Slightly Twisted's new project
 

Well with the new project home and ready for work I figured I'd start a new thread detailing the work. My goal this fall is see if I can get her cleaned up and get a shakedown cruse in. MAYBE if I'm lucky and everything goes well, I can use it during hunting season to get to some remote public hunting areas no one goes to.

I just ordered a new water pump kit, took me a few hours to find the right parts. I know its just a 115 power head with a different mid shaft/bracket but its damn hard to find much on sea drives. I was definitely little lost at first.
The biggest problem is going to be the gas. I opened the fuel tank to see much was in there and was surprised to see it was almost full. I called the local recycling place that takes oil and they said I could bring in old gas but no more then 4-5 gals every few weeks. Any more then that I would have to pay and it was close to 30$ a gallon!! :cen: If I'm right there is about 40-50 gallons in there (if its a 60 gal tank). I guess I'll just store it and slowly bring it in. MJ said its 5 plus years old gas, so I'm not going to put it in any of my cars just to make sure I don't create another problem.

Next on the list is to change the lower gear case lube, batteries, order a cover, and de-carb. Not sure when I'll get all the parts but I'll take a few pics as I'm doing to work.

As long as it hasn't turned to shellac, mix that *filtered* old gas 50-50 with fresh gas and you can run any of your lawnmowers with it.

You can donate the old dirty gas to the Clinton foundation and then when they ask you why you did it just tell them it wasn't you,,, like there leader would say, hey maybe they will offer you a job

Sorry for the previous post, I get carried away sometimes, but really you should get rid of all the gas and change all the fuel filters , just remember make a list of everything you gave to do and start at number one and keep going You will get there

Haha Step it's all good.

I really hate the BMV. The hoops you have to go through to get things done. The trailers VIN number sticker has fallen off, go figure it's a 86. Well in Indiana they title EVERYTHING and since the VIN is gone and Mass does not title this size trailer I now have to get a court order as proof of owenership(Bill f sale doesn't work). If I had the title I could reattach the VIN on a stamped plate, but because I don't have a title nope.

So it's kind of illegal more bending the rules, but I have a metal stamp kit. I think I'm just going to stamp the vin, have them do the physical inspection, and hope it's good.

Before you start to stamp vin on the trailer can't you go to the m v and tell them it's home built and you want to title it? I don't know if you can do it now but I know you used to be able to do it

Home built works in MS, but then again, that's MS.

Personal trailers in NJ do not have titles. Only registrations. You still need a VIN number to register one, but if you buy one from someone all you need is a handmade bill of sale and the old registration. SO much easier than other states...

In Ma you can say homemade and up to a certin weight not need title. Hope it works out for you cause it is a nice trailer!!

I'll make it work. I'll find some way because MJ is right it is a nice trailer. Drained all the gas about 45-47 gallons, took the lower unit off, striped all the wood off, and started cleaning the cuddy. Wish I have more time to work on it.

Questions

When I was taking the lower unit off. The shifting shaft got stuck two of three times because the shaft was really rusty. Some large rust flakes came off anything I can do?

Also the pic with the top stringer cut off was that normal from the factory. It was behind the fishing rod box on Both sides.

Looks like the bulkhead is notched for the rod box. I'd say it's hard to believe they'd cut it and not glass over it at the factory but after seeing what we've found in my transom project it really wouldn't surprise me.

Well took some time yesterday and today to work on the boat. Replaced the water pump, the gear oil, and drained the carbs. I lost my engine flush muffs so I just took the boat down to the lake and dipped the engine. Took a bit but get it started when I noticed there was no water coming out of the telltale. :cen:. I had other plans so I didn't have time to figure it out. Today pulled the lower unit off again and noticed the pipe in the mid section slipped out of the pump. Realigned everything put it back together and it works just fine. That shift rod screw is the biggest pain in the a$& I hate that damn thing. I never seem to get it right.
I working on the boats title/reg and I should be ready for some water trials.


My wife named the boat today as well. Our son Finn is 2 and crazy wild all over the place all the time. We were kicking around some names, and talking about seeing him with a live fish on the line for the first time next summer when she stopped mid sentence and said "WILD FINN". It fits perfectly!!

Great name now once you name her you can't change her name, you know that don't you, Your going to love your steplift she is a great boat

Glad you got her running!! Great Name also!!

Don't worry we are sure Finn is going to stay wild so it will always fit him/ the boat.

The big thing that happened today was The cops were able to do the physical inspection. In Indiana when titling a trailer/car/truck etc the cops have to physically inspect the vin number. Well since the trailer didn't have one I was running into a huge problem. I have a metal stamp kit that I used to stamp the vin into the trailer, kind of bending the rules. The cop came down looked at it was "glad the vin is clear enough for me to read". He called the number in to make sure it wasn't stolen and signed off. I can now title it without have to get a court order or saying it's home made and applying for a new vin!:sun:
So it's off to the BMV tomorrow.

