Pensacola Fishing Forum / General Discussion / Boat Repair - Questions, Answers and Suggestions

ADDING HYDRAULIC STEERING

timman — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:40:10 GMT

I have a 2004 SeaHunt Escape 200 (dual console) w/ 150 Yamaha TXRB (2 stroke). It has the anti-feedback steering, but I am curious as to whether it would make much difference if I had hydraulic assist steering installed. I've received a few different opinions - some folks say it doesn't make that much difference on that size boat, others say it does make a difference. Any comments or suggestions from some of you more knowledgable folks? Also, I haven't called around to find out how much this might cost. What would be ballpark cost for adding this?

Thanks in advance for any help!

mercury 200

capehorn — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 11:46:48 GMT

went out this mrn and at the dock the engine started with a little vibration but as i cruz off it meload out as i got out to open waters i got down on the throttle and it took off good for about 30 yards and then it went down on me the throttle that is i let it idle for a minute and took off again did the same thing i put it in neatrul and raised the engine to see what happen nothing no stallor any thing but when i did take off again same thing as i came to a stall i notice the engine sounds like it was getting to much gas because it was sounding rough but as it idle it meload out again hit the gas and same thing all over can somebody give me and idea whats going on or if it is something that i can check thanks for any info

GPS crashed on me after "the storm"

jmartintcb — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 08:03:58 GMT

Wednesday on the way back in, my GPS went blank a couple of times, then finally it would not come back on. I am in no way mechanically or electrically talented. I can't imagine the GPS is bad. I am thinking it is some type of connection problem, especially with the way the boat got beat around last sunday...What do I need to do to trace the problem or whom should I call that can get to it quickly? thanks for you help! Everyday without GPS is a lost fishing day.

Electrical wire redo

Trout — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:17:03 GMT

Looking to have my boat rewired. It is a SeaPro SV2100 and would like to have the my dash completely rewired to the main engine plug, to include new fuses and new wires ran to all my lights. Any input who can handle a complete rewire job I would appreciate it

jet ski help

davis831 — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 09:38:09 GMT

i am looking for a place to take my jet ski and was wounding if there was any shops or people on here that work on them before i take it to the yamaha shop...

bilge pump

gcrbama — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:23:42 GMT

i have a 74 20' mako. my first time in the gulf the pump went out and we were taking on water. i tried to use a hand pump but with rough seas ,two motors blowing exhaust in my face plus being just a touch hung over i was feeding the fish my dinner from the night before in no time. it has a 1100 gph rule on it now. it may just be a fuse. i havent checked yet. my question is - whats the caddy of bilge pumps. i want to keep this boat as nice and up to date as the guy that i bought it from did. i may even go with a dual pump set up just to be safe. i love to over do things. thanks

WHO CAN INSTALL RADIO AND SPEAKERS...

Clay-Doh — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:18:46 GMT

Got my family commin in from Michigan saturday afternoon, and were gonna have the boat out from then till they leave. While I could care less about my dive buddies..:moon and wether they would appreciate some tunes on the boat, I would like to do something besides singing and tellin BS drunken stories to my family like I usually do my divin buddys.

Anybody that does thi (and does it well!) can do it before then? and be done by bout 1 or 2 saturday?

Its a big walk in center console, easy acess to all the switches and electrical connections.

SHORE POWER

jboweriii — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 19:36:33 GMT

has anybody ran a portable generator ( WHAT SIZE) as a substitute for shore power. wanting to run just my A/C offshore. I was at the marina the other day and a guy ( Honda dealer ) told me he has a Honda 1000, that powers his A/C on his sailboat. He told me it should power up the A/C, but probably nothing else. thanks for your time

Honda Outboard Prices

reel_gator — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:43:12 GMT

I am buying a pontoon boat without the motor and controls. It needs alot of work and will be looking to power it with a Honda. The boat is 24' and rated for up to a 150. I was wondering how much I would be looking at with buying the 150 motor and controls and having them installed.

Ray Marine DS600X Repairs?????

Mariner — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:37:31 GMT

Is there anyone local who does work on Ray Marine products?? I have a DS600X that I inherited with a boat but just can't get it to power up. Went to the Ray Marine website and they have a lovely offer. Send then 500 bucks and they'll repair it no matter what's wrong with it. Sweet deal huh? Hell for 500 bucks I could buy a brand new Garmin GPSMAP 440 combo.

Thanks,

Don

1998 mercury 150 offshore

toro — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:22:40 GMT

trying to mount a motor on the boat but before I do I was going to make sure it was good and decided to turn the motor by hand and check it out, put in neutral and tried to turn the motor from the top and it will not turn like it is stuck in gear but it shows it is in N any thoughts?

