Finally bought a Starliner.

[Sam I am]

Beautiful boat! Great color combo!

 

[Instigator]

Huge Job.

Congrats on the purchase!!! I like that color combo!! I have an 01 250hp Ficht motor, how hard is it to change over to carbs?

Thanks for all the wishes guys. Especially the ones including summer storage/use

Personally, I think it will look even better w/my motor on it.
Even better w/an 8. I have been saving a virgin V-8 offshore mid for yrs for this project.
Will graft on a Merc 3.0 Sport Master with 1.62 gears.

Rob, HUGE job.
Different heads, pistons, ignition, rods, upper bearing carrier.
They're the same other than that
Also, on your motor the coils mount to the heads. On the carby motors they mount to the block which yours does not have the mounts for.

The direct injected motors (all of them) have pockets cast into the top of the pistons like diesels do. Carbys are flat tops.
Monty Racing is the only that offers a flat top piston for the 3.3's and they're about $150. per and you must use carby rods.
I used the stock 3.3 rods, bought OEM style 3.3 pistons and cut the pockets of their tops.
Hope it works

Here's a before and after of the pistons.

 

[Rob B]

Thanks for all the wishes guys. Especially the ones including summer storage/use

Personally, I think it will look even better w/my motor on it.
Even better w/an 8. I have been saving a virgin V-8 offshore mid for yrs for this project.
Will graft on a Merc 3.0 Sport Master with 1.62 gears.

Rob, HUGE job.
Different heads, pistons, ignition, rods, upper bearing carrier.
They're the same other than that
Also, on your motor the coils mount to the heads. On the carby motors they mount to the block which yours does not have the mounts for.

The direct injected motors (all of them) have pockets cast into the top of the pistons like diesels do. Carbys are flat tops.
Monty Racing is the only that offers a flat top piston for the 3.3's and they're about $150. per and you must use carby rods.
I used the stock 3.3 rods, bought OEM style 3.3 pistons and cut the pockets of their tops.
Hope it works

Here's a before and after of the pistons.

Holy cow!!! Do you recommend anyone for the conversion? I can tear boats apart and rebuild them but when it comes to motors I lost!

 

[Instigator]

Lets see if it works fiirst.

Holy cow!!! Do you recommend anyone for the conversion? I can tear boats apart and rebuild them but when it comes to motors I lost!

Once we get to Ohio and on our feet on the ground I'll have a shop in the back yard and be working on motors.

On the 3.3 conversions, this is my 2nd one but the first to use the 3.3 internals. A few people have done it but so far none of them are doing any bragging about successes.
W/o going too deep, the 3.3 rods are shorter than the ones out of the 3.0 carby motors and that side loads the pistons at high RPM's. Clearly they work in OEM form but beyond that, I haven't seen the proof.
Most mod the ports as well since that controls EVERYTHING in a 2 stroke but I left mine stock. I measured them and they are THE most radcial of any OMC I've opened up.
I did some internal tricks to improve efficiencies but left the ports alone.
My target is to have a tractor motor that will turn 7500, run on pump gas and is cheap and easy to maintain.
If it works, I may start building and selling some conversions.
I have many friends that have tried to hot rod the new style DI motors and they are all RPM limited by the engines ECU and have spent a bunch of money accomplishing little.

Here's a website I built, showing some of my projects.
http://2strokeonly.com/

I built this 3.3 several yrs ago. Never had it on a dyno but I'd say based on seat of pants it was 350+.
I ran fully programable EFI on that one.

 

[Rob B]

Once we get to Ohio and on our feet on the ground I'll have a shop in the back yard and be working on motors.

On the 3.3 conversions, this is my 2nd one but the first to use the 3.3 internals. A few people have done it but so far none of them are doing any bragging about successes.
W/o going too deep, the 3.3 rods are shorter than the ones out of the 3.0 carby motors and that side loads the pistons at high RPM's. Clearly they work in OEM form but beyond that, I haven't seen the proof.
Most mod the ports as well since that controls EVERYTHING in a 2 stroke but I left mine stock. I measured them and they are THE most radcial of any OMC I've opened up.
I did some internal tricks to improve efficiencies but left the ports alone.
My target is to have a tractor motor that will turn 7500, run on pump gas and is cheap and easy to maintain.
If it works, I may start building and selling some conversions.
I have many friends that have tried to hot rod the new style DI motors and they are all RPM limited by the engines ECU and have spent a bunch of money accomplishing little.

Here's a website I built, showing some of my projects.
http://2strokeonly.com/

I built this 3.3 several yrs ago. Never had it on a dyno but I'd say based on seat of pants it was 350+.
I ran fully programable EFI on that one.

I didn't realize that was your website, I found it one day doing a search for Evinrudes. What I'm looking at $3000+ range for the conversion?

 

[Instigator]

I'm looking at $3000+ range for the conversion?

Haven't put pen to paper but I'd guess closer to $4500.
Couple grand+ in parts and machine work and tons and tons of labor.

Last powerhead project I did for a customer to that depth started at $4500. and went up from there. And it wasn't enough.

We moved down here 8 yrs ago and upon realizing how bad the pay scale/work situation was, I got creative and turned a hobby into a business.
It ruined my hobby and I really want that part back.

My goal is to end up w/a full service marine restoration service that's 100% self supportive and 100% done in house. Traget would be the guy w/an old classic that's willing to pay good money to get it brought back from the dead and in the form that he wants w/o dragging it between a 1/2 dozen different shops.
I can do everything but upholstery. Technically I can do it, you just wouldn't pay me for it
I will go to school to learn that.
That business will be my retirement. Thats the only reason I keep my website alive. I don't make enough off it to pay for itself.

