# 1989 bass tracker pro 17 rebuild - livewell question



## jalockwood

Hello all new to the forum here and working on a big project as I have recently bought a 1989 bass tracker pro 17. The boat was in decent condition however I am completely re doing all the outdated pumps, water logged floatation foam along with new floors. I currently have the boat empty and working on replacing the factory aerator pump and bilge pump. My question is concerning the operation of the livewell on this old boat (noobie boat owner please forgive me). I removed my drain hose from the livewell and the thru hull fitting and I have removed the old aerator. When the livewell is installed and hooked up completely does it fill only to the water line of the boat or is it necessary to plug the bottom of the livewell once it fills with the pump? I obviously don't want to get a nasty surprise when I drop it in the water with no livewell plug and fill the boat completely with water....looks to me like the aerator would supply fresh water into the well however I don't know if the pvc hose on the livewell is designed to keep from over filling the well/ flooding the boat. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated!


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## WVfishnfool

I have the same boat and the way the livewell is made in mine it has an aluminum tube welded in the bottom of the tank that is connected to a drain hose that runs out the left rear of the boat. There is a small hose that attaches to this tube on the inside and goes behind a hook that is riveted on the inside of the tank putting it in a vertical position. The hose coming from the aerator pump going into the sprayhead in the top of the livewell fills it with fresh water and once it reaches the top of the drain tube it flows out. I bought this rig used and basically had to figure this screwed up set up out on my own. I've owned several boats but had never seen this set up before and will have to say it is a pretty piss poor way of doing such. This boat was a basket case and I have totally gutted and disassembled it. When I did I found that the bolt in the hose clamp connecting the drain tube on the outside of the livewell had rusted out basically allowing any water coming into the livewell to slowly leak out into the boat.(Not all hose clamps have stainless bolts even though they are advertised as stainless) And the bad thing is you couldn't tell that it was doing it because that hose ran right thru the flotation foam in the left side. So basically the foam was soaking up the water. That's just one of the cheap azz stunts Tracker boats does. When I start my rebuild I'm going to list every crappy thing that they did in this old boat and how to correct it I hope.


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## jalockwood

I see what you mean and had ran across the idea in my mind however I wasn't totally sure that the water wouldn't over fill the livewell. I have also disassembled mine past the point of taking that drain hose out of the old floatation foam so I know very well what you mean about how crazy the set up was. Thank you for clarifying this for me I couldn't quite wrap my head around the design. I plan on completely re doing all the interior and double checking the rivets as well. I bought the boat at a fairly good deal and as I mentioned its my first one and I just want it right before it hits the water, trying to minimize repair time once its up and running and all repairs made the right way. Thanks again!


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## Loggerhead Mike

You won't find any brand of 25 year old boat that doesn't have water intrusion of some sort, nor can you buy one of the cheapest brands of boats and expect it to be hand crafted like a bently.

They're good boats, you'll be very happy with it. Good luck on the build, buy some good drill bits!


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## kofkorn

Here's an image of the setup in my Pro17:




I've been thinking about replacing the hose with a tube and 90 angle. when I want to drain it, I'd just remove the tube from the aluminum spout.

Good luck!


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## jalockwood

Yep that's the same set up im running man thanks for the pic! And I agree for the price its no Cadillac but hey im no pro fisher either, just looking to get out and enjoy my time on the water with a rod without worrying about sinking constantly. Ive got my whole rear deck out now and im most definitely doing my own revisions to better the original set up and all that good stuff. Im actually a service technician for a dealership so im at an advantage with a good supply of reliable tools so I don't have to run out and buy everything plus pay for the build at the same time thank goodness! Ill go back with new foam in the floors and deck ( which ive actually already made molds and poured my sheets of floor foam). Currently im trying to get my hands on a new thru hull for that livewell drain and doing some research on getting the right new bilge and aerator pumps back in and sealed up water tight. Once I get that buttoned up im gonna put her in the water and inspect for any leaks before she goes back together and hopefully get this old gal on the water asap. Ill try my luck at posting a few pics on here, im not the most computer savvy person around but maybe ill be able to get a few tips or what not along the way. im more than open to any suggestions that's for sure!


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## jalockwood




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## WVfishnfool

Same as mine. Except I have the top cap of the transom cut off. My transom board was rotten also. Suggest you check yours as well. Also I se the pry bar in the floor. Did you use it to poke the flotation foam out from under the ribs in the floor? I cleaned all of mine out so that water will be able to run all the way back to the bilge area instead of staying in the boat. What did you use for a form to pour your floor flotation foam in? Would like to see a pic. I was just going to use the foam board from Lowe's or Home Depot. I'll be starting the rebuild on mine in a few weeks. Hopefully the weather will warm up some by then.


