CONTINUOUSWAVE

MarkCz

I used stainless steel T-nuts when rebuilding my reversible pilot seat. Mcmaster Carr carries the good 316 stainless steel hardware.

Also, when you replace the foam use a higher density foam,, which will give enough cushion without squishing down and bottoming out.

MarkCz

I went through this similar problem last year. What I ended up doing was adding some upward pressure to the seat base while spinning the screw head with a drill driver. This made the T-nuts spin into the wood and act like a router bit. When enough of the wood was removed by this process, then there ...

MarkCz

I have the same tank and use a simple wooden dowel to check the level when it's low. This only works in calmer water but it's simple and cheap.

MarkCz

Your write-up on the [two projects presented so far] is very nice

Q1: does your DIY battery pack have a BMS or a fuse for safety?

MarkCz

Your home-made risers look very nice.

Please post a picture [that includes in the frame the entire] reversible pilot seat.

And congratulations on the nice finish on the wood.

MarkCz

If you can find a leaning post with the legs about the same distance apart as the original Z legs of the reversible pilot seat you may be able to have a welder fabricate and weld an aluminum plate as a base for the new leaning post. That can be bolted to the floor using the same holes that the Z leg...

MarkCz

The first thing I would do is remove the spark plugs and spray some oil into the cylinders and let that soak in for a day or 2. Then try and manually turn the flywheel by hand slowly to see if the pistons will move.

MarkCz

That's a nice looking Montauk. I have one almost the same age and love it. On nice days we take it out to a reef off of NJ almost 20 miles offshore. The Montauks are great boats for drift fishing. Nice and stable. I added a VHF and an 8 ft antenna on my boat as well. Enjoy the new ride.

MarkCz

It would be interesting to compare your recently collected data on rpm, temp, pressure after you put a new water pump on; especially at the lowest rpms you tested before.

MarkCz

Agreed, my boat was a 1987 with the fiberglass console. Now that I have experience doing gel coat repairs I mighy have just fixed the holes properly, but at that time I did not have the necessary knowledge.

MarkCz

I also removed some older electronics from the top of my console. I used the previously removed electronics holes to mount a piece of Starboard and then mounted the new electronics to the starboard using T nuts that were recessed into the bottom of the starboard so new holes in the console were not ...

MarkCz

The beam of a 230 OUTRAGE is 8-feet 6-inches, which is the typical maximum width allowed on the highway without obtaining additional [Over-wide] permits. The beam of a 250 OUTRAGE is 9-feet. Perhaps people who trailer their boats do not want to be bothered with the hassle of a moving a boat over 8-f...

MarkCz

You may want to try starting the motor by first disconnecting the wiring harness usually under the engine cowl that goes to the console for tilt trim starting etc. Next step would be to use a jumper wire at the engine to put 12 volts to the starter solenoid and see if the engine starts. That method ...

MarkCz

https://www.boatus.com/expert-advice/expert-advice-archive/2025/march/maintain-trailer-spindle-sleeves You may be able to use a sleeve over the damaged bearing surfaces as a cheaper fix. Keep in mind if your axle has the EZ lube system with the grease zerk on the end of the axle that the sleeves may...

MarkCz

Your humidity levels in Florida can get pretty high so I wonder if that may be part of the problem. I remember watching a YouTube video on a channel called "Born again boating" where the person was showing how much water can be absorbed into gasoline from the air. It was a surprisingly lar...

MarkCz

Very interesting write up. Do you live in an area where fuel contains ethanol? The amount of water shown on the lower part of your jars is huge. Nice job on the diagnosis of water in the fuel.

MarkCz

I think the answer of this question has more to do with the angle and surface condition of the ramp than your tow vehicle. If the ramp is slick you way have a problem, but if it's not you should be finewith that vehicle and boat combination.

MarkCz

To locate boat-specific part numbers, find your boat model in the link below: https://www.nausetmarine.com/boston-whaler-1984-1987-diagrams/ Then download the PDF files that show the parts diagram for your boat. Once you have the part number you can call a good Boston Whaler authorized dealer [like ...

MarkCz

https://youtu.be/N8ZzaXHMV4Y?si=1ZcGk50ukcUXn2H6
This video shows how to reverse the direction on a Safe T II NFB helm.

MarkCz

If you turned the helm upside down the steering wheel mounting point would be facing the bow. If you rotated the helm clockwise 180 degrees the cables would be exiting the helm but going towards the center of the boat. I think you are on the right track with reversing where the cable goes into the h...

MarkCz

I would leave the existing bilge pump in place. While I often pull the plug while the. Boat is on-plane to drain out any water that may have come from an errant wave taken over the bow, I have had the need for the bilge pump when we were at anchor and a squall came through, with waves dumping water ...

MarkCz

I am also interested in see more posts on the re-power of this MONTAUK 17.

MarkCz

I measure 31-inches from the vertical face of the anchor locker to the console on my 1987 MONTAUK 17. There is plenty of room for the cooler and I am using a much larger cooler than the original.

MarkCz

That trim piece is known as a hawse pipe. There are quite a few aftermarket hawse pipes made in different sizes available. If no one on the forum has a part number for that exact one, I would just start searching hawse pipe and see if you can find one that is the same size and maybe has the same hol...

