15 Whaler Super Sport Project - Baystar Steering

Repair or modification of Boston Whaler boats, their engines, trailers, and gear
dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby dtmackey » Sun May 06, 2018 10:48 pm

Spraying at my friend's shop didn't work out from a logistics point, so I sprayed outside and ran the lawn irrigation for 15 minutes to help knock down any dust.

All the smooth interior is painted. Non-skid areas may have some paint, but those are getting non-skid and painted a slightly darker so it has a different look.

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I masked over the hull stencil and once removed you can see how close the color match is.

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Shot of the riser added to the rear thwat seat so the 15 gal tank will fit underneath and also position better for sitting.

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Light connection box and stern light hardware.

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The rear section of the rails was a little bent, so I'm ordering new tubing and will bend up to match the old without the damage.

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Installed the new drain tubes.

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Once the non-skid is done I can push forward on the assembly of the interior.

D-

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Dutchman
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby Dutchman » Tue May 08, 2018 9:43 am

Looking good
EJO
"Clumsy Cleat"look up what it means
50th edition 2008 Montauk 150, w/60HP Mercury Bigfoot

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby dtmackey » Tue May 08, 2018 10:37 pm

More progress tonight.

Bent the new rail to match the damaged rail and installed. Now it looks nice and straight.

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Rubail is installed and also rail.

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On small Whaler type project I've never understood while people insist on poor quality crimp connections that are exposed to the salt air. 3M makes a silicon grease filled one crimp connector that is better than an exposed terminal lug.

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Hopefully non-skid on Sat and then I can install the interior next week and start the rigging. This is the fun part and I may grab the motor from storage in my barn Sun night.

D-

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Dutchman
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby Dutchman » Wed May 09, 2018 10:30 am

You're getting close, can't wait to see her out on the water.
EJO
"Clumsy Cleat"look up what it means
50th edition 2008 Montauk 150, w/60HP Mercury Bigfoot

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby dtmackey » Thu May 10, 2018 9:56 pm

Paint has been a back and forth struggle for me with this project. Seems like the cost of paint has suppliers not carrying the colors I want or the quality of paint I choose. The distributor of Awlgrip did not carry 3 different shades of slightly darker to offset the color of the non-skid, so I've decided to spray the same color as the entire interior. It's not a big deal, but I like the 2 tone effect.

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The other thing people will notice right away is I've masked for far more non-skid than Whaler every had. This is on purpose as I feel this was a design flaw in the 15' design. There is too much smooth deck than on a wet day not even boat shoes can grip, so I'm increasing the non-skid area. The other concern is this boat will see use as a dingy to a larger boat and we tend to enter and exit the boat from the bow to a swim platform, so grip is a necessity.

Non-skid will go down over the weekend.


Also started the rigging of the console since that will be ready to go in next week when the non-skid is dry. I forgot to install a marine power outlet and LED blue lights under the console for interior night lighting and ordered those today.

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D-

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby dtmackey » Sat May 12, 2018 11:43 pm

Good day today. Ran up to the lumber yard and grabbed one more piece if Sipo mahogany to complete the last piece for the rear seat storage and laminated that up. While near the barn, I grabbed the Yamaha 70 a brought it home and will paint the motor next weekend and then it's ready to mount and rig. The motor is currently bolted to the bracket that will attached to the engine stand.

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On the way home I swung by a friend's house and he gave me his Awlgrip flattening again so I could "dumb" down the gloss on the non-skid.

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For those keeping tabs on this project, I did want to offset the non-skid color, but the local Awlgrip supplier did not have any of the 3 color codes I gave them, so I went all the same Whaler Desert Tan and I'm not disappointed. On past projects I've always sprayed and sprinkled the non-skid, follow with 2 - 3 more coats sprayed. This I could not spray due to location and weather, so opted to roll. I rolled the first coat of Awlgrip and then used the saltshaker process with a mix of coarse and fine Griptex. This was followed with 2 more rolled coats of Awlgrip about 45 mins apart. Awlgrip says to use the Awlcat #3 for rolling, but I used Awlcat #2 with flattening agent.

About 20 mins after the last coat I pulled the tape and I'm very pleased with the outcome.

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Interior goes in tomorrow night and rigging starts this week.

D-

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby dtmackey » Tue May 15, 2018 11:03 pm

Made more progress tonight after a crazy day in the office and was able to get the steering and controls in and then screwed the interior in place. Everything is now secure and ready for finishing before I can launch.

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More running around to get the small stuff and also finish off the wood. Hope to start on the motor this weekend and have it all painted and ready to mount early next week.