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## justsomeguy

To answer the original question, if the drain is open you will have water in the live well to the water line, it will enter through the drain hose and will exit quickly under outboard motion. To fill live well insert the plug and turn on pump, pumps can out fill the upper drain so don't forget about it. Good luck on the rebuild and spring is around the corner so best hurry!!

:lol:


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## jalockwood

I made a custom mold out of wood....pain in the neck kind of process but I have uniform sheets to put in place in the bottom of the boat now. I bought my materials from illstreet composites for the floor foam....I chose the 2lb foam as it had the highest rate of expansion and it does not need to support any weight...I suppose the rear deck areas should be poured using at least 4 lb foam although it will cost an arm and a leg  the answer to your question about under those ribs in the bottom is yes I absolutely cleared those of the foam as to achieve maximum flow area for the water to reach the bilge I thought that was a pretty good idea as well haha  the website for the foam I purchased is www.carbonfiberglass.com that was the cheapest deal I could find on pour in and I chose that bc I trust that it is true closed cell foam resistant to water if it may enter....its a costly project so might as well do it right I believe. I would be more than glad to share the demensions on my mold and give you some pointers to make it easier on you if you would like...I can guide you past my trial and error haha I do have the correct amounts of foam to mix to achieve the best results at roughly 70 degrees f. ill post a pic of my mold to give you an idea of what is involved. Its nice having the forum to look to for pointers so please any info is more than welcome and I appreciate it!


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## WVfishnfool

Appreciate the pic of the mold. I can build that no problem. What did you use as a release agent to get the foam out or did it just pry out no problem? Also did you check the plywood in your transom to make sure it's not soft or rotten? The folks at Tracker did not put a coating of anything on these and mine was rotten. I plan to coat my new transom board with epoxy resin and then do one layer of fiberglass cloth wrapped around to waterproof it. Then seal all mounting bolts with 3m 5200 sealant. The 4lb foam or maybe the 6lb foam for the flotation blocks under the rear deck area are a must because they support the floor as well as the sides of the boat. I'm also going to put a 4' wide pc. of 1/8" thick aluminum in the bilge area which runs up to and underneath the livewell area not only for added strength but to prevent any foam I pour into those rear blocks from running down under and plugging up the drainways I cleaned out. I'm going to rivet some aluminum angle down on this floor in the bilge area for the sidewalls of the 2 back boxes to rivet into. This is going to make that area stronger plus the weight of the batteries and gas tank won't bend and warp the 1/8" stuff like it did the flimsy set-up Tracker had in there. I've got a complete list of stuff I plan to do I just have to wait on the weather to warm up here and my soon to happen 4 week vacation period that runs into my retirement to come around. Then I'll have all kinds of time to finish my project.
PS: Almost forgot what did you coat the under side of the lids with? Looks like bedliner or something of that sorts.


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## jalockwood

honestly I couldn't find anything good to use as a release agent...best I could come up with is coating the sides of the wood with wax paper and even then it stuck like no ones business. tried coating the wax paper with something like Crisco as well to make it even slicker and even that seemed to work like glue making the paper stick more. the worst part of that mold is that I had to completely dis assemble each time and prep again to do another pour. I put the mold together with wood screws so it came apart no fuss however I spent more time prepping the mold than I did actually pouring my foam. my transom feels dry the best I can tell and yes I do fully appreciate the importance of a sound transom however it looked like a lot of aluminum grinding and I do not have access to a tig welder to put it back together with and even less experience using a tig even if I could get my hands on one. The underside of my lids are coated with something called plasti dip found at any local lowes home improvement at around 6 dollars a can here in NC...its basically a spray rubber that ive found to hold up pretty well if coated relatively thick and it dries to a nice uniform finish with relatively no regard to if the coats go down a lil heavy. if you could point me in the right direction with the transom I would love to do that as well I just feel at a dis advantage when it comes to grinding all those welds off. I have found that 3m 5200 mighty handy here lately myself! good stuff no doubt


