Why is finding information on boats so difficult?

NorinRadd

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 26, 2023
Messages
84
Perhaps boating is not a good hobby for you, you might look for something with less expense and work to maintain.
Literally spent 4 hours yesterday and 6 hours today just trying to find the model and a company who can sell an o ring kit for my trim. Who tf enjoys that? Lol. What a waste of time.
 

racerone

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 28, 2013
Messages
36,766
You go to a hydraulic cylinder place.----Put old parts on the counter.----Say---" can you help with this "------Or find a place like-----ABLE O-RING----And see a million different o-rings / seals.
 

cyclops222

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 21, 2024
Messages
502
Boats are bigger and more difficult to work on parts of the drive train............ Some boat companies BURY common parts. What car company SEALS in fuel tanks ??? Buries engines under bedrooms ?
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
48,093
Perhaps maintaining vintage boats is not a hobby for me*** I prefer to be on the water. Not on the forums or in the garage 99% of my life trying to decipher ancient bullshit. Like cars I figured BASIC info wouldnt be a royal pita to dig up.
Boats are more like hand-crafted custom suits, RVs, burgers, mystery meat tacos or meth labs. Each model is made between 1 and 1500 per year, it's slapped together with what ever parts they can get that week (there is no standardization)and there is near zero documentation.

The hull is the only thing that is controlled. Everything else is purchased from a list of approved consortium vendors.
 

NorinRadd

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 26, 2023
Messages
84
Boats are more like hand-crafted custom suits, RVs, burgers, mystery meat tacos or meth labs. Each model is made between 1 and 1500 per year, it's slapped together with what ever parts they can get that week (there is no standardization)and there is near zero documentation.

The hull is the only thing that is controlled. Everything else is purchased from a list of approved consortium vendors.
Id figure double eagle was a little more “with it”. Where I am from they were the most popular boats among weekend fishermen for close to a half century. Even the coast guard/rcmp used them.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
48,093
Literally spent 4 hours yesterday and 6 hours today just trying to find the model and a company who can sell an o ring kit for my trim. Who tf enjoys that? Lol. What a waste of time.
Try finding brake caliper seals from VW (hint, VW pulls whole caliper from Audi.) They are no breakdowns at the OEM level

BTW, there are no O-rings in the trim system. There are cylinders seals and pump seals
 

NorinRadd

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 26, 2023
Messages
84
You go to a hydraulic cylinder place.----Put old parts on the counter.----Say---" can you help with this "------Or find a place like-----ABLE O-RING----And see a million different o-rings / seals.
Well kits are availabke. There is no hyd cyl place near me. Closest one is a few hundred miles away. I just need a fkn model number!!!! Lol. Shouldnt be so hard to find a damn model number
 

Stinnett21

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 24, 2012
Messages
471
Looks like an awesome find! Stick with it. You're dealing with the recreational market where 90% of the clientele is people with expendable income. All wants, very few needs. They ain't built to automotive standards.
 

NorinRadd

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 26, 2023
Messages
84
Try finding brake caliper seals from VW (hint, VW pulls whole caliper from Audi.) They are no breakdowns at the OEM level

BTW, there are no O-rings in the trim system. There are cylinders seals and pump seals
I just phone my local lordco and they have caliper seals for every vw all the way back to the 60s. Not hard to find. Took 3 seconds.

I dont even know what I need. Im following a video, whos author called it an o ring. My trim works. Doesnt leak. Just slowly drops when up.
 

NorinRadd

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 26, 2023
Messages
84
Try finding brake caliper seals from VW (hint, VW pulls whole caliper from Audi.) They are no breakdowns at the OEM level

BTW, there are no O-rings in the trim system. There are cylinders seals and pump seals
IMG_2277.jpeg
Was told I need to do this. He calls them o rings.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
48,093
Nope, wipers and seals in the cylinders. Get the correct kit from five-star for the early cylinders
 

Lpgc

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 17, 2023
Messages
187
When I first got my boat last year I didn't know much more than it had a Ford engine, didn't know anything about the drive etc but people on this forum helped me ID it, It turned out to be a setup only made for a few years with the Ford engine mated to a Volvo SX drive and called the OMC Cobra.

But I'm a mechanic and could have pulled the leg without tips if necessary (better with the tips though ;-) ). Rebuilt the engine and trim pump myself and there wasn't even a parts kit available for the pump.

I have one thread covering everything I've done on the boat, including asking initial questions to find out what it was etc. Boat is running great now :) https://forums.iboats.com/threads/1996-four-winns-sundowner-with-5-0-cobra-engine-and-drive.766501/

If you're a mechanic you'll get there if you want to.
 

NorinRadd

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 26, 2023
Messages
84
When I first got my boat last year I didn't know much more than it had a Ford engine, didn't know anything about the drive etc but people on this forum helped me ID it, It turned out to be a setup only made for a few years with the Ford engine mated to a Volvo SX drive and called the OMC Cobra.

But I'm a mechanic and could have pulled the leg without tips if necessary (better with the tips though ;-) ). Rebuilt the engine and trim pump myself and there wasn't even a parts kit available for the pump.

I have one thread covering everything I've done on the boat, including asking initial questions to find out what it was etc. Boat is running great now :) https://forums.iboats.com/threads/1996-four-winns-sundowner-with-5-0-cobra-engine-and-drive.766501/

If you're a mechanic you'll get there if you want to.
I mean ive done all the repairs needed so far. I cant take the leg off and put it back on. My thing is I need baseline. If I pop covers off I dont know if things are missing or not set up properly. Just fkn stock photos would be nice lol. Slmeone to say yep every is as it should be. Carry on
 

KD4UPL

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 13, 2010
Messages
660
Restoring an old boat and "going boating" are two different hobbies. I love boating. I generally hire out any major repairs on my boat. I winterize, change the oil, etc but not repairs. Bellows, shifting gears, impeller, etc get done by a marine mechanic.
It's not uncommon for someone who wants to "go boating" to by some cheap old boat thinking they can "fix it up" and go boating. Then they discover it's way more work than they're interested in.
If you want to enjoy time on the water with your family by a newer boat with components that a marine mechanic is willing to work on.
 
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