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'1986 251 I/O conversion to twin O/B's
- Thread starter Instigator
- Start date
knarloid
Well-known member
That's awesome!
I am picking mine up on Saturday after getting one of the trim/tilt assemblies replaced after it began to stop working on last day of 2018 season.
I had sold my 2 spare midsections to TomB a month later (not knowing I would need one), and he gratefully offered me one and dropped it to the mechanic on his lake last week where the boat was.
$310 later, and I should be on the water in the next week or two when I get a free day.
Season is almost upon us!
I am picking mine up on Saturday after getting one of the trim/tilt assemblies replaced after it began to stop working on last day of 2018 season.
I had sold my 2 spare midsections to TomB a month later (not knowing I would need one), and he gratefully offered me one and dropped it to the mechanic on his lake last week where the boat was.
$310 later, and I should be on the water in the next week or two when I get a free day.
Season is almost upon us!
Instigator
Well-known member
Instigator
Well-known member
Wow, I suck.
Almost a yr later and this all ive accomplished
Actually, finally making positive headway. After a yr of grinding and glassing, grinding and glassing.
Ugh.
Since last ck in:
Both motors now have new impellers, rebuilt carbs (both are now 225's) and new ignitions.
Bracket is done and installed.
It came out really well and Im very happy w/it and how it looks on the boat.
Some of the stupid projects I didn't know I got to do........
Orig bow hatch had a vee'd front and I replaced it w/a more modern, square Bomar.
The deck has a profile molded into it for the vee'd hatch, not a square one.
Ugh.
Three through hulls leftover from the I/O that I no longer need and now need to fill.
Still need to get the fuel sender mount moved on the new tank.
No walls for cabin.
W/engineering the new cabin entry door, that means the helm/dash goes bye bye.
Heres some pixs that are fairly self explanatory:
*Just renewed my expired membership and its not recognizing and pixs on my lap top to upload. Sorry, I'll try it tomorrow.*
Almost a yr later and this all ive accomplished
Actually, finally making positive headway. After a yr of grinding and glassing, grinding and glassing.
Ugh.
Since last ck in:
Both motors now have new impellers, rebuilt carbs (both are now 225's) and new ignitions.
Bracket is done and installed.
It came out really well and Im very happy w/it and how it looks on the boat.
Some of the stupid projects I didn't know I got to do........
Orig bow hatch had a vee'd front and I replaced it w/a more modern, square Bomar.
The deck has a profile molded into it for the vee'd hatch, not a square one.
Ugh.
Three through hulls leftover from the I/O that I no longer need and now need to fill.
Still need to get the fuel sender mount moved on the new tank.
No walls for cabin.
W/engineering the new cabin entry door, that means the helm/dash goes bye bye.
Heres some pixs that are fairly self explanatory:
*Just renewed my expired membership and its not recognizing and pixs on my lap top to upload. Sorry, I'll try it tomorrow.*
Last edited:
Instigator
Well-known member
Instigator
Well-known member
Instigator
Well-known member
Instigator
Well-known member
Instigator
Well-known member
Instigator
Well-known member
Instigator
Well-known member
Yes, that was the plan.
Lifted the boat off the trailer, on stands, have the cloth cut, everything ready to go when I walked in the shop one day and saw a paper towel laying under one of the feet on one of the four stands??
Paused for a minute to realize that stand had to be on three feet, scared the pee out of me and put the boat back on the trailer
Lifted the boat off the trailer, on stands, have the cloth cut, everything ready to go when I walked in the shop one day and saw a paper towel laying under one of the feet on one of the four stands??
Paused for a minute to realize that stand had to be on three feet, scared the pee out of me and put the boat back on the trailer
Instigator
Well-known member
Decided to punt on the idea of having everything right before splashing and am now focusing on completing all mechanicals to make sure my science project even works before spending more time/$ on a gamble.
I’m very close but running out of time before our Ohio weather turns to ****.
Built the Mrs a pool and deck so she’s being really nice to me in allowing me to spend all my time in the shop now.
Steering is done, tank is in/plumbed,cockpit interior is back in and working on wiring now.
While I had the boat off the trailer I added a second set of bunks, rebuilt the salt corroded front disc brakes, added a second set to the rear axle and guide posts w/lights.
I’m very close but running out of time before our Ohio weather turns to ****.
Built the Mrs a pool and deck so she’s being really nice to me in allowing me to spend all my time in the shop now.
Steering is done, tank is in/plumbed,cockpit interior is back in and working on wiring now.
While I had the boat off the trailer I added a second set of bunks, rebuilt the salt corroded front disc brakes, added a second set to the rear axle and guide posts w/lights.
Attachments
Instigator
Well-known member
Totally forgot about this thread!
Like most of my projects, it ain’t done but is close and it functional!
After getting to the point with the mechanicals to where it was a functional boat I kind of took a break at that part and used it as a boat
Meaning it was ugly as a box of rocks but ran!
The positives are the thing is an amazing little boat!
So far has spent almost all of its time on Lake Erie meaning limited speeds.
Lost track of how many weekends the Mrs. and I have spent on it but it’s probably at least a dozen.
Sleeps very well and I built a galley for in the cabin and works great, put an inverter in it so I can have my coffee in the morning which is mandatory for my wife not divorcing me !
Got the motors where they start, idle and run like brand new motors after adding several battle scars to the sides of the boat trying to dock on one motor in the wind!
The only top speed testing I’ve been able to do to this point is in 3 mile stretch between the bridges on the local pond.