What does your boat get mpg

Hunt4Jesus — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 20:42:25 GMT

What does your boat get? wandering if mine is doing good compared to others in its class 2 strokes.....

We had 4 people, ice, full tank. Ran it at 32 mph rpm's not sure tach is broke. Got 2.7 mpg

Good or Bad........

yamaha 40 hp 2-stroke

tri-haul — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:30:47 GMT

i recently purchased a used '02 40 hp 2-stroke yamaha, and i dont have the owners manual. can anyone tell me what the setting should be for the enrichment switch i.e. normal, open, and closed. and if can tell me if there is a way to test the oiling system, it would be great, i would like to stay on top of maintenace.hopefully someone has an answer before i get a shop manual. thanks in advance.

Crow's feet

alanbarck — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 09:06:06 GMT

I have noticed over time that the gel coat around some of the deck hardware has developed small hairline fractures radiating out from the bolt holes and at other places where it is obvious that the hull has been stressed by contact with dock pilings and such. None of them are that bad, but are noticeable, especially when the boat has not been washed in awhile. I was wondering what, if any, is the best way to repair these little fractures?

Fiberglass Repair

Spanky45 — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:32:06 GMT

I have a hairline crack in the fiberglass on my boat. Who would you recommend for repair and color match?

Thank you,

Spanky45

Flitz Metal/Fiberglass Polish

Reel Rowdy — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:40:40 GMT

Has anyone used this to remove oxidation from your boat? If so, how did it work? I saw this stuff on Ship Shape TV and it looked like it worked like a charm but I would love some feedback from someone who has actually used it. My boat is only 3 years old but the center console and top sides are starting to show some very light oxidation and some chalkiness. The sides of the hull look brand new still. I want to tackle this before it gets out of hand and becomes costly to correct. I wax the boat annually, maybe thats not enought on the topside? Is there a regimen I should be following to keep the gel coat shinning? Any other products besides the Flitz that might work great?

Thanks for all of your help!!!!

Need some electronics work??? I can help

jsaddiction — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 16:57:52 GMT

Hello all,

As a couple of you already know I am pretty good at electronics. I am in the USCG and have been for more than 6 years. :usaflag Almost all of that time has been spent working on various electronics. I can troubleshoot systems and Install them. I have an FCC license with shipboard RADAR systems. I also am a Certified Electronics Tech. I have all the test equipment necessary to troubleshoot many (but not all) systems. If you need help diagnosing a problem then I am your man. The cost will be by job depending on size of boat and complexity of job. There is one catch however that I MUST tell you. I am not by any means licensed or insured and I will assume no responsibilities for any malfunctions or other problems that may arise from my work. I don't want to scare you away with that comment but I am just a back yard tech.

On my last trip out on the water I noticed my chart plotter has started to go on the fritz and I have a couple of models I am drooling over and Christmas is around the corner so I am interested in giving a hand to those who need it. Because I am not licensed all prices and jobs will be negotiable (not free) but affordable for those (like myself) who can not afford professional installers.

If you need a hand with something even if it isn't really electronics shoot me a PM or call me.

outboard rebuild

fishingwanz — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:02:09 GMT

anyone ever used NWFlorida outboards machine shop in pace. they say that there rebuilds are done in about 3 days , that is comming to the marina taking the motor to the shop full rebuild water pump carbs whole 9 for 3850. with a 5 year warinty 1st year 100 percent last four is 50/50.

evinrude 200

floater — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 22:18:53 GMT

i am having trouble with my carbs when taking off they are acting like they are not getting any gas then the will pick up and take off does anyone here do carb rebuilds if so how much and how long will it take to do them

missing gel coat

just add water — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:01:00 GMT

My buddy just bought a boat that has the gelcoat missing in the keel section from being beached. You can see some chips and pits in the fiberglass but no holes. My question is will the saltwater penetrate the fiberglass with the gel coat missing? Is he safe to use it on the water for a while before it is fixed?

Water pump base won't come out.- Merc 40HP

Captain WhupAss — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 08:00:45 GMT

I am in the process of replacing the impeller and gaskets in the water pump assembly on my 2002 Mercury 40HP. While in there I noticed the water pump assembly base was in pretty bad shape, so I decided to replace it while it's all broken down.

Problem is that I can't get the old one out. Plus, based on a diagram, it appeared there were a few pieces, but the shop that ordered the part said they had found the whole assembly - shown in the photo below. It does not come apart, so I don't know if I'm missing parts or what.

Is anyone out there familar with removing and replacing this part? Any help/suggestions would be great!

Thanks!

