Budget boat build

[coachlaw]

I'm just now seeing this. My first observation Sir is that NOBODY can EVER tell you that you took the easy way out on anything.

My second observation is this. I want to tell you how much I enjoyed your show. It was my favorite show from '85-'92, and every once in a while, I actually use something that I learned from watching. I wish you'd come back on and do it again, because it was really quality TV. I know you go by overkiller here, but I have to out you for who you are. Everyone here needs to know that you are MacGyver.

Kenny is right. Dat bote is a coonarse bote. Every bote I done owned in Louisiana had a fantail. I like da style.

Now all I can say is good luck on the motor issues. That thing looks HUGE on that boat, but you're workin' with what you've got. I have never heard of someone retrofitting Merc controls for a JohnnyRude. You really are MacGyver. I couldn't do any of that. When I have trouble my #1 tool is my phone. I call Greg and he fixes everything. LOL. I'll be keeping up with this thread from now on.

[Rollo]

OK OverkillerIts time to put on your war face and unleash the Double Hammers O Fury,You Caaan Dooo Iiiiit!

[Overkiller]

OK everyone, sorry it's been awhile since I've visited this thread. Had a busy couple of weekends that didn't include boat wrenching, two good weekends though. 2 weeks ago my son and I went to cub scout camp, the night we got back his dog had puppies, and last weekend a friend flew in from Arizona for a visit. Word of advice y'all probably already know but if you get folks in from out of town take them to Brazos Bend to see some big ol' Owligaduhs. Then make them watch Swamp People so they understand half the references you made while there. We all had a good visit and my buddy bought me a starter homebrew kit so I can hopefully make good beer to drink for the price of cheap crap. They're safe back home in the desert and things are back to normal so I can get back to outwitting Fugly.

Since I last posted I unleashed the double deadblow fury on the lower unit and nada. The "cavitation plate?" doesn't look like it could withstand a solid beating so I walloped the round area around the prop shaft. If a hammer was going to unstick this thing I think it would have popped. My boss/fishing buddy hooked me up with an impact driver and some nice steel wedges for the project. The impact driver made really short work of the stuck oil plugs. I hadn't used one in years but it was just the ticket. The oil that came out was dirty and not close to the 28 oz it was supposed to be, but no water and I didn't see anything in the oil that looked metallic. It seems to shift fine so as long as I can get the damned thing off without breaking it I'm still optimistic about this motor. My buddy and I tried and I went at it again tonight with the wedges without luck. There's a preexisting crack in the front of the mid section that got very spread out when I had a wedge on the front. I can weld it up but I'd rather it didn't get much worse. I've been going at it from the sides trying to be inline with where I think the driveshaft is. I have the wedges driven in now and will whack 'em with a hammer nightly and hope for some luck. That said I don't think they're going to work on their own. I have 2 options for the next drastic move to unstick the lower unit and they both run the risk of destroying it.

1) As I previously mentioned I'm thinking of a slide hammer like technique. I'll wrap some straps around the lower unit and affix something heavy to the end. Back the motor over the ditch in front of my house or the loading ramp at work. And drop said heavy object making a shocking force to hopefully knock the sumbitch off there. With some careful rigging I'm thinking I can make the pull almost perfectly straight and spread it out over a good amount of area. The down side is there will be notable shock sent to the transom, and whatever retains the bearing in the lower unit that's retaining the driveshaft.

2) My coworker suggested pulling the motor off and securing it to our big welding table at work. I can then weld a sturdy piece of something to the other side of the table and hook on our chain hoist and start cranking.

I'm on the fence as to which way to go. I'm still liking the shocking force of the slide hammer method to knock loose what I can only guess are seized splines. But I could go either way, what do y'all think?



Catching up on the friendly helpful posts since last time;

Robalo- Thanks for letting me know it wasn't a seal surface, made it easier to be mean to it.

Texfish- Thank you kind sir that's exactly what I was after.

Coachlaw- Easy way out sounds awesome. Step 1 make big pile of money, Step 2 write checks and watch problems go away. Problem is I'm terrible at step 1. As a fan I thank you for the MacGuyer props, however I'm sad to say I'm can't be him for 2 key reasons.

1) Mother nature has long since robbed me of the ability to grow a resplendent mullet.

2) I would have solved the vast majority of Mac's problems so much quicker using the guns and explosives he tripped over while attempting to rescue the poodle permed beauty from the bad guys with a tube shock, a microwave burrito, and a spark plug.

Rollo- Thanks for the pep talk, I haven't failed, I just haven't succeeded yet. It may be in pieces when I'm done but it's coming off there and there will be much rejoicing when it succumbs to my will.

I should be able to sneak in a full day of boat work this weekend but I think I'll wait on the lower unit. I have a lot of parts that just need bolted onto the boat and it'll be nice to feel like I've accomplished something on it besides beating my head against the lower unit.

[Jerkyourcroaker]

Overkiller, I like your style. I am totally useless offering help and advice but I can offer encouragement. Your making progress, next time hit it harder.

[Robalo]

I like the name ya gave the pic-stuck mofo-pretty much sums it up!! I hope ya get her to break free. Good luck on it-so far ya done great. I like Option 2-but I aint no mechanic!!

[Texfish]

Overkiller,

I thought that might be the type you were searching for, glad it worked out.

I'm really enjoying your build, keep up the work hopefully once the lower unit is off things will speed up for you.

[Rollo]

Im in for option #2 simply put,youll be able to properly examine the whole thing better on the work bench and less strain on old transom,Ive never thought you were failing at this thing! Your the man....we have Faith in your determination and willpower,Sometimes we run up on these kinds of problems,Oh yea,and remember Americas watching!Cool!! look around the back again and make sure nothins left in that area!