D-

PatSea
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby PatSea » Wed May 16, 2018 6:58 am

Outstanding work. Congratulations!!

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Dutchman
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby Dutchman » Fri May 18, 2018 9:32 am

Wow, Wow, & Wow. Can't wait to see the pictures of her in the water.
EJO
"Clumsy Cleat"look up what it means
50th edition 2008 Montauk 150, w/60HP Mercury Bigfoot

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby dtmackey » Sat May 19, 2018 11:25 pm

Battery arrived today (Group 22) and IMHO this is the perfect battery for 13 and 15 Whalers. Smaller in size than a group 24 and since it's AGM it can stand deep cycling without the concern of damage of the typcial lead/acid battery.

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Battery will tuck inside the rear compartment once the back panel is installed. I could not fit a group 24 in this space.
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Rigging is slow as I pick and choose how to route things and I've changed my mind on a couple things as I make progress.

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Motor is being prepped for painting and it was easier to remove the transom bracket and prep.
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Found the trim motor was a little corroded and while it still worked, I decided to order a new one.
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In order to keep as much rigging hidden as possible I cut a rigging tube and installed backwards into the wood to route the wires in/out of the rear storage compartment.
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And the steering cable that would normally move and scratch the Awlgrip was secured and does not touch anything but the pads holding it in place.
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This week will be slow since I have to varnish the rear of the storage compartment and also wait on sime UPS deliveries.

D-

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby dtmackey » Sun May 20, 2018 10:51 pm

A little more progress.

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dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby dtmackey » Sun May 20, 2018 11:00 pm

A little more progress.

Battery is mounted.
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With back panel in place.
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Since I could not find a battery tray or box for a group 22 battery, I have to build my own from starboard. Initial thoughts were to place on the deck and strap it, but after thinking about it, I wanted to have something between the non-skid and battery and also provide additional restraint over a simple strap.
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Backside of storage has areas for cables to exit. Now trying to varnish this piece as least once per day. Would really like to install and wrap up this project soon now that the temps are getting nice.
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For the bottom pan of the storage compartment I cut up the original Whaler piece and modified it to fit. This is mocked up and it will stand about 1-2" off the floor. Ideally this compartment will be for life jacket and water ski lines, so no biggie if they get a little wet.
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D-

Don SSDD
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby Don SSDD » Mon May 21, 2018 4:52 am

Beautiful detailed work and photos, better than when new from the factory. You have a lot of talent.
Don
1986 Outrage 18 with 2001 Honda 130 HP
Former Owner 1991 Guardian 19 with 1994 Evinrude V4 140HP
Former owner 1987 Montauk with 1998 Mercury 90HP
Nova Scotia

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby dtmackey » Mon May 21, 2018 11:16 pm

More progress tonight. Boat is now on the trailer and my son helped me flare the forward locker drain tube. Motor is prepped for paint and only needs a cleaning and wipe down. Trim motor should arrive Wed, so my goal is to have he motor all painted and ready to mount this weekend.

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Boat is on the trailer so I hope I won't be climbing in/out that many more times.

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More parts ready for paint (trim motor to be replaced).

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Etec 75 that I mentioned earlier in the project. Bought it for $400 as a "locked" motor, but the seller did not know it had a bad starter and the motor was fine, so painting and new decals. At first I was going to use on the Whaler, but at 320lbs, its just too heavy.

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Etec cowls, had paint mixed and they botched the color and it's eggplant, not blue and realized this after the first pass on the cowl. So I used the paint to spray a guide code to be sanded and will get the proper color and spray the entire motor this weekend and install the decals.
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D-

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby dtmackey » Wed May 23, 2018 10:40 pm

Painted the Yamaha tonight and just in time. After I moved the pieces inside, it started to shower 10 minutes later, so I was happy to have this done to let the paint cure and assemble over the weekend and hopefully mount the motor on the boat.

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Trim motor in this pic is the old one that is being replaced.

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Reflections almost look like paint imperfections, but the lower unit looks fine.

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Hope to mount the motor this weekend.

D-

jimh
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby jimh » Thu May 24, 2018 9:18 am

DT--you are a machine--I can't believe the amount of work you can get done. And the work is amazing quality. Great stuff.

I love the great match between the re-paint and the original hull color as seen in the stencil number on the transom.

But the best part: you have taken pictures of all the work. That's even harder to manage when you're the one doing all the work, too. Great article, great, work, great pictures.

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby dtmackey » Thu May 24, 2018 10:51 pm

Thanks for the kind words Jim.