And hopefully, get my hobby back.

 

[atc250r]

I hear you about turning a hobby into a livelihood. I started working as an auto mechanic because I enjoyed wrenching on my own stuff in High School. After 10 years, instead of doing something I enjoyed every day, I didn't want to do it at work or for fun anymore. I got my love back for it and now I'm learning my way around an outboard. Been fooling with single cylinder dirt bikes and trikes since I was a kid but these outboards are a whole different beast.

Glad to see you around here more often Gary, your threads on S&F are always informative. If anyone wants to read all about that ETEC build there's a great thread over there.

John

 

[Instigator]

Should be a fun project.

Existing motor is a '92 which makes it a non finger port motor w/the slow trim and old style gear case.
New motor has finger ports, big bore carbs ('92 would have mid's) and a Lighning gear case.
I also have a new 10" hydraulic jack plate for it.
First chore will be tying the transom in w/the splash well before adding all that load to it.
I remember the demo we had w/the V-8 on it (on a plate) cracked the top of the motor board on both sides while we still had it.

 

[Instigator]

Boat has been delivered to my buddies house at Buckeye Lake..
After being skated out from under the last one I was looking at, I bought this one sight unseen and on a wing and a prayer.
The seller had a lot to do with my confidence but so did the broker that fk'd me on my last 24' Sonic.

My boy says we did good on this one though

I'll see it in person in 2 wks.

 

[JW]

Good deal Gary!

 

[Instigator]

I think it needs one of these. (10")


Boat already has a 6" static so if it looks strong enough, I will bolt them together for a total of 16" of set back.
Will go back to 10" for the V-8.

 

[atc250r]

Personally, I don't think you'll need that much with the weight of the V8 back there.

 

[Instigator]

Personally, I don't think you'll need that much with the weight of the V8 back there.

We'll see.

I have an orig cataolg showing the Liner w/a 225 Yammi @ WFO and it is in full jet boat/up trim mode w/no plate.
I spent quite a bit of time in the old V-8 powered demo we had and it had a 6" plate and may have been close. I know it ran very, very well and handled great but I have no pix's of it running nor did I ever see it running so testing will tell.

Should be a fun project though as I will be very limited in shop/tools access for the first few months which will probably mean all of this season in Ohio.
For sure I'll play w/props w/it as is and then ideally I'll swap to the 10" plate and see what happens and then to my 3.3.
The 3.3 is an unproven hybrid and will take time to dial so it's not gonna be a hang it Friday and boat w/friends Saturday thing.

 

[Instigator]

Finally saw it yesterday for the first time.
Other than the deck needing a minor buff (which I knew), the thing is freagin museum piece!
EVERYTHING in the boat is original and perfect.
Still has a warning sticker on the transom warning that removing the motor backing plates would void the warranty.
There was only one picture of the motor in the ad so I was a bit nervous about it.
If I repaint the skeg, the damn thing would pass as new! Never been apart or down. Does need a base gasket but that's all I can see.
After not being run in 2 yrs, it fired right up and compression is within 5 PSI in all 6.
Graphics on the cowling are perfect!
Took some pix's that I'll post if I Can get them out of my phone.
We plan to splash it next Friday.

 

[JW]

Finally saw it yesterday for the first time.
Other than the deck needing a minor buff (which I knew), the thing is freagin museum piece!
EVERYTHING in the boat is original and perfect.
Still has a warning sticker on the transom warning that removing the motor backing plates would void the warranty.
There was only one picture of the motor in the ad so I was a bit nervous about it.
If I repaint the skeg, the damn thing would pass as new! Never been apart or down. Does need a base gasket but that's all I can see.
After not being run in 2 yrs, it fired right up and compression is within 5 PSI in all 6.
Graphics on the cowling are perfect!
Took some pix's that I'll post if I Can get them out of my phone.
We plan to splash it next Friday.

Good deal Gary! Don't you love it when a plan comes together? Got yourself a gem there. I'm convinced the '80's model boats were built better than the '90's model boats.

 

[Instigator]

Good deal Gary! Don't you love it when a plan comes together? Got yourself a gem there. I'm convinced the '80's model boats were built better than the '90's model boats.

Thanks Jim. Never even thought of that??

Still trying to figure out how to sneak a V-8 into the moving truck.
The Mrs. is now getting the house of her dreams so I may not be dead yet

 

[JUPITER PULSARE]

Thanks Jim. Never even thought of that??

Still trying to figure out how to sneak a V-8 into the moving truck.
The Mrs. is now getting the house of her dreams so I may not be dead yet

Hide the powerhead inside the TV entertainment center!! Too bad your Starflite isn't in Sebastian...it would've been cool to run both our Starflites together. I'm still waiting to get my block back from Diamond Marine...

 

[illMATTic]

You guys are killin me. I want my old Flite back.

 

[JUPITER PULSARE]

You guys are killin me. I want my old Flite back.

illMattic...I promise I won't tease you any more..

 

[Instigator]

Hide the powerhead inside the TV entertainment center!! ..

Already thought of that

BTW, mine is an open bow Starliner.

Used it for bar hopping on Buckeye Lake yesterday and it is officially a PIG!
Much work is needed
57 w/3 people in it
The 4 blade Shooter prop is probably the worst possible choice for how high the motor is. I expect to see +5 - 10 w/set up time.