MarkCz

Maybe you can cut off the existing trailer winch strap hook like you said but add a shackle with removable pin. Not as easy as a carabineer but most likely stronger.

MarkCz

Make sure when you contact the LOAD-RITE trailer dealer you specify you want a trailer that uses brackets to attach the cross members to the main frame. I bought a 5-STAR trailer manufactured by LOAD-RITE, and the trailer cross members were welded to the side rails. After less than two years with no...

MarkCz

An anchor rode consisting of six-feet of chain and 150-feet of 3/8-inch-diameter nylon line should be plenty for most situations. For the rope portion, a three-strand line is easier to grip than a smooth double-braided line.If you don't like rusty chain you can get stainless steel chain at a higher ...

MarkCz

The depth of my garage is only 19-feet 9-inches [or two inches shorter the the garage under discussion]. My 1987 [MONTAUK 17] is positioned between the fenders of my trailer, There is a clearance of about three-inches on each side between the garage door frame and the trailer fenders. I was able to ...

MarkCz

I also agree with the other poster who suggested getting a fishing kayak. With a bed extender for your pickup truck you can carry a 14 ft kayak with ease. The kayaks have much less hull above the water and will get blown around less than a 9 or 11 ft Boston whaler. The only downside is you can only ...

MarkCz

Thanks for letting us all know what you did to fix the problem of your Mercury 90-HP engine not being able to reliably be started.

I am pleased to hear your engine starting is much easier now.

MarkCz

Q6: is the battery a vented, flooded-cell, lead-acid battery with removable caps to check electrolyte levels?

MarkCz

Since I was 6 years old my father and I spent many years fishing on boats including an older 1970s Grady White dual console, a PenTan 26ft fly bridge, a 1987 Montauk (that I now own) and the last was a 22 ft revenge. My grown son also likes being on the boat and we fish as frequently as the weather ...

MarkCz

I have a 1987 Mercury 70-HP two-stroke-power-cycle engine and had a similar situation about seven years ago with difficult starting after sitting for 30 to 60 minutes; I also would observe oil on the surface of the water. I replaced the fuel pump and the engine ran perfectly with easy starting and n...

MarkCz

I had a c.1985 Evinrude 20-HP two-stoke-power-cycle tiller engine. I was able to source most of the parts I needed to convert from pull-start to electric-start. I also found throttle-shift connections on eBay. Getting every component I needed was a long process. Your project is more involved than wh...

MarkCz

A canvas shop would be able to make a custom cover that only covers the middle of the boat and would cover the two main seats and console and go over the side rails. You most likely would need a cutout in the cover for the throttle lever as those usually protrude up. A cover that size should not be ...

MarkCz

A Bimini top may provide some protection for the interior wood from the elements and sun but not for every piece of wood on the boat. The front hatch would still need some protection. Can you provide more details on what year and .model interior you have on your 13?

MarkCz

Nice install looks very clean. What shaft length is the trolling motor and what kind of water do you fish?

MarkCz

You may want to add a battery disconnect switch so that you can disconnect your 24-Volt battery from your trolling motor before charging. I have read that charging while still having the trolling motor connected may create problems. I only mention this because you said you will be hard wiring your t...

MarkCz

The thickness of the shelf depends on what you want to store in the console. If you are going to add heavy
batteries, use thicker plywood and reinforce how it is attached to the console.

MarkCz

I have a motor guide Xi5 24-Volt trolling motor. Maximum current is about 45-Amperes.

MarkCz

If you buy silicone sheathed marine tinned duplex cable it is very flexible and lays flat on the floor. I used Anchor brand bonded cable. The red and black are joined together. I went with AWG-6 cable for my [unspecified year] [unspecified length] Montauk.

MarkCz

I wonder if somehow when [the boat is] in the water a siphon effect is getting established resulting in the livewell tank draining.

Q2: does your livewell use the long tube added to the drain to establish the maximum height of the water in the livewell?

MarkCz

My dad had a 22 ft revenge with the full width splash well and his oil tank was located on the opposite side from his starting battery in the splash well. The only downside to that location was sun exposure over time weakened the Mercury plastic tank and he had to replace the tank a few times as sma...

MarkCz

If your bilge pump has a float switch to turn on the pump it may be stuck in the on position.

MarkCz

Your 1984 boat was rated for a maximum of 180 HP so I think you could drop way down from what you have now.

MarkCz

MarkCz wrote:Q3: Is there a particular size [ShuttleSide] that you would recommend?

On my 1987 Montauk [17] I used the 9-inch shuttle slide—but your bow may be slightly different.

MarkCz

[A commercial product website about "custom made splash guards" to prevent water overflowing the transom is:]

https://wavewackers.com/

MarkCz

You may want to search for the words: back trolling transom splash guards. Walleye fisherman often backtroll to go slow and have fabricated some devices to minimize water ingress while still allowing water egress.

MarkCz

I have a similar vintage Montauk 17 and on a few occasions wish I had some kind of spring loaded flap on each side of the motor to keep water from entering over the transom notch. I never got around to building the thing, but I wanted a sort of one-way-flap that if need be would open if I took on lo...

MarkCz

Q2: why not three holes and three bolts...? I probably could have used only three bolts. Q3: what made you feel comfortable drilling holes in the hull? Drilling the first hole is the most painful. Q4: is there anything that you would change or do differently? Were I to do this again I would use G10...

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