Rogue wave on the sea of life

[northernmainev20]

Well, I took my '88 V-20 on its maiden voyage after having the 3.0 seadrive looked at. Love the hull. Motor purred like a kitten, then *&%%$(^(*&^^&$##%%. Looks like I'll have to repower sooner than expected. Fried the #6 cylinder 15 minutes into the voyage.

After a short memorial service dockside (aka cursing and swearing) I've decided to hang a bracket and repower. Looking at a 2006 E-Tec 225. Found one with 100 hours for $12 large

Still trying to get pictures of my boat posted oops, I guess that would be "project boat" now.

Suggestions on mounting options would be appreciated. I've looked at Gill, and Armstrong brackets so far. I'll have to go through some of the old posts.

[THEFERMANATOR]

Here's another one to look at.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=011&sspagename=STRK%3AME WA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=320126878056&rd=1&rd=1

[twistedparot]

thats a tuff break. but not to hard to fix if you got some cash! look into stainless marine. they have a very strong reputation in the bracket buisness. and watch ebay also. might save urself some dough. good luck.

[spareparts]

I've got a picture some where of a Sea Drive bracket with a late model "Eagle Series" 200 Johnson on it. Not sure what it would take to mount a later model Johnrude product where the seadrive engine was, but it would eliiminate the need for a bracket, and you could keep the current steering

[willy]

Mainer a few suggestions and some will disagree but if I had to do it over this is what I think.
1. Do not, I repeat do not put a heavy motor on the back of a V20 with a bracket. 150-175 max and the lightest engine you can get.
2. If you get a bracket make sure it is the kind (whatever brand there are at least three good ones out there and well made) that has flotation built in to counterbalance the weight further back on the boat.
3. Get a full width bracket, the kind with the sides like MJ's, more functional and will let you stand back further to pull line or debris off the prop etc, also get the folding ladder with it.
4. Get the shortest one that will let you fully tilt your engine out of the water at rest and no farther.

In reference to #1 this is my thinking, I have been on two V20's that were otherwise sound boats that had a bracket and a heavy V6 motor, they all dunked their engines in a heavy chop on a drift or when coming off plane even. They also tend to porpoise in certain sea conditions and put a lot of stress on a transom. If you tow or trailer your V even more so and it is hard to rig an effective transom saver for them.
Another little tid bit. I had a 115 4 cylinder Johnson on my V with a thirty inch set back bracket. That puppy got 35-37 MPH with a full tank of gas and three guys along with all fishing coolers etc. and a bimini with front curtain. It was an absolutely perfectly balanced boat on the water and never dunked the engine in any condition or drifts thru the rips. The bracket on these boats adds excellent performance boosts and putting a heavier than needed motor on it won't due a lot for you.
In my opinion a 150 two stroke like the ETEC would be ideal. Performance will be in the mid 40's loaded up. The gain beyond that will be minimal with a lot of trade off's, none good.

[macojoe]

I agree with willy, there is no reason for a huge motor!!

mac attack just repowered with a E Tec 150 and is getting 43 mph!!
And his is a cuddy, a CC will need less power and ride much better the the cuddy!

You never need to go that fast in the first place and even that I like this hull there are going to be few days that you can go WOT!!

And lets think Fuel, 150 will sip much better then a 225! Its $3.04 here right now and I for one will be going much slower this year to save fuel!!

Yes a closed bracket will give you the floation you need with the extra 400+ pounds back there.

And last $12,000 for a used Etec?? You can get a brand new 150 for that!!

You need to do a little more research before you pull the trigger!! Ask all you need here, between all of us here we have more expertest thwen any boat yard you will go to!

we have 2 others here with e tec also, I think in all we have a 150, 175, and a 200 some were??

MacAttck has the 150
Lumber has the 175
?? on who has the 200

Ask these guys they are just getting them on the water right now!

Good Luck!

Good Luck and ask away!!

[macojoe]

Check this link and the video that goews with it!! A must see for someone that wants a E tec!

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=Performance;action=display;num=1181 525491

[chumbucket]

Its $3.04 here right now and I for one will be going much slower this year to save fuel!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/bospa/lmao.gif

[macojoe]

80's coming this week!! And you going to get a slaming if you keep that up!! :-/

[northernmainev20]

Thats why I love this site. You guys are a wealth of information. If the 150's will give me that kind of numbers, forget the larger. And maco, you can rest assured, I'll definately have questons. :)

[randlemanboater]

I am running a Johnson 140 4 stroke, it will run 40 mph......it weighs 410 pounds......and gets 5 mpg to boot.

I bet on a bracket it would do 43.


Oh, and welcome to the site.

[Blue_Runner]

Sweet advice fellas - I agree 1000%

I'm just jealous of the Etec'ers :-[

It must be nice to have a blown i/o :-/ ;D

[Pipe_Dream]

That's some maiden voyage, Mainer. But when all is said and done I think you're gonna love the bracket/outboard deal. Keep the questions coming -- these guys will steer you right.

