Transom/ stringer rot

[THEFERMANATOR]

Originally Posted by Dr. Hook

Actually I was comparing the 5.7 to the 4.3 V6 weight. However I just looked it up and its only a difference of 150 lbs or so.
A complete dressed motor with outdrive and everything is roughly 1050-1100 lbs for a 5.7, and about 900 for a 4.3.
Both are pretty heavy, I'm thinking I'd rather have a 500 lb outboard and keep the scuppers a bit higher in the water.
Then again with I/O you have the seaworthiness of the closed transom, so tough call.

The weight difference between a 4.3l and a 5.7l is only about 75 pounds actual difference if comparing them with the same drive and cooling system. Mercruiser tried using aluminum exhaust manifolds to get that 150 lb difference, and lets just say that experiment failed. The only real advantage to the 4.3l is it's length being shorter for tight installations.

I personnally like I/O's, but one thing is a deal breaker with them, if you ever plan on leaving it in the water for any length of time, I would not have one. Theres just to many places where water can leak in with an I/O. 4 stroke outboards have pretty well taken away the mpg advantage, but you do end up with a large outboard smack dab in the middle of the transom in your way. And one last thing to keep in mind when deciding between an I/O and an outboard is maintence and repairs. Unless you're doing all the work yourself, plan on shelling out big bucks to have work done on an I/O vs an outboard.

[Dr. Hook]

Those are some good points you guys made about I/O motors. I think my preference is towards outboards. I feel comfortable working on them, where I have no experience with inboards.

I checked out that boat the other day, I'm pretty sure it was no good. Just trying to learn what to look for.

I looked in the bilge but found it hard to inspect the stringers as they were covered in glass that was quite rigid, and was painted white so I could not see the wood through the glass. However the drilled holes at the back of the stringer/ transom junction were rotted. I could dig in there with my finger.

Near the front I was able to open that storage hatch in the floor and pull out the liner bin. I saw that the stringers that go the width of the boat were rotted on their bottom side.

The foam near the gas tank looked all wet and black and terrible.

The transom had a big steel plate, thats not original right? And the drain holes in the transom were simply drilled and had no bushings in there so you could just dig in that wood. Seems like hack work to me.

Plus the boat was being stored without a cover, deal killer right there.

I sure do love the boat design though, they are sweet!





http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/z...ps4ntxdcxe.jpg

[phatdaddy]

good eye, looked like you made a wise move. might be a long road trip, but that one ferm posted in the tampa craigslist looks promising