new guy, free boat

[jflots]

I know, " there's no such thing as a free boat".  I found a 70's 170 lying on the ground in the woods, the owner of the property told me to take it.  After a grueling couple of hours we got it on a trailer and back to my shop,  where I removed all debri and gave it a pressure washing.  She cleaned up nice with some stubborn stains but the gelcoat is in decent shape for it's age.  The floor is soft, the transom seems solid, most hardware is there but no trailer or engine.  Now I'm debating on what to do with her, already owning 2 boats...one of which needs a repower.  I'm thinking with a lot of glass repair and a fresh 4 stroke (Honda 90?) , she would make a fine boat for intracoastal and backwater cruising, and hauling dogs to the sandbar.  I've always liked the shape and size of these boats so I couldn't pass it up.

I'll post pics when I figure out how.  Any inspiration and ideas would be appreciated.

thanks

[CThomps]

I'd get an e-tec instead of a Honda.  I think they weigh less and have a better power band.  I've got 2 soon to be 3 of them.

I wouldn't put a Honda outboard on anything. Mechanics are hard to find and parts take forever.

[RickK]

Welcome aboard jflots :!:  :!:
Follow this link - there are only 2 posts - scroll way down to the 2nd one and read that to learn how to post pics.

[uc4me]

Welcome jflots-

Free is good.  Take those savings and go with an E-Tec!  I just repowered my 19-6 from a Honda to a new 90hp e-tec.  Yes, while my first choice was a 115hp E-Tec i'm happy to say a 90hp is very quick outta the hole and moves along at a good clip with the right prop.. a 90hp would be perfect for your smaller 17ft.

While i think Honda's are a great motor and have never had a problem with them- as you have heard, it's hard to find a marina/shop/tech that can work on one if needed.  Also, the 2-stroke E-Tec has sooo much torque, is obviously lighter and is a hit with the babes.  And unlike the babes - the E-Tec is very low maintenance.

[MarshMarlowe196]

Since the floor will need to be replaced, once you cut it out you'll be able to see the condition of the stringers.  If the stringers are in good shape, replacing the floor isn't a huge project, but if the stringers are bad, you'll basically have to do a full structural restore on the boat.  That's food for thought as to whether it's worth it to you to restore the boat.  The good news is that cutting the floor out is relatively easy, and it will have to be done regardless.

Since you seem to be leaning toward a 4 stroke, a 90HP Suzuki only weighs 20lbs more than an ETEC 90, and is much easier to get serviced than a honda (though I doubt you'll need to    ).  Then you wouldn't have to buy gas and oil when you fill up  

[jflots]

I've heard good things about Etecs and am considering one when we're due to repower our 13 Whaler due to weight.  Right now though I think I can get a good deal on a Honda.  Also I think the look of the honda is more fitting for a traditional boat.  I mean, it's an outboard, you HAVE to look at it.

A friend who does glass repair for a business explained how he would redo the floor.  Cut the old floor out leaving a 2-3" lip arround the edges. Layout an area big enough on your shop floor(if it's smooth), tape the perimeter, wax it, roll out gelcoat and build up layers of glass, core, and glass.  Then peel it off the floor once it's cured.  Then pattern the shape and glue it down.  If the fit is tight and the glue is something like plexus, the the seam could be a caulk line and not glassed and faired to the sides.  It's still alot of work but easier than having to finish all the edges.

The delima is our big boat, a '73 Hiliner 222.  It's a serious offshore runner that needs a repower.  The current Holman Moody 302 and Volvo sterndrive are tired.  Tempting to drop a new IO in it or hang an outboard on a bracket.

Hmmm.

[MarshMarlowe196]

I hear you on the Honda- they are definitely sexy.  

A good person to talk to on redoing your floor would be RickK.

Just my humble opinion:  There's nothing wrong with an ETEC, or any other new outboard on the market right now, and I understand your concern about the weight, especially on a 13 footer.  But, after owning 2strokes all my life up until now, it's great to know that all I have to do is pump gas in my boat and go.  With 2 stroke oil around $20 a gallon, plus having to designate a place inside the boat for an oil container, a 4-stroke sure is nice.  Changing the oil is a breeze, and comes around once a year tops.  

As far as your 222 - I would swap the I/O and outdrive.  Less work and most likely to be less expensive.

[Aswaff400]

I hear you on the Honda- they are definitely sexy.  

