1994 Spectrum 16 Sport Rebuild? - Bouncing ideas around

[thill]

1/4" is probably right, but I made mine closer to 1/8", because when I crank down, my skins compress a little. I did one 1/4" long, and there was too much material and it split. You have to get it right. Too short, and it doesn't grab, too long and it will split.

I bought some 10" tubes on Ebay, so I have plenty to play with, now. They cost almost the same as the little 2 and 3 inch long ones. Very happy with that decision. Now I can add a drain tube anytime I want without wincing at the cost if I mess one up.

 

[thill]

What length did you cut them past the inside of the wood?? I will be putting in my motor well drains this weekend.
Moeller's instructions say to leave 1/4" beyond the transom. But it looks like that is with the extra spacer(for an aluminum skin only) correct??

Sorry, I forgot to take pics before painting, but this is how they turned out. Not much to look at, but I'm happy with them.

 

[thill]

I've been doing odds and ends on the Spectrum, like replacing the fuel sender and the steering system.

I have the carbs pulled from the Johnson, just need to rebuild them, check the hoses and other components and test fire the engine. If she runs right, I plan to mount the engine onto the boat. That will be a major step.

After that, I plan to spray detergent and hot water into the built in tank , and then trailer the boat to the lake for a water test. Hopefully, she will run well. By the end of the water test and all the trailering, the agitation should have the fuel tank pretty cleaned up.

After getting back home, I'll mop around with a coat hanger and terrycloth towel, shop vac the soapy water out, and then mop inside with a dry towel. At that point, the tank should look new inside. Fresh new lines, squeeze bulb and a filter, and the fuel system should be in great shape.

Still lots of work to do, but I'll get there.

 

[thill]

I decided to install 70 HP carbs on the 60, since I had them.

Can you see the difference between these carbs?
Hint: look down the throat of the carbs:

Two other things I notice between the motors:
1. As-adjusted, the carbs butterflies never opened fully on the 60.
2. The timing was redarded a couple of degrees, compared to a 70.

I've changed/adjusted these things, and I'm hoping to get closer to 70 HP out of this motor, but if it doesn't run right, I'll swap the carbs and adjust it back as it was. But I have high hopes for this little motor.


I got the CDI powerpack this afternoon, so time to swap them out. When taking off the old one, I noticed quite a bit of white corrosion around the ground. I suspect that is why the powerpack died.

Got the new one on, hooked up fuel and turned the key. Vroom! She started up immediately. She was running a little rich, so I adjusted the idle setting. Went from 1-1/2 turns out to right at 1 turn out. Maybe because they are from a 70, but I have it running smoothly.

At that point, I decided to install the motor to the boat. Found a good OMC control box and cables that fit the boat and then made a panel to mount the side controls. Then I hung the motor on the brand new transom. Nice and solid. It felt good. I'm happy with my transom work.

Worked until dark but got it done.

It was a good day. I'm starting to get excited, I can't wait to test the boat on the lake. Maybe tomorrow!

 

[thill]

Before I mounted the engine, I decided to put a small platform in the back of the boat instead of jump seats. Cut the pieces and test fit them:


After installing the outboard and swapping out pickup tube and fuel level sending unit, I circled back to the platform. I treated the wood in preservative yesterday and made the final fit today and screwed it down. Then I made a front support "beam" with a rabbeted top and routed edges for strength, and it finishes it off nicely and makes it super solid.

After that, it was time to tackle the electrical system. I have no idea why they make these boats systems such a bird's nest, but it wasn't too hard to figure out. Just follow the colors.

I got the bilge pump, livewell pump, nav and anchor lights and stereo wiring figured out, on switches and working. Everything with self-sealing shrink-fittings. There was a lot of cutting out corroded connectors and replacing them with new, but I got it all done. The electrical system is 100% until I add a new stereo, deck lighting, and rub-rail LED running lights.

Rain was coming, so I covered the boat. I'll have to take pics after I clean up my mess.

It's finally, time to water-test this boat. I need to put the new numbers and stickers on the bow, which is a pretty exciting. She is getting there! I always like to do that before finishing the decks, in case I need to access something issue below. As long as there are no leaks, I should be able to spray the gunnels white and lay some carpet. After that, I can start using the boat. Then, I will tackle the little odds and ends.

 

[thill]

Today was short. I found a great pedestal seat, with adjustable height. It's a white "Todd" seat from a center console. Very comfortable. Maybe a little bit of overkill for this boat, but worth it to have solid, comfortable seating when driving.

What I like is that four of the six bolts in the baseplate land exactly centered on the stringers. Can't get any better than that!

Will take pics soon, after I finish my current deck job tomorrow.

 

[thill]

I floated the boat today. I'm pretty surprised at how lightly she floats on the water. She drafts very little. The boat is empty right now, but the chines are right at the surface of the water:


This is very good news, meaning that my decision to leave the existing foam was a good one. The surface was nice and dry, but I had been a little worried that it was waterlogged down at the bottom. Fear alleviated.

 

[thill]

While floating the boat, I got a much better feel for the layout. I LOVE the room this layout affords:


It has a great front deck with livewell:


Today was a good day. I started up the engine, but didn't go for a ride. I still have to put decals on and get safety gear for her to be legal. But seeing her float was very good!

