Shift Problem-Turned Coupler Problem-Turned Stringer Problem

[bds85466]

Ooooh. Waawha.

1982 Celebrity 188V Merc 898 I/O

So my thread that started as a shift cable replacement has turned into the largest boat repair I?ve ever been involved with (4 years into boating, so by no means am I seasoned). Granted this is what you get when you buy an older boat?

Anyway, since the topic of issue has drastically changed, I?ve started a new thread mostly for my own purposes to document the progression (and frustration). And ps, I?m going to break this large post up into some smaller posts so I can get a bit more forum credit. I mean, really, this will be a book simply because I find writing about it a bit therapeutic ?and it is tough to gain post counts vs people who just say ?what he said? or ?ayuh? and that?s it! Haha Bond-o, only joking. Your conciseness is usually spot on, and always appreciated.

My original thread, here:

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=401471

?began by documenting my problem with shifting. As I?ve come to find out, pretty routine lower shift cable repair. Consequently, it turns out the cable was simply missing a set screw, which had fallen out, not allowing my boat to go into F, only R.

 

[bds85466]

Re: Shift Problem-Turned Coupler Problem-Turned Stringer Problem

The problems began to manifest themselves further when we had to pull the drive for this repair. Lot?s of force was needed to get the outdrive off, which usually isn?t good news at all.

The outdrive shaft wasn?t in terrible shape, but what was on it was a bad sign. It looked to be poorly maintained over the last few years ? as if it hadn?t come out for a greasing in 10+. There were fragments of the coupler and very dry grease?yikes. Luckily, the shaft itself didn?t have much damage ? I assume this is on purpose (the coupler is probably weaker to save the engine and outdrive).

The U joints looked ok, and the gimbal bearing as well ? greased and spinning without hitches.

Inspecting the coupler further showed that it was in really rough shape ? a time bomb waiting to blow up.

So the deliberation began as to whether or not we should replace it, etc. Though very tough to swallow, it is a pretty obvious answer if you want to continue using the boat for more than a year without major issue.

 

[bds85466]

Re: Shift Problem-Turned Coupler Problem-Turned Stringer Problem

Unfortunately what we found when we went to remove the engine for the coupler is that the lag bolts on the portside were completely stripped. They were free spinning and our engine was resting on the fiberglass shell. This misalignment obviously had everything to do with the coupler needing to be replaced. As far as we could tell, the starboard side was in ?ok? shape.

Our engine compartment is tiny for our boat/engine. We have a 350 with log style manifolds tucked into a cupboard basically. You really don?t appreciate (well?wonder) how tucked it is until you have it out believe me. It?s huge! Getting it back in will be a challenge as well ? removing the elbows I?m guessing. Furthermore, considering the misalignment, I can?t believe the fact that the boat was running so well until the shift problem manifested itself.

We could not tell the extent of the rotting or the condition of the stringer piece with the engine in, so in turn with needing the coupler replaced, we went ahead and pulled the engine.

 

[bds85466]

Re: Shift Problem-Turned Coupler Problem-Turned Stringer Problem

This is where we sit now. The starboard side engine mount portion of the stringer seems to have wood there, but using a pick, the portside holes are completely barren. There?s nothing here but a fiberglass shell and some rot. We?ve not yet drilled for samples up the stringer to see where/if the rot ends.

Bummer. Our shift cable repair went from a couple days to a couple weeks and potentially a couple more thou.

BOAT: Break Out Another (couple) Thou!

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Shift Problem-Turned Coupler Problem-Turned Stringer Problem

An easy fix, but what is this on the left side ?

 

[bds85466]

Re: Shift Problem-Turned Coupler Problem-Turned Stringer Problem

As I was driving home from where the boat was sitting, it hit me. Last year I had replaced a leaking portside manifold. The leak had started on the bottom (unnoticed, and an unknown time ago). We bought the boat in 2007 and there?s no recollection of seeing the leak until 2009. This was after the leak had spread and propagated so large that it was spraying out the side. At that time further inspection showed a hack weld job on the cast iron mani?which we plugged with JB (another hack move!) until our new one came in.

See post:

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=346262

Going back, you can actually see on the portside stringer the stains from the rusty water which had probably been leaking every time we started the boat (until it drained the mani).

Retrospectively, this leak was probably responsible for the majority of our current problem. Water draining directly onto the lag bolts will wick into the stringer and rot it from the threads out. Anyone here still reading?

As it sits, there?s no real good idea in my head on how to proceed. Keeping in mind that our boat isn?t worth a whole heckuva lot, ripping the whole floor to replace the stringers is out of my league, and probably not worth the price of the boat.

 

[bds85466]

Re: Shift Problem-Turned Coupler Problem-Turned Stringer Problem

An easy fix, but what is this on the left side ?

maybe you could tell me? I didn't really notice that as I was taking the pic -- what do you think? Never seen the engine from the back like that. Is that something for the steering? A bolt that connects it to the inner side of the tramsom plate/gimbal housing? A spring?...man i'm lost on that one.

 

[bds85466]

Re: Shift Problem-Turned Coupler Problem-Turned Stringer Problem

After we find the extent of the rot, my question to the forum is:

Assuming the rot is semi local to the engine mount area, are there any ways out there to simply replace a section of the stringer? Hollow out the shell and refill with new wood or SeaCast or something? Glass in some steel strut? Anything? I know the right thing to do here is pull the floor, redo the entire stringer ? but I just don?t think that this is the extent we want to take it to. Though this would be considered band-aiding: if we could get another 2-3 years out of a semi-permanent fix -- that would be wonderful. I?m just not experienced enough to know what that fix would be.

I?m sure there are a million stories just like mine, people go in for one small thing like a lower shift cable, and it turns out being one of the biggest repairs in the world of boating.

So the set screw on the cable will solve the shifting issue, the coupler will get replaced, but substantially mounting the engine back in place is my puzzle at the moment.

The experts? opinions would be highly appreciated. Thanks all for reading any/all of the novel.

 

[Don S]

Re: Shift Problem-Turned Coupler Problem-Turned Stringer Problem

Moving this over to the restoration forum. That is where you are going to get informaiton on rot repair, not the IO forum.

 

[bds85466]

Re: Shift Problem-Turned Coupler Problem-Turned Stringer Problem

Moving this over to the restoration forum. That is where you are going to get informaiton on rot repair, not the IO forum.

you the man, don