Got home from work tonight and assembled the motor and mounted on the boat.

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Rigging started in the now enclosed storage compartment. I still need to clean up some wiring and longer set of battery cables to the motor. Everything exposed to sun will be run in loom to protect and provide a clean look.

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Wiring to the bilge pump is not ideal, but the shortest distance between two points.

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Storage is nice and conceals the tank. Holds 5 life jackets, horn, fire ext and a little more.

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Still more rigging to go.

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Trim motor arrived and it was the wrong one, so I'm ordering another unit tomorrow to arrive sometime next week. By then everything should be done and just waiting on the last thing.

D

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby dtmackey » Sun May 27, 2018 9:08 pm

The Whaler has been consuming a large amount of time, but is winding down and a few more things on order. I decided to go with a outboard rigging tube that will bolt to the rear storage area and I'll run shift/throttle cables, main engine cable, fuel line, and some misc wiring so it looks clean without rigging all over. I dropped the cowl since I had waxed it and it slipped from my hands, so I masked and reshot the top where the scratches were.

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Since I had time on my hands, On Saturday I went to New Hampshire and removed the cover on my 21 Mako. I will prep that boat next weekend and launch for the season. The hull eeds bottom paint touch up since I run multi-season ablative, hull buff, and a good bath.

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This morning I was at the boatyard getting the other boat ready which is usually launched a week ago, but the weather in the Northeast has been horrible this spring and everyone is behind, so I'm two to three weeks away. I removed the cover and made a list of things to do before launching - buff hull, load gear, install central vac, etc. Boatyard takes care of the bottom.

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Had some time today to get a few things done, so I used up a roll of UVA foam of faux teak and holly that was originally purchased to evaluate for the floor of the Whaler. I decided against it since it lasts about seen years in the sun before you need to replace. I decide to install in the AB RIB dingy and it really dressed it up--I am quite happy. Also, Idecided to use it in the Whaler bow locker to pad the fiberglass from the anchor gear. Because of all the different angles, there was no way to make the faux teak line up.

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That's all until UPS shows up later this week.

D-

floris van den berg
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby floris van den berg » Mon May 28, 2018 4:56 am

This is the main topic I check in for every day to see if there are any updates. Thanks for sharing--very interesting and entertaining!

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby dtmackey » Fri Jun 01, 2018 6:17 pm

It was almost 8 years ago to the week when I splashed the last Whaler project and the kids met me at the dock.

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Rigging tube was delivered today, so I installed and wrapped up all the wiring.

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Now it's just little stuff. Prop arrives tomorrow, hookup steering, secure bottom of storage compartment, fill with gas, fire motor, raise 2 holes up and redrill for blind bracket mounting hole. Almost forgot I have to register, so I may head into Boston next Friday to take care of that.

D-

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby dtmackey » Mon Jun 04, 2018 11:03 pm

A little more progress and closer to completion.

Raised the motor to the 3rd hole after making a template from the motor bracket to make sure I drilled the blind holes in the exact spot. I gooped with 4000 quick set polyurethane sealant. I find that it seals great and also comes apart, unlike 5200 which has been know to remove gelcoat when trying to remove.
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A little bling arrived on Friday and the stainless prop.
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Saturday the 316SS anchor chain arrived and I connected to the 316SS Bruce anchor with 100' of line on a easy to manage Home Depot extension cord reel. This is a lunch hook for the local islands and does not have thimbles spliced in since we anchor in shallow water with no current or storms.
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Stows nice in the bow locker.
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The challenge for every small Whaler owner is getting the required or needed 10lbs of stuff in a 5lb boat package. In this pic there is the following:
- 15 gal gas tanks out of sight
- 2 fenders
- 4 life jackets
- horn
- fire ext
- ski vest
- anchor with chain and 100' of line
- ski line
- and room for more stuff
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Still not rushing to get in the water.

D-

coachf
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby coachf » Tue Jun 05, 2018 12:18 am

I love this thread. Are you able to describe how the two interior stern cleats are mounted? My halibut anchor retrieval system on my 1977 17-footer would be safer with a stern cleat.

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Dutchman
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby Dutchman » Tue Jun 05, 2018 11:11 am

Splash next weekend, with the kids, now teenagers?
EJO
"Clumsy Cleat"look up what it means
50th edition 2008 Montauk 150, w/60HP Mercury Bigfoot

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby dtmackey » Tue Jun 05, 2018 8:38 pm

coachf wrote:I love this thread. Are you able to describe how the two interior stern cleats are mounted? My halibut anchor retrieval system on my 1977 17-footer would be safer with a stern cleat.