[reelapeelin]

Mainer...all the concerns above are right on the money ... that is to say WEIGHT ... coupla thoughts to that point...the narrow bracket weighs far less, even after you add a conventional swim-platform (point is compare)...the 200 (not HO) E-Tec weighs the same as a 150 ... Jack the Man on this forum has one ... and definately go w/25" shaft and you might even look into 30" on a bracket to avoid something mentioned above, and that's dunking the powerhead under some conditions...30" might be TOO much, but if I were doin' this I'd EXPLORE it as a possibility...

Welcome to the board and keep us posted...if ya need help postin' pix, HOLLER or just go to "How To" section or both ;) ...

[THEFERMANATOR]

You could always go with STINKY power :o.








http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t271/THEFERMANATOR/josh12.jpg

[Airslot]

Man, thats just wrong. We don't want to be chasing good members away.

Simply wrong.... ;D

[THEFERMANATOR]

Are you sure, STINK power is powerful.
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s76/TunaHead101/SH2.jpg
And contagious.
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s76/TunaHead101/Lewescopy.jpg

[reelapeelin]

Therm, don't drag ALL our skeletons out at once for the new guy ... all he's lookin' for now is bracket/ OB info ;D ... we'll EASE 'im into the ruff stuff ;) ... ;D ;D ...

[twistedparot]

yeah ferm, you tryin to run the guy off or something?




dont hurt me...

[reelapeelin]

You can hurt me...just a little ::) ...

[northernmainev20]

Sorry guys, I would have responded sooner but I had to go to my therapist after seeing Stinky... thats just wrong man. :-/ I'm sure I'll get the inside scoop after I'm here a while. :)

[macojoe]

Stinky just likes to wear thongs, while fishing, hunting, and target pratice and then video it for us!

Be careful of any post that stinky puts up!! ;D

[Mac_Attack]

The 60* E-Tecs 150, 175,200 all weigh the same but don't cost the same. The 150 pushes my boat along quite well. I'm on vacation next week trying a 15 X 15 Alum prop will post new numbers again. Also have a stainless 14.8 X 17 to try. I've never had a four stroker but i do have an E-Tec, you won't be sorry with one. Idles at 500, which we use for trolling, uses .18 gph at this speed. I don't know anything about brackets but they must be OK even wellcraft made the V21. Good luck and please post pics and vids when possible. Billy Mac ;D

[THEFERMANATOR]

yeah ferm, you tryin to run the guy off or something?




dont hurt me...
Just answering a request from a certain individual here.

But in all seriousness, an extra wide full flotation bracket with a 2.0L MERC would give excellent fuel economy and lightweight. Plus there is a lot of parts available for them just about anywhere you look.

[northernmainev20]

Here is my first attempt at posting a pic. Here is your first view of my V-20
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z182/telowell/DSC05305.jpg

Note my new propulsion system on the deck behind the captains chair.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z182/telowell/DSC05309.jpg

[randlemanboater]

Nice looking boat. :)

[2ndchance]

Da^% Ferm, I was just thinking about breakfast and you bring out the Stnky pic >:(. I guess you made Lefty happy ;D, but now I'm gonna have to visit the Wet thread to get my appetite back.
Northern, as far as brackets go I'm extremly pleased with my set up. It's a Stainless Marine 18" set back with a 95 115 Johnson. With me alone in the boat yesterday with a 3/4 load of fuel it got up to 31 knots by my GPS. Out of curiosity I checked the Stainless web site earlier this year and the 18" bracket gies for about $900.
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t270/2ndchance_2007/Wellcraft2207023.jpg
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t270/2ndchance_2007/Wellcraft2207094.jpg

Motor fully tilted, Icould put a 150 on it without chaging the bracket
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t270/2ndchance_2007/Wellcraft2207095.jpg

[reelapeelin]

Glad to see ya made it back...nice "V" ya got there...so any conclusions yet on power?...

[randlemanboater]

Man that is a nice job on that transom......I will do that one day......or maybe I should make my present V my lake ride, and get another full transom for the brine......yeah, and I could get a Ranger bass boat, and a flats boat, and I could get a 32 Luhrs, and a Fountain with triple 300's, and........

Anyway, that is a nice transom job.

[Bygracealone]

Mainer,

Sorry to hear about your engine. Here is a link to the thread where you'll find some step by step pics of when I removed my Sea Drive to install bracket and OB. Hope it helps...

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=Modifications;action=display;num=11 46702890;start=15

I'm not sure how she will sit in the water since I put a 200 on her with a non-flotation bracket. We'll see soon enough. However, keep in mind that the Sea Drive is non-flotation as well. I think when I ran the numbers the Sea Drive was comparable to the weight of the bracket and OB (though the latter was just a bit heavier). The biggest difference is that the motor hangs off the transom further back, which will certainly affect the weight distribution as Willy has pointed out...

