1976 Starcraft Chieftain 22ft. Cuddy Cabin Transom replace.

[justinkaley2]

The transom board is almost all gone. A Raccoon took most of it out. There won't be any pattern. I would like to find someone who has done this repair . Steps to remove whats left and what has to be done. Does the motor have to be pulled forward, then the steering? Putting the new board in from the top will be a challenge. It's tight quarters . This boat is an I/O. Mercruiser 165 hp Inline 6. Aluminum Hull. Any tips or ideas are appreciated.

 

[rheagler]

Re: 1976 Starcraft Chieftain 22ft. Cuddy Cabin Transom replace.

Check out the Starcraft section, here... Starcraft Boats especially the restoration threads. There is LOTS of good info there. Good luck with your project!

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1976 Starcraft Chieftain 22ft. Cuddy Cabin Transom replace.

Pix of your Chieftain will also help.

Quite a few big I/O boat restos @ the link Rheagler posted.

Most remove the engine to make working @ the transom easier. But yes, the motor needs to be detached & moved, the inner & outer I/O assemblies need to be removed. As well as most (all?) of the inner & exterior attachments to or thru the transom: ladders, swim platforms, tow hooks/eyes, etc.......

A stout tree limb, barn beam, garage header/beam can all be used w/ a come-along or chain hoist. An engine hoist may work, depending on it's reach & lifting (height) capacity. To lower the top edge of the transom, you can remove the outdrive, remove the rims & tires and set the trailer frame on blocks or jack stands.

You can also sometimes find a tow/wrecker service that will come out & lift the motor out (back in after too) for a fee. You might even get a deal if you let them call when they are out your way already on a call & they have time to swing by & yank it out for you. You'll need to be absolutely sure it's 100% disconnected & free of all wires & connections before they show up. They will only want to back up, hook the motor & pull it, otherwise you may get an hourly charge for waiting. Have an engine stand ready to go too.

Good luck w. your project & welcome to the iboats dry dock, tin division.

 

[Watermann]

Re: 1976 Starcraft Chieftain 22ft. Cuddy Cabin Transom replace.

Welcome to the iboats dry dock Justin! I recently started the restoration of a Chief and I think you'll find out that you have a bunch of hard work ahead of you but it's very much worthwhile. You just need to start tearing into the project beginning with removal of the outdrive, engine, gimbal and inner mount. That will be the biggest part of the job if all you have to do is replace the transom. You'll have tons of help here offered up from some very experienced and knowledgeable people.

 

[justinkaley2]

Re: 1976 Starcraft Chieftain 22ft. Cuddy Cabin Transom replace.

Check out the Starcraft section, here... Starcraft Boats especially the restoration threads. There is LOTS of good info there. Good luck with your project!

Thanks ! I made a lot of progress today. I am down to the inner mount. Not sure what bolts to remove. Do they thread into the outer assembly? Or are there nuts to remove from the rear? I have surfed posts but couldn't find a post about taking the inner and outer stern assembly's out.

 

[ShowMeGuy]

Re: 1976 Starcraft Chieftain 22ft. Cuddy Cabin Transom replace.

I just undid the 6 or so big studs/nuts on the inner transom bracket and pulled it and everything that was bolted to it off together. Then the took a rubber mallet to get the outer off....

 

[justinkaley2]

Re: 1976 Starcraft Chieftain 22ft. Cuddy Cabin Transom replace.

Not sure if I can slide that transom board down from the top with the over hang on top. Would I have to peel open the top to make room. Hope not.

 

[justinkaley2]

Re: 1976 Starcraft Chieftain 22ft. Cuddy Cabin Transom replace.

Over the years there has been a lot of screws put into back of the transom. Not sure the best way to fix those . It looks as though StarCraft didn't use any adhesive on the back of the board.

 

[justinkaley2]

Re: 1976 Starcraft Chieftain 22ft. Cuddy Cabin Transom replace.