So I'm the guy who gave the boat to Joe, who gave it to Twisted. I haven't been here in 6 months, so needless to say, I was a bit surprised when I got a PM from him saying "I have the boat now..." Good luck!

In the final annalists it's not who has the boat, it's that the boat is being taken care of and will not wind up in a landfill. :beer:

It will be used and cared for that's for sure. I just wish I knew what I was doing!!

:pray::beer:

Got a few hours after work to get started on a few things this afternoon.
I had some extra polyester resin and cloth, I really wanted to glass in the cut stringers. I was really inspecting why the stringers were cut and I think it was done at the factory unless the deck was redone. I'm guessing but it looks like they were cut to level the deck. They were cut the whole way across and front to back, with the some type of sealant sealing the deck on. I'll try and get a photo of under the deck but it wasn't working with the iPad. Since I had the glass out I started on patching up the rod boxes as well. They were cracked on the edges. Got the winter cover on her, I went with the 15 year pool cover. The last thing is the galvanized pipes sticking up on the sides. I'm going to build bunk guides and use the pipe as attachments. I will also put my lights up on top of the rear one so they don't get wet. I will trailer the boat and ALWAYS have problems with the lights so I hope this helps.

I forgot how much I dislike sanding fiberglass.

So I thought the engine was running hot when we got it running, and didn't see a lot of water coming out of the engine. I was going to replace the thermostats next year aways so I thought I would take a look...... they where 99% blocked with salt!! So I ordered the parts, and did my best to clean out as much salt as I could.

If you're having problems with your trailer lights, get a set of LED submersible lights. I also run a third dedicated ground wire from each light up to the connector. I find using the trailer frame as the ground is not always reliable.

Agreed on the LED's. Brighter, safer, easier to be seen and more reliable. Less likely to have the police pull you over for lights being out. Harbor Freight sells them for under $40 for a complete kit.... lights, wires, license plate holder, instructions. Anytime you have a connection, it's a potential source for corrosion, be that the trailer frame or a joining of two or more wires. However, when you join two wires you can take additional steps to insure a long life without corrosion. First, make sure the wires are shiny bright copper. (Blackened copper already has corrosion setting in... replace them if possible) Second, use special electrical grease on the wires before joining them together. Third, use heat shrink butt connectors that advertise as being watertight. (Again you can buy them relatively inexpensively at Harbor Freight) They have a special coating inside that seals the connector as it shrinks, making the connection far less likely to corrode. And finally if you really want to be fastidious, use some liquid brush on electrical tape (sealer) to coat each connection after it it cools. As long as you do these things you can be assured of many, many years of trouble free trailer lights.

To recap: LED's, bright copper, electrical grease, watertight connectors, liquid sealer = hassle free trailering. You'll sleep better at night. :sleep:

I've had good luck with the HF LED trailer lights, both the boat trailer kit and the round snap-into-a-rubber-gasket units (like the ones on semi trailers)

Permatex dielectric grease - good stuff - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AL8VD2/

Thanks guys!! I don't have any problems as of yet, it just seems every few years with my old boat I would have to mess with the trailer lights.

So I had my first day off since Aug :party: it was sooooo nice. Had some time so I worked on the boat. Got a lot done, replaced the thermostats, disabled the VRO (after making sure the mixed gas was being burned), finished painting the rod boxs, got the reg numbers on. Over all a good day!

If you only have to mess with them every few years, your ahead of the game. I have 5 trailers, 3 boat & 2 utility, i tried about 4 sets of the led and went back to bulbs. I trailer a lot and I think the vibration takes its toll on the led lights. I run 3 wires from each light to the pigtail. And when i put a new bulb in, i use the dielectric grease on it.

I know how to work on a bulb set up, led's, you just throw away and go buy more.

Phat, I totally agree that bulbs are far easier than LED's to work on, but remember that LED's are far less likely to be effected by water or vibration. Most times when an LED trailer light stops working it's a bad wire someplace. The LED's themselves are totally encased in glass or plastic and are immune to water... however the wires going from the bulbs to the PC board can corrode at the connections on the board. Next time you have one fail, open the light housing, carefully remove the LED strips and the PC board and take a soldering iron and remelt every connection where the bulb(s) are soldered to the PC board. I've successfully repaired several lights that way.

my favorite subject:devil:

I have had sections of LED lights corrode in the second season and the "sealing" plastic made them impossble to repair. China can make things that look like lights...

I will add that you should make sure your trailer plug has a white wire connected to chassis ground on BOTH the car and trailer. Some cheap plugs don't do this and rely on the connection of the trailer, ball which just plain sucks.

Saltwater trailers should be exempt from any electrical requirements.

My last set of lights didn't work for about 8 or 9 years.

