Recent content by jtrom

  1. J

    1989 Four Winns Freedom 160 with OMC outdrive is leaking badly

    So we launched the boat after sitting for 8 years and water starts gushing into bilge. Engine NOT running. We pull the boat back out on the trailer and start filling the bilge with water to chase the leak. When the water line in the bilge is an inch below the oil pan we get the leak shown in the...
  2. J

    Should I use gasket sealer on head gasket??

    I'm overhauling the powerhead on my 1974 Johnson 50. The factory manual says to put gasket sealer on the head gasket. I opened my new OMC head gasket from the package and the words "DON'T USE SEALER" are embossed on the gasket. What gives??
  3. J

    Crack in crankcase after driving out taper pin wrong way on 1974 Johnson 50

    So I screwed up royally driving out the taper pin the wrong way and a small crack formed on the boss as seen in the pics. Anything I can do here? JB weld? Do I really need to do anything as its not a stressed area? Thanks for any insight!
  4. J

    Question on new connecting rod for 1974 50hp

    I'm overhauling my outboard and bought a new connecting rod to replace one that got chewed up. The new one does not have the cap split from the rest of the rod. Do I just back out the rod bolts and give it a whack with a plastic hammer to break it? Anyone ever do this?
  5. J

    1978 55hp power head mated to a 1974 50hp lower unit...possible?

    Title says it all. Any experts know if I can transplant a '78 55hp powerhead to my '74 50hp that threw a rod and put holes in the crankcase?
  6. J

    question on battery bank hookup...

    I have a 15 ft. starcraft with a 50 hp electric start. I want to add a trolling motor and mount both batteries in the bow, with a terminal post block in the rear. How do I hook up the batteries so my starter battery doesn't get drained by the trolling motor and both batteries still get charged...
  7. J

    Question on getting new control cables

    Time to get new control cables for my '74 Johnson 50. These cables and motor did not come with this boat so it is kind of a guessing game. How does this cable loop look at the motor? Should I order cables an extra foot longer?
  8. J

    Do I need new cables?

    I am trying to fine tune my '74 Johnson 50 and the throttle never seems to come back to the same spot every time. There are no sharp bends in my cable routing. Is this a sign of worn cables?
  9. J

    Question on polishing an aluminum hull...

    I am polishing the sides of my aluminum hull by wet sanding with 220, 400, 600, 800, 1200, 1500 grit, polishing then sharkshide. Going through all those grits will take awhile. Am I ok with a 3 week process from 220 grit to final buffing without the hull corroding in that time frame?
  10. J

    1974 Johnson 50, how far up transom do I mount it?

    Right now my caviatation plate is slightly below the bottom of the boat (like a 1/4"). The boat seems to have a slower top speed than I expected, burns a ton of gas, and I can't get the prop to "kick out" on a hard turn....makes me think the motor is mounted to low. If I remount the motor so the...
  11. J

    what do I use to hold remote control wires and cables under gunwale?

    I am finishing up the resto on my old 15 ft. aluminum starcraft and need something to mount the wires and cables from the remote control under the gunwale to keep them off the floor....any ideas?...I tried googling it but don't even know what to type....
  12. J

    top speed for older Jet 15 model.

    Just finished my resto for my 1959 Jet 15 (these are the pre "lapstrake years). It's got a '74 Johnson 50 (which is the max rated hp for this boat) and a 17 pitch prop. My top speed is 29 mph on the gps...does this sound about right? Motor runs great , just thought it would be faster for so much...
  13. J

    Need a cheap tachometer.....

    I have a 1974 Johnson 50 and I need a way to measure rpm for prop selection and idle adjustment, ect. What is the cheapest way to do this?.....I don't need anything permanently mounted...
  14. J

    Drilling a 4 lug rim to 5 lug....

    I know this isn't the correct way, just wondering if it couild be done. I have 5 lug wheels on my trailer and need a spare. The boat and trailer are small and weigh < 1000 pounds total. Anyway, I have a bunch of 4 lug pattern rims and tires that are the same size as my current trailer wheels...
  15. J

    Do I need a locking swivel seat?

    I have an old 15ft. aluminum Starcraft runabout with a 50 horse. It has a rear wood bench seat I want to mount a swivel folding fishing seat to. Do I need a 12 way locking swivel so the occupant will be stable at high speeds?...or can just use a regular swivel?
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