1963 MFG Niagara 14', 75 HP Super Sea-Horse

[dcarmack]

I got my first project boat yesterday, a fourteen foot runabout that hasnt been in water in years. Previous owner says that the motor will start but wont stay running, he put in new points and ignition electrical. I bought the Johnson service manual from Iboats, and get that next week. I plan on taking the other steps in the FAQ thread about the things to do when you buy a boat like this that has an unknown history.

I am looking for documentation on the boat itself. It is a MFG Niagara runabout. What is a good source for this kind of information?

The outboard has always been with this boat, it is a V4AL-15E. 75 Horse electric shift. I think I will video tape the restoration and put it all on YouTube.

 

[Andy in NY]

Re: 1963 MFG Niagara 14', 75 HP Super Sea-Horse

you sure that 75 "came on it"? you would be hard pressed to find any 14' boat rated for that. check the coast guard plate on it for hp and weight ratings...

that said, i love the looks of the niagras. there are a few really nice ones here.

good luck with your resto!

 

[dcarmack]

Re: 1963 MFG Niagara 14', 75 HP Super Sea-Horse

The serial and model numbers for that motor are on a plate attached to the transom of the boat. I can post a picture to show you what I mean. It does look like a monster motor on the boat.

I noticed that on the port side of the transom very near the bottom, there is a small stainless lever that extends to below the bottom of the boat. It is attached to a control cable that goes forward thru a hole further up the transom and runs down the port side. Any idea what this might function as? There is a similar hole on the starboard side, but there is no similar device. There are two holes in the transom down low, and I imagine that they once held the transciever for a depth/fish finder. Right now they are just holes in the boat.

 

[Andy in NY]

Re: 1963 MFG Niagara 14', 75 HP Super Sea-Horse

The serial and model numbers for that motor are on a plate attached to the transom of the boat. I can post a picture to show you what I mean. It does look like a monster motor on the boat.

I noticed that on the port side of the transom very near the bottom, there is a small stainless lever that extends to below the bottom of the boat. It is attached to a control cable that goes forward thru a hole further up the transom and runs down the port side. Any idea what this might function as? There is a similar hole on the starboard side, but there is no similar device. There are two holes in the transom down low, and I imagine that they once held the transciever for a depth/fish finder. Right now they are just holes in the boat.

pictures would help.

 

[Mark42]

Re: 1963 MFG Niagara 14', 75 HP Super Sea-Horse

The MFG Niagara line is rated for 50hp max. The 75 hp is too heavy, and can cause transom damage. Chances are the transom is soft at this point. So drill some holes and check for rotten wood.

Its a really nice boat, and the lapstrake hull makes it track like its on rails.

The serial and model numbers for that motor are on a plate attached to the transom of the boat. I can post a picture to show you what I mean.

The plate on the transom is probably the boats Id put there by MFG. Should be a 3x4 metal plate on the port side (iirc).

Check out the link in m signature to see my 65 Niagara.

Good luck with the restore.

 

[dcarmack]

Re: 1963 MFG Niagara 14', 75 HP Super Sea-Horse

Nice Blog over at the linked sites for your restoration. I think I will have to redo the windshield like you describe, and I need to look into the comments about the motor size. I saw on the brochure at fiberglassics website for the 63 Niagara, and it says 40hp maximum for the model. I will finally be able to get some pictures tonight, as I will be able to push the boat out of the garage in the daylight and empty all of the junk out of it from the previous owner.

 

[Mark42]

Re: 1963 MFG Niagara 14', 75 HP Super Sea-Horse

Remember when matching hp to the boat that the ratings are for the "old" rating, which is HP measured at the crank shaft. Sometime in the 70's or 80's the hp rating was changed to be measured at the propeller. So the old motors are actually less hp than an equivalently rated new motor. Thats because the hp loss due to driving the gear case is not included. So the 1994 40 hp I run is actually more like 45 hp in the old ratings.

Just something to keep in mind when shopping for motors.

I think an older 40-50 hp Johnson/Evinrude will make the boat perform well and will get you up to 25-30 mph with a light load.

Looking forward to seeing the photos.

 

[dcarmack]

Re: 1963 MFG Niagara 14', 75 HP Super Sea-Horse

I took the regulator/rectifier apart and discovered that all four diodes were open, two of the electrodes had corroded completely away. Ordered two positive and two negative diodes. Hopefully that will be the extent of the damage to the electrical system.

Really looked at the device I couldnt identify and discovered that it is the speedometer sensor. Need to have a new canvas top made, and need to restore the windscreen. I purchased a plexiglas restoration kit from an airplane supply center. All that is is a set of abrasive scrubbers, from very course to very fine. Used it on a 1990 Subaru's headlight lenses and it works great. that should take care of the windscreen.

Took a few 'before' shots, that i will post on here shortly.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1963 MFG Niagara 14', 75 HP Super Sea-Horse

Check out my post on how to post your pics

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=410147

 

[dcarmack]

Re: 1963 MFG Niagara 14', 75 HP Super Sea-Horse

Ok. I have received my new rectifier diodes, and have the service manual for my 63 V4AL-15E. I am about to start putting the regulator/rectifier back together. Any words from the wise out there?

 

[Mark42]

Re: 1963 MFG Niagara 14', 75 HP Super Sea-Horse

Ok. I have received my new rectifier diodes, and have the service manual for my 63 V4AL-15E. I am about to start putting the regulator/rectifier back together. Any words from the wise out there?

disconnect the battery. Double and tripple check the rectifier connections before connecting the battery. Make sure the + post on the battery and the + cable are clearly marked. If not, a can of red spray paint and some masking tape will do a good job of marking them to avoid accidental reverse connection that will blow the rectifiers in the blink of an eye.

Also, I read a few posts about replacing rectifiers with an inexpensive rectifier from Radio Shack. Might want to search for that post, it could make for a cheap backup rectifier if the current one fails down the road.

I plan to replace the rectifier on my o/b with a fairly inexpensive voltage regulator. Check out the sticky post in the Force o/b section on the voltage regulator swap for rectifiers. Should work on your motor too.

 

[dcarmack]

Re: 1963 MFG Niagara 14', 75 HP Super Sea-Horse

Looking thru my paperwork and my boat motor and trailer are all 1965, not 63.

 

[dcarmack]

Re: 1963 MFG Niagara 14', 75 HP Super Sea-Horse

I am finally getting my voltage regulator put back together, but I have three wires that I can't definitely place before I put the battery back on it.

There is a very large (#6) brown wire that runs from the ammeter to the junction box. It has no lug on the junction box end, it is just stripped. According to the service manual this should be place between the 'boss' and the sixty amp fuse, which is located in between the positive and negative diodes. If someone has one of these Johnson regulators can you take a quick look and see where this large wire physicall lands?

There is a capacitor with a white cloth insulation that the lug is corroded off, it is located just by the voltage regulator and has one wire coming from the bottom of it, it would reach into the diode area of the junction box. Where does this wire land?

From the instrument cluster wire, there is a black lead. It is small, possibly 18 guage. There is no black wire shown on the drawing on the junction box cover. Does this wire just connect to the case ground.

I can find nowhere that it looks like this JB was mounted on the boat. The wires are all on the starboard side of the transom. How is your JB mounted to the transom?