[IMG]http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s166/LYNW_GODAWGS/Merc40_waterpumpbase.jpg[/IMG]

Need help Oil/Boat questions

Hunt4Jesus — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:20:58 GMT

Alright I am trying to get my motor top shape.

I have a Johnson 150 2-stroke salt series. It has around 60 hours 2004 model.

I run the Johnson/Evinrude oil in it now. It is around 24.99. Is this a rip off or is it the oil I need to use. I am sure this has been discussed, but trying to make sure I am good to go. Is it alright to mix oils if I need to switch. Is my motor considered oil injected since the oil is being injected from the housing. (Yes I do not know to much about the mechanical aspects.)

I just purchased the Sears Die Hard Marine Platinum battery 239.00 1150 Crank Amps 205 Reserve. I plan on running a double set with these, but for now I am gonna run this till I can afford to put a switch in. Is this a good battery to use? I know the optima is the fav. but I found this to be better. I want the most so I do not run out of juice. Is this battery considered a cranking battery as well...

Spark Plugs. When do I need to change these. I purchased the boat in April I am the second owner. I do not know if he changed them. Is it time either way? What brand do ya'll use.

On the steering wheel of the boat it has a knob that says breather or fluid fill. What fluid do I use in this and how do I tell if it is low. I opened it and I see little fluid but doesn't come to the cap.

Anything else I need to look for or change before the big trip. I am going to Destin for 4 days and plan on fishing all 4. Do not want engine trouble.

Thanks for reading and any help will be appreciated. I am learning more about it all each day.

<>< Ryan

Where to buy trailer lights

BobbyW — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:19:20 GMT

So my trailer light finally went out yesterday. I want to replace them with led ones. Where is a good place to get them from? Would prefer local vs. ordering off the net..

Thanks

1994 mariner 60

dc2 — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:43:59 GMT

Hey all,
I have had two of these motors and they have been really good. I have now the same problem with both motors, they both have burnt up the rectifier, and voltage regulator. This also takes out the wiring harness for the motor. My first question is, does anybody have one of these motors they might want to get rid of for parts? And has anybody else had this problem. I have thought and thought and I can't remember anything I could have done to cause this to happen.

Livewell advice

johnsonbeachbum — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:54:41 GMT

I have a boat same as this one:

Currently In the deck there is a drop-in fiberglass compartment/livewell (not used as a livewell) located on boat centerline in the center sponson/hull/pontoon. I am going to eliminate the drop in unit and create a flush hatch in the existing deck opening. The drop-in unit is only about 16" x 24"x 15" deep.

But the chamber without the drop-in unit is 20.5" X 45" x 25" deep. I got it cleaned out and have scrapped the fiberglass fibers that were sticking out. I think I want to coat the inside with something that would smooth it out more than just paint. I was thinking about having it Rhino-lined to give it a "softer" surface. I am wondering if that stuff gasses or might harm fish held in the chamber?

paint or gelcoat a cover

pappastratos — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:27:56 GMT

I had to replace a locker cover & have to paint/gelcoat. Without taking the boat & have paint matched, I am going guess it. I know gelcoat would be the best way to go, but could I get by awlgrip or something else ? I am using coosa composite as the material.

Motor Guide Troling Motor Repair

Pathfinder — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:58:57 GMT

Looking for good Motor Guide trolling motor repair shop. Also want to get rid of the plug in the bow and get it hard wired in. Thanks in advance.

Gelcoat repair???

ross68 — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 16:59:53 GMT

I have a 24 Cape Horn and while driving on the trailer, I guess I nicked the gelcoat on the center line of the hull, leaving a 2-3" crack and a small spot where the gelcoat popped off. Could someone give me a idea of what this will cost to fix and who to take it to locally, I live on the West side. Any help would be appreciated.....

I will post some pics tommorrow.

Boat Trailer Lighting ???'s

RiverGulfFshr — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 09:30:42 GMT

My left side brake lights nor my left blinker will work. All running lights work on that side but no brake or turn. My question is about my male plug to the truck plug-in. My trailer plug is the 5 prong type, not the 4 prong which I am used to having. I am basically not using one of the prongs due to the way my truck plug-in is set up. Is that the reason I am not getting brakes and turn on the left or is it in the wiring?

Throttle Cable Problems

XCat26 — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 13:39:44 GMT

I have a Grady with two 200 Yamaha's and I'm having throttle cable problems. I had my repairman put on a new cable on the starboard engine. In fact, two now. Both of which are so tight that I can hardly move the throttle back and forth. The repairman said the first one was probably defective but the second one is more or less tha same way. He's doing great and coming back out to look at it but it's really annoying. Also, the throttles used to be even roughly when throttling forward. Now, they are not even close. The repairman is coming back out to look at that as well.