Turns out, there was a little trickle of water coming from around one of the lower engine bolts. Other than that, she was perfectly water tight, which I expected. I'll have to pull the motor and seal the lower bolts again. I must have smeared some sealant off during installation.

I guess it's time to seal the floor one more time and lay carpet. Exciting times!

 

[thill]

They both have front nice front decks, but the Princecraft has that bunk in the middle to step over:


Even with the windshield, the Spectrum feels bigger. Today, I told my wife that I'm thinking about keeping this boat. She looked at it and asked if I wanted such a big boat as my jon. I told her that it is the same size as my Princecraft, and she scrunched up her nose and said, "Really? This one seems a lot bigger."


No middle bunk, more deck space and more storage. I'm definitely liking this boat. I can't wait to run it to see how it performs with the 60 on the back. It has10 HP more than the Princecraft, but I suspect it will run about the same, mid-30's when loaded .

 

[Striper57]

Looking good! Keep the updates coming! Looking forward to hearing about the real deal on the water test soon.

 

[sonny1]

That is a nice boat.

 

[thill]

I considered removing the windshield and the Port console, but the idea of wind protection in the fall and winter is appealing.

To block wind even better, I think I'm going to make a snap-in canvas for the area under the center windshield, but I have a lot to do before that.

I put detergent and hot water in the fuel tank before trailering, so now it's time to shop vac that out, dry the tank, and replace the sender. Also, I need to replace the tach, as the old one doesn't function. That's important for gettin the right prop.

Lots of odds and ends to do, but I'll get them done one at a time.

 

[LDUBS]

Here is a not very clear pic of the canvass top on my walk-thru (the center part is unzipped in the pic). I am 6'-4" and can stand under it. Not shown are clear side windows that zip and snap in. I also went from a side console to this walk-thru. It does provide much appreciated protection in the cold months. I fold the whole thing forward when not in use.

 

[Axhammer]

Boat is looking nice.

Good choice on that three cylinder two stroke OMC. A 70 should work great on a little tin boat!

 

[thill]

I hope so, Axehammer. Should know tomorrow.

Very interesting boat, Ldubs. West coast boats often have a different look that east coast boats. Colder water, bigger seas. How big is that boat? 17 or 18'?

From the pic, it looks like your console is forward, giving you a larger cockpit. That cover is interesting. My first boat came with a cover like that, they called it a "camping enclosure", as it had a back section that went all the way back to the stern of the boat. So you could zip it up and go out in the rain or spend the night, fully protected.

Did you make that enclosure yourself?

More pics!

 

[thill]

This evening, I only had a little time with the boat. I removed the cheap aftermarket switch panel and fixed and installed the original panel to the dashboard, including new circuit breakers, and main wires with pigtails for future expansion.

Then I decided to replace the tachometer. That's a must.

I did not get to the fuel tank work. That will have to wait until tomorrow.

 

[Axhammer]

I’m curious what tachometer you are using?

I found a 4” tachometer & wiring harness that should work for my 1992 60 hp VRO.

I don’t know much about this stuff, do you think these will work for me?

 

[thill]

Axhammer,
I'm using a Faria tach, similar to that one, and the same plug for the side control. You have the right stuff.

I have some of the cheaper tachs around, and they work fine, once you get them programmed.

Set it to 6P for your motor, and it will work great.

 

[thill]

I took my boat out to lake test it, and found that a 15P prop was WAY too flat. It leaps out of the water like a jet ski and will run over 6K in seconds at around 30 MPH. I throttled back and took some video:



I found a 17 and a 19 pitch in my prop pile. I'll have to figure out which one next time I get some time. My guess of 35 or so should be right, but it might do 40 MPH at this rate.

Engine ran well, but it makes a funny sound. There is a ticking sound I'm not used to hearing, about once every second or two. It sounds like a slow clock. It's not related to the RPM, I don't think, and it sounds electrical to me. I suspect it has something to do with the power pack going out previously. I found a strange grounding issue with the tilt trim system before. When I used the trim, the small internal ground cable between the trim and the block and the midsection would get hot. I disconnected it and the problem went away.

This makes me feel a little cautious about taking this engine too far until I figure it out.

 

[LDUBS]

I hope so, Axehammer. Should know tomorrow.

Very interesting boat, Ldubs. West coast boats often have a different look that east coast boats. Colder water, bigger seas. How big is that boat? 17 or 18'?

From the pic, it looks like your console is forward, giving you a larger cockpit. That cover is interesting. My first boat came with a cover like that, they called it a "camping enclosure", as it had a back section that went all the way back to the stern of the boat. So you could zip it up and go out in the rain or spend the night, fully protected.

Did you make that enclosure yourself?

More pics!

My boat is 18'. Dry hull is only 750#. It is relatively light compared to other boats in the same size class. I opted for that because I am usually solo and too old to want to be muscling a heavier boat around.

The canvass top came with the boat from the dealer. This style is fairly common around here for walk-thru boats. I added the clear side panels (cost me extra of course). I really got them for Mrs Ldub's comfort. I don't use them much and don't even keep them on the boat. But when really cold or raining they are nice to have. I don't have the rear enclosure you mention.

I'll try to get some more pics next time I'm out. In the meantime, here is a pic of a similar top on a North River boat -- it also folds forward when not in use.