1973 16' Cobalt, 165hp Mercruiser
My father bought this boat in 1987, it's just now coming off its second 3 year layoff due to family illnesses. Over the years I've put a new steering cable, gas tank and interior in the boat. Recently this summer I put new coil, points and condenser in it myself and paid to have a new lower shift cable installed.
Unfortunately the boat still has significant issues. It is overheating and I assume it needs a new impeller. Two worse issues have surfaced: 1) There is water in the lower unit gear lube and 2) possibly the worst of it's problems the boat is leaking pretty badly and I'm afraid it may be from transom rot.
Here are pictures of the boat and closeups of the drive unit.
http://s1183.photobucket.com/albums/x466/brijar92/73 Cobalt/
There is what I'd describe as cat whisker cracks radiating out about 2 inches from the lower transom bolts. See the pictures. While the top of the sterndrive seems to be pulled snug against the transom, I've measured a gap of about almost 1/8th of an inch between the lowest point of the sterndrive and the boat's fiberglass. It's possible I guess that some of the gasket between the sterndrive and the boat's fiberglass has eroded away, as I could get my feeler gauges in a short distance to measure the gap, but I think the quickly hit what was the remains of a gasket. You can see the gap and the cat whisker fiberglass cracks in the photos.
When I recently picked the boat up after having the lower shift cable installed, the young tech that worked on the boat ask me if it ever leaked. I said it did. He gave me the impression that he noticed some flex in the transom and that I might have a rot problem.
I probably don't know all the right questions I should be asking, but these ocurr to me.
1) Since the boat appears to need an impeller kit, are there other seals that could be installed in that process that could cure the water in the gear lube problem. If so, are they hard for a novice to install?
2) What scenarios are there for my boat leak, transom rot, poor transom gasket problem? How cheap or expensive will that be to solve?
3) I think I already have too much invested in the boat, but with the potential costs for remedying these new problems, it seems I may find myself with way more invested in the boat than it is worth. Any advice?
Thanks,
James
My father bought this boat in 1987, it's just now coming off its second 3 year layoff due to family illnesses. Over the years I've put a new steering cable, gas tank and interior in the boat. Recently this summer I put new coil, points and condenser in it myself and paid to have a new lower shift cable installed.
Unfortunately the boat still has significant issues. It is overheating and I assume it needs a new impeller. Two worse issues have surfaced: 1) There is water in the lower unit gear lube and 2) possibly the worst of it's problems the boat is leaking pretty badly and I'm afraid it may be from transom rot.
Here are pictures of the boat and closeups of the drive unit.
http://s1183.photobucket.com/albums/x466/brijar92/73 Cobalt/
There is what I'd describe as cat whisker cracks radiating out about 2 inches from the lower transom bolts. See the pictures. While the top of the sterndrive seems to be pulled snug against the transom, I've measured a gap of about almost 1/8th of an inch between the lowest point of the sterndrive and the boat's fiberglass. It's possible I guess that some of the gasket between the sterndrive and the boat's fiberglass has eroded away, as I could get my feeler gauges in a short distance to measure the gap, but I think the quickly hit what was the remains of a gasket. You can see the gap and the cat whisker fiberglass cracks in the photos.
When I recently picked the boat up after having the lower shift cable installed, the young tech that worked on the boat ask me if it ever leaked. I said it did. He gave me the impression that he noticed some flex in the transom and that I might have a rot problem.
I probably don't know all the right questions I should be asking, but these ocurr to me.
1) Since the boat appears to need an impeller kit, are there other seals that could be installed in that process that could cure the water in the gear lube problem. If so, are they hard for a novice to install?
2) What scenarios are there for my boat leak, transom rot, poor transom gasket problem? How cheap or expensive will that be to solve?
3) I think I already have too much invested in the boat, but with the potential costs for remedying these new problems, it seems I may find myself with way more invested in the boat than it is worth. Any advice?
Thanks,
James