Thanks for all the advice. It makes life easier for sure. After getting things out of the way I see there's a added board (3/8 in.)around the hole.

Next step is removing the wood that's left. In pieces , re assemble and try to make a pattern. May grind the heads off the screws that hold the board in a trough at the bottom.
Then off for plywood. 3/4 inch exterior plywood. (Not Treated) Then I need to find the right stuff to coat and glue together the plywood. Resin and or (?) I have looked through a ton of the restorations and still looking in between working on it.

 

[justinkaley2]

Re: 1976 Starcraft Chieftain 22ft. Cuddy Cabin Transom replace.

Thanks.

 

[justinkaley2]

Re: 1976 Starcraft Chieftain 22ft. Cuddy Cabin Transom replace.



These pics were taken from a kite on a small camera mounted to a platform hanging off the string and flown from the boat. The camera can turn 360, look slightly up and look straight down and click a picture all controlled from remote control airplane servo's. Kite Aerial Photography.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1976 Starcraft Chieftain 22ft. Cuddy Cabin Transom replace.

On a tin boat, the transom ply isn't adhered to the interior aluminum skin

After you install the transom ply, you can fill the excess unwanted holes w/ JB Weld (or similar)

It's an I/O transom right?

You should be able to install the ply from the interior w/out cutting or prying up the gunwale across the top edge of the transom.

Your transom thru the keyhole needs to be 2-2.25" total thickness.

You can laminate the transom ply w/ TiteBond3, Gorilla glue, or any waterproof adhesive glue

2-3 coats of epoxy on each side of the transom ply (do the edges w/ each coat, so they get 4-6coats, same for the keyhole too), lightly scuffed between coats.

As an I/O it won't be exposed to UV, so you can stop w/ the epoxy. Or paint it to match the rest of the interior/bilge..

You will find a bunch of helpful info in the SC resto threads, then you won't have to wait for some answers.

Lots of the guys hang at the iboats dry dock after work, so sometimes it takes a bit to get a reply.

 

[justinkaley2]

1976 Starcraft Chieftain 22ft. Cuddy Cabin Transom replace.

With help from this forum I am down to removing the transom wood. I just can't see how the new board will go in from the inside. Has anyone ever replaced a board on a 1976 StarCraft Chieftain Cuddy Cabin? Going thru the top would be very difficult if not impossible.

 

[justinkaley2]

Re: 1976 Starcraft Chieftain 22ft. Cuddy Cabin Transom replace.

I removed a bunch of useless screws in the back of the transom.(from years of applications). I was told JB Weld could repair these holes. I live in Michigan where temperature changes affect the JB Weld. I repaired a crack on the engine that was probably caused by freezing and JB Weld has repaired it year after year with a new application each spring. After a cold winter the JB Weld and the metal separate. Any suggestions for something that could handle the temp changes we go thru?

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1976 Starcraft Chieftain 22ft. Cuddy Cabin Transom replace.

Why the 2 threads?
1976 Starcraft Chieftain 22ft. Cuddy Cabin Transom replace.


Rheagler & I have both given you good advice in your other transom thread:

Check out the Starcraft section, here... Starcraft Boats especially the restoration threads. There is LOTS of good info there. Good luck with your project!

Here's the list of Cheiftain rebuilds from the SC owner's forum Rebuilds thread:
Chieftain

boatnut74's '72 22' Chieftain
1972 Starcraft Chieftain restoration - Page 1 - 477984

ALPHEUS' 69 Chieftain
1969 Starcraft Chieftain Restoration - Page 1 - 450122

MichaelP's 74 18' Chieftain COMPLETE
1974 Starcraft Chieftain 18' OB refit - Page 1 - 472217

Ts's 79 Chieftain
1979 Starcraft Chieftain 18 - rebuild - Page 1 - 387771

Coalminerswife's 1973 19' Chieftain to Open Bow Conversion COMPLETE
1973 Starcraft Restoration 19' - Page 1 - 418927

horsecapades' 1976 25' Chieftain MK IV
1976 Starcraft Chieftain 25 MK IV - Page 1 - 395429

