New Owner - Couple questions

[kanada]

Hi there,

me and my fried bought 78 9teen this Saturday. It is in very good shape for its age.
It is our first real boat, so everything is new to us.

We took it out to the lake Sunday, which was an adventure

It seems to shift real hard when going into reverse with a hard jerk.
Is this normal? btw its 470 i4 170hp

Also the steering is so heavy, that i cant steer with one hand, need to put a lot if muscle. What is the most common problem? Cable or some other places to check first?

It also seems to stall when shifting, probably the shift interrupt switch is sticking?
It died trying to put boat on trailed and we could not get it started again - narrowed it down to no spark, cranks, but no spark.

One last question - anyone has a picture of the underside of the seats where hinges show? Seats are fixed on a piece of plywood, I have the hinges in the box and would like to make the seats recline again.

thanks,
Tomas

 

[ziggy]

Re: New Owner - Couple questions

congrats on your new boat man. imho, your gonna love your nineteen. very useful boats with lots of cool features...

It seems to shift real hard when going into reverse with a hard jerk.
Is this normal?

no. ya need to have it idle real slow. (w/o looking at the book) 700 rpms round abouts.

It also seems to stall when shifting, probably the shift interrupt switch is sticking?

hopefully not the switch (which is either on or off, easy to test). which is nla. likely the shift cable though. read #4 from this link. http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=288430 read all of them links actually. really good stuff in there..

anyone has a picture of the underside of the seats where hinges show?

wish i'd have read that yesterday. i was under there measureing them for another fella here. give me a day or two and i'll try and get ya a pic.

got pics of your boat? there's a show your aristocraft boat thread or just post up your pic anywheres. love looking at everyones nineteens.. what color did ya get?
edit, ya musta just added yer pic. sweet.... that baby looks really nice. more pics...

edit again. as for the tight steering. don't know about yours, but mine has a detmar rack and pinion steering at the helm. i can't remember which, but there's a screw or a knob or the likes that can be loosened or tightened on the back of the rack. the end of the pinion. it affects how tight the steering wheel is to turn. or, go back and lub the steering with some grease. turn the wheel all the way one way or the other and the slide that attaches to the steering is exposed. grease that up. or. ya could need a new steering cable.

 

[dbkerley]

Re: New Owner - Couple questions

If the steering is light except when moving, it may be the thrust tab just above the prop. It is made to be adjusted for a neutral feel at the helm. Think of it as a front end alignment for your boat. You may need to do some tweaking to get it just right.

With the boat on the trailer, the lower unit should swing lock to lock almost freely.

 

[kanada]

Re: New Owner - Couple questions

Thanks for the info guys.

I will try to check it all of this today after work.
Good thing I get got original repair manuals for the mercruiser engine and outdrive
Did some reading last night.... they even have test procedures for instruments, since we have no oil pressure or water temp indicated, I will need to trace that too.

BTW, where is the good place to buy parts for these old engines? I may need the oil pressure and water temp sending units.

And one more question - what size steering wheel was originally on the boat?

thanks,
Tomas

 

[vang19]

Re: New Owner - Couple questions

i recently became the owner of a 1969, 9teen it is white and olive green and is in need a few light cosmetic repairs, and it seems pretty cool! i have been reading all over the forums about what people have done, but i have found nothing that says what a new boater should start with. i have a few questions and i asked the guys at aristocraft, but i have not heard anything yet. before i get in the water i want to be sure of what needs to be done so i attached to this thread hoping to get answers for both of us, here goes:

1. does it have a bilge pump? if so, is it under the motor and if i dont have one what is the best option.
2. does it have more than the one drain hole at the stern? how do i clear it out it seems clogged?
3. as far as safety of the boat how do i check the foam and wood in the boat for condition?
4. i plan to replace the battery, but i also want to add a radio, what is the best option?
5. the gas tank is original and i will be replacing that as well, any suggestions here?
6. mine has a pedestal seat up front on the port side of the deck, is this safe to keep?

i guess thats it for know, i will continue perusing the forum for more answers. i appreciate any that may help, seeing as i have never owned a boat either. thanks!

 

[ziggy]

Re: New Owner - Couple questions

congrats on your new Aristocraft vang19.

i have been reading all over the forums about what people have done, but i have found nothing that says what a new boater should start with.

there's much to be learned. i'm still learning too. and i been boating since i was a kid in the 60's. anyways. for boating skills, the best 1st place to start is a boater safety class. you can likely find one locally by either the uscg or the us power squadron. these are great folks that love boating and wanna pass on safety skills. i highly recommend either. fwiw, i went usps.
i don't suppose that was what you were talking about though. ya wanna know about maint i think. imho. here is a great place to start. http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=288430 check out 6, then 5. there's much to be complied with. before that is the oem service manual. i'll assume ya got a mercruiser, if not this don't apply. you will want s/m #1. mercruiser 90-c-68648. mine came in two vol. one for the engine, one for the drive. in these service manuals are the facts about your rig to include a maint. schedual of items to be serviced and the amount of time between servicing.

