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  1. JimS123

    Adding kicker motor to a Lowe FS 175

    I'm not into drawing blueprints any more, so just bear with me. My old transom mounted kicker boats are long gone so no pics. I don't know what dimensions you will need, so lets make some assumptions. Let's just say your transom is 2" thick and sticks up 3". You want to raise the transom up...
  2. JimS123

    This Combo is Good For ?

    Oops - forgot to take the plug out. The repairs would exceed the value of the boat. Due to the circumstances, I would guess an insurance claim would be in order, and let them handle the disposal.
  3. JimS123

    Suggestions for replacement floor covering

    That's great stuff. Waterprrof, soft on the feet, doesn't get hot in the sun, easy to clean. The bad part - extreme durability. You need to wear soft shoes, don't drop sharp stuff on it, and whatever you do don't take a dog along. Toe nails will tear it up.
  4. JimS123

    Adding kicker motor to a Lowe FS 175

    You have to drill even if the 2 1/2" is enough. Don't ever rely on clamps. They are intended to keep a little 9.9 on, but may not be good enough to withstand the stresses of that big guy sitting next to it. (OK, OK, everybody and their brother just clamps on and it is just fine. Well, are ya...
  5. JimS123

    Charging voltage drop with diode isolator

    The "battery chargers" that I have are all 120 volts. Its the kinda thing you have in your basement so you can charge your boat and tractor batteries in the Winter. "Smart" merely means that it is 3-stage and it varies the voltage according to the state of the battery. I have seen bass boats...
  6. JimS123

    Charging voltage drop with diode isolator

    I believe a fully charged lead acid battery should read 12.6-12.7 volts. An AGM is maybe a couple tenths higher. A Smart Charger bulk charge on a depleted battery will run as high as 14.2 or so volts, but once its near full it will reduce to the float voltage of about 13.2-13.5 volts. A car...
  7. JimS123

    Charging voltage drop with diode isolator

    Batteries are best charged with a 3-stage Smart Charger. The "juice" is varied according to what the battery needs. There are different settings for wet cell, AGM and gel batteries. Engine alternators are more "maintainers" than anything else. If you want to charge on the hook, get a Smart...
  8. JimS123

    Considering New Boat

    I thought the OP was looking at newer boats. At that price point they couldn't have been more than a year or 2 old.
  9. JimS123

    Considering New Boat

    The 3.0 was dropped when GM stopped making them. The 4.5 Mercury built I/O is the smallest in production now.
  10. JimS123

    Tree Shade Commercial Boaters.-

    Same up here. Dealers with past experience and good knowledge are few and far between. Online vendors (like here) sell the entire selection of props, so getting the right one isn't an issue. If you do it right away the factory prop can be sold on EBay, thus minimizing the extra cost factor.
  11. JimS123

    What pitch prop for Carolina Skiff J14 with Yamaha15 2 stoke?

    A real boat - like a fiberglass or aluminum runabout with a relatively high HP motor - has literally dozens of prop styles and sizes to chose from. It's fun to optimize and get her running optimally. A toy boat - like a little fishing boat with a little clamp on outboard - has maybe 3 props to...
  12. JimS123

    Leaving I/O in water all year round?

    Water leaks in thru seals and bellows. They need to be replaced periodically as preventative maintenance. They are expensive to maintain. The experts say replace every few years. If you miss a replacement and the leak happens the cost is even higher. My trailer boat had the job done about...
  13. JimS123

    Spar Varnish or Urethane for Deck Rails and Trim?

    Knowing Bayliner of that era its probably not high quality mahogany either. My last boat was adorned in teak all over. Oiled a few times a year it still looked like new after 35 years. OTOH, my buddy decided to varnish his and the job looked like crap. Scratches and varnish drips all over...
  14. JimS123

    Spar Varnish or Urethane for Deck Rails and Trim?

    If the rails are mahogany, marine spar varnish is the only acceptable product. It was designed for that purpose. Urethane is for the trim inside your house. (unless you want it to look really good, then use spar in the house too) If your wood is teak, Amazon Teak Oil is your ONLY option. No...
  15. JimS123

    Rope Steering install

    Google is your friend. E-Bay has several vintage wheels with hubs for sale. Just pick your style. There are also several vendors there that sell the complete new kit of fasteners, pullys, springs and cable. Total cost for both about ~$200.
  16. JimS123

    What pitch prop for Carolina Skiff J14 with Yamaha15 2 stoke?

    Our 13 1/2' tinny is rated for 25. We ran an Evinrude 9.5 2-stroke with an 8" pitch prop for many years. At the time I believe an 8" was the lowest available. With just me aboard it would pop up quite nicely. With 2 moderately fat adults and 2 skinny pre-teenagers the boat would plane just...
  17. JimS123

    I'm Back

    When I was 12 Grandpa sold the boat. When I was 19 I bought one of my own. Those were the worst 7 years of my life. That was 52 years ago. If I ever stop boating it'll be because I'm in the nursing home.
  18. JimS123

    Questions about waterlogged foam on 1977 Mckee Craft

    If the boat has stringers there is plenty of data here on how to fix it. If the core is structural foam then its not as simple as just cutting away the deck. If the latter is the case go over to the Boston Whaler forum and talk to them. There IS a way to restore a Whaler.
  19. JimS123

    Tree Shade Commercial Boaters.-

    Nothing is under powered if you have the engine rpm / prop selection so that it runs at or near max spec rpm. It just takes you longer to get there but won't hurt the motor. Do you mean "shade tree"?
  20. JimS123

    Considering New Boat

    Our last boat was a Stingray. We bought new and had her for 35 years. Only sold her to move up to a bigger boat, and move to a low maintenance outboard. I was finally fed up with the bellows, U-joints and winterizing, et al. We had a 3.0 liter I/O. Everybody told us it was crap and we...
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