Not sure the 15' and 17' are the same from a build perspective, but I'll share the details. Cleats are mounted 22.5" from the stern as measured from the outside edge. I'm not sure if there's wood in the area, but you could check the resources on this site for the diagrams. I will say that the cleats are strong, so there's something in this area and if not wood, then extra glass. They are drilled and used #12 X 1.5" POHSMS (phillip oval head sheet metal screws) 18-8 (304 stainless) sheet metal screws.

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Hope this helps.

D-

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby dtmackey » Tue Jun 05, 2018 8:40 pm

Dutchman wrote:Splash next weekend, with the kids, now teenagers?


Kids are a little older - one just turned 16 and the other almost 18, so it'll be a bit different. I may run into Boston tomorrow at lunch and register the boat so I can give it a try this weekend. I only have a couple minor things left.

D-

coachf
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby coachf » Tue Jun 05, 2018 10:27 pm

Very helpful. Thanks for the thorough explanation and photos. Best wishes for your time in the "new" boat.

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby dtmackey » Thu Jun 07, 2018 10:40 pm

Registered the Whaler yesterday with no problem, andI requested a simple number which they were happy to provide. I had the registration number made by a local sign shop in red to match the Whaler logo and its a rounded edge "block-ish" style which looks great (no pic).

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Last night after work I towed the Whaler to the local gas station to fill the tank and came home to fire it up on the muffs. Primer bulb took far too many times to pump and would not get firm. Went to crank the motor and it acted like a bad starter and wouldn't crank. Tried turning flywheel by hand and it was difficult, so I pulled the plugs and gas came out of the bottom cylinder. Once drained the motor would fire, but only run on the mid and top cylinder. The bottom cylinder was receiving far too much gas and washing the plug.

Tonight I pulled the carburetors and tore them down. Float levels looked good on all three, but when I pulled the floats and inspected the needle and seat, the bottom carb showed green crud in the seat and the needle was sticky, so I polished it with a Q-Tip and it appears clean now. Carburetor is assembled, but I will wait until tomorrow to put it back on the motor and try again. If this resolves the starting problem, that's great, otherwise I'll order three carb kits and go through each one to be sure.

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The motor was from a freshwater boat with very limited hours for a 1992 motor. It looks new under the cowl and compression is on the top end of the Yamaha spec so any teething problems are not a concern and will be resolved.

D-

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Dutchman
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby Dutchman » Fri Jun 08, 2018 12:26 pm

I hope you can get the engine running [prior to] the weekend.
EJO
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50th edition 2008 Montauk 150, w/60HP Mercury Bigfoot

jimh
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby jimh » Fri Jun 08, 2018 5:15 pm

Re the stern cleats mounted on the inwhale: I added a pair of stern cleats to my 1976 SPORT 15. I don't have a record of the position. I used them for temporary mooring lines, say at a dock where we'd not be far from the boat. I don't think there was much reinforcement in my 1976 hull in that areas. If I were going to leave the boat for along time unattended, I would use the through-bolted eyes in the transom.

The wood locating diagram for the 15-footer is available at

http://continuouswave.com/maintenance-l ... haler.jpeg

There is some added reinforcement on 15-foot hulls at the stern quarter on boats with stencil numbers 5B1255 and higher.

For links to the wood locating diagrams for the 17-foot hulls, see

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/16-17/

For a list of all drawings available for download here, see

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/refere ... wings.html

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby dtmackey » Fri Jun 08, 2018 9:37 pm

Hooked the cleaned (suspect) bottom carb to fuel and hit the primer and still could not firm up the bulb, so the only other fuel intrusion that could occur to the bottom cylinder was the fuel pump which received pulses from the bottom cylinder, as before the bottom cylinder filled with gas.

Removed fuel pump and upon disassembly I immediately notice the diaphragm was torn.

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I'm happy my diagnosis pointed me to the carb first and I was able to address the float needle and seat that was dirty and then onto the fuel pump since there was also aluminum corrosion from ethanol fuel in addition to the torn diaphragm.

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Headed to NH tomorrow to prep one of my other boats to launch and will call every dealer in the area to see if they have a fuel pump rebuild kit or a new pump and grab it.

D-

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project

Postby dtmackey » Sat Jun 09, 2018 9:22 pm

Went to NH today to prep and grab my other boat and stopped at a Yamaha dealer up in that area. No fuel pump and they had only a couple of the gaskets needed, so I passed....

Spend time installing a new to me Raymarine plotter and cleaning all the pollen off the Mako.

Since the old plotter was a different size, I have to make an adaptor from 1/4" black starboard.

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Installed, just need to run power and hook up the sounder module and antenna.

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Ready to tow back to my house for batteries, gear and run the motor before launching.

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OK, now the Whaler stuff.

Stopped at a dealer that I'm friends with and first worked for him back in 1984 and dated his daughter in the early 90s. No more "connections" there, but I do stop in to pay list price on Yamaha parts when I can't wait for them to be shipped from my normal source. They had the fuel pump assembly and I was happy to pay the $50 and be on my way.

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Installed and the motor ran great after a link and sync of the carbs and cables.

https://i.imgur.com/DOupFNTl.mp4

Ready to go and planning for a early morning launch of both boats to catch the tide. Mako will stay in for the season and the Whaler will stay in for the day so I can log some hours on it.

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Should be a fun Sunday.

D-

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project - Lauched

Postby dtmackey » Sun Jun 10, 2018 10:23 pm

Went to the ramp early today to catch the high tide and launched the Whaler first and took it on a 10 mile run. Boat runs great and is so much better than the 13 it replaces. It's been 30 years since I was in a 15 and I forgot how much better they ride. Motor ran great and I only need to bump the idle down 200 RPM for better shifting.

With my son we took a couple blasts. I just noticed I can see my reflection in the seaback.
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My son then went to work at the local beach and my 10 year old nephew jumped in and we went zipped over to another harbor and also checked on the tug which I'm having launched on the 25th. The dog joined us as well and loves being on boats.

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We swung through the harbor where the tug is kept and this week I'll focus on the stern and mount the repaired swim platform, RIB davits and also buff the hull.

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From there, we went back to the launching ramp where my other boat was already waiting on the trailer and launched that and towed the Whaler to the mooring for the day.

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Whaler was put back on the trailer and in the garage tonight and I'm going to address a couple things:

- Having custom cushions made for the seats
- Washing, waxing and applying Woody wax to the non-skid
- Figuring out what hinge to use on the rear compartment hatch cover
- Ordering another prop - see below.

I ran the boat over the same ground (back and forth) to make sure wind and current were not a factor and she ran 42mph turning at 19" pitch prop at 5500RPM. This with a 2.33 gear-case equates to a 1% slip which does not sound right, but was trimmed pretty high. Boat was a tad slow to plane and I feel a 17" pitch would provide a better holeshot and also get me to the 6000RPM that I should be turning, I'd really like 6200 with just me so when loaded it finds the sweet spot in the upper end of the RPM range. I also think the motor could come up another hole, but will leave as is since I am not excited to drilled for another blind hold for the motor. Ideally a hydraulic jackplate would be great, but not sure about these in the saltwater.

More to follow.

D-

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Dutchman
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project - Launched - Sea Trial

Postby Dutchman » Tue Jun 12, 2018 11:57 am

Looking great and it is nice to see her running after all the effort you put in.

Where do you find the time or is this boating fix-up/maintenance your business? I noticed the "Customized by Mackey Marine" on your dash but didn't notice that in any of the Whaler pictures.

Happy boating this season.
EJO
"Clumsy Cleat"look up what it means
50th edition 2008 Montauk 150, w/60HP Mercury Bigfoot

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project - Launched - Sea Trial

Postby dtmackey » Tue Jun 12, 2018 5:06 pm

Dutchman wrote:Looking great and it is nice to see her running after all the effort you put in.

Where do you find the time or is this boating fix-up/maintenance your business? I noticed the "Customized by Mackey Marine" on your dash but didn't notice that in any of the Whaler pictures.

Happy boating this season.


Long story, but it will give you some insight as to why I like boats...... Turned 50 this year and have owned boats 44 of those years, so it's in my blood. Tested for my Capt license when I turned 18 and worked on the water before joining the Coast Guard and did 4.25 years, serving on a buoy tender, then electronics school where they shipped me off to Tokyo, followed by Iwo Jima (Loran-C master station) and wrapped up at a small boat station and applied for college. In college I started my own marine business and landed in engineering sales upon graduation and later shifted into medical sales during the market downturn after Y2K where I've been since then. "Mackey Marine" was my business name and I've maintained some accounts to access discounts and only do things for myself or help family/friends, but not as a business anymore. As for project boats, I've done a bunch and think for Whalers there's been 5. For non-Whalers I can't remember. One of my builds was detailed in a boat restoration magazine with a couple other projects. It's what I do in my off-time when I get home from the office and it helps me decompress.

