Bought a boat

[aussieguy]

So it is time... been living up here for 12 years and Mrs AG was getting sick of hearing  "Boaaaaat" every time we passed a  sales yard or some guy towing a nice rig.
owned one a long time ago, but it was a 2 hour trip each way to the boat ramp. if I was lucky got out once a month
Now I got 2 ramps withing 10 minutes .


Money is always tight but I have a full set of skills to fix mechanical, fiberglass , trailer and electrical
Plus doctor's orders, I  HAVE to get off the couch,...   starting to look and feel like a mushy potato.

So I search for a boat that needed some TLC and hopefully not too mush $$$
(is that a oxymoron or what?).

Didn't even bother looking at any where the advert that said "Bought it as a project but got too may other things to do"
that should read , bought it as a project got it home and found it was totally rotten.

took months of watching craig's list, anything half decent in the Tampa area, got snatched up real quick
ended up  looking within 200 mile radius...

Found
2 owner 
1989 4 Winns 205 Sundowner  cuddy cabin   19' 10" , 5.0L chevy + cobra outdrive  and fairly decent dual axle trailer
 factory installed fiberglass floor, (no carpet to soak up and hold water)
good  upholstery , seating not dry and cracked . boat cover, bimi top,  vhs radio, older fish finder
life jackets, extinguisher

90% complete boat...........  that needed a good cleaning and  the outdrive needed repair or replacing
hadn't been in the water for a few years!

Inspected the boat and knew right away I wanted it. BUT  I didn't buy it.
took my time and researched known problems , build quality etc
found plenty of people who rubbished the Cobra drive, but also found some real good articles on why the drive got a bad rep.
a) shift cable not working correctly  or poorly adjusted,  causing the gears to fail.
b) technicians who serviced the drives not understanding how to fill up the oil. a lot of drives seized up cause of low oil
Also found a complete reconditioned drive for sale  used twice then the boat was scrapped $1.000

I figured the existing drive lasted 25 years so it can't be too bad?

Bought the boat on Friday morning.
Spent the rest of the day, doing a service on the trailer
wheel bearings , lights  it was 150 miles from my house so take no chances on getting stuck on I75

dropped another 100.00 for trailer parts in that magic hole in the water.
BUT... The place I bought all the trailer parts has a NEW  outdrive sitting in the back of the shop collecting dust  and it's 150.00 cheaper than the other one (used) I found

I'm $50.00 in front!

Got the boat delivered up here, by the previous owner he's got a better pickup for towing such long distance.
Saturday afternoon it arrived and did a full inventory
found the boat had shifted forward on the trailer and was a bit skewed.
there goes my 50.00 in fixing some minor damage to the bow.


Invested so far 1200.00


The plan......
now have had time to fully inspect  the old outdrive, opened it up.
it's going to be cheaper and easier  to just  buy that new one.

a) purchase  outdrive  before someone else finds it
b) a good scrubbing inside  dirty but not moldy (a good boat cover works wonders.)  
c) remove boat from trailer block it up so can fix any hull damage and go over the trailer more thoroughly
d) remove old gas inspect tank.
e) get the motor to run
f) out drive install
 

woooo  hoooo ......  this is great therapy

[shadowxmas]

Good luck with your new boat.

[boanro]

It's great that you can do that kind of work. Great therapy and great fishing ahead. Congrats and Good Luck.

[seabird]

That boat project will be a happy and productive use of time. Good luck with the renovation!

[fishingmagician]

Hey AG, I also do all my own work, boat, motor and trailer, I have a 99 Johnson 115 HP two stroke on a 17 foot center console (its very dependable) but also needs proper service. I also have Seatow insuance for around $165.00 per year, have not used it yet, knock on wood. While if you decide to get the insurance let me know cause if you use my # for a referral I get $25.00 of next year.

     When I was a kid we broke down on the reef off Key Largo, no radio, long before cell phones and had to swim the boat almost three miles on a incoming tide before another boat came and helped us the last 1/2 mile and thats why I have a VHF and a charged cell and SEATOW!!

[havetofish]

[montylfl]

Wish you good luck and safe boating.

[Deleted]

Hey, sounds like you met your match, AG.

Hopefully you'll bring her to the refinement to allow a long and happy relationship.

I used to write for Hallmark...

Englash translation: AWESOME Duude! Get it fixed up so you can take us out man! I'll help ya fix it up. But not this weekend, mother-in-law is in town. Oh, and all next month I have to paint my garage door. This Wednesday I have to brush out the dryer lint from the vent. And the 3rd Thursday of this month kid's dance recital.....