Does anyone have any suggestions here? Am I asking for too much to have the throttles even when throttling up? Am I asking too much to be able to not have to "lean in" to the handle be able to get it out of neutral, etc.

Thanks for any help in advance. I'd like to learn more about this so I can know what I should expect.

Sincerely,

XCat26

Transducer power

alanbarck — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 13:23:45 GMT

This may be a dumb question but, will a 600W RMS transducer work with a unit that has a 3000W peak to peak/ 375W RMS output?

My boat won't die

jmb18 — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:34:04 GMT

I have a 200 HP Yamaha OX66 2000 model that doesn't want to quit. After turning off the key and removing the key the engine will run for a couple more minutes and even pulling the safety lanyard doesn’t kill the engine. You can even put it in gear and give it throttle and the engine will run.

I think because you can give it throttle without it dieing it is not "dieseling".

I am thinking the ignition switch needs replacing, but would appreciate any advice.

Thanks.

Yamaha 150 2-stroke Idle Question

johnson867 — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:55:58 GMT

I have a 2000 model Yamaha 150 that I can't seem to get to idle correctly once warmed up and in the water. I had the fuel pumps replaced last year and replaced the plugs. I set the idle around 1000 out of water and when I first put the boat in the water, it idles around 750 (where it should). But once it has warmed up good, it drops to around 550 rpm. I've tried adjusting the idle while it was in the water, but the idle screw has no effect on it. The idle screw seems to work fine while I'm out of the water. I know it should drop around 200 rpm once in the water. Does anyone have any other options to try. The motor runs great other than the low idle.

Live well problem

Bubba — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 21:25:53 GMT

I can hit the rocker switch to live well and nothing. I can go the other way to washdown and the pump comes on and I have water at the wash down outlet. I'm hoping it's something as simple as a switch, could it be anything else?

Livewell

BobbyW — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:17:24 GMT

I need the pvc pipe piece thats in the middle of this picture. Is there anywhere in town I can purchase one?

[IMG]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y47/southernZ71/103707_p_t_640x480_image30.jpg[/IMG]

Fuel/Water Separator

offshorelarry — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 20:22:24 GMT

Is there anything that l should do before drilling holes into boat like drilling a pilot hole frist,will mount filter on out side of hull by the motor.Will mount using bolts and nuts with washers.Got a S.S. bracket because of the information from the people on this forum,thanks for that info. and all the other tips.

T-Top Repair

Lucky Dawg — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:44:23 GMT

I have a T-Top on my 19ft CC. The 2 front supports are cracked after only 2 years of use. I need to have them repaired or replaced. Anyone have a reccomendation in the Destin area?

Potentially bad motor problem

psalzman — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:41:31 GMT

Hi,

Quick question... I changed the oil, oil filter, plugs, and fuel filter on my motor, and now the unit just makes a single 'click' noise whenever I try to start it. I pulled the starter, and it doesn't spin, but I also can't move the crank on the motor either. Should I be able to? I'm just wondering if I have two problems instead of just a bad starter...

Thanks,
Phillip

05 yamaha f150 trouble

bluffman2 — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:32:53 GMT

ok well i towed over from mississippi to take some kids fishing for the bill hargreaves tourney and all went well on friday...motor ran like a champ hitting 5000+ Rpms and i get back and top off 15 or so gallons of gas and we head back out on saturday and i notice the motor not running like it has for the past year...within a few miles of the pass i noticed a decrease in rpms at 3/4 throttle...i could leave throttle in place but lose rpms, so i back of throttle and get back in it and rpms go back up to 4k then decrease to 3k......played with throttle and eventually jumped a little over 4k but soon fell back down......and when idleing it shakes some kind of bad..........i dont know if it was the gas or injectors or what but i still have my boat in pensacola at a friends house and im trying to figure out if anyone knows where we should start to diagnose the problem...changed the plugs and dumped filter(had a little water in it)

BTW i should have burned around 15 or so gallons saturday and ended up burning close to 40 so the fuel was going somewhere fast.... and it was the first time i think i put E10 fuel in it....not for sure though

on the brighter side i had kids smiling faces on the boat for both days and thats what the trip was all about...looking forward to next years trip minus the motor trouble......any help would be greatly appreaciated

Stephen

New Props?

Reel Rowdy — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:58:06 GMT

I have a 26 ft Everglades CC with Honda 225's. I am running the factory 3 blade wheels. I was wondering if changing the props would help improve the fuel efficeincy? I am not worried about losing a few mph on the top end if I am gaining mpg. I have heard 4 blade props would make a big difference. Can anyone with experience give me some good advice here???