Re: WELCOME "THEFERMANATOR"
 

Well if that is how Wellcraft started making there I/O models and am sure glad I have a 1975 when they had wood across the hole back!!

I am layered from the inside 1/4 glass, 1 1/2 (two 3/4 ply), and 1/2 glass on the hole thing!

Re: WELCOME "THEFERMANATOR"
 

That must be how they started making there I/O's because the 85 sea-drive I looked at definately had wood all the way across. There is no cracking in my transom and the wood that is there is good, but it would have to be re-inforced to hang a bracket on it. I'm thinking of installing 2 big braces from top to bottom like the 85 I looked at had and putting a bracket on it with my 140. But I want to sea-trial it first with the current egine to see how it rides and handles. The previous owners rebuild job was less than stellar.

Do you think installing standard pistons in a block that has been bored .020 over will keep it from idling?

At least that's what I'm betting is wrong with it. Should have heard all of the piston slap :o!

Re: WELCOME "THEFERMANATOR"
 

Well if it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all. Got the powerhead rebuilt which entailed alot more than I was hoping. And got a replacement lower unit since mine was trash. And had to fix dozens of other items. Put it in the water tonight for my first time and ran it.

RAN LIKE CRAP!!! It was surging horribly so I switched over from the 25:1 break-in mix over to some 50:1 that I brought with me. HOLY CRAP BATMAN, she came to life and ran good. I got a total of 2/10 of an hour on it(according to the hour meter) aqnd decided to jump it up on plane. It acted like a real bad miss every once in awhile so I goosed it a little and BAM!!! My replacement lower unit let loose and lost all drive. Still pumping water though. Engine was running good except for the ocasional buck that must of been my lower unit goin.

So now I have to tear down my $280 replacement lower unit and see what went >:(. Not a good first impression with her, but the little bit I had it on plane felt good ;D.

Re: WELCOME "THEFERMANATOR"
 

Well Ferminator...you're too far in to turn back now...sounds like ya did some good work on the powerhead ;) ... hang in there...it'll all be worth it when ya get it all done 8) ...

Re: WELCOME "THEFERMANATOR"
 

Vary interesting read on the transom being solid or not.
Hope you can take some pics. of the isuues you have posted. Tear off the transom and lets see whats there. ;D

Re: WELCOME "THEFERMANATOR"
 

Well now that it's daylight I went out and looked it over and found the problem to be a plastic clevis end in the shift linkage. Now the question is, why did it break? Hopefully old age. But the powerhead seemed to perfom well on the 50:1, did not like the 25:1 at all. Surged like crazy and would smiss and buck at idle. 50:1 and all was good.

Re: WELCOME "THEFERMANATOR"
 

What's there is very solid, but it doesn't have wood all the way across. It's only 3/4" in between the stringers with another sheet of 3/4" covering about 75% of in between the stringers. After looking at it more there is more than enough room to glass in a pair of knee supports and brace it up like the 85 I looked at.

But gonna run the sea-drive for awhile(if I can keep it running and driving >:().

Re: WELCOME "THEFERMANATOR"
 

Fermanator...the plastic clevis end...any sense to trying to find a stainless steel or aluminum replacement?... :D ...did it break simply because it's plastic?...

Re: WELCOME "THEFERMANATOR"
 

That's the one that broke. I'm hoping it broke simply because it's 24 year old plastic. I went down and got an aluminum turnbuckle that I think I can modify to work. Will find out tommorrow, had a barbeque to go to today(free food). I'm hoping that takes care of it. But I'm still wondering why it kicked back hard enough on the linkage to break it and go into neutral.

Re: WELCOME "THEFERMANATOR"
 

Things keep getting better. I made an aluminum replacement and it is still trying to pop out of forward. So I decided it was time to pull the lower unit apart. The dogs in the forward gear and the clutch dogs were slightly rounded to the point that it is kicking it out of gear. And the transom has started stress cracking on the port stringer to the transom joint, and some delamination in the inner transom liner. What fun! Amazing what shows up when you put it under load. I know the stringers were solid and the glass was attatched until I ran it, but loading it opened up PANDORAS box. Guess I'll be finding out what's really in that transom after all.