Well this is a game changer!!

[3 Squids]

So now my mind is racing about this VRO deal. I got the part today to fix the pump. Put it on tonight but the kiddos were in bed and the boats right outside their window so I couldn't fire her up. But assuming all is normal, as it was when I first heard the boat run, I'm debating possibly ordering a brand new OEM fuel pump and running the oil tank again (tank was still in the boat). I got spoiled with my Yamaha not having to premix and love the idea of never having to deal with it. I've read the most probable cause of failure is neglect. Neglect to clean the tank and pickup regularly and neglect to check the warning system regularly. Well I'm the kind of guy that checks thru-hulls before every boat trip so adding a couple things to my check list is no problem at all.

Pumps are $369 shipped to the door (gone down a lot in the past few years). Seems replacing those say every 2-3 years is just cheap insurance when looking at boating $$ as a whole.

Also the boy I got it from said he's owned it 3 years and never decarbbed it so that may be a weekend project for me as well. Might clean the rings up a bit and get the compression a little closer to 100. Also when we did the comp check the motor was cold so that may help too, but my last JonnyRude (96 200) had 85psi across all 6 and ran like a champ, just a little weaker than 200hp I'm sure.

Once that's done after a quick lower unit fluid change hopefully she'll be ready to hit the water.

[THEFERMANATOR]

It's your money, but I'll NEVER trust a OMC type VRO oil injection. WAY to many of them EARNED the nickname very rarely oils. Just WAY to many problems, and places for things to fail in that system. And depending on how much wiring was cut to remove it, it may be a pain to hook it all back up. That's my $.02 on it. I know a FEW like the system, but when the fate of your engine rides on a jiggling oil plunger piston, NO THANK YOU!

[3 Squids]

Originally Posted by THEFERMANATOR

It's your money, but I'll NEVER trust a OMC type VRO oil injection. WAY to many of them EARNED the nickname very rarely oils. Just WAY to many problems, and places for things to fail in that system. And depending on how much wiring was cut to remove it, it may be a pain to hook it all back up. That's my $.02 on it. I know a FEW like the system, but when the fate of your engine rides on a jiggling oil plunger piston, NO THANK YOU!

I hear ya Ferm. Plenty of people out there hate them. But plenty of people (maybe not as many) love them. Fortunately it's just plugging in a wire and hooking up a hose to hook it back up, nothing was cut. My dad runs his VRO and has never had an issue. I kept preaching to him to bypass and he just wouldn't listen, now he's laughing because I'm on the fence about it.

[3 Squids]

Got the fuel pump put together today. Went to fire her up and nothing. Pumped the ball and can hear gas going into the bowls. Turned the primer nob up and pumped the ball to spray fuel in the intake. Fired right up until it burnt the fuel out. Great here we go...bad reeds?? Bad rings not pulling Vacuum???? I'm about to give up and my dad stops by. Puts his hands over a carb and has me turn it over. Sucked his hand slam up against the carb. He pulled his hand off and it looked like 2% milk coming out. Apparently the tank has quite a bit of water in her.

Pulled the carb plugs and pumped fresh gas through them til it was nice and green. Put it back together and ran it off a remote tank. Ran great. Whew thought I may be putting the Merc on her sooner than I wanted.

[bradford]

I like that boat.

Take the VRO off so we don't have to say we told you so. They work great until they don't.

If you're really lucky (yeah right) you'll have your day ruined by the sound of the no oil alarm going off and have to get towed in.

If not keep your eyes open for a rebuilt powerhead.

Momma gonna love that.

[A ReelCool Chick]

Man, I LOVE your boat!

Looks like my boat's twin...I have an '84 Sportsman. Same everything as yours, except I don't have the hardtop and the previous owner converted to a full transom.

[3 Squids]

Geez I hate wiring!!


I'll have to snap a pic of the unnecessary wire pile I ended up with in the day light. Boat should be wired and ready to fire up tomorrow. Not sure it I told y'all but my 200 Merc is now on it. May not tote the mail like it would on a V but should scoot right along.

[Destroyer]

Beautiful engine for a beautiful boat. Hope to hitch a ride in her someday.

[wellcraftv20step]

That's exactly what my boat looked like this year in regard to left over disgarded wire, why won't folks just remove the old wire and transducer cables when they replace them? I must have had 200 feet of wire on the deck and two old Shakespeare's antenna masts shoved through the rod storage holders into the gunnels, and as I mentioned once before the previous owner was an electrician ! Go figure. But I know you'll like thathull as much asI did. Only problem I had was it sat very low in the stern because I had a Mercruiser 350 on it and we always stood in an inch of water when fishing straight out the back.you won't have that problem with half the weight in your stern.looking forward to hearing how much you like it on your first trip out!!

[3 Squids]

Originally Posted by A ReelCool Chick

Man, I LOVE your boat!

Looks like my boat's twin...I have an '84 Sportsman. Same everything as yours, except I don't have the hardtop and the previous owner converted to a full transom.

I hope to convert this to closed transom. The wide openness of the transom area scares me with my kids. It's a shame because I sold a Stainless Marine bracket a couple days before getting this boat. All well I'll just keep my eyes out for another one.