Fixing up my 14ft MFG Niagara. w/pics

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: Fixing up my 14ft MFG Niagara. w/pics

....Don't have the money to fix it...

I don't think it would cost that much to fix it. Under a $100 maybe. At least it would be safe and buy you a number of years on the water....
My 2 cents

I did a few little chores on my boat yesterday- spring here in Vermont is like a month early, and at least here in town we haven't had much snow all winter. I'm lovin' it

 

[matt9923]

Re: Fixing up my 14ft MFG Niagara. w/pics

I don't think it would cost that much to fix it. Under a $100 maybe. At least it would be safe and buy you a number of years on the water....
My 2 cents

I did a few little chores on my boat yesterday- spring here in Vermont is like a month early, and at least here in town we haven't had much snow all winter. I'm lovin' it

PT plywood, resin, cloth it would end up being a few hundred. Its not realy to bad yet. Next season ill do it. I like the boat and would liek to restore it but money and time is tight. I may end up gettign a good aluminum boat.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: Fixing up my 14ft MFG Niagara. w/pics

....I may end up gettign a good aluminum boat.

No- Don't do it! Fix the MFG!

When I did mine I picked out a really clear 2x10 PT and fiberglassed it in. Cut out the inner transom to fit it, clipped one corner of the 2x to fit it in. Even at todays dollars, prob still under $50 of stuff. That was 2001... Still going.

With current PT got to use stainless screws though, which will bump up the cost some. I think you can do an adequate job cheap... But I can't help you with the time...

 

[matt9923]

Re: Fixing up my 14ft MFG Niagara. w/pics

hello, i managed to straight gased my motor today..... I'm pissed i don't know what to say i cant even think of words to explain how stupid i am....

Funny thing is i was looking at another searay jetboat as a project... i got my project.

Anyway i pulled the head and exhaust port covers, top cylinder is fine but bottom one has alum transfer and some light scoring, cylinders should clean up fine but piston needs replacing. Not really hard but i have to tear this thing completely apart to get to the P&C's.

What's the best way to do it, unbolt the lower end and take the engine off, i guess ill figure it out as i go never been threw an outboard. it will get a good cleaning and new seals everything i guess it will be an expensive learning experience.... iv rebuild so many straight gased and non oiled engines and ***** at people all the time about it and here i am straight gasing my boat like an idiot! I ran for 15min before it had problems and i realized it.

thanks for any help... i can't believe myself.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Fixing up my 14ft MFG Niagara. w/pics

Matt, I reviewed you thread today. Made me realize I need to give my Niagara the once over again. Since I did the first resto, the carpet has gotten stinky and worn, and the pressurized tilt cylinder leaked out. Kids stood on the ski shelf and broke one free, now it flops around. Need to put the polisher to the gel coat again. i think in the spring it will get cleaned up again, probably use Deco Dot on the floor. Looked at it in the back yard today, and it needs a new tarp before winter or it will tear under the winter snow and ruin the seats, gauges, etc. Will probably end up giving it to my Sister after it gets cleaned up again so it stays in the family. I just don't have time to use two boats. (wish I did)

Lets see some more pics!

Mark

 

[matt9923]

Re: Fixing up my 14ft MFG Niagara. w/pics

Matt, I reviewed you thread today. Made me realize I need to give my Niagara the once over again. Since I did the first resto, the carpet has gotten stinky and worn, and the pressurized tilt cylinder leaked out. Kids stood on the ski shelf and broke one free, now it flops around. Need to put the polisher to the gel coat again. i think in the spring it will get cleaned up again, probably use Deco Dot on the floor. Looked at it in the back yard today, and it needs a new tarp before winter or it will tear under the winter snow and ruin the seats, gauges, etc. Will probably end up giving it to my Sister after it gets cleaned up again so it stays in the family. I just don't have time to use two boats. (wish I did)

Lets see some more pics!

Mark

Good to here from you Mark. Ill get some pictures tomorrow of my motor as i take it apart.

 

[matt9923]

Re: Fixing up my 14ft MFG Niagara. w/pics

Here's some pictures of my rebuild. Couldn't find the camera when i started so there's some pictures of it mostly broken down.

Broke one head bolt and one bolt from the leg to powerhead. The powerhead was a pain and wasn't sure if the shaft was stuck so i pulled the lowerunit and broke 5 of the 6 bolts, fing pain in the ***. there so corroded i couldn't do much heat didn't do anything. 3 of them have a 1/4" or more sticking out so maybe i can get them the other ones will be fun. I might just drill them oversize and use bigger bolts. What product do you use on bolts like anti-seize?

I could have just ran it as is but i don't feel rite about it theirs some alum transfer and light scoring, I might be able to clean it up without over-sizing but not sure yet.