If my memory serves me correctly, I started rebuilding outboards at 14 years old and later got into racing on/off and building motors in the early 90s where I was able to test motors on the dyno and blow them up and rebuild them, best part it was all on someone else's dime in the quest for high horsepower 2 stroke motors and we had 660cc two strokes putting out 180hp.

Here's the 13' Whaler project thread I did years ago and sold once I bought the 15'. Page 4 last pic in the below link has a Mackey Marine engraving on the dash. I haven't figured out how I want to leave my mark on the 15 yet.
http://www.classicmako.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19447&whichpage=1

So, this should give you a good idea on why I can leave anything alone and love to plug along at this stuff.

D-

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project - Launched - Sea Trial

Postby dtmackey » Tue Jun 12, 2018 9:35 pm

Ordered a couple things today to continue the process.

My butt was a little sore running around on Sunday, so I decided cushions were needed and ordered a 50" and 52" wide and 2" thick for the seats. The 2" difference is for the rear seat (thwart) since the control box key needs the clearance. (not the actual pic, they are stitching up tomorrow and shipping on Thursday.

Image

Ordered a Turning Point 17" prop to try it out and see if I can dial in the RPMs where I want them.

Decided a latch was needed once I get the hinges installed on the rear compartment, went with a Southco latch.

Image

It will mount here once I figure out the hinges and I confirm it won't interfere with the gas fill.

Image

Any last are the hinges, hoping this will allow enough backward (toward stern) so the reverse angle of the seatback does not contact the lid.
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Washed the boat today and then used Woody's Wax on the non-skid. Planning to wax the entire boat as well before it hits the water again.

D-

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project - Launched - Sea Trial

Postby dtmackey » Tue Jun 12, 2018 9:37 pm

dtmackey wrote:
Dutchman wrote:Looking great and it is nice to see her running after all the effort you put in.

Where do you find the time or is this boating fix-up/maintenance your business? I noticed the "Customized by Mackey Marine" on your dash but didn't notice that in any of the Whaler pictures.

Happy boating this season.


Long story, but it will give you some insight as to why I like boats...... Turned 50 this year and have owned boats 44 of those years, so it's in my blood. Tested for my Capt license when I turned 18 and worked on the water before joining the Coast Guard and did 4.25 years, serving on a buoy tender, then electronics school where they shipped me off to Tokyo, followed by Iwo Jima (Loran-C master station) and wrapped up at a small boat station and applied for college. In college I started my own marine business and landed in engineering sales upon graduation and later shifted into medical sales during the market downturn after Y2K where I've been since then. "Mackey Marine" was my business name and I've maintained some accounts to access discounts and only do things for myself or help family/friends, but not as a business anymore. As for project boats, I've done a bunch and think for Whalers there's been 5. For non-Whalers I can't remember. One of my builds was detailed in a boat restoration magazine with a couple other projects. It's what I do in my off-time when I get home from the office and it helps me decompress.

If my memory serves me correctly, I started rebuilding outboards at 14 years old and later got into racing on/off and building motors in the early 90s where I was able to test motors on the dyno and blow them up and rebuild them, best part it was all on someone else's dime in the quest for high horsepower 2 stroke motors and we had 660cc two strokes putting out 180hp.

Here's the 13' Whaler project thread I did years ago and sold once I bought the 15'. Page 4 last pic in the below link has a Mackey Marine engraving on the dash. I haven't figured out how I want to leave my mark on the 15 yet.
http://www.classicmako.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19447&whichpage=1

So, this should give you a good idea on why I can't leave anything alone and love to plug along at this stuff.

D-

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Dutchman
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project - Launched - Sea Trial

Postby Dutchman » Fri Jun 15, 2018 2:06 pm

D
I'm like you except a little older (65) with my first boat at 5 and first built at 12. Always wood, until about 10 years ago and 19 sailboats and 15 motor driven boats. Always working on them until the Admiral said no more. Get a new(er) Whaler so we can boat when we want and you're not spending time at the marina, boat yard, or home shop, making or fixing something.
Now waiting a couple more years for retirement before building another boat from scratch or maybe a Whaler restoration.
In the mean time working 45-50 hours a week and playing 20 hours or so.
Life is good.
EJO
"Clumsy Cleat"look up what it means
50th edition 2008 Montauk 150, w/60HP Mercury Bigfoot

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project - Launched - Sea Trial

Postby dtmackey » Sun Jun 17, 2018 10:11 pm

Took a good ride today early in the morning on a slack tide and dead calm, saw 43.6mph (GPS) and this boat loves to cruise at 35mph. This was with a full tank of fuel (15 gals). This is with the 17" Turning Point prop which feels much better and is 1mph faster than the 19" pitch. 19" pitch is going back on eBay and I'll list in the classified here as well.