1. does it have a bilge pump? if so, is it under the motor and if i dont have one what is the best option.

i don't know if they came from the oem with one or not but i suspect so (at least on my '75) as my switches appear to be the originals that operate the blower or the bilge pump. mine did come with one. but it's obviously not the one that came with the boat, if it did come with one. and yes. ya really want one. this is your first line of defense if ya spring a leak.

2. does it have more than the one drain hole at the stern? how do i clear it out it seems clogged?

mine only has one drain hole. no idea how to clean it out. stick yer finger in it from the outside. if ya can't get your finger in the hole. go inside the boat and look for the inside of the drain hole and see what is obstructing it.

3. as far as safety of the boat how do i check the foam and wood in the boat for condition?

assuming ya got a nineteen. best i know, there are 'MOSTLY' wood free. some wood at the transom where the drive mounts too, wood for seat structure. wood under the ft. motor mount area for a place to screw the lag bolts down to. i've no idea how to check it short of drilling a hole in it to see what ya got. wet wood = rot. if the ft. lag bolts don't snug down tight that could be a sign of some rot. as for the foam. i've never checked mine. same thing again though. drill a hole in it and see what ya get. wet foam or dry foam. these boats are filled with foam. i guess another way would be to weigh the boat. i think they're around 1700 lbs + the trailer. or, i read one fella here found his wet foam by attempting to change a tire on the trailer. he couldn't hardly jack up his trailer. turned out to be full of water saturated foam.

5. the gas tank is original and i will be replacing that as well, any suggestions here?

none other than get one that's as large of capacity as possible + fits. i had rust in mine when i got it. i ran it till the rust went away. i captured it in the fuel filter at the fuel pump. it was close to pull it and clean or replace it, but i got away with my technique. went through several fuel filters though.

6. mine has a pedestal seat up front on the port side of the deck, is this safe to keep?

i've no idea. got pics? is it mounted solid. i don't think there's anything under the sole in that location to bolt anything to short of glass. mine has a molded seat base that appears to be a part of the inner liner. the seats attach to that. if solid. ya could be ok i suppose. but again, i've no idea.

lastly, i/o's are imho maint. intensive. ya gotta work on maintaining them...


wishing ya happy and safe boating...

 

[ziggy]

Re: New Owner - Couple questions

anyone has a picture of the underside of the seats where hinges show?

here ya go kanada....

aft seat base, seat back hinge in fore ground. middle hinge for fore and aft seat back. in back ground.

forward hinge for ft. seat base, to ft seat back hinge.

middle hinge. fore to aft seat backs

aft seat base to seat back hinge

screw holes have been modified do to slightly rotted seat edges...

pics are starboard side, aft of seats looking fwd..

 

[kanada]

Re: New Owner - Couple questions

thanks a bunch ziggy!

I see a post leg in the pic and some wood that goes fwd-aft....
My guess is that leg flods up when seats are up and is down to the floor when seat are extended?

I did not get a chance to do anything on the boat today, had to run to the rental to change out broken focet after work....
and it was gorgeous day in Antlanta. Darn.

Now that I had some time to dwell on the maiden voyage, i think one of the bellow or exaust hose is leaking, since we had water in the bilge.... and when engine was runing on mufs, I noticed that water was coming not only via prop exaust, but also through where outdrive pivots.

Onwards to mercruiser manual reading....

 

[ziggy]

Re: New Owner - Couple questions

I see a post leg in the pic and some wood that goes fwd-aft....
My guess is that leg flods up when seats are up and is down to the floor when seat are extended?

i think the strip of wood is to support the aft seat to aft seat back when pulled into a bed. the hinge would be unsupported if it weren't for the wood strip i don't think. the strip of wood is mounted to the aft seat base only. the leg's are stationary and fit into a hole in the strip of wood. how the leg is attached to the strip of wood, or the seat base, i don't know. i've not disassembled it. ya just lift the seats high enough for the legs to clear the glass mounting of the inner hull then set them down inside the glass mounting base, out of sight, when seats are in normal condition..

 

[kanada]

Re: New Owner - Progress

Re: New Owner - Progress

Managed to find some time and rain was not too bad, so i went out and got some stuff sorted on the 19.
Got her started and adjusted idle down to around 700rpm form 1500.... the idle stop adjustment was all rusty and sticking.

I slapped on some grease and worked it up and down until it started moving freely.

While running I noticed some steam coming from this general area - back of the exhaust manifold. I think it is called the riser.

and

the coolant level is normal. So my guess is that this is raw water leaking? It may explain why I got some water in the bilge. Like someone suggested, I got on the out drive - transom felt solid.

Then I started on the non working gauges. Fuel and engine oil pressure gauges are toast. Water temp gauge is good, must be the sending unit. Speedo hose has a hole somewhere. Can I get that plastic hose at pep boys or alike?

Next was sorting out the stiff steering. Disconnected the out drive lever form the steering cable - it moves freely, still can hardly turn the wheel. So i wen ahead and started pulling apart the rack. Got this far:

I do not think this comes apart any more. Am I right?
here is the aft end of the business:

How this comes apart? I could not find any schematics in the manual for this.... I will look page by page again... maybe I missed it somewhere.
Should I just start undoing the big tapered nut just right of where the plastic cable casing end?