I’ve seen low 70s GPS and have in my notes that I saw I think 75 once but haven’t been able to repeat it.
The boat is such a handful to set up for speed that it takes half of that distance before you can hit the throttle‘s.
Convinced there’s still an 80 mile an hour pass in there with everything right.
Motors are still stock 225s so I’m very happy with what it does so far.
Acceleration is brutal as you might expect.
We did one run between islands on Erie where waves were 3 to 5 feet and with the motors and tabs down I was able to maintain a steady plane at less than 20 miles an hour and the boat was a beast in that water!
Never pounded once which both of my 24 sonics did in the same water.
I’ll load some pictures of the improvements I made.
Last one was a couple weeks back I started playing with the gelcoat on the deck.
Was convinced it was shot and I would have to paint it but after playing with some 1500 wet dry I was amazed at the result.
Like most of my projects, it ain’t done but is close and it functional!
After getting to the point with the mechanicals to where it was a functional boat I kind of took a break at that part and used it as a boat
Meaning it was ugly as a box of rocks but ran!
The positives are the thing is an amazing little boat!
So far has spent almost all of its time on Lake Erie meaning limited speeds.
Lost track of how many weekends the Mrs. and I have spent on it but it’s probably at least a dozen.
Sleeps very well and I built a galley for in the cabin and works great, put an inverter in it so I can have my coffee in the morning which is mandatory for my wife not divorcing me !
Got the motors where they start, idle and run like brand new motors after adding several battle scars to the sides of the boat trying to dock on one motor in the wind!
The only top speed testing I’ve been able to do to this point is in 3 mile stretch between the bridges on the local pond.
I’ve seen low 70s GPS and have in my notes that I saw I think 75 once but haven’t been able to repeat it.
The boat is such a handful to set up for speed that it takes half of that distance before you can hit the throttle‘s.
Convinced there’s still an 80 mile an hour pass in there with everything right.
Motors are still stock 225s so I’m very happy with what it does so far.
Acceleration is brutal as you might expect.
We did one run between islands on Erie where waves were 3 to 5 feet and with the motors and tabs down I was able to maintain a steady plane at less than 20 miles an hour and the boat was a beast in that water!
Never pounded once which both of my 24 sonics did in the same water.
I’ll load some pictures of the improvements I made.
Last one was a couple weeks back I started playing with the gelcoat on the deck.
Was convinced it was shot and I would have to paint it but after playing with some 1500 wet dry I was amazed at the result.
Attachments
Instigator
Well-known member
when I started with it the cabin entry bulkheads were formica covered plywood on the cockpit side carpet covered on the cabin side neither of which did I like.
Struggled for a while on what I wanted to replace it with and decided to kick it old school.
Very very happy with how it turned out with kind of throwing it at the wall before I knew if it would stick or not.
Case anyone does not know, three-quarter inch, Okume Marine Plywood ain’t cheap, to guess and be wrong
Struggled for a while on what I wanted to replace it with and decided to kick it old school.
Very very happy with how it turned out with kind of throwing it at the wall before I knew if it would stick or not.
Case anyone does not know, three-quarter inch, Okume Marine Plywood ain’t cheap, to guess and be wrong
Attachments
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Instigator
Well-known member
This is from 2 wks ago.
Put in and stayed the boat Basin in Huron Ohio.
For those looking for a weekend destination put this on your radar!
In season they have free concerts at their amphitheater on the hill overlooking the marina.
There is a boardwalk along the river where the basin is that is lined with restaurants and tiki bars!
Saturday morning we did the 25 mile run from there to Middle Bass Island for lunch and cocktails at JF walleyes, my favorite bar on the planet, and back to the boat basin for the night.
Then watched a killer concert by a band out of Cleveland.
It was a four-star a weekend to be sure!
Lake was perfect, weather was perfect, and the wife still thinks my jokes are funny
Put in and stayed the boat Basin in Huron Ohio.
For those looking for a weekend destination put this on your radar!
In season they have free concerts at their amphitheater on the hill overlooking the marina.
There is a boardwalk along the river where the basin is that is lined with restaurants and tiki bars!
Saturday morning we did the 25 mile run from there to Middle Bass Island for lunch and cocktails at JF walleyes, my favorite bar on the planet, and back to the boat basin for the night.
Then watched a killer concert by a band out of Cleveland.
It was a four-star a weekend to be sure!
Lake was perfect, weather was perfect, and the wife still thinks my jokes are funny
Attachments
Instigator
Well-known member
Towed it to FLA last fall.
Went down to run Tom Foley’s Suwanee River get together and then to the East Coast to meet our old neighbors and friends to play on the intercoastal.
The picture of the back of the boat on the road is from a Camera on on the Florida turnpike where I was gambling it would not be able to pick up the license plate number to send me a bill for the fees.
I was wrong
I have a video the wife took from the boat on the Suwanee where we got into the low 70s between the bends of the river and was big fun.
She is OK with going fast on smooth water but on Lake Erie 30 is about it!
Went down to run Tom Foley’s Suwanee River get together and then to the East Coast to meet our old neighbors and friends to play on the intercoastal.
The picture of the back of the boat on the road is from a Camera on on the Florida turnpike where I was gambling it would not be able to pick up the license plate number to send me a bill for the fees.
I was wrong
I have a video the wife took from the boat on the Suwanee where we got into the low 70s between the bends of the river and was big fun.
She is OK with going fast on smooth water but on Lake Erie 30 is about it!
Attachments
Last edited:
Instigator
Well-known member
Saying files are too big to load and don’t know how to fix them.