I left the boat on the mooring and really need to get a custom cover made to protect from the UV rays. I figured a couple days won't hurt and I may try the mooring cover it came with, but I believe it requires a couple belly straps.

Only other concern I noticed was hard starting because the prime start feature isn't working, so I'll pull the middle carb and replaced the prime start diaphragm and gaskets and I hope that will resolve the concern.

Cushions arrive this Wed and I'll see how they fit.

D-

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Dutchman
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project - Launched - Sea Trial

Postby Dutchman » Tue Jun 19, 2018 11:12 am

Wow that 10HP difference and the lighter weight gives you 10mph more on your 15ft Whaler compared to my new 150. That must seem like you are flying..
EJO
"Clumsy Cleat"look up what it means
50th edition 2008 Montauk 150, w/60HP Mercury Bigfoot

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project - Launched - Sea Trial

Postby dtmackey » Tue Jun 19, 2018 11:09 pm

Dutchman wrote:Wow that 10HP difference and the lighter weight gives you 10mph more on your 15ft Whaler compared to my new 150. That must seem like you are flying..


Sure as heck felt that way. Fun little boat to cruise the harbor in or drag to the rivers and lakes. I think the 15 has more of a bass boat "style" hull that has less drag and responds to power a little better as well.

Cushions showed up today and I've always found it cheaper to have this type of work done in FL than around here. Cost $120 per seat cushion and the quality was great. I've used several shops in FL over the years and even with shipping it's less expensive than the local guys. I find it can be quicker and that's hard to believe with shipping involved.

Image

I have no connection to this person, nor did he give me a discount for promoting him, but when I get good quality product and service, I believe it's worth sharing, so here's his contact info.

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Included the snaps to screw into the seats to accept the cushions. I'll install this weekend and I'm sure I'll love them.

D-

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Phil T
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project - Launched - Sea Trial

Postby Phil T » Wed Jun 20, 2018 11:05 am

D-

I noticed way back in the thread what appears to be gray fuel line downstream of the primer bulb.

There has been heavy conversation among owners that this fuel line has an interior lining that degrades and sends all kinds of gunk and debris into the engine. Many outlets are selling the grey fuel line and it should be avoided.

Please check to see that your hose has "alcohol resistant" stamped on the outside. If it doesn't, replace it forthwith.

P
1992 Outrage 17
2019 E-TEC 90
2018 LoadRite 18280096VT
Member since 2003

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project - Launched - Sea Trial

Postby dtmackey » Wed Jun 20, 2018 10:15 pm

Phil T wrote:D-

I noticed way back in the thread what appears to be grey fuel line downstream of the primer bulb.

There has been heavy conversation among owners that this fuel line has an interior lining that degrades and sends all kinds of gunk,debris into the engine. Many outlets are selling the grey fuel line and it should be avoided.

Please check to see that your hose has "alcohol resistant" stamped on the outside. If it doesn't, replace it forthwith.

P


Thanks Phil,

The hose is Trident ethanol compliant outboard hose that is current with today's standards, so I hope it will not have the same concern of the earlier hoses where E-10 caused problems. What I find interesting is the motor itself is a 1992 and I'm not sure what hoses Yamaha used under the cowl, but they do not exhibit any E-10 problems. I have a total of 4 outboards that are pre E-10 fuel manufactured and no problems with any of them, but will keep an eye on them. I do have current fuel lines (tank to motor) that are E-10 rated on them, but the fuel lines to the carbs are original:

- Tohatsu 5hp - hardly sees use
- Yamaha 15hp - used on the RIB in the local harbor
- Yamaha 25hp - used on the RIB when we cruise
- Yamaha 70hp (on the Whaler).

D-

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Dutchman
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project - Launched - Sea Trial

Postby Dutchman » Thu Jun 21, 2018 9:28 am

Yea you don't want this with the grey hose (OEM 2007) that I had on my 150 Montauk for the Merc that is supposed to be able to handle it. Look at these
https://photos.app.goo.gl/gLx9zBpUS6CB9zxy7

https://photos.app.goo.gl/vFKA5T1bMTRKLLZ67

That "lining" came loose and caused a lot of headaches.
EJO
"Clumsy Cleat"look up what it means
50th edition 2008 Montauk 150, w/60HP Mercury Bigfoot

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project - Launched - Sea Trial

Postby dtmackey » Thu Jun 21, 2018 10:39 pm

Seeing those pics reminds me of the Tempo fuel lines I changed out back in the day and never again would I go with cheap hose. Now I only buy Shields or Trident and stay away from the cheaper hose brands.