So it's been really crazy around here. Work and family have been all over the place! I've been trying to work on the boat but it's hard to find time. We were able to go on our frist shake down cruse!!!***128523; Everything went really well, we idled for about 10-15 mins then ran it at speed for about 20 mins or so. I was so impressed it had been so long since I had been in a V. After being in Jon boats, and bass boats I missed the smooth ride of a deep V. The only problem we had was the starter drive gear wasn't in the best shape and it wasn't engaging correctly. So we had to get towed in after a stop and it wouldnt engage. we had planed for a break down and had a second boat on call for a tow.

After getting back to the house, I order a few carb kits, starter drive gear, and a new steering system. I went with the Uflex rotech rotatory system. So far so good the carbs are cleaned, rebuilt, installed, and runnning. The steering system is installed and working. I don't have the best reaction to carb cleaner so I have to go full out with the gear when using it.

Most people have pulled their boats from the lake already so I rigged up a back up motor so we can do some more testing.

One more

It is always a good idea to have a get home engine. And I love how creative you are in rigging it to your swim platform ladder.... but how is the board secured to the platform?. All I can see in the pics is a board between the handlebars and the engine clamped to that board. I'm just concerned that it's not just wedged there, because until you see it, it's hard to realize just how much torque is applied by even a small 2.5 engine. Not saying it won't work, just saying that I'd hate for you to see your engine break off and go to the bottom of the lake. (Make sure you have a safety cable attached to the engine at the very least).

Other than that I love what you're doing with that boat. She looks great and it's easy to see that she's got a good home. Well done!!!! :clap:

Yeah when I was building it I was thinking the same thing. The 2x6 is screwed into a 2x10 that is flat on the swim platform and butts up to the hull. I then used two 800 lbs straps to hold it down. I have two ropes for safety straps and thinking I'll add a 3rd. I really don't want to buy my friend a new motor!!

Great Job!! Lookss great in the water, just wish it was for me! O well 2 more years till transplant then maybe?? Keep up the good work!!:nic:

that's a cool name, he'll appreciate that when he's older for sure!

Congrats, good looking rig.

Thanks guys!!:beer:

So I have a few engine questions. The first test run went great, but it was running a little rough. Then I stripped the starter drive gear (it was almost stripped anyways).
So I replaced that, then pulled the carbs cleaned them with crab cleaner then compressed air and replaceed the needles/seats/gaskets. It was running ok on muffs, but the linkage just didn't seem to return to the original position. I went to the lake and left the boat on the trailer and tried to set the idle. It just wouldn't idle, it would start run strong at higher rpms just not a low rpms. The idle set screw was set at the highest position.
I tried to adjust the linkage to get it to idle and just counldt get it. I'm kind of lost now, everything I do seams to make it worse.

You engine guys any ideas? 1985 omc 1.6 sea drive.

Thanks

Crab cleaner? Throw in some potatos and corn with the carbs

Sorry, Just being a smarta**

That's easy to do, especially with multiple carbs.

I suggest finding out if your linkage is right first, then just set the carbs to factory settings & start there. That linkage has to be right or you're spinning your wheels, and from your description, i'd guess something is wrong.

Disconnecting the remote lets you feel a bind in the linkage better.

Note: there are guys here with way more experience than me. These days when my carbs need work I take them to a guy, my fat fingers aren't getting anymore nimble.

good luck

it been a week or so. Things are really crazy around here with the start of hunting season and the end of football.

Got the linkage problems worked out I think. I just need to test it on the water. Getting close to being done with the bright work. I remade the rod-box trim, the front hatch rails, and the transom door. I had some mahogany left from some other things and was able to use the scraps. I'll take a few pics when I have a sec.

The next project I was thinking of going after was rewiring the boat. I've been trying to figure out what goes to what and what work and what doesn't. Seems like I cant get the switches to work and the lights. If I'm going to rewire some things I might as well do all the boat. I have 40ft of 2 awg left from my last boat and I think i would like to move the batteries to the cuddy. I'm going to put a bracket on it some time so I might as well do it now to get the weight forward.

Does anyone know or have pic of the stringers, under the red areas in the Pic below. I would like to cut a hatch into that area and rewire everything from there.

thanks

Wow it's been a horable winter spring! Work had me going 100 mph everyday. I haven't had a chance to do many update online, but I've had some time to work on the Finn.
Finished all the bright work
New steering and control cables
Rebuild the carb
Updated some of the electrical (damn was that hard)
I couldn't get the engine to idel and then popped a powerpack. Got that fixed and had it tuned up and wow I'm impressed for that old motor!
First shake down run we get flagged down by a bass boat in the middle of the lake with whitecaps blowing 15-20 mph. His motor died and we pulled him 11/2 hours back to the dock and my motor never fussed!!

I have a few boat items I don't really need and kind of looking to give them away or trade them

I have two gps a 182 &162. ( I'll double check the number). Anyone need them/want them?

I'm looking for a kicker motor bracket for a 2 hp? Anyone got an extra they are looking to unload?

Hope everyone's doing ok!