chevyman097 2,579 Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 (edited) First off, I havnt been around much other than skimming over now and then. Been a busy couple years, moved, worked alot, life bills. Well anyhow. Hi guys! its slowing down a little and im getting out and about again. A free boat happened upon me......well its a fixer upper to say the least. It needs a lot of cosmetic work but floats. not leaks. Its old. Anyhow thats not problem. Ill refloor it and new seats the works. The motor is what I have not clue on. Does anyone have any experience with boat motors? Its got a 65 horse mercury motor that worked over 5 years ago. But its been sitting for 5+ not ran. I have no idea where to start? should i just try to crank it? is there any prep i need to do before i try so i dont ruin it? Should i just take it to a shop? how much does it usually run to rebuild something like that? So pretty much i have a big project ahead of me, but i have no idea about motor part of this project. Edited July 24, 2015 by Chevyman097 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spartacus 1,619 Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 I'm not a boat guy either, but a good buddy is. Pop the cover on the motor and do a visual inspection to see if anything looks fubar right off. Drain oil and replace with fresh. Inspect/replace spark plug. Make sure you get a hose adapter to be able to run the motor out of the water. Many boat motors use external water cooling (from the body of water). Or just pull it and have a boat shop go through it while you are refurbing the rest of the boat. Consider an upgrade before dumping money into an old motor though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wasrNwarpaint 184 Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 (edited) I RUN A MERCURY OUTBOARD MECHANIC FORUM, MEMBERS ARE MERC DEALERS, MECHANICS, ENGINE BUILDERS, HYDRO PLANE RACERS .RUNNING MERCS.... WE WILL HOLD YOUR HAND THRU THE PROCESS OF DIAGNOSIS & REVIVING THE OLD GAL PRIVATE MESSAGE ME FOR ACCESS TO MY SITE HERE IS MY RIVER RACER...OOPS JUST SAW ALL THE CAPS Edited July 24, 2015 by wasrNwarpaint 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sim_Player 1,939 Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 You can use a hose adapter or, in a pinch, a large trash can. If you start it, do not take it above idle. I just got rid of a fixer-upper that never saw the water (while I had it). Oh well. Enjoy! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sim_Player 1,939 Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 (edited) (Double Post) Edited July 24, 2015 by Sim_Player Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chevyman097 2,579 Posted July 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 Thanks folks. Ill pop the top on it tomorrow and take a look at it. Try and see where to begin. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JESS1344 508 Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 CHEVYMAN, YA KNOW WHAT A BOAT IS? A HOLE IN THE WATER, THAT YOU THROW MONEY INTO................ JESS1344 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bvamp 604 Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 listen to the dude with the forum. if its been sitting that long, its prolly jelled/gunked up from sitting, and you need to strip it down and clean it good. its one thing if its been sitting a year, MAYBE you can get away with sea foam and some simple maintenance, but FIVE? nah, go talk to that dude and his people about it. I would rebuild it, and do mine once a year. its most likely a simple take it apart and clean it type of deal.....maybe a seal or needle valve on the cheap.... good luck. dont wait for the temperature to get all cold and turn 80 degrees outside before you get it going.....get out there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gunfun 3,931 Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 (edited) Pull off the strainers on the lower unit and make sure there is no crud in there. Check the zincs. See if it has oil where it is supposed to. pull the spark plugs. Dunk it in a trash can, and give it a try. If it doesn't start peeing in 10 seconds or so, shut it down and see if the coolant impeller is still intact. Replace if needed. Also google the model number + "manual" "***.pdf" That is handy. I have been surprised at how easy it was to get neglected outboards going. You are probably going to want to put some solvent into the pivot bushings to flush out the old grease, then re-grease them so that it swivels nicely again. Edited July 24, 2015 by GunFun 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sccritterkiller 473 Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 Boats, planes, and women will give nothing but problems and your better off renting them. Says the guy restoring a Jeep...lol Good Luck and have fun! 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spikester 93 Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 (edited) I imagine it's a 2 stroke motor so cleaning the carbs will be a necessity. Spray good carb cleaner thru every jet and passage in the carb and a little compressed air,and don't run ethanol gas in it cause it gums up fast.If it's crusty may have to poke varnish out of jets with a fine stiff wire, I usually pull one from a wire brush. Fresh grease in the foot and should be good to go. Gas tank may be rusty if it's a portable one can be cleaned out or replaced with plastic one. Edited July 24, 2015 by Spikester 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wasrNwarpaint 184 Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 (edited) great advice from all BUT ..............contact me to to bring your project to the correct forum if you follow what you have been told or what you think is best, you will likely burn it up first thing EVER to do is replace the rubber water pump impeller, they need to be replaced yearly, every 2 years at the the very least. if you dont know the motor it may have 50year rubber impeller...5 years is too long you gotta swap it out........if you fire it up with rotten rubber, pump blades break off get sucked up the water tube into the powerhead and you cook it ...if you stop the motor before you cook it you still have a major issue with the rubber pieces in the powerhead never run it without the battery terminals connected....you burn up the charging system...thats just a couple issues you may encounter.....I may even have some spare parts for that punk bring your project to the correct forum...http://johnsoldmercurysite.com/phpBB3/index.php this is my daily driver 1959 Crosby Corvette Boat when everyone was doing fins Crosby copied the 57 Corvette interior Edited July 24, 2015 by wasrNwarpaint 8 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sim_Player 1,939 Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 I had bought an old 1950's 35 HP Evinrude that had been sitting in barn for years. Brought it home, checked the oil, put gas in it and gave it a pull. It started right up! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cobra 76 two 2,677 Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 Welcome back Chevyman. I hear ya I hardly ever get in here either any more except to answer PMs. Life can be very busy by itself... especially the first half of the year for me. Boats are... well a friggin blast when they work. When they dont... BOAT = Bust Out Another Thousand...lol. Taking on a true fixer upper though and actually succeeding in getting and keeping it on the water is a very rewarding experience. Years ago I rebuilt, fiber-glassed, and painted an old home made wooden bass boat and got many years of enjoyment out of it. Boy did that thing ever turn heads going to and from and across the lake! Haha! I "camo" painted it to exactly match the colors and patterns of my 15 foot Burmese Python, complete with highlights of gold paint to get the same iridescent effect of the snake's skin in sunlight. Have fun and good luck man! Listen to the boat man, especially about that impeller! 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mancat 2,368 Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 (edited) Advice on the impeller is good.. Been meaning to replace mine, but it's never seen salt water and cranks out pressure every season. If the motor sat without getting fogged, you probably want to pull the spark plugs and spot check pistons and cylinder walls for rust. You can use penetrating oil or ATF to get things going again, but if there is rust you probably want to pull the head, check rings, etc. I just cleaned and rebuilt the carbs on my dad's old 78 Evinrude 55hp this summer. Amazingly they were spotless inside and every seal was in good shape. He has never cleaned them since he bought the engine new in 78. Can't explain it. If there is more than one carb it's a good idea to verify that they're in sync. It can cause all sorts of problems, especially poor idle and low RPM issues. Check the electrical components and wiring for dry rot. I've had to rebuild the entire wiring harness on ours due to rot. Also many people nowadays will recommend you avoid ethanol gas if at all possible. Personally I haven't had a problem with it, but it can destroy some old seals and lines not meant for it, and you'd better use up the gas at the end of the season because it will turn to varnish even with 2-stroke oil and stabilizer in it. Edited July 24, 2015 by mancat 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chevyman097 2,579 Posted July 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 well i got to cleaning the boat up today and just giving it a good look over. The transom is rotten. Its bowed out about an inch maybe. Visible bow in the transom in other words. There is a crack in the hull on the inside midway up the transom. I think it just got wet for a long time. So Im wondering is that something that is worth repairing if it can be repaired? This is an old fishing boat mind you. Im not looking to dumb 1000s in it. If i have to ill just put the motor on a newer boat if the motor turns out to be good. as far as the motor i popped the cover, it looks pretty good. not tons of rust or anything. Pulled a plug and it smells of fresh gas/oil on the inside so i think thats a good sign? i signed a little light in there and didnt see any rust and its moist with gas/oil mixture. I think ill have a boat shop give the motor a look over before i try any attempts to crank it. Thanks for all the advice guys. I took a couple pictures of the motor ill post em. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chevyman097 2,579 Posted July 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 (edited) . Edited July 31, 2015 by Chevyman097 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gunfun 3,931 Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 well i got to cleaning the boat up today and just giving it a good look over. The transom is rotten. Its bowed out about an inch maybe. Visible bow in the transom in other words. There is a crack in the hull on the inside midway up the transom. I think it just got wet for a long time. So Im wondering is that something that is worth repairing if it can be repaired? This is an old fishing boat mind you. Im not looking to dumb 1000s in it. If i have to ill just put the motor on a newer boat if the motor turns out to be good. as far as the motor i popped the cover, it looks pretty good. not tons of rust or anything. Pulled a plug and it smells of fresh gas/oil on the inside so i think thats a good sign? i signed a little light in there and didnt see any rust and its moist with gas/oil mixture. I think ill have a boat shop give the motor a look over before i try any attempts to crank it. Thanks for all the advice guys. I took a couple pictures of the motor ill post em. Sounds like glass on plywood construction. Those get waterlogged and rot out badly. They get heavier every year, and with every fix. Also, because the rotting wood is hidden inside an eggshell, you never know how much structural integrity is lost until you have some stress on it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mancat 2,368 Posted July 26, 2015 Report Share Posted July 26, 2015 You'll get endless google results for transom repair. A friend of ours had his redone on an old Chrysler tri-hull. The rotten section was