CraigBarnard's 1965 22' Chieftain COMPLETE
1965 Starcraft Cheiftain - Page 1 - 448824

Weep'n Willy's 1970's 24' Chieftain
My Chieftan project - Page 1 - 580639

Stevens520's 1975 25' Chieftian
1975 Starcraft 25' Cheiftain MK IV Rebuild - Page 1 - 579337

Stevesmith812 1972 24' Chieftain
http://forums.iboats.com/starcraft-b...k4-519996.html


Read thru Stevesmith812's thread ^^^. He had the same problem you do attempting to replace the transom. Bond-o suggested 1 method of removal, and Steve settled on a different method. PM either of them if you want details about how they accomplished the removal of the transom.

The welded & molded corners on your rear gunwale and the extra tall stringers at the transom make it more complicated then some I/O transom replacements.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1976 Starcraft Chieftain 22ft. Cuddy Cabin Transom replace.

@JB Weld, quite a few SC owners in the upper midwest & canada are going to be quite surprised if the JB Weld they've used on their boats, cracks & falls out.

Jas recently used it on his Islander, and he's in MI:

Thanks for stopping in fellas! Yah Michael, Marine Tex ought to be the way I should go (especially on this next step) but I had some JB Weld on hand here. Kind of a "run whatcha brung" sort of a deal.

Still paint prepping here. So remember way back in the day when I chopped those "gunwale risers" off. Well that created this seam that doesn't look all that great but mainly will catch all sorts of debris and junk over time....

JB Weld slobbed all over the place...

.

 

[justinkaley2]

Re: 1976 Starcraft Chieftain 22ft. Cuddy Cabin Transom replace.

I'm new here.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1976 Starcraft Chieftain 22ft. Cuddy Cabin Transom replace.

Not a big deal to have 2 threads, it just gets complicated when there's more then 1 place discussing the same aspect of your project. Partly for you, but even more so for those that follow us after we've finished our builds. Just like the threads I posted above of SC Cheiftain projects, your thread will be a hit in someone else's research.

Scan thru Jas' thread you just asked a top down question in. Look for a post by Ezmobee, he's a moderator. Left click his user name, and from the drop down menu pick 'Private Message'. That will take you to a new page to send him a PM. Just ask him to merge your 2 transom threads into 1, even if they are in separate forums (like here in resto & in the SC forum) but I think they are both here in the resto forum.

I don't think Jas' Islander has the same style of rear gunwale, so his build was different then yours will be. I think he removed the entire gunwale across the back of the boat, cut it down to make it narrower, and while it was off installed his transom.

Which driveline does your Chieftain have? OMC/Stinger outdrive, or a Mercruiser? If you need to replace the transom & deck and rework the interior some, now would be a good time to upgrade to the Mercruiser driveline. The OMC & it's stringer outdrive are obsolete & tough to find parts in some areas of the US. Ford motors are similarly obsolete & hard to source parts for.

If you send Jas a PM or post in his SC resto's their all here thread, he'll add your Chieftain to the list Making it even easier for someone to locate & use for reference.

The SC guys are frequent & helpful posters. There's very little 'new' & never seen before stuff that will come up in your rehab.

 

[justinkaley2]

Re: 1976 Starcraft Chieftain 22ft. Cuddy Cabin Transom replace.

When you said to go to the Restoration, I thought you meant to post there.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1976 Starcraft Chieftain 22ft. Cuddy Cabin Transom replace.

Oops, I just meant reading thru some tin resto threads would be extremely helpful & then you might find answers to questions you hadn't yet thought to ask. And you might remember seeing/reading about something in another tin thread so you could find a quick answer for yourself, rather then waiting for reply to a question.

No matter, a mod can merge the 2 threads if you ask them to. May anyway if they happen across them.

Did you scan thru Stephans Cheiftain thread?