On the same subject, I've found that Yamaha primer bulbs to be better than others out there. In my RIB I made my own gas line from the bow locker with good quality gas line that's under the floor, Yamaha primer bulb and fittings. Cost a little more than a prefab, but will last a long time.

D-

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project - Launched - misc things

Postby dtmackey » Mon Jul 02, 2018 11:15 pm

Now it's down to the little things and I wanted to install hinges in the rear compartment, but due to the design I used, I backed myself into a corner and every hinge I looked at would not work. I finally found what is referred to as a long hinge and installed it backwards and inverted so it clears the sloped rear seat and also has an arc that clears the rear wood and side rails, so I'm happy. I did have to cut into the woodwork and touch up varnish and also installed a keyed slam latch so it can be locked to prevent the battery from being turned on and access to the tank, life jackets and misc thing, not that theft is a problem.

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D-

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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project - Baystar Steering

Postby dtmackey » Sun Aug 26, 2018 8:50 pm

Used the boat for 8 days straight down in Cape Cod and very pleased with the boat. The one thing that I decided to upgrade is the Teleflex cable steering to Baystar hydraulic. The cable steering left some grease stains and I'd prefer the "feel" of hydraulic so I've ordered a new Baystar system and hope to install for Labor Day weekend.

No more of this....

Image

D-

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Phil T
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project - Baystar Steering

Postby Phil T » Mon Aug 27, 2018 7:01 am

D -

Do you have a steersman nut on the steering cable? This component is very useful for good operation and stops that from happening. Bit cheaper than hydraulic steering.

https://steersman.com/index.html
1992 Outrage 17
2019 E-TEC 90
2018 LoadRite 18280096VT
Member since 2003

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project - Baystar Steering

Postby dtmackey » Mon Aug 27, 2018 8:36 pm

Phil T wrote:D -

Do you have a steersman nut on the steering cable? This component is very useful for good operation and stops that from happening. Bit cheaper than hydraulic steering.

https://steersman.com/index.html


I've used those on previous Whalers and they help, but still had grease drips in the hot sun. They make greasing much easier on cable steering and I think they are a great addition.

I wanted hydraulic steering since I assembled the Whaler and this gave me the excuse to purchase it. It should arrive on Thursday and I'll try to get it installed for the weekend.

I will list the cable system in the classifieds if someone is looking for a system at a good price.

D-

El Rollo
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project - Baystar Steering

Postby El Rollo » Thu Aug 30, 2018 3:21 pm

Quick tip (you probably already know), but when I installed my baystar on my 15, I backed the boat up my sloped driveway stern first.
I actually backed up the trailer tires on some pieces of 2"x6" lumber. Then I chalked the tires and lowered the tongue of the trailer all the way
to the ground.

With the stern now much higher than the bow, I was able to bleed the hydraulic fluid from any air bubbles in the system. It really made for a quick and thorough process as the air bubble rose to the top much easier.

Come to think of it . . . someone here on this message board offered this tip. I can't remember who it was but 'Credit to him'.

Good luck w/ your install, it was simple and easy. You'll need an extra pair of hands for bleeding the system at the end.

You're gonna love the steering.

dtmackey
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Re: 15 Whaler Super Sport Project - Baystar Steering

Postby dtmackey » Fri Aug 31, 2018 10:37 am

El Rollo wrote:Quick tip (you probably already know), but when I installed my baystar on my 15, I backed the boat up my sloped driveway stern first.
I actually backed up the trailer tires on some pieces of 2"x6" lumber. Then I chalked the tires and lowered the tongue of the trailer all the way
to the ground.

With the stern now much higher than the bow, I was able to bleed the hydraulic fluid from any air bubbles in the system. It really made for a quick and thorough process as the air bubble rose to the top much easier.

Come to think of it . . . someone here on this message board offered this tip. I can't remember who it was but 'Credit to him'.

Good luck w/ your install, it was simple and easy. You'll need an extra pair of hands for bleeding the system at the end.

You're gonna love the steering.


Thanks El Rollo, good idea on the bleeding. I opened the steering last night and it's a very nice unit, should bolt in with little concern. I'm going to hold off until I can decide on running the hoses in place of there the current cable it, or if I have enough room in my rigging tube so that everything to the motor is captive in the rigging tube and there are no wires, cable, hoses that can be seen or running to the motor from various locations.

I have no doubt that I will love the accuracy and instant turn in without cable tolerance slop in the steering.

D-