Recent content by rschnack

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    Smokercraft & Starcraft

    It seems when I bought my boat, 2002 Smokercraft Stealth 162, in 2002, there was a lot of gossip about Smokercraft, Sylan and Starcraft merging or working together. I know Smokercraft bought Sylvan, but did they also have an arrangement with Starcraft? My brother-in-law purchased a Sylvan...
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    Swim Ladder Spacers

    Last Summer I installed a small swim ladder on the back of my 2002 Smokercraft Stealth 162. The platform of the ladder seems to tilt downward quite a bit. I have noticed that other fishing boats like mine that have ladders also seem to tilt down. Apparently the transoms are not as vertical on...
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    Small diameter prop on bigfoot?

    Recently I had a post discussing the fact that the fishing boat I purchased has a Bigfoot motor on the back: 2002 Smokercraft Stealth 162 with a 2001 50 hp Mercury 4 stroke (50ELPT 4S #OT 228815). I went to remove the prop to lube the shaft. The prop looks smaller than in the brochures. The...
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    Bigfoot on fishing boat?

    When I went to winterize my 2001 50 hp 4stroke I starting thinking that the bottom of the drive looked bigger than normal. I started checking into it and it appears I have the 4 1/4" case rather than the standard 3 1/4" case. The 4 1/4" case comes with the bigfoot package. This motor is on a...
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    2001 Merc. 50 4s - owner serviceable?

    At the end of last summer I bought a demo 2002 Smokercraft Stealth 162 with a 2001 Mercury 50 Hp 4 stroke. I finally received the owner's manual for the motor this week. It lists the service that should be done every year or 100 hours. In this list it shows:<br />-Check valve clearances.<br...
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    "BLEM" Battery

    I bought a new boat this past summer - Smokercraft Stealth 162 with a 50hp Merc. 4 stroke. I really like the boat and have no complaints with it overall. When I pulled out the battery for the winter I noticed that it does not have a label and the word "BLEM" is engraved on the top. The...
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    Flat bottom transom drainage.

    I am finally starting my project, a 1970 16' Alumacraft fiberglass runabout. It is a single "V" that flattens out as it reaches the stern. Following the advise of an experienced relative and the West Marine repair manual, I used a router with a rotozip carbide bit and removed the outer skin of...
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    Do impellers go bad on the shelf?

    Hi again,<br /><br /> I am finally starting on my project boat. It has a 1970 85hp Johnson. From reading some of the posts here you should change the impeller in the water pump frequently because they can take a "set" even if the motor is just in storage and has low hours. My question is...
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    New 4 stroke to replace old 2 stroke size issue.

    Hi again,<br /> I did a search and found alot of pros and cons comparing 2 and 4 strokes but did not really find an answer to my question. I have a 1970 16' runabout that I am restoring. It now has a 1970 85hp Johnson that is so far doing well but I am considering replacing it a some point...
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    Side ply needed?

    Hi again.<br /> After looking at several potential project boats I'm back to the one I already have, a 1970 16' Alumcraft Sea Aira. My question concerns the 1/4" plywood attached to the inside of the sides. It helps make a storage pocket along each side but it seems to be mostly...
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    New Project - Underbuilt transom?

    I am finally planning to start repairing my 1969 16' Alumicraft Sea Aira. I need to replace the transom. I have read Jim Anderson's "Runabout Renovation" cover to cover a couple of times. In it he mentions that some of the early fiberglass boat builders way over estimated the horsepower...
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    How thin is too thin?

    Hello again.<br /><br /> I have an 1969 16' Fiberglass Alumicraft boat I am starting to work on but I may stop. Through the advice in this forum I bought Jim Anderson's book "Runabout Restoration". I highly recommend this book to anyone who has any interest in old boats. Anyway, I...
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    Torque, horsepower and Displacement.

    Hi again,<br /><br /> I have a basic question that may not be so basic. I've noticed that several outboard manufacturer's have motors with different horsepowers but the same displacement produced by the same bore and stroke. From dealing with automotive engines I know that when you "hop...
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    Fiberglass Islander type boat?

    Hello again.<br /><br /> I am looking forward to a possible next project boat. I really like the layout and lines of the Starcraft Islanders and Sylvan Offshores. The following link will take you to info. on the 191 Islander:<br /><br /> http://www.starcraftmarine.com/aluminum/isl19103.htm...
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    Boarding with narrow transom

    Hellow again,<br /><br /> As you probably know from earlier threads I am fixing an old 16 foot boat. I would like to find a way to get in and out of the boat easier when stopping for a swim. In the past we have used one of those fold up ladders that hooks over the side of the boat. This...
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