Then the sky started to tear open, so I threw a tarp on her and dragged my butt inside.

 

[kanada]

Re: New Owner - Progress

Re: New Owner - Progress

Got all systems in order for another test float next weekend.
Replaced oil, volt, fuel gauges. Made new dash to mount fish finder and re-arrange instruments.
Replaced water temp sender, steering cable and rack, and the leaky exhaust riser gasket.

here are the results

Upholstery guy will deliver the seats tomorrow.
Some interior seat and trim work... and she will go into Lake Lanier saturday.

 

[ziggy]

Re: New Owner - Progress

Re: New Owner - Progress

looks great kanada... wow, ya even got a volt meter. is that what it came with? my '75 came with an ammeter. man, she's gonna look even better with your new upholstery... wow, yer really going all out.. sweet looking ride...
so what's that white thing behind yer remote control?

how much fun was it to install your new steering cable and steering wheel. did ya do rack or rotary?

man, i got the itch to get out. to no avail. got out three times at the beginning of the month. been cold and raining ever since. raining right now even... darn wet, cool spring were having here...

 

[kanada]

Re: New Owner - Progress

Re: New Owner - Progress

I think originally it had ammeter, or at least there is wiring for one. But sometime, someone redid the dash with carpet on it and stuck voltmeter in there. I prefer voltmeter over ammeter anyway.

The white label behind the controls is Alabama boating rules sticker with couple common markers listed. I guess the boat was originally sold to Alabama.

We had to redo the seats since previous owner puled some generic neoprene seat covers over original seats. It faded and was just plain nasty.

Put back the rack , like it had originally. The cable was so rusted, that the aluminum helm was cracked in couple places from all teh force needed to get the cable moving. Biggest pita was putting cable back into the steering guide tube:

the cable comes out from the gunnel not quite strait, and there is no place behind the engine to stick in the wrench to undo the tube nut to get it loose. so wise grips on the cable end and a hammer and lots of time. There is just enough space there to swing a hammer 2 inches.... so tap, tap, tap, tap... for good 30 minutes ..... 1-2mm a tap it went in.

Once i hooked up the helm and the steering wheel, did couple turns and thought something was not right, it turns so easy. I though something was not hooked up. Had to go to the back and look at the outdrive - yep it turns.....

what are the load ratings for the 9teen? The sticker is worn down so much - cant read anything.

 

[ziggy]

Re: New Owner - Progress

Re: New Owner - Progress

i was able to blow yer pic up in paint enough to see the boating rules sticker. i was wondering about the white pillow looking item with two screws in it. looks like an arm rest... ???

what are the load ratings for the 9teen? The sticker is worn down so much - cant read anything.

i'll let ya know. next time, when it's not raining and cold out (when that will be i dunno.... soon i hope)i'll get ya a pic or write down what it says on it. from memory cap. is 6, maybe 1100 lbs. max cap. ??? max hp is 165. don't hold me to that statement till i read it again though...

was just wondering about how the cable change went. mine steers ok right now. just thinking about the future ya know.. yep, sure looks tight back there to be spinning nuts and swinging hammers... not the most room i've seen in boats for access to the very back of it.

i still got the ammeter. i don't mind it. lets me know weather i'm discharging or charging and by how much... a useful gauge. what sucks is that fat wire (high amperage) that has to run all the way to the helm. for a volt meter, i just use my fluke..

 

[kanada]

Re: New Owner - Progress

Re: New Owner - Progress

GR... wrong button, have to type this up all over again.

Those white things are like arm/shoulder/back rests, two on each side. In the picture you see just the short one, long one goes back to the extended seat position. I think they are intended to be used when the seat is extended, so 4 can sit and have backs to the gunnel.

In all other pictures on the 9teens I see that sides have carpet covered side covers. This has these arm/back rests instead.

Once I get home from work, if weather permits, will put the seats in today. Need to stop at Lowes for some pvc pipe and leg ends to make those supports.

BTW, are the front seats fastened to the base? I was thinking to screw couple pieces of wood to the underside, so they can sit inside the base and prevent the seats from sliding back and forth.

 

[1980 9-Teen]

Re: New Owner - Progress

Re: New Owner - Progress

Here's a pic for ya:

 

[ziggy]

Re: New Owner - Couple questions

looks like 1980 9-teen fixed ya up on the cap plate. now yer cool...

BTW, are the front seats fastened to the base?

yes, 4 points, with plastic wing nuts.

Those white things are like arm/shoulder/back rests, two on each side. In the picture you see just the short one, long one goes back to the extended seat position. I think they are intended to be used when the seat is extended, so 4 can sit and have backs to the gunnel.

kinda thought that might be what they were for. i use a pfd for that back rest. and yes, agreed even. they are needed. do you think they are oem?

In all other pictures on the 9teens I see that sides have carpet covered side covers.

my '75 has contact paper...

think they call it faux wood???? contact paper....

contact paper all over even..