Starcraft SS 18' I/O restore project

[barato2]

Re: Starcraft SS 18' I/O restore project

i think most of us use ethanol, aside from whatever other chemicals are flying around.

those with poured in foam use more ethanol....


RH, they're not really too expensive if you can live with an older 2 stroke. you're not too far from Tuc and PHX markets and both of those have tons of boats n motors for sale. the pod cost, though, will be prohibitive unless you can do it yourself in either aluminum or glass. but it's fun to keep in mind for the next repower

 

[Rainbow hunter]

Re: Starcraft SS 18' I/O restore project

[QUOTE=I_prefer_tractors;3799274]What did you use to clean the aluminum? Any chemicals?[/QUOTE

I just used my 1500 psi pressure washer and a bit of Simple Green. Worked great. I will have to take a rotary wire brush to some rivet areas before sealing with Gluvit.

Now the boat will have to go on the back burner for a few days. HmDepot just delivered the indoor/outdoor carpet to recover my front and rear decks of the house. Big job will take better part of a week or so. I'll be busy looking for a head for the 140 MC when I'm not working on the decks.

PS. I love tractors also. Miss my '48 JD model M.

 

[dozerII]

Re: Starcraft SS 18' I/O restore project

Hey RB, this looks like a real good deal, might be a little more than you want to spend, but no worries afterwards.http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-3-0L-14...291398&pt=Boat_Parts_Accessories_Gear&vxp=mtr
Glen

 

[Rainbow hunter]

Re: Starcraft SS 18' I/O restore project

Looks real pretty in the pic, DozerII. Oh that I could just plunk down 2.5 large.

 

[lakelover]

Re: Starcraft SS 18' I/O restore project

Great story, I'll be following along on this one. A lot of challenges ahead for you, but I'm sure you can handle it! Great job cleaning out the hull.

 

[Rainbow hunter]

Re: Starcraft SS 18' I/O restore project

Well, my deck project is nearly done, but it looks like we'll be putting this boat project on the back burner for a while. The engine head is cracked and replacement doesn't appear to be in our budget. At minimum a used head will be $350 plus a gasket set and we'd still have a pig in a poke. This is the original 1973 engine and out drive and putting a used head on will probably just show up other problems seeing as how this engine was seized to start with and the out drive probably needs as much attention as the engine. A new head is around $650, a used, but 3yr warranted engine I found is $1600 bucks, and a new engine is $2300-3000 depending on what you want, Volvo or GMC. So time we get done we'd have $6500 in this thing at least, and my family partners don't want to spend that much on it. They're suggesting we go looking for another boat. I'm hoping I can find a worthy used engine/outdrive on a useless hull for a few hundred. The relatives are up around puget sound untill August, so this thing is going to set like it is probably until then.

In the mean time I'm going to get started on a 14' Falcon I picked up last winter and I'll start a new thread on that one in the next few days. Got to go to the boat yard and take some before pics so everyone can see what I'm starting with. It's a beautiful hull that is pretty much complete but needs a complete gutting and start over on the inside and a good paint job outside.

I may wind up parting out the SS. I'd hate to just scrap this excellent hull and trailer. We'll see. I pretty much have to do something with it before I head back to Mexico in October.

I want to say thanks to everyone who has provided advice and guidance up to this point. It's great to know the Starmada is out there with answers to all the issues one runs into in rebuilding one of theses critters. I've always been partial to tinnies anyway, and now I'm very partial to Starcraft. I've looked through a few other iBoats forums, and they can't touch you guys for help and support.

In a day or two I'm going to close out this thread and will bring it back when we decide what to do with this treasure.

Thanks again.

Dennis, the Rainbow hunter when I'm not working on house or boat projects.

PS: EZ is there a way I can save this thread material for later use?

 

[barato2]

Re: Starcraft SS 18' I/O restore project

sorry to hear about this bump in the road. just remember that ANY used boat you buy will still be the proverbial pig in poke....it's not like you'll get away from boat-maintenance problems by buying another used boat. this must be true, my wife says it to me regularly.........

i found a good donor for $650 by posting a "no title? no problem! soft floors? no problem! Wasted upholstery? no problem!" type of ad on local CL.....there are lots of boats in back yards that have one or more of these issues, and the owners are discouraged about posting them cuz they don't want to do the work or admit how little their boat is really worth in current state....but if you offer em a chance to get it out of yard and turn it into CASH with no work on their part..........esp if you can make their spousal unit aware of the offer......... just take compression gauge set, plug wrench, muffs, hose, and battery so you can get an idea of what you're getting into before you plunk down any $.

i doubt you'll have to scrap the hull. given what our members seem to find that tinnies go for on west coats.....

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Starcraft SS 18' I/O restore project

PS: EZ is there a way I can save this thread material for later use?

The thread will always be here. When you add a new post to it, it'll bump back up to the top again.


A donor boat is probably your best bet.

 

[Rainbow hunter]

Re: Starcraft SS 18' I/O restore project

Thanks EZ. Hopefully I'll be back with good news in a few weeks.