[northernmainev20]

I really appreciate all the advice and information that everyone has provided (except that whole stinky thing) {still traumatized} :-/

I am in the market for a bracket, leaning towards one with flotation. Still up in the air whether to go full width on the transom or just enough for the motor. I need a platform w/ladder for diving as well as ability to mount a bracket for 9.9 hp aux motor for freshwater salmon trolling (1-2 mph)

I have priced out the E-Tec 150 and would like to go that route. I have also found some great non e-tec motors and received some good offers from members of this site. At the moment, I'm still leaning towards the new E-tec

Also, I have posted all the pics of my V20 in the cuddy gallery.

[northernmainev20]

Thanks for the link to the modifications thread ByGraceAlone. Great pics of the SeaDrive removal.

[Bygracealone]

Very welcome buddy. It's not that difficult to do. If you have any questions, just ask...

[THEFERMANATOR]

So what is your budget? Maybe some of the members here can help steer you in the right direction.

[northernmainev20]

Ferminator, my accountant (pronounced "wife") says my budget is modest. I'll be doing most of the work myself. Still leaning towards financing the brand new 150 E-Tec. I think this would be the best choice in the long run. (i.e. warranty, mpg, etc.) Would like to find a used bracket, w/flotation sounds like the way to go. I probably won't go with one with a big platform b/c I want the ladder and the kicker motor. A bracket with capabilities for both would probably get too pricey. I like the looks of the one stinky was on, but without the skids from the thong. ;D

There are so many great suggestions and mods on this site, I need to take it all in. I'm going to take the seadrive off and get the transom ready while I decide which way to go.

[twistedparot]

if the budget is tight, and ur lookin for a used bracket you gotta be patient. a good deal will pop up every now and then. but not every deal is a good one. so dont just jump on one cause ur tired of waiting.

example: i had a stainless marine 29" bracket with platforms. came off a katrina boat so it had a few scratches. i paid 50$ and removed it my self. great deal. i watched ebay for a while and were a few similiar to mine on there in the $800-$1000 range. posted mine no reserve and got $650+$50 to haulit to a ups hub. the guy who bought it sanded it and powder coated it and then two weeks later he sold it on ebay for $1113.


so, if you go with platforms, fair price would be about $800. if you hold out, you may get one for $500-$600. but the $800 one might sell and be replaced by a $1000 before the $500 dollar one shows up. just be sure to have the cash in hand in case one pops up.

unless ur like me, then good deals will only show up when you got no $$$$$$$$

[twistedparot]

also, keep in mind, you can put foan in just about any bracket perty cheap.

[Pipe_Dream]

Good pics in your gallery -- boat (and trailer) looks great! Now I just need some of the Maine scenery, and of course your dog. ;)

[macojoe]

I got my bracket from a boat yuard, it was a take off and I payed $400

Lots of brackets around!! Just keep watching, Ebay, Crigslist, locaol marniners.

I think a brand new no platform StainlessMarine is like $1000 or just under.
As far as a kicker they make the brackets with a bracket built in if you ask, but not sure of the cost??

I saw a add on bracket yesterday on one and going to be asking a welder what he would charge to make one for me.

You sound like you have a idea!! Just go slow, think it out, and do it once, and be done!! ;)

[northernmainev20]

Heres some scenery and the dog pipe dream...

Mackerel Cove, Bailey's Island
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z182/telowell/993558-R1-10-11.jpg

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z182/telowell/993558-R1-12-13.jpg

EVERYWHERE!!!
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z182/telowell/609560-R1-08-9.jpg

My four legged child (now 2 1/2)
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z182/telowell/DSC03437.jpg

Ice Diving, 2.5 feet of ice.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z182/telowell/b0.jpg

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z182/telowell/pic1.jpg

Thanks everyone for the assistance.

[northernmainev20]

While looking for brackets I'm finding a variety of transom angles. Measuring mine is easy enough. Is there a range of angles that can be used or does it have to be exact?

[THEFERMANATOR]

Within a few degrees should be OK. Fortunately I believe the industry standard is right around the V-20's number. Most transoms are around 11-15 that I've seen for outboard boats. I believe the V-20 is 12 almost 13 when I measured mine.

[Pipe_Dream]

AAAHHHHHHH! Thanks for my UpNorth fix. ;D

Beautiful pup -- and a great shot of her.

Ice diving? :o Are you on a recovery team, or is this "recreational diving?" We have a few other divers on here.

[northernmainev20]

Ferminator, thanks for the info on the transom angle


Pipe dream, I used to train with one of the county teams but not on a team anymore. Mostly recreational but do some diving with a side business for extra cash.

[THEFERMANATOR]

You may want to consider taking a look at twistedparrots post in the for sale section. It's old technology, but extremely reliable.

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=for_sale;action=display;num=1182174 216

[macojoe]

One thing about brackets when looking at used is that the V20 has a curved transom,
now if you just go with a center bracket this is not a problem, But going with a bracket like mine I had to make some shims on the out side edges, Cause mine came off a Seacraft which was stright across.

[reelapeelin]

Nice pup, Northern...hope the boot survived ;) ...thanks for all the great pix...ya'll hunting/gathering under the ice or lookin' around...looks COOL either way 8) ...