Maybe Some Of You Guys Can Answer My Noobie Questions About Boat

[FishingFool]

lol, so today, I was removing the fishfinder in the bow of my new aquired boat. I started digging around the bilge area to disconnect the wires. I'm not familiar with the drain plug that was in the boat, but the owner stated he has never removed it since he stores it inside.

I finally figure out how to remove the plug. I was trying to remove it from inside the bilge area. Didnt realize I'm suppose to do it from outside the boat. :o Drain plug looks to be in pretty shitty condition. Rubber looks like **** and the nut end is all rusty. The wire that was connected to the plug rusted and snapped.




Right now, the Speedometer and trim gauge dont work. The trim gauge is pegged all the way up. Trim on the motor works fine.

Now I think I got the speedometer figured out. I found a hose that's pinched and knicked. I assume that's for the speedometer? Is it correct?


If so, can I somehow patch the tubing. Or do I have to replace the entire tubing? I'm not sure where it leads to yet or how much tubing I'll need.
The trim, havent figured that 1 out yet.

Also, what are these drain in the back for? I'm guessing the black one if the livewell draining hole? And the white one is to fill the livewell?



I also dont like these Bearing Buddies on the hubs. How hard is it to change to a oil bath hub system or the grease system where it will squeeze out the old grease through the entire hub?

[The Quadfather]

Yes, the white one is the intake to your livewell, hence the little filter thing. The black one is the outflow for when you pull the plug in the livewell. Have fun! I'm jealous. Your boat may have a few things like you're showing that need some attention. But I think it will put you more in touch with the boat if you have to spend a little time getting it up to speed.

I can't comment on the speedo wire.

[mav186]

Hi FF...
-I would get 2 new plugs (one as a spare to keep in the boat)...this is what happens when you don't pull them after use to vent/drain any water that seeps in. Some people dont believe in removing them.
- I would scrub and clean this area up, also may clean the baskets for you bilge and livewell pumps (shop vac)
- I would replace the speedo hose with the same type. If you replace with a 'softer' sided hose, it may throw off your speedo just a bit. Not a huge deal, but not much mony to replace w/ like hose. If this does not fix the problem, there's a small hole on the leading edge of the lower unit somewhere below the hose...take some compressed air and blow this out (sediment)
- Quad is right on about your inny and outy on the stern
- I would purchase a bath system and should be easy to install...probly something on YouTube, and when all else fails...read the directions.
Hope this helps and Have fun!

[Amx]

Yup, that squished hose is for the speedo. Replace or fix that one by cutting that short section out and buying a small 'barrel' looking thing that the new motors have - mine does - that sections the hose at the lower unit that can be seperated for when the lower unit needs to be removed for whatever reason.

The Mercury and Mariner motors have a black plastic round 'pot' on the left side that is the sending unit for the trim guage. They break inside or the tab that fits into a slot on the side of the motormount/bracket and so the sending unit quits working. On my old motor it had to be replaced a couple times for about $50 each time if you do it yourself. Not hard to do. Don't know what they cost now.

[hewesfisher]

I would get 2 new plugs (one as a spare to keep in the boat)...this is what happens when you don't pull them after use to vent/drain any water that seeps in. Some people don't believe in removing them.

Ditto that - I never leave home without a spare. Removing the plug is the only way to drain the bilge area when you wash/hose down the interior or if you've been out in the rain. It also helps you make sure the plug is functional. I had one "freeze" up on me and I ruined it when taking it out after giving the boat a bath. It had an aluminum center that galled up for some reason and it got replaced with one that had a stainless center. Never another issue. :thumright

[FishingFool]

Yup, that squished hose is for the speedo. Replace or fix that one by cutting that short section out and buying a small 'barrel' looking thing that the new motors have - mine does - that sections the hose at the lower unit that can be seperated for when the lower unit needs to be removed for whatever reason.

