or two.


And besides with help you can do an entire 22' SS quicker than you can cut the rotten stringers out of that Stratos, with no itching.

Search your feelings TNSTRATOSFAM you know it to be the truth.

 

[Tnstratofam]

Re: Replacing my 16ft SS Starcrafts Transom

Ok so I wonder if I can hide an Islander long enough to swap the drivetrain out of the Stratos before the Admiral notices. There are a few nice ones on the lakes in these parts. I've been slowly droping hints that the rebuild on the glasser is going to be pricey. There is a chieftan in a back yard about 10 minutes from my house. It's been sitting in the same spot for at least a year and a half.

Hmmm maybe I should check and see if they need theyre heatpump checked out. Then I could casually ask about the large tin beauty sitting behind the house.

I think that chevy would motivate a 20 foot tinnie real well.

 

[lakelover]

Re: Replacing my 16ft SS Starcrafts Transom

I know that I put allot of pictures up when I'm posting

That's a good thing, and one of the reasons so many are following your thread. Probably most of us here are visual type learners, I know I get most understanding from pics and the text provides the details. Since a picture is worth 1,000 (or10,000, depending on who you believe) words, think how many words you've saved already!! :thumb:

I hope when you're finished you'll contact a mod and add this to the "Completed Projects" forum.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Replacing my 16ft SS Starcrafts Transom

TN - Remember what I said about planning?

The Stratos just sitting is not good for the motor. They need exercise or they go bad. If you picked up the Chieftain as the result of an HVAC check (I can tell your brain is mulling this over), she will be the perfect place for active storage for the V8. Then you tell the Admiral you have to get rid of the Stratos because it has no drive train and you don't know why you bought it in the first place because the tinnies are so much easier to work on.

Let us know how that works.