cut out, a new plywood section cut to match, glued in, and then sandwiched in with a massively oversized aluminum cap that overlaps the seam of the replacement piece, bolts through the non-rotted transom surround as well as the replacement section, and is sealed up with RTV. Did some work on his boat last summer.. If you can believe it the PO (my uncle) was taking it into salt water straits with no bilge pump installed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gunfun 3,931 Posted July 26, 2015 Report Share Posted July 26, 2015 I believe it. It is amazing how many people go out to sea with bashed in bilge pump strainers that block the impeller, and let crud in. Or ditto for the basket thing around the float switch that will render the float switch moot. Not that anyone with a brain relies on a float switch. A real common one is to see people with burned up bilge pumps. When you check, they have the ends clipped off of zip ties they used for engine room electrical stuff, or tying gear down, etc. Those cut offs get sucked into the pump, as do string, net web, wire bits, etc. They will toast those little impellers quickly. Also the flimsy plastic accordion hose that RULE sells is worthless. It doesn't seal on the outlet of the pump very well, and it is so easily damaged, that I would never trust it to be good in a bad situation. Get a heat gun and some awful spirolite hose and then you will know your pump will work when you need it. First thing after starting your engine (AKA charging system) you flick on the bilge pumps. that lets you know they work, and also how much water is getting in. Then periodically you peak in the bilge area if you have an enclosed boat. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SmilinEd 364 Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 well i got to cleaning the boat up today and just giving it a good look over. The transom is rotten. Its bowed out about an inch maybe. Visible bow in the transom in other words. There is a crack in the hull on the inside midway up the transom. I think it just got wet for a long time. So Im wondering is that something that is worth repairing if it can be repaired? This is an old fishing boat mind you. Im not looking to dumb 1000s in it. If i have to ill just put the motor on a newer boat if the motor turns out to be good. as far as the motor i popped the cover, it looks pretty good. not tons of rust or anything. Pulled a plug and it smells of fresh gas/oil on the inside so i think thats a good sign? i signed a little light in there and didnt see any rust and its moist with gas/oil mixture. I think ill have a boat shop give the motor a look over before i try any attempts to crank it. Thanks for all the advice guys. I took a couple pictures of the motor ill post em. Chevyman, if I was in your shoes, I would eject..!! do not put a dime in it, just sell it. There are better deals out there for boats then what your looking to jump into with this can, not being mean, just saying. Best to you..! and welcome back Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gunfun 3,931 Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 That has some sense to it. There is another one every week on craigslist. Also, it would be a betrayal of my family's boat buildin' reputation not to say you should ditch the wood and plastic for something made of pop cans. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gunfun 3,931 Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 I tried to find a picture which would show the advantages of Alu min ium for boats, but there were too many fishies in the way. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Long Shot 1,287 Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 Good to see ya around again Chevy, Hate to say it but, if you think it was expensive to buy a good boat just wait until you get one for free. From the damage you described it may not be worth fixing. Fiber glass is certainly repairable but rotted structure can turn into an endless can of worms. Hope the motor tuns out to be in good shape. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JESS1344 508 Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 GUYS, HOLE IN THE WATER............... JESS1344 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chevyman097 2,579 Posted July 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 Ya I think I'm just going to see if I can get anything out of the motor and trailer and ditch the boat. Honestly I was looking for a metal boat. something I can crappie fish and do a little duck hunting on the side in anyways. It was free minus a new pair of tires so I'm not out amything really. Think I can get something out of the trailer in the worst case scenario. it's in good shape. 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gunfun 3,931 Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 Still a good deal if the motors and trailer are solid. Boat people have a saying. It's kinda varied, but the gist is something like this. The difference between a decent boat and an early stage marine disaster is simple. On a good boat you can turn the bilge pumps off some of the time. Alt version: --- you don't have to run all of the bilge pumps. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SmilinEd 364 Posted July 28, 2015 Report Share Posted July 28, 2015 WNWP, That Crosby with the twins is F%cking Sweet...!!!! I have to ask...? What is the item on the hood, right side of the steering wheel...?? Again, that boat is Beautiful...!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SmilinEd 364 Posted July 28, 2015 Report Share Posted July 28, 2015 Chevyman, what make/model boat, some boat parts are sought after. just like anything old, there is a market. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wasrNwarpaint 184 Posted July 28, 2015 Report Share Posted July 28, 2015 WNWP, That Crosby with the twins is F%cking Sweet...!!!! I have to ask...? What is the item on the hood, right side of the steering wheel...?? Again, that boat is Beautiful...!!! Thanks its a spot lite / rear view mirror Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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