As far as your 222 - I would swap the I/O and outdrive.  Less work and most likely to be less expensive.

well it would be cheaper replacing the engine only, but new transom assembly, new drive, and the transom would have to be filled and re-cut for anything more modern... when we where shopping around, the cheapest place around here for a pair of 5.0L's was $4200 a piece!, not including both transom assemblies, or outdrives, and the other tid-bits they try to rape you for lol

oh and a 90 Honda i think would look sweet on a 170! there's an old gradywhite cc at my work that has a newer Honda on it and looks pretty cool

[uc4me]

Just a little clarification on the e-tec oil issue for what it's worth.  The reservoir is integrated within the system - you'll only need to fill it up 3 times at most a season and they now use 30% less oil than a 4stroke.  That together with less moving parts to service/break, no maintenance at all for first 3 yrs and the torque of a 2-stroke won me.  Personal preference i guess.

I did like my Honda and will say one thing; you will get your $$ back when you sell/trade so no worries there.  Marina sold mine before it was off the boat.

>>BadOn- have you ever had to replace your intake gas lines on your 19-6 and/or the live well hose in the bow?  I don't want to rip up the floor and can't see any other way to get at those things.  Even took out the 50gal tank hoping for access but no luck.  Thx.

[jflots]

So where is the oil tank? in the console?  The space is there, having the weight forward and no clutter in the back is all good.

On accessing the plumbing, I'm supprised how innaccessable things are on this boat.  No effort to make things replaceable.  There is a 170 in a hangar accross from work that was being serviced.  The tank was out and they were able to pull the hoses through from below.  With the tank out you may be able to hole saw through the fwd tank bay bulkhead, dig out some foam and find the fwd compartment drain.  Then the patch is easily hidden by the tank and cover.  good luck

[MarshMarlowe196]

Just a little clarification on the e-tec oil issue for what it's worth.  The reservoir is integrated within the system - you'll only need to fill it up 3 times at most a season and they now use 30% less oil than a 4stroke.  That together with less moving parts to service/break, no maintenance at all for first 3 yrs and the torque of a 2-stroke won me.  Personal preference i guess.


>>BadOn- have you ever had to replace your intake gas lines on your 19-6 and/or the live well hose in the bow?  I don't want to rip up the floor and can't see any other way to get at those things.  Even took out the 50gal tank hoping for access but no luck.  Thx.

Well, to be fair, the "no maintenance" thing they advertise is really just based on not having oil to change.  The only extra maintenance you'd have to do on a four stroke vs. the ETEC in those first three years is change the oil (once yearly or less), which if you've ever changed oil in a car, you'll be pleasantly surprised to find that changing oil in a 4 stroke is 13 times easier ( I picked a random number ).  30% less oil than a fourstroke?  How is that possible if a fourstroke uses no oil at all?  I guess they could be talking about the 5-6 quarts of oil you'd dispose of after changing the oil, but even buying those 6qts of 10W-30 along with the filter once yearly is cheaper than what you'd pay for 2 stroke oil throughout the year.  Honestly, the biggest thing that persuaded me to buy a fourstroke ( I could have had an ETEC ), was the owner of Key West Boat's 32' Key West that got stranded offshore with a pair of 200 ETECS because water got into the oil reservoirs.  Both engines were destroyed.  I know that's an isolated incident, but it hit very close to home for me.  Though there are more moving parts in a 4stroke, a 4 stroke is capable of attaining several more hours due to better lubrication than a 2stroke.  If we're not careful, this debate could go on forever ...

Anyway-  The drain tube you're talking about is for the fore largest compartment (the "icebox" that no-one really uses for ice).  The smaller compartment to the right, excuse me, the "starboard" box should have a little access hole inside the box (mine has one).  Here's a pic of where it should be->



It's kind of a small hole, but you might be able to get at the tube through that hole.  If there's no hole there- make one.  You can buy access hatches at boater's world/west marine.  I had to make a hatch in the stern to install bilge pumps.  

With your tank out, you should be able to get at your fill/vent hoses fairly easily.  They even cut a notch in the stringers where the fill/vent hoses lay, and there's a protrusion in the inner liner where they run up to the gunwale.  I replaced all my hoses with little more than the normal frustration that comes along with working under the floor of a boat  

Good Luck  

[uc4me]

Ya, the outboard debate could go on for awhile i agree...i've always had 4strokes so this is something different for me.  I do have to say it is much louder than my Honda (sometimes ya couldn't hear the thing running and you think it had stalled) but excited nevertheless.  Jflots: the oil reservoir is under the engine cover.  

Thanks for the advice guys on the fuel/vent/drain hose issue.  I do have the port hole in the cooler (nice pic with arrow) but amazed you can actually get your hands in there to use a wrench to do anything.  After inspection and cutting away more insulation/foam in the tank area; - i see what you mean about the stringers being carved out to house the fuel/vent hoses.  Happy to find i can access those now!

I'll post pics soon if interested.  Thanks again.  -kev

[jflots]

The merc 30 on our whaler has the oil tank under the cowlingbut I've seen larger OB's with an external tank the size of a battery.  Didn't know what HP makes the difference.  There are some not so old outboards on ebay that are tempting, even with the risk.