Seriously. I'm glad for ya. Great project to keep you occupied and when she's worthy, exceptional reward.

D

[alaskaguy]

Good luck with the boat, sounds like you can do all the work yourself, (good thing)

Your lucky with the cobra drive find as parts are getting hard to find

My wife and I have had boats for 50 yrs it is a big part of our lifestyle.

As far as towing We have GMC Safri van, just off a round trip pulling a 2,000lb boat to Pig Pine in the keys

11.5 MPG not so good but better than owing a big truck.

If I can help you please ask, 

[aussieguy]

so just got home from picking up the outdrive

round trip 300miles (to fort myers)

but was worth it.. brand new drive $750.00
he dropped another 100 off last weeks price

[aussieguy]

arghhhhhhhhhhhhh
previous owner took off the risers, stuffed rags into the manifold opening, stop debris falling in there
But rain water was getting in there , filling up the exhaust manifold and then seeping into 2 cylinders

so now the and motor is stuck
got as much water out using a suction hose
letting it dry then going to put oil into each cylinder and let it soak
it may break free
if not going to have to rebuild the sucker

Ohhhh goody more stuff to play with

[SkyJay]

pb blaster!

[aussieguy]

yup that's the plan

sucked out as much water as possible with a tube stuck down the spark plug hole
let the remaining water evaporate a couple of days then soak with PB or Miracle oil (got both)

[wojtek9321]

Welcome back to the club! If it's not one thing it's another...

A while back I bought a project iwth a 5.7L Mercruiser that was submerged in freshwater and sat for years with water in some combustion chambers and plenty in the crankcase. Opened all spark plug holes and filled them with PB Blaster, drained all oil, new oil. Broke it free with a breaker bar and turned it a couple turns by hand before the starter (new). She ended up starting and running pretty well.

[eaglesfanguy]

Oct 10, 2016 9:29:36 GMT -5 aussieguy said:

yup that's the plan

sucked out as much water as possible with a tube stuck down the spark plug hole
let the remaining water evaporate a couple of days then soak with PB or Miracle oil (got both)

Marvel Mystery oil.. Let it sit .. That shiiit will unsieze almost anything... Just take your time breaking it free.. Slow and steady keeps your pockets fuller..
RUsh it and force it you will pay..

[aussieguy]

had to take off the heads to see what's inside

ewwww plenty of rusty sludge in two cylinders

with the heads off was able to get power blaster all over the pistons and cylinder walls
loosened up the rusty crud
gently scraped it out and cleaned it is much as possible

left it soak more overnight

today... motor turns over
use more PB and rags to wash out bores

also found ....
water and power steering pumps are knackered
thermostat and housing is one solid lump of orange

[aussieguy]

cleaning everything up removing old gaskets etc getting ready to reassemble motor

found riser/elbow were taken off by previous owner they are complete junk one has huge crack on outside jacket
sourced a good pair second hand 50.00 verses 300.00 new

[aussieguy]

been sick for a couple weeks so nothing got done

decided to totally scrap the chevy 5.0 (305) the heads and block water passages were too caked up in rust and salt deposits.
some of the valve seats where water was sitting were rusted out . Not worth putting money in this motor.

Got a lead from my Miata Club for a 350 5.7
picked up 2 motors I full marine engine and a block and heads that were from a truck

will use these to put together one ... just need new rings, gaskets and bearings

[fishingmagician]

Hey AG, good luck with the new blocks, you might be cheaper to buy a rebuilt 305 from Starkey rode auto and be done with it,
My Father had a 305 i/o and got a crack in the risers (exost manifold), he found some tipe of epoxy and coated the inside of them, it was made to flex with the heat and it lasted for years. He bought it someplace in Saint Pete but I don't now where as I was still a child, check utube and you might be able to save some money, well as I said. Good luck, and remember you are better off working on a boat than on the couch watching tv.

[aussieguy]

The outdrive I bought was geared for a 350 ... originally planed to tune/adjust the prop to suit the 305
but seeing that the whole 305 motor was not worth putting money into ... I decided a 350 would be the better one to find

the price on the 350's was too good to pass up FREE !

one full motor (siezed , unknown cause) + another good block, crank and heads
will rebuild the good block using any parts I need from the siezed one (if the parts are any good)


Plus a complete gimbal housing that is   in much better condition than mine

someone likes me up there?

