Long time reader that finally decided to make an account and post...
I love free things! So I was at work the other day complaining about how I don't want to take my Ski Nautique in the salt water even though there is a great water ski area 2 miles away and the nearest lake is about 40. A co-worker says "I've got a boat you can have if you want it. It hasn't been run in a while, but it's all there and should fire right up." Now me being the project lover that I am, was not going to turn down a free boat. So here's the scoop..
Boat - 1974 Cee Bee Avenger
Condition - I'd say for a 35 year old boat, it's in good shape. Gelcoat is a bit worn, starting to crinkle in places, but all there except for a chip or two. Carpet is all there, in decent shape, one small soft spot in the floor about the size of a softball 2 feet from the transom, center deck.
Engine - 1987? Evinrude 140hp V4
Condition - Again for it's age, pretty good shape. After a new battery and a bit of love, she fired right up.
So, I've had the boat for 2 days. So far I've cut and buffed the gelcoat to help get the shine back, cleaned more rat crap than I've pretty much ever seen, and fired up the engine. The battery was toast, so I ditched it and bought a new one. Old owner was using a cheap 6 gallon tank and not the bow tank. I connected up the tank up in the bow and used that for the first time in probably years.
Took the boat down to the marina and launched her.
First drive impressions - Engine runs fine. However, the fast engine idle lever on my OMC control box doesn't do a thing. Also the throttle can be shoved all the way down, no real change in speed. There is a lot of tension on the throttle when being pressed. Moving the lever into gear and out of gear sometimes gets a reaction. Sometimes it takes some moving around to get the motor in and out of gear, which can get a bit interesting when trying to go slow or trailer the boat.
Engine trim and lift work... sometimes. If I pour fluid in the reservoir it's all good, but then fluid leaks out of the manual lift screw. Any ideas there? Maybe leaking past a oring? How do I get a new oring in there?
Need to get a fuel gauge that works, need to find a way to hook up the tach as I have no idea where I'm suppose to connect it. I'd prefer to buy a new one instead of repairing the old one. Gotta hook up a speedometer of some kind. I'd also love to find an oil pressure gauge, but again, have no idea where to hook it into.
So, what should I do about the control box. Does this sound like cables? Any idea which cables to get?
I love free things! So I was at work the other day complaining about how I don't want to take my Ski Nautique in the salt water even though there is a great water ski area 2 miles away and the nearest lake is about 40. A co-worker says "I've got a boat you can have if you want it. It hasn't been run in a while, but it's all there and should fire right up." Now me being the project lover that I am, was not going to turn down a free boat. So here's the scoop..
Boat - 1974 Cee Bee Avenger
Condition - I'd say for a 35 year old boat, it's in good shape. Gelcoat is a bit worn, starting to crinkle in places, but all there except for a chip or two. Carpet is all there, in decent shape, one small soft spot in the floor about the size of a softball 2 feet from the transom, center deck.
Engine - 1987? Evinrude 140hp V4
Condition - Again for it's age, pretty good shape. After a new battery and a bit of love, she fired right up.
So, I've had the boat for 2 days. So far I've cut and buffed the gelcoat to help get the shine back, cleaned more rat crap than I've pretty much ever seen, and fired up the engine. The battery was toast, so I ditched it and bought a new one. Old owner was using a cheap 6 gallon tank and not the bow tank. I connected up the tank up in the bow and used that for the first time in probably years.
Took the boat down to the marina and launched her.
First drive impressions - Engine runs fine. However, the fast engine idle lever on my OMC control box doesn't do a thing. Also the throttle can be shoved all the way down, no real change in speed. There is a lot of tension on the throttle when being pressed. Moving the lever into gear and out of gear sometimes gets a reaction. Sometimes it takes some moving around to get the motor in and out of gear, which can get a bit interesting when trying to go slow or trailer the boat.
Engine trim and lift work... sometimes. If I pour fluid in the reservoir it's all good, but then fluid leaks out of the manual lift screw. Any ideas there? Maybe leaking past a oring? How do I get a new oring in there?
Need to get a fuel gauge that works, need to find a way to hook up the tach as I have no idea where I'm suppose to connect it. I'd prefer to buy a new one instead of repairing the old one. Gotta hook up a speedometer of some kind. I'd also love to find an oil pressure gauge, but again, have no idea where to hook it into.
So, what should I do about the control box. Does this sound like cables? Any idea which cables to get?
