'86 Aluminum Starcraft Restoration

[rtek816]

Re: '86 Aluminum Starcraft Restoration

I have a 21 foot center console. 17 gal tank topside under splashwell. Works fine (wish it was larger, 140 Rude that's pretty thirsty). Two size 31 batteries up front with the trolling motor balances out very well.

 

[sutor623]

Re: '86 Aluminum Starcraft Restoration

Cool guys thanks for the feedback. Jig i love your custom job it looks amazing. I love the way you turned your rear gas tank compartment into a casting deck. And rtek I hear ya about the larger tank. How long do you usually stay out on the water with your setup? Is it mostly fishing or cruising around?

 

[sutor623]

Re: '86 Aluminum Starcraft Restoration

When I had the gas tank under the console, and the bow seats installed I had five people on the boat ( myself and someone in the seat beside me, and three in the bow seat) and the boat sat really bow heavy. Didn't ge a chance to get it on plane because the swells were about 2' but I just remember plowing through the water at displacement speeds. Weight was def under my 750 person capacity too. That makes me think that with the extra weight of fuel up front I would be even more limited on passengers.

 

[rtek816]

Re: '86 Aluminum Starcraft Restoration

Sutor, I used to use the big engine for trolling. Almost always on Lk Erie near Cleveland. We could go out 5-6 miles and troll about 4 hrs. If we were lucky we wouldn't need that much time. I added the Minn-Kota Terrova on the front last year and don't know how I did it before. Now I can run 10-12 miles out and troll all day on the electric and still get back with 1/2 a tank or better.

If taking the kids tubing on an inland lake I'll run through a tank in around 2 hours. Like I said, it's a thirsty one.

 

[sutor623]

Re: '86 Aluminum Starcraft Restoration

If taking the kids tubing on an inland lake I'll run through a tank in around 2 hours. Like I said, it's a thirsty one.

Cool man thanks for the reply. And actually pushing a 21' CC and only burning 8GPH with the 150 is pretty darn good! So I wouldn't say she was that thirsty. I'd guess you are cruising at around 17-20MPH at 1/2-3/4 throttle?? And yeah using a 2 stroke 150 for trolling probably burns 2-3 GPH. That is where electric motors and 4 strokes shine!

Which Terrova do you have, Im guessing 101lb. 36volt?

 

[rtek816]

Re: '86 Aluminum Starcraft Restoration

80 Lb 24V 60" shaft. At full battery will pull me around 3.5mph and down to zero. I can troll down to 2.1 w/ the big motor and thats too fast at times. When tubing, it's constant start/ stop/ do my best to dump the punks (17-29 YOld's). Motor is balls out maybe 1/2 the time. I'd love to find conditions where I could run it all out until it ran out of gas to know how much it eats at WOT. Going to get support for that someday. Rule of thumb says 14GPH all out.

CC is center console. Boat weighs 2600 empty. Does 44 mph all out w/2 of us on flat water. 17 pitch prop (for the slowest troll). Could get more w/19 or 21 but don't need it. Great hole shot and I can pull a 5' tube w/3 punks.

 

[sutor623]

Re: '86 Aluminum Starcraft Restoration

do my best to dump the punks

hahaha that's funny! And silvertip did a comprehensive test on fuel consumption and yea 10% of Hp has been confirmed as GPH consumption. 3.5 mph is pretty fast for a boat that size with 80lb. Thrust

 

[sutor623]

Re: '86 Aluminum Starcraft Restoration

Supposedly you take 2/3 of the hp and divide by ten and that's your fuel consumption at cruise speed. That is about right because my old 65 hp (60 at the prop) burned precisely 4gph at cruise at about 22 mph. Sooooo 5.5 mpg is why I got an aluminum hull. Plus my tow weight is right at 1500 lbs with gas, full gear, kicker and batteries.

 

[sutor623]

Re: '86 Aluminum Starcraft Restoration

Jign I was asking you last year about closed end blind rivets. You have me the rivets online website and suggested aluminum with steel mandrel. Everything that I am riveting at this time is above the water line. I was thinking of using aluminum mandrel so I can use my regular pop rivet tool instead of buying a $70 industrial rivet tool which I would need with the steel mandrel. Does that sound workable to you?

 

[jigngrub]

Re: '86 Aluminum Starcraft Restoration

Jign I was asking you last year about closed end blind rivets. You have me the rivets online website and suggested aluminum with steel mandrel. Everything that I am riveting at this time is above the water line. I was thinking of using aluminum mandrel so I can use my regular pop rivet tool instead of buying a $70 industrial rivet tool which I would need with the steel mandrel. Does that sound workable to you?

You only need the heavy duty riveter for the 1/4" diameter rivets, for 3/16" diameter and less rivets you can use the regular rivet tool and it doesn't matter if they're steel mandrel or not... the regular rivet tool will set both in 3/16" dia. and less.

What are you going to be riveting?

 

[sutor623]

Re: '86 Aluminum Starcraft Restoration

What are you going to be riveting?

I had to pull the side rails that hold the floor tight to the gunnels. I also had gunnel compartments that had to come out. After I drop the floors I have to re-rivet all of them. Probably have about 35 or so rivets.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: '86 Aluminum Starcraft Restoration

Ok, so some of these rivets will be going through the wood decking?... and some through metal?

Or all through wood, or all through metal?

How do you plan to fasten your decking down, screws?

 

[sutor623]

Re: '86 Aluminum Starcraft Restoration

Aluminum angle will be tied to the side gunnels (also aluminum) with rivets. The angle will be screwed to the floor with SS screws. Decking will mostly be riveted to the boat as that is how the factory has done it.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: '86 Aluminum Starcraft Restoration

Ok, I suggest the 3/16" dia. closed end blind rivets with the aluminum mandrel for the metal to metal, you could use the open end but they are much weaker and can loosen over time.

What is your decking thickness?

 

[sutor623]

Re: '86 Aluminum Starcraft Restoration

1/2" Pine BCX with 4 coats spar urethane for decking. I was planning buying 100 1/4" grip (for two layer aluminum), 100 1/2" (for three and four layer aluminum)and 100 3/4" or 5/8" grip (for 1/2"decking to aluminum). I also like using these rivets with 5200 to close old transducer holes that were left in the transom by previous owners.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: '86 Aluminum Starcraft Restoration

Do you plan to cover your decking with carpet and the fasten it down (best), or fasten it down and then cover it with carpet (not so good)?

 

[sutor623]

Re: '86 Aluminum Starcraft Restoration

Welllll, per your recommendation I am strongly considering fastening after finishing. But here is what holds me up. In order to lift the decking, I have to take out the side irons, and gunnel boxes. The carpet (or vinyl) will be fastened to not only the floor, but also parts of the aluminum up front. You can see in the picture how that is done. I suppose it would still be easier to get the fabric off of the sides than it would be to get it off of the ENTIRE floor. I did just go through that and it was NOT fun.

 

[sutor623]

Re: '86 Aluminum Starcraft Restoration

Decals off!

 

[sutor623]

Re: '86 Aluminum Starcraft Restoration

Also Jig you can see where the holes are in the side. That is where the gunnel boxes and support rails will be riveted in.

 

[64osby]

Re: '86 Aluminum Starcraft Restoration

So is that a piece of waffle on the gunwall?

Breakfast of Tinny re-builders.:lol: