Questions About My First Boat [Thank you!]

[JarJarBlinks]

Hey all,

For my first I have ever owned, I purchased a 1972 Glastron GT160. It came with a Mercury 115 HP engine, 30 years old, which was rebuilt about 5 years ago. I have a few questions that I have not been able to answer by mere research.

1. Is it possible to repair a canvas cover yourself? A canvas cover came with the boat, but due to some snow damage a few of the buttons were ripped out or in the process. Is this repair something I can do myself or should I just hire a canvas ?specialist?. I am very technically inclined so I would think I can do this myself, yes? If I need to hire someone, how much should I expect to be charged?
2. On the 3rd picture, there are 2 ?exhaust vents? pictured. What is there ?intended? function? I was under the impression that all of the water used for cooling exits through the ?stream? on the side of the engine, yet it seems that some water exits through these two ports. Is this supposed to happen?
3. On the 4th picture, you can see that it just doesn?t look right where the hole is. The picture is where the front cover meets the top cover on the engine. I feel like there should be a bolt covering that hole or something? I don?t know if it?s relevant, but the ?front cover? piece rattles during normal engine operations. Is there a piece of engine cover that I am missing?
4. Regarding regular maintenance, I have a question. The previous owner said that the engine lasted for 25 years before it needed a rebuild due to ?normal wear and tear?. I am trying my best to keep up on regular maintenance, and make sure I get another 25 years out of the engine. As far as regular maintenance, I regularly lubricate every zeifer grease fitting, change the spark plugs every year, when I store the engine I use fogger oil, I keep the engine in the proper downward position during storage, I change the lower gear oil once a season, I use fuel stabilizer, I flush the engine before winter storage, and I try to keep the engine clean and free of debris such as pine nettles. Is there anything else I should be doing? Particularly, I read that when one of the 3 carbs gets clogged it can result in catastrophic engine failure; should I be doing anything particular to the carbs? I have never had a carbureted engine before, so this is a learning experience for me.
5. My trim unit is making noise like it has air in the lines. Someone told me that I shouldn?t worry about it until it becomes a catastrophic problem, yet this is not how I am. I tried bleeding the trim system from the trim motor and from the trim pistons. The trim unit has dual pistons. 3 of the trim bleed screws ?gushed? oil during the bleeding process but one of the ?down? bleed screws merely dribbled fluid during the bleeding process. I tried bleeding that screw 20 times, following the service manual directions perfectly. Yet it still has air in the lines and makes a ?air within the pump? noise during the trim down. Is there anything I should look for?
Thank you for all your help, I would not have been able to successfully own a boat 10 or even 5 years ago thanks to the internet. I look forward to your responses!

Thanks!
Stephen

 

[BoobieBouncer]

Re: Questions About My First Boat [Thank you!]

Your pictures were too big to see...

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Questions About My First Boat [Thank you!]

Use some iron on patches to repair the canvass. First remove the snaps, then iron on the patvches and then install new snaps.


Those square holes are idle relief ports. They allow exaust to exit easier, when the motor is in the water idleing in neutral.

The top cover should have a Merc emblem installed in that hole. The front cowl should have some foam rubber around it's permiter, to keep it from rattling. See if you can find another inline motor from the 70-late 80 to look at. They were all the same.

 

[j_martin]

Re: Questions About My First Boat [Thank you!]

Water pump inspection, replacing the impeller and any other parts that need it, should be considered an annual spring maintainance item.

If you are in a northern climate, the LU lubricant should be changed in the fall. That is to discover any water in the LU before it freezes and breaks castings.

Unless you're in salt water, once or twice a year should be good enough for the grease zerks. More is just messy.

On my V6, the main jets holders are easy to get an, and drain the float bowl. For storage it is a good idea to have them empty. (1) Any fuel in them will evaporate over winter and leave the oil and any gum behind. (2) if the float chambers are empty, the floats hang down, opening the needle valves. First fuel in the spring rinses things off and yer good to go.

When sounds change in the engine or hydraulics, there's a reason, usually not good. Check it out before it becomes serious.

It sounds like yer boat has a good owner.

Do us all a favor and edit your first post, deleting the pictures. Someone fixed it for you on the second post. Then the text won't scroll off the screen.

hope it helps
John

 

[JarJarBlinks]

Re: Questions About My First Boat [Thank you!]

Post edited.

1. Will the iron on patches be strong enough to hold the canvas up over the years? I want to fix this properly, is all... If I do that I will sow the edges of the patches down.

2. Regarding the idle relief ports, is it normal to have some water "gurgling" out of them?

3. Is draining the carbs by running the engine out of gas until it stalls OK to do? That is what the previous owner told me to do.

4. So there really isnt any other regular maintaince to do on the carbs? Do they ever have to be rebuilt? I just hear lots of horror stories about bad carbs destroying engines so please understand my concern.

Thank you!!!!
Stephen

 

[j_martin]

Re: Questions About My First Boat [Thank you!]

Post edited.

1. Will the iron on patches be strong enough to hold the canvas up over the years? I want to fix this properly, is all... If I do that I will sow the edges of the patches down.

2. Regarding the idle relief ports, is it normal to have some water "gurgling" out of them?

3. Is draining the carbs by running the engine out of gas until it stalls OK to do? That is what the previous owner told me to do.

4. So there really isnt any other regular maintaince to do on the carbs? Do they ever have to be rebuilt? I just hear lots of horror stories about bad carbs destroying engines so please understand my concern.

Thank you!!!!
Stephen

1. It's old canvas, eventually it'll need replacing. Repair is temporary. (in retrospect, so is new)

2. An outboard mixes the exhaust and cooling water discharge to cool the exhaust. The relief would have water spraying and sputtering out of them.

3. Sure

4. Carbs usually run till they get gummed up by old bad fuel, water, dirt in the fuel, or such. If you keep things clean and right, they shouldn't need much.

Most people that burn down an engine with bad carbs are pushing them after they should have noticed a turn down in performance. For instance, if you have a fuel line restriction, it might back off at WOT. If you hold it there, something's gotta burn.

Thanks for the edit.
John

 

[JarJarBlinks]

Re: Questions About My First Boat [Thank you!]

OK another fuel question:

I was testing the "hold the primer bulb vertical" trick today with the boat on the trailer and the engine in "trailering" raised position. The trick worked extremely well by the way

When I pumped the primer, the bulb got hard as it should but fuel would run out of the front of the engine. It was trickling out, but it was a large trickle. The bulb stayed hard for a minute or two, and it never "gushed" out of the engine even when I would put pressure on the primer bulb.

Is this normal?

Ive always noticed that there is a fuel smell inside the engine by the carbs and there seems to always be a little "pool" of gas in the little "spill catcher" under the carbs. Dont know if thats relevant...

 

[j_martin]

Re: Questions About My First Boat [Thank you!]

OK another fuel question:

I was testing the "hold the primer bulb vertical" trick today with the boat on the trailer and the engine in "trailering" raised position. The trick worked extremely well by the way

When I pumped the primer, the bulb got hard as it should but fuel would run out of the front of the engine. It was trickling out, but it was a large trickle. The bulb stayed hard for a minute or two, and it never "gushed" out of the engine even when I would put pressure on the primer bulb.

Is this normal?

Ive always noticed that there is a fuel smell inside the engine by the carbs and there seems to always be a little "pool" of gas in the little "spill catcher" under the carbs. Dont know if thats relevant...

Normal is relative. It takes about 7 lbs to overcome the needle valves in normal carburetors. You can easily develop 10 lbs with a white knuckle grip on the primer bulb. With a normal (firm) pump up, it should not leak out the front of the carbs. Needle valves, floats, or float setting needs service.

hope it helps
John

 

[BoobieBouncer]

Re: Questions About My First Boat [Thank you!]

Running the motor in the raised position isn't 'normal' either...