 

[cedarjunki]

Re: Starcraft SS 18' I/O restore project

The engine head is cracked and replacement doesn't appear to be in our budget. At minimum a used head will be $350 plus a gasket set and we'd still have a pig in a poke. This is the original 1973 engine and out drive and putting a used head on will probably just show up other problems seeing as how this engine was seized to start with and the out drive probably needs as much attention as the engine.

i bought my 1968 glass starcraft with a setup 120 and a cracked head due to the previous owners never winterized it. PB blaster in the cylinders does wonders...i got it running in no time, with a $100.00 used head off a 140 from a boat parts yard. it skipped and missed a little but cleared up nicely! this was about 9 years ago....i will be on the water this weekend with it! so what im saying, is dont think its too far gone just yet! there is a very good chance theres nothing wrong elsewhere. besides the possible frostplugs pushed out=cheap anyways...as far as the outdrive... well pull the plug on the bottom.. if no water comes out then just put a new water pump in, and fresh oil.


i forgot to mention.... i also have a 1975 180ss thats awaiting for me to restore and get powered by the 120 in my glass starcraft..

 

[Rainbow hunter]

Re: Starcraft SS 18' I/O restore project

Thanks fOr the CL idea barato2. I'm going to do that ASAP. I'm pretty expert at checking out used engines what with many years of auto restoration, so hopefully I can scare up something.

RH

 

[cedarjunki]

Re: Starcraft SS 18' I/O restore project

rainbow, where are you located? its not showing me on your page.

duh, nevermind.....it just dawned on me that i read that background part....sorry i thought i could help with a head but shipping may not be cost efficient. they average between $100.00 -$200.00 here

 

[Rainbow hunter]

Re: Starcraft SS 18' I/O restore project

i bought my 1968 glass starcraft with a setup 120 and a cracked head due to the previous owners never winterized it. PB blaster in the cylinders does wonders...i got it running in no time, with a $100.00 used head off a 140 from a boat parts yard. it skipped and missed a little but cleared up nicely! this was about 9 years ago....i will be on the water this weekend with it! so what im saying, is dont think its too far gone just yet! there is a very good chance theres nothing wrong elsewhere. besides the possible frostplugs pushed out=cheap anyways...as far as the outdrive... well pull the plug on the bottom.. if no water comes out then just put a new water pump in, and fresh oil.

Im not giving up on this yet. If I come by head for $100 or so I'd take a chance. The cylinders look healthy, the freeze plugs are fine, the water jackets are clean, so it's probably still a good gamble. If I can put head back on and get reasonably even compression the it otta run well enough to make it worthwhile. So, I'm keeping my options open.

 

[Rainbow hunter]

Re: Starcraft SS 18' I/O restore project

rainbow, where are you located? its not showing me on your page.

duh, nevermind.....it just dawned on me that i read that background part....sorry i thought i could help with a head but shipping may not be cost efficient. they average between $100.00 -$200.00 here

Yea, I'm in Auburn, CA, about 40 mi east of Sacramento, up in te Sierra foothills. All the yards I've talked to around here want $350 for a used head with a 90 day warranty. They won't sell them any other way.

 

[cedarjunki]

Re: Starcraft SS 18' I/O restore project

Yea, I'm in Auburn, CA, about 40 mi east of Sacramento, up in te Sierra foothills. All the yards I've talked to around here want $350 for a used head with a 90 day warranty. They won't sell them any other way.

hmmm.... i will check with a local parts yard near me, and see if he has any and how much.
i think i could ups it to you for under 100.00....maybe alot less if i used my companies account.

 

[Rainbow hunter]

Re: Starcraft SS 18' I/O restore project

hmmm.... i will check with a local parts yard near me, and see if he has any and how much.
i think i could ups it to you for under 100.00....maybe alot less if i used my companies account.

Hey,thanks much. If we could keep shipping and purchase cost to $2-250 or so I could probably make it work. Got check with the banker, but I think they'll go for it.

 

[cedarjunki]

Re: Starcraft SS 18' I/O restore project

Hey,thanks much. If we could keep shipping and purchase cost to $2-250 or so I could probably make it work. Got check with the banker, but I think they'll go for it.

give me a couple days.... i might be able to get one even cheaper. i noticed he was trying to cut down on his "older" stuff laying around...

and before anyone says be carefull you dont know if its good.... this guy will not sell anything he does not know anything about.. believe me i know! i tried getting other things cheaper (without a garuntee so to speak) but he just simply would not sell it if he didnt know it was good.

 

[Rainbow hunter]

Re: Starcraft SS 18' I/O restore project

hmmm.... i will check with a local parts yard near me, and see if he has any and how much.
i think i could ups it to you for under 100.00....maybe alot less if i used my companies account.

Oops! Pushed the wrong reply button and started typing. Now,it won't plet,me,delete,the post, so,il
Leave and start again.
RH

 

[Rainbow hunter]

Re: Starcraft SS 18' I/O restore project

give me a couple days.... i might be able to get one even cheaper. i noticed he was trying to cut down on his "older" stuff laying around...

and before anyone says be carefull you dont know if its good.... this guy will not sell anything he does not know anything about.. believe me i know! i tried getting other things cheaper (without a garuntee so to speak) but he just simply would not sell it if he didnt know it was good.

Now let's see if,I can figure out how,to do a,post,right. I appreciate your help cedarjunki and I'll be looking forward to hearing from you again in a few days. Maybe I'll have this blessed deck project finished by then. Always something in the way of what I really want to be,doing.

RH

 

[Rainbow hunter]

Re: Starcraft SS 18' I/O restore project

Here's a new question regarding this engine issue. Yesterday a guy called me in response to a CL ad I ran at barato2's suggestion seeking a donor boat. He has a 6 cyl MerCruiser and out drive, ostensibly in running condition. I was on my way out the door to a family obligation when he called, so I didn't get any details and will call him back later today. Question is, has anyone tried this modification on an 18' hull, and is there any consensus out there as to whether I should try it, provided I find the engine/out drive is actually serviceable?