Any fiberglass boat older than 15 years is considered a project unless proven otherwise
Your budget if 3-9k is low that is primarily project territory unless it's a tinny
Since you want to avoid wood, stick with a tinny
Because even today, many boats still have wood
With the right prop, you...
The thermostat housing is set up as a mixing valve. It should always have water flowing out the exhaust and sometimes have water going to the block and heads
There is a bleed orifice in tbe housing that vents air bubbles
Is the thermostat installed correctly?
Did you acetone test the...
86 should be a 9.9/15, where the prior 7.5/9.8 series ended in 1985
Did you do a compression test? Issues with the reed valves?
Did you set the float correctly?
Did you go thru the fuel pump?
5000 series aluminum is an extruded / rolled product vs a cast product. Most likely A356 or A380
The anneal point of the casting will be about 570F
A temp stick will be your friend when applying heat
