New lead

[Airslot]

If it's like my transom, I wouldn't worry about it at all. Mine is 25" on the sides and notched down to 20" in the middle. With the motor well I get no water in the boat, at least over the transom. I fish in the Chesapeake about 15 times a year and Ocean fish stripers in the winter in this boat. Glad that I don't have the CC version as I did take one over the bow this year.

Airslot

CPK, I have been burned more than I care to admit by " sellers" claiming motors were newer than they were or different such as shaft length etc. Drive 5 hours and get their to find out the truth - no thanks.

Now, I insist they write down the numbers and read them to me over the phone. You would be surprised how often they are mistaken.

That ad is over a year old - ya gotta wonder why it has not sold yet. The remote mountains of PA ... c'mon now.

As for the 20 inch transom ... that would concern me most when drifting in strong currents, like inlets, in a wind against current situation. Maybe with a good well and splashblock. But not for me. I am not that brave.

[macojoe]

Well I agree that a taller transom would be better!!

But if you no what you are doing, and you don't mind a little water then the 20 will work!!

Offer the guy $5000 see what he says??

All boats are a work in progress IMO I have owned my boat 6 years now and I haven't stoped working on it yet!!

I added a 25 gal gas tank were the I/O use to be so now I have 3 tanks totaling 65 gal.

I have removed the air vents on the rear top of transom and made one a gas filler for the new tank and then I did the same with the middle one so I can fill the remote oil tank from out side the boat!!

If this doesn't work out then try to look for a I/O that needs to be repowered, Then convert!! I have made my boat to take a 25" shaft motor, and don't care about water comming over the transom! *;D

Its not as hard as you think to do this! I did it my self, and after 2 heavy use seasons it is as strong as ever!!

[chesapeake724]

Nice job, MJ.

Yeah, I've had the I/O to bracketed conversion project in my head for some time now. The pipe dream for some time now was to find a Formula F233 and convert it. (Have added the V-20 and the Chris Craft Scorpion/Lancer to possible candidates as well.) Been poking around THT, Classic Mako and Seacraft, and am reading Vaitses book on fiberglass boat repair to learn me sumpin' 'bout it. Your gallery was very helpful, too.

I know what motors cost, but what's the cash outlay for the bigger ticket items of a project like this? The bracket, obviously, say $1500-$2500 from what I gather. What else?

[macojoe]

well first off you need to get the transom fixed. I did this my self and saved a ton of cash!! And it is not hard.

After you pull the motor and out drive you need to make sure the transom is in good shape!
I drilled a few 1/4 inch holes on the inside of the transom to see what the wood looked like. It will be a little crapy near the hole but should get better as you move away.
After that you want to take a saw and cut the inside of the transom square big anough ot get to good wood! There is double 3/4 in the center of the transom, so set the saw to 1 1/2 so you no cut thur the transom.
Now pry that piece of wood out annd clean the fiberglass real good getting all the wood off.
The fiber glass here is like 1/2 inch thick!!
Now set the saw 3/4 and cut the hole 2 inches wider on the top pice of ply only!
Then take a piece of ply cut to the size of the inner hole and coat with resin. Then cut fiberglass cloth 2 inches bigger the the board. Wet the cloth and put in hole covering the hole and then hamer the ply in the hole. Taking the extra cloth and over lap on to the bigger hole on top.
Take 2nd ply cut to fit top hole and do the same as th first and screw it to the first ply.
Now using cloth and resin just keep layering till you have filled hole to meet the oringal fiberglass overlaping to get a good seal.

Now go out side and start filling the hole with glass matting and resin till you meet the out side glass.
I sanded till smooth and thats it. IMO there is no reason to gel coat here as it is going to be inside the bracket, but if you must Marine tex is fine.

Now the transom is all set at a cost of $150 ?? I got most of my glass cloth free from a friend and just had to pay for reasin and ply.

Now get a good bracket. I like my stainless marine bracket with platform. All aluminin and powder coated. Platform like mine is $1500, but there are alot of take ffs around!! I got mine for $400 and there were more for like $500. If you must go new you can get brackets with out platforms for like $700 or so. The nice thing about getting new is you get it for your boat!! So it fits the curve in the transom. Mine is from a 23 Seacraft and I had to make some wedges on the corners to make it fit. You can see in my gallery.