 

[matt9923]

Re: Fixing up my 14ft MFG Niagara. w/pics

 

[matt9923]

Re: Fixing up my 14ft MFG Niagara. w/pics

 

[Mark42]

Re: Fixing up my 14ft MFG Niagara. w/pics

Oh, that is a pain when the bolts break off. I just went through that with the thermostat cover on the Force. Ended up drilling out the bolt, then running a tap in the hole. The tap cleaned out the remains of the old threads and new screws went in fine.

Took off the lower unit to put in a new impeller. Noticed that the threads were getting a little messed up, but they did have anti-seize on them. None of the bolts broke off. So, I cleaned up the threads on the bolts with a stainless steel wire brush. That cleaned up the bolts nice, and removed any bits of aluminum from them. Then ran a tap in the holes. Did a nice job of cleaning up those threads. Again, anti-seize was used when assembled. Although the bolts came out a little hard, they went together nice and easy.

Hope you can get the bolts out. I had no luck with "easy outs", as they tend to break off, leaving a bigger problem than before.

 

[matt9923]

Re: Fixing up my 14ft MFG Niagara. w/pics

Oh, that is a pain when the bolts break off. I just went through that with the thermostat cover on the Force. Ended up drilling out the bolt, then running a tap in the hole. The tap cleaned out the remains of the old threads and new screws went in fine.

Took off the lower unit to put in a new impeller. Noticed that the threads were getting a little messed up, but they did have anti-seize on them. None of the bolts broke off. So, I cleaned up the threads on the bolts with a stainless steel wire brush. That cleaned up the bolts nice, and removed any bits of aluminum from them. Then ran a tap in the holes. Did a nice job of cleaning up those threads. Again, anti-seize was used when assembled. Although the bolts came out a little hard, they went together nice and easy.

Hope you can get the bolts out. I had no luck with "easy outs", as they tend to break off, leaving a bigger problem than before.

I wish the last person in my lower unit used anti seize.... would have saved me a lot of time. I may have a machine shop get the bolts out, its such a waist of time if it's reasonable $ ill do it. I'm getting all new hardware and using anti seize, cant have this happen every time i need to work on it although i hope I never have to go this far into my motor again. My plan is to get a few more years out of it and get something bigger/better.

I was looking at a searay jet boat and still might look at it but it hasn't ran in 2 years so the block could be cracked and corroded to hell inside. Would be another fun toy. I still have a jetski that needs rebuilding and my boat needs a transom.

 

[matt9923]

Re: Fixing up my 14ft MFG Niagara. w/pics

I finally have some time i started rebuilding my motor yesterday. ill have to take some pictures.
i'm also going to do my transom while the motor is off.
I need to order fiberglass and poly im thinking 1.5oz mat and 1708 is what i need ? do i tab with the 1708 and poly or do i need something else? I'm going flying ill be back later with pictures.

 

[matt9923]

Re: Fixing up my 14ft MFG Niagara. w/pics

Here are some pictures of my motor build.

 

[matt9923]

Re: Fixing up my 14ft MFG Niagara. w/pics

 

[matt9923]

Re: Fixing up my 14ft MFG Niagara. w/pics

I got the lower unit bolts out broke a easy out in one of them... there all heli-coiled so i hope i don't have this problem again. My only problem is the heli-coil the machine shop put in for the power head bolts is off so i cant get it in when i have any others in the only way it goes in the power head doesn't seat so ill have to figure something out or make it a bigger size. Im still trying to figure out why type of fiberglass to get for Polly i read 1.5 oz to cover ply then 8oz for tabbing but i don't see any 8oz mat on fiberglassite.com?? then 1708 over everything after for a final.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Fixing up my 14ft MFG Niagara. w/pics

1.5 oz to cover ply, 1708 to tab and do final

 

[matt9923]

Re: Fixing up my 14ft MFG Niagara. w/pics

1.5 oz to cover ply, 1708 to tab and do final

Thanks im going to order it now

 

[matt9923]

Re: Fixing up my 14ft MFG Niagara. w/pics

Finally got time today to work on my boat. Pulled it out of the field and it fired rite up. It got neglected last year, But it runs great.
Got the splash well off easy enough, there was no inner skin so i cut around it and started tearing up the rotten mess. There was a few gallons of just resin between the 2 pieces of 1/2 plywood. Not sure why they did that. And when i got some of the deck up i found cut stringers not even attached to the transom. it was just tied into the deck. So i could have done it without tearing it up as bad but ill clean up all the years of work and not have to worry about it for a long time, i hope.. There was also an ant farm living in my transom.

 

[matt9923]

Re: Fixing up my 14ft MFG Niagara. w/pics

cutting disk and flap disk make quick work of

laid out a template first, PT ply aint cheep.

 

[matt9923]

Re: Fixing up my 14ft MFG Niagara. w/pics

Got both pieces cut and fit, outer skin doesn't sit up to nice with plywood. going to have to clap it really good.