The Mercury and Mariner motors have a black plastic round 'pot' on the left side that is the sending unit for the trim guage. They break inside or the tab that fits into a slot on the side of the motormount/bracket and so the sending unit quits working. On my old motor it had to be replaced a couple times for about $50 each time if you do it yourself. Not hard to do. Don't know what they cost now.

if you have a picture of this part, that would be great.:bounce:


PS, I got a buyer lined up for my old boat. Stated he's 90% sure of buying. Just need a test drive and he'll show me the money!!! :batman:

Watch the motor not start and I get a leaky boat, lol.

[Amx]

Might look like this, depending on what model and what year the motor is;

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercury- ... 2a07dc2341

[FishingFool]

alright, after digging and reading, I finally figured out what that tube is called. Couldnt find the name for the longest time.

Pitot tubing.

Ordered a small roll online to save me the hassle of shopping around for it. Now I inspected my motor and I can not find this trim sensor. I dont think it was ever installed. I have a tilt lock bar. Above that should be the sensor, but nope. So either the original dealer or Mercury dropped the ball. Don't know why the previous owner didnt get this fixed in the 1st place when he bought it.

Now I'm trying to figure out what part # is it for my motor. And see how much it is to see if it's worth it. Oh yeah, plan on centering my steering wheel too. Off by 180 degrees.

[Anonymous]

Best to take it to Limit Out Marine in Auburn to order the proper part. They'll need the motor serial number and all that.

http://www.limitoutmarine.com/

[rseas]

As a safety concern, I was just looking at the bilge picture and noticed that both the live well supply and drain lines are routed through plastic thru hull fittings without shutoff valves or a seacock. Although plastic fittings are necessary to reduce corrosion problems in lighter weight aluminum boats some form of shutoff valve MUST be incorporated into all below waterline thru hull fittings. Vibration and age can weaken both the bait pump housing and the associated plumbing and cause it to separate. The resulting 1" open hole below the waterline will allow more water in than the bilge pump can handle. I would strongly recommend adding a seacock to your thru hull fittings.

Years ago while fishing a tuna tournament; I was running my offshore sports fishing boat 120 miles out of Ensenada Mexico. I had a 90 gallon live well packed with 5 scoops of anchovies and sardines. At some point I noticed that the boat was very sluggish in the heavy seas. I turned off the autopilot, pulled the throttle back and put her in neutral. After climbing down from the fly bridge and pulling the engine hatch I noticed that my engine room was full of water. A metal case on one of my bait pumps had cracked and the spray had shorted out an electrical distribution panel rendering the bilge pump and back up bilge pump useless. Needing a quick resolution I had to work upside down in 4 feet' of sloshing seawater and shut the seacock. To remove the water from the bilge I ended up disconnecting the raw water line from the engine seawater pump and running the engine at about 1,800 RPM for 1/2 hour to suck most of the water out of the bilge. Once the salt water was gone I rinsed all the electrical circuits with fresh water and got the bilge pumps running again. They took care of the balance of the bilge water while I replaced the Bait pump. The boat was no worse for the wear, I did not loose all of the bait and my passengers were a bit thankful once we were under way again. At the end of the day we placed 4th in the tournament. I believe that our 4th place fish was a 40-50 pound yellow fin tuna. We also had a number of nice albacore, yellowtail, 1 dorado and a 135 pound big eye tuna in the box. Fish or no fish, the seacock saved our day and my boat.

[racfish]

I hate being dissapointed in not having the right gear when I launch so I have 2 of most items. I have 2 drain plugs,extra cotter pins for the prop,I run 2 batteries both with chargers,2 fire extinguishers,2 flare guns,lots of PFDs. They are all inexpensive items to insure a safe and productive trip.

[Amx]

Do you drag another boat behind you in case the main boat sinks?

[racfish]

Lol Lol no but I have a small inflatable in the boat.If it wasnt for bad luck Id have no luck at all .