Then I had a friend weld me up a excat same bolt pattern bracket on the inside of the boat, out of 3" x 1/2 inch flat stock. I coated it with 4 coats of ZRC Galvanetic Compound. Has had lots of salt water in the bildge for 2 years now and no rust yet!! Cost was for flat stock only $50

Now you have to get the thing lined up on the boat and mark all the holes. This is the hard part!! ou need to get the holes drilled so that the bracket, boat, and the inside bracket all line up!
Put all the bolts thur and get the nuts and washers just started. Use longer bolts then you need!!
Now get a couple of tubes of 5200 $12 each total $24 and start pumping all the way around the bracket between the bracket and boat. Don't be cheap with the stuff!!
After you get all that on there start tighting all the bolts. The stuff is going to squeeze out all over the place!! Thats ok!! tigten all real good and come back in a couple of hours and retighten again. remove excess!

Your Done!! So let see
$150 fix transom
$24 for 5200
$50 for inside bracket
$60 SS 1/2 bolts
$30 quart ZRC paint
$400 Bracket
$50 miss. for stuff I forgot like brushes and stuff

total $764 if new bracket $1500 = $1864

$1800 1989 175 Yamaha
$450 to get it ready
$75 for me to leanthen the wireharness as it is now at a 28" set back.

Total for me $3089 give or take a few dollars

And its the best thing I have ever done!!

Anything else you want to no?? Just ask!!

[brianct12]

MJ,
I just joined this site ..... * and think it is great. *I have had a 1969 18' Thompson for 20 years now ... *and am finally tired of its "pounding" in LI Sound in anything over a small chop. *I want a better ride ... *and many have suggested the V20. *I am handy with projects and would like to pick up an I/O V20 and do a bracket conversion. *Your first-hand info and suggestions are invaluable - *and make me think I can pull it off. * My questions are more about the resulting performance of the boat. *Will it sit too low in the stern at rest. *Ride to bow high ? *Porpoise ? *Difficult to use in reverse ? *And finally, just how is the V20 in 2-3' chop. *Is it better than average at not pounding ? *Thanx for any help. * Brian *in CT.

ps - Oh ... one other thing. Have you any guess as to what the odds are that an early 80's I/O boat will still have a "good" transom. (Maybe 50% ?) I would think it would be hard to inspect for ... so buying the boat would be a slight gamble on the transom condition. Fixing a bad transom adds to the cost of a conversion - obviously.

[macojoe]

Welcome the board!!

I don't think that the conversion has hurt the boat to much!! I think it makes a wider turn now, and it backs up fine as long as you don't have to turn it to hard.

Has for tthe weight in the back and sitting low in the water, The bracket has a float chamber and I belive it doesn't sit any lower naw then it ever has.

As for a 3 foot chop and the rest, you trim the motor right and it is a champ!! But that said if this is the norm for you (chop) trim tabs will be a great help also.

As for getting a 80's with a good?bad transom, your right 50%
Just make sure you ck it out good!! first. Mine is a 1975 ant the transom is still good so far!! But there was some rot right around the hole were the outdrive went thur. But you have to cut some away any how to make the patch.
Being that mine had some rot at the hole I am sure there was moist wood else were but it was still coming out like prety clean wood when I was drilling the holes to mount the bracket.
Also I am not sure about newer stuff but the glass on the out side skin is 1/2 inch thick!! The inside is 1/4 so there is alot of glass there!

Any way it old a bit beat up but its payed for and takes the water pretty good! And that makes me happy!!

[Blue_Runner]

MJ, everything I own is old and beat up! A brand new boat just wouldn't fit my style...

[bigshrimpin]

Chesapeake - here's a real nice one.

http://adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/6/8/69486168.htm

[chesapeake724]

Thanks, BS, I've seen that ad as I've been checking boattrader, yachtworld, etc. like a lunatic. ;) I think that might be a stretch for the budget. Maybe if it was closer...

I think it's older hulls for me to start. Besides, the more I clean up my old Trophy to make her more saleable, the more I see my first Steplift as being a boat that needs some TLC. The refurb bug has bitten another victim. Over a couple years she'd be a work in progress to clean and upgrade and save up for the V21 or bracketed outboard project. ;D