[Torque]

I read that people have started it up and put it gear to help loosen the shafts. I'm not sure that will help in this case. Looking at the wedgie you gave your lower unit, looks like heatin time.

[gregr1971]

been there done that stuck lower unit thing.
start the 4 bolts on the sides, in about a 1/2", put the motor in a big tub of water, start it, put in gear at idle, see what happens.

[evansmarine]

Look brother, that's a Johnson or evinrude, your about to realy **** something up. If you pull the carbs, there's a pin under then that holds the shift shaft to the lower unit. Take a 7/17 or screwdriver and remove the pin. It will fall off. Please quite prying on it, your going to mess it up real bad if you have not already

OK everyone, sorry it's been awhile since I've visited this thread. Had a busy couple of weekends that didn't include boat wrenching, two good weekends though. 2 weeks ago my son and I went to cub scout camp, the night we got back his dog had puppies, and last weekend a friend flew in from Arizona for a visit. Word of advice y'all probably already know but if you get folks in from out of town take them to Brazos Bend to see some big ol' Owligaduhs. Then make them watch Swamp People so they understand half the references you made while there. We all had a good visit and my buddy bought me a starter homebrew kit so I can hopefully make good beer to drink for the price of cheap crap. They're safe back home in the desert and things are back to normal so I can get back to outwitting Fugly.

Since I last posted I unleashed the double deadblow fury on the lower unit and nada. The "cavitation plate?" doesn't look like it could withstand a solid beating so I walloped the round area around the prop shaft. If a hammer was going to unstick this thing I think it would have popped. My boss/fishing buddy hooked me up with an impact driver and some nice steel wedges for the project. The impact driver made really short work of the stuck oil plugs. I hadn't used one in years but it was just the ticket. The oil that came out was dirty and not close to the 28 oz it was supposed to be, but no water and I didn't see anything in the oil that looked metallic. It seems to shift fine so as long as I can get the damned thing off without breaking it I'm still optimistic about this motor. My buddy and I tried and I went at it again tonight with the wedges without luck. There's a preexisting crack in the front of the mid section that got very spread out when I had a wedge on the front. I can weld it up but I'd rather it didn't get much worse. I've been going at it from the sides trying to be inline with where I think the driveshaft is. I have the wedges driven in now and will whack 'em with a hammer nightly and hope for some luck. That said I don't think they're going to work on their own. I have 2 options for the next drastic move to unstick the lower unit and they both run the risk of destroying it.

1) As I previously mentioned I'm thinking of a slide hammer like technique. I'll wrap some straps around the lower unit and affix something heavy to the end. Back the motor over the ditch in front of my house or the loading ramp at work. And drop said heavy object making a shocking force to hopefully knock the sumbitch off there. With some careful rigging I'm thinking I can make the pull almost perfectly straight and spread it out over a good amount of area. The down side is there will be notable shock sent to the transom, and whatever retains the bearing in the lower unit that's retaining the driveshaft.

2) My coworker suggested pulling the motor off and securing it to our big welding table at work. I can then weld a sturdy piece of something to the other side of the table and hook on our chain hoist and start cranking.

I'm on the fence as to which way to go. I'm still liking the shocking force of the slide hammer method to knock loose what I can only guess are seized splines. But I could go either way, what do y'all think?
[ATTACH=CONFIG]19616[/ATTACH]


Catching up on the friendly helpful posts since last time;

Robalo- Thanks for letting me know it wasn't a seal surface, made it easier to be mean to it.

Texfish- Thank you kind sir that's exactly what I was after.

Coachlaw- Easy way out sounds awesome. Step 1 make big pile of money, Step 2 write checks and watch problems go away. Problem is I'm terrible at step 1. As a fan I thank you for the MacGuyer props, however I'm sad to say I'm can't be him for 2 key reasons.

1) Mother nature has long since robbed me of the ability to grow a resplendent mullet.

2) I would have solved the vast majority of Mac's problems so much quicker using the guns and explosives he tripped over while attempting to rescue the poodle permed beauty from the bad guys with a tube shock, a microwave burrito, and a spark plug.

Rollo- Thanks for the pep talk, I haven't failed, I just haven't succeeded yet. It may be in pieces when I'm done but it's coming off there and there will be much rejoicing when it succumbs to my will.

I should be able to sneak in a full day of boat work this weekend but I think I'll wait on the lower unit. I have a lot of parts that just need bolted onto the boat and it'll be nice to feel like I've accomplished something on it besides beating my head against the lower unit.

[gregr1971]

If you have not done that already... Evans is correct!

[Overkiller]

I'm pretty damn sure I have all the bolts out. If the torque tab is what I think it is (little mini skeg) then it's removed as well. The shift linkage is disconnected, it was behind the bottom carb. The lower unit seems to rotate a bit around the driveshaft. Guessing the spines are froze up. Any advice? I've whacked it pretty good with a dead blow to no avail. It's late now I'll attack it with more profanity and hammer whacking tomorrow.

Shift linkage is disconnected.

[evansmarine]

Sorry missed that part with all the post

[gregr1971]

There has got to be a bolt or something simple holding it on.
Of the 400,000 lower units I've pulled, I've only ran into 2 that were seized, and I swore after the second one that I would never mess with another!

[evansmarine]

There has got to be a bolt or something simple holding it on.
Of the 400,000 lower units I've pulled, I've only ran into 2 that were seized, and I swore after the second one that I would never mess with another!

I agree, there is something not removed and holding it.