Well, figure since I'm a new member here and will be asking MANY questions, I might as well introduce myself.
I am realitivly new to boat ownership and just recently purchased my first boat, a 1978 Imperial V173 Tri-hull bow rider. The boat has a 1977 Evinrude V4 85HP 2 stroke. Jumping in to the deep end is a bit of an understatement as the boat is pretty much a mess and needs a lot of work, but considering the boat, motor and trailer were only $800 CDN ($600US), I figure if I decide not to proceed, I can pretty easily get my money back.
I'll post pictures later, but the short list is it needs a new carpet, upholstery, steering cable/helm, impeller, repairs to trim/tilt system, carb work, gel coat refinishing, cover, etc etc etc. The only good things are the floor is solid, windshield is there and glass is intact, the motor runs well (after some work) and it's mostly complete. The wiring is a mess which will be pretty easy for me to take care of, but on some of the other stuff, I'm kind of lost on. I'll be asking most questions in the appropriate sections, but may post a few here to just for ease.
First one I have actually relates to the steering cable. The steering is very stiff. I have disconnected it from the motor and the motor turns freely, but the steering cable is still stiff. The date code on it is Dec 1990 so it's definelty due for replacement. The cable on it right now is a 14ft Teleflex SSC12414.
My question is, should I order just a replacement cable, or replace the helm as well and get a more "modern" helm/cable setup. There's lots of room under the dash for pretty much anything and routing the cable won't be an issue. Are there any advantages to the new systems? How difficult is it to replace the helm? It's in decent shape but probably wouldn't hurt to replace the old rack system.
I am realitivly new to boat ownership and just recently purchased my first boat, a 1978 Imperial V173 Tri-hull bow rider. The boat has a 1977 Evinrude V4 85HP 2 stroke. Jumping in to the deep end is a bit of an understatement as the boat is pretty much a mess and needs a lot of work, but considering the boat, motor and trailer were only $800 CDN ($600US), I figure if I decide not to proceed, I can pretty easily get my money back.
I'll post pictures later, but the short list is it needs a new carpet, upholstery, steering cable/helm, impeller, repairs to trim/tilt system, carb work, gel coat refinishing, cover, etc etc etc. The only good things are the floor is solid, windshield is there and glass is intact, the motor runs well (after some work) and it's mostly complete. The wiring is a mess which will be pretty easy for me to take care of, but on some of the other stuff, I'm kind of lost on. I'll be asking most questions in the appropriate sections, but may post a few here to just for ease.
First one I have actually relates to the steering cable. The steering is very stiff. I have disconnected it from the motor and the motor turns freely, but the steering cable is still stiff. The date code on it is Dec 1990 so it's definelty due for replacement. The cable on it right now is a 14ft Teleflex SSC12414.
My question is, should I order just a replacement cable, or replace the helm as well and get a more "modern" helm/cable setup. There's lots of room under the dash for pretty much anything and routing the cable won't be an issue. Are there any advantages to the new systems? How difficult is it to replace the helm? It's in decent shape but probably wouldn't hurt to replace the old rack system.