[oldmanjoe]

May i just make a suggestion ,keep in mind that some in board /out board engines are left hand rotation verses auto engines right hand rotation . starters,cam shaft ,and i think the oil pump are different. Where as a twine engine boat has left and right hand rotation engines. joe

[blacktip]

good luck with her. show us a pic if you get a chance.

[aussieguy]

Dec 5, 2016 22:45:12 GMT -5 blacktip said:

good luck with her. show us a pic if you get a chance.

Pics are coming soon

wanted to add fresh water cooling to the new motor
found some risers and  2 heat exchangers at a boat salvage place in largo
swapped  some stern drive parts that I am not going to use for them 

BUT got the exchanges pressure tested and found both to be leaking internally
NOT an easy fix .... going to try to re-braze them if I can locate a  oxy acetylene set
if not......... will just use the motor as  saltwater cooled, the original one lasted for over 20 years 
so I'm not going to waste too much time and money on  the exchangers


the  350 Motors...  stripped  and inventoried any usable parts
went to machine shop and found the cost to  hot tank the block, hone / bore and grind the crank was much more than anticipated
found another block , crankshaft and pistons already inspected by a shop
ready to assemble....... for half the price of getting my old block cleaned up

the 350 block  and crank I am not going to use going onto Craig's list $100.00

Built a wooden gantry over the boat to lift the old 305 out.  $20.00  from Lowes
Legs are 2 x 6  12 foot long  Lifted the old motor  then pulled the boat out from under it.
made a good choice in not rebuilding this motor.... block full of flakes of rust
the only salvage part is the crank  and piston rods  (going on Craigs list)

Removed the transom mount / gimbal housing...  so I can install the one given to me, which is in  much better condition
My old on was in a lot of pieces previous owner had pulled it apart , new on is complete even has a good shift cable ( new cable was gonna cost me $150)

now can see the whole engine bay...
some Dry Rot  found  on a stringer  and at the bilge drain hole

Drain hole... very small repair  and not  going to be structural will use injection epoxy , some filler  and glass  mat  for this repair

stringer.... much more rot but it looks like I caught it in time,  won't know until I drill some test holes
stringer is not part of the motor mount so no big issue there  , fairly certain that epoxy injection  will be ok

BTY when I worked in Australia I was responsible for developing construction methods for  timber portal frame buildings  using epoxy as the jointing method, not bolted or screwed the epoxy did all the work .
The largest of which was a huge geodesic dome  for the Sydney 2000 Olympics.... Epoxy is great stuff


found power steering cylinder is locked up... has been disconnected and open to elements for a few years
SIGHHHHHHHHHHHHH    more work

now have everything out so I can start the re-assemble.
Motor / block is going to the machine shop this week  for final check and to have the cam bearings installed
(I don't  have a tool for this , and it's not available as a loaner tool from the parts stores)



 


 

[aussieguy]

forgot to mention....
the day I had pulled the old transom mount off the boat, I got a call from the salvage yard in largo
(I had told them I was pulling the old one in a few days)

they wanted to give my number to a guy in Ft Lauderdale, who was looking for one
even though mine was ugly... missing parts and had some JB weld on one of the bellows tubes

I sold it for $150.00
made a deal to meet the guy half way (Port Charlotte) if he paid me gas money
Took the Mrs for a drive / day out .... and made some $$

Cobra parts are so rare even the ones I consider JUNK are worth something

[Mackerelman]

Aussieguy, You should show Us Before Pictures & then After Pictures of Your Boat.
This way We know that You have been doing something Important instead of Fishing. HA HA HA !

[aussieguy]

ok ok stop twisting me arm here they is

multiple image uploader

[Mackerelman]

Keep up the Good Work & Get that Motor in there.

The Wife will appreciate it when You are done working on it.

Then She will give something else to work on.

Projects never Stop.

[eaglesfanguy]

That thing is gonna be a 20 thousand dollar boat when your done...... too bad the value will still be 1000.00
So keep that pig happy and you know her in and out, gonna keep it forever. Best of luck to ya gettin her safe and seaworthy. You deserve to stand at the bow and pound your chest when ya get her done.

[aussieguy]

the idea was to find a boat to keep me outta trouble

nada value around 5,000

so far invested 2,000
estimate another 1,000

[fishingmagician]

AG, this cleaner works great on the gel coat, will bring the blue back to look new, should start with #48 first, then do #50 to polish, I use a electric buffer and take my time to let the cleaner do the work. Make sure it's in the shade and cool for best results!
    Have fun with your project and best of luck.