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## WVfishnfool

Great idea on the plasti-dip for underneath the lids. I've used it on cars and trucks and it's pretty good stuff. Also understand on taking the mold apart. Figured it was screwed together but was hoping you had some magic tip for getting the foam out. :lol: :lol: As far as taking the top cap off the transom I cut the welds with a sawzall and some hack saw blades. I'm fortunate there's a great weld shop close to me and they don't charge to much for jobs like this. I could tell my transom board was rotten just from the flex that was there when rocking the motor as well as previous owners had tightened the motor mount bolts and you could see the wood had compressed quite a bit. Not to mention I could see black streaks at the bottom of the lower motor mount holes and some of the smaller screws running through the bottom of the transom board. That's a dead give away of leaking areas and rotten wood on a glass boat so figured the same held true for a tinboat. I was going to pour a solid glass transom with some stuff called Seacast you can find it on-line but it was to expensive. So I decided to use some solid oak laminate that is used for trailer flooring like is used on flat bed over the road trailers and it's also used in the floors of enclosed box trailers. I've drove tractor-trailer for 32 years and have seen floors last for 10-14 years in some trailers with no added protection at all. So I figure if I make a transom board out of this stuff and epoxy it, wrap it in glass and seal it up right it should out last the boat and me also. This trailer flooring is the same thickness as the transom board and I was able to purchase it locally from a trailer repair shop that's close to me. Hope this helps some. Maybe you'll be luckier than me and your board will be OK, I hope so. I'd still look at pulling the bolts and cleaning the holes with a drill bit and then reseal them with the 3m5200 though just to be on the safe side.


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## jalockwood

Thanks for the info! im trying to be thorough and get everything back to original if not better than original condition. The transom on my boat has no flex and I havnt seen any streaking other than just bilge dirt and build up over the course of 25 years id say that's to be expected. I already planned on re doing those mount bolts as theyre somewhat rusted and not very nice to look at but also for the purpose of re sealing as well. I will further inspect when I remove those. I am a little confused on my outboard mount when the motor swings down after you remove the transom saver it doesn't lock into place on anything which would leave the motor free to swing up when in reverse wouldn't it? looks like the thrust on the engine would pull the engine up away from the transom in reverse if it doesn't lock into place....just an idea as I have plenty of other things to be working on as well but I figured I might as well ask why were on the subject lol


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## WVfishnfool

Since the motor doesn't have power trim then it should have a reverse lock. There should be a pin that you can put in different positions to adjust the tilt/trim position of the motor when you're running forward. When you shift into reverse a latch should drop and hook to that adjustable pin and keep the engine from bucking up. Also if your going to replace the motor mount bolts it's best to use a stainless fine thread bolt with a brass nyloc nut. They're a little bit more expensive and you'll probably have to find them on-line or from a local marine dealer. They're worth every penny though because the fine thread bolt will not stretch or vibrate loose like the coarse thread will and the brass nut will not gauld like the stainless nut on stainless bolt will. I learned these lessons the hard way a long time ago. It's not a good thing to have a jackplate work loose on a 20' boat runnin a 250hp outboard at close to 80 mph believe me. It'll make you put a stain in your shorts. :lol: :lol:


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## jalockwood

haha wow I can only imagine what you mean there. my mount does have the adjustable pin that is capable of being adjusted but nothing seems to stop it from bucking up as you say ....or at least I don't have to release a latch in order to swing the motor back up off the pin once I let it down. idk if this makes any sense without pictures ill try to upload one or two sometime soon and get some more ideas bc im not sure if I need to buy a new mount or not. ill do my research on those bolts and once again thanks for the tips lol its nice to avoid any trial and error when possible  course im not pushing 250 hp on my lil 17 footer but hey that's nice to know!


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## jalockwood

would like to add about that reverse lock....maybe the motor under power has enough force to lock the outboard in tight under load in reverse and me simply "freely" moving the motor up and down doesn't engage a lock. Im not entirely sure....that would make sense but just from observing what I see I havnt seen any sort of locking mechanism


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## WVfishnfool

The lock will not latch until the motor is shifted into reverse. It may have to be running in order for this to happen I don't remember. Make sure your shifter/motor is in neutral then lower the engine. Then shift it into reverse and check to see if it locked. It should do so other wise when you give it some gas in reverse the motor will raise up on ya. That 250 I was talkin about was on my cousins 21' Bullet Bass boat. I used to have a 21' Ranger with a 225 Merc but sold it a few years ago and may get another big boat but I'm going to fix up my tin boats and fish out of them for awhile.


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## jalockwood

I shifted the outboard into reverse earlier today to see if it would lock in and its a no go...the latch is there and it lowers onto the center rod but does not lock in while in reverse...I can however put pressure on the latch with my finger and it wont raise up sooo....all I see is a spring on that latch that could be weak and not holding im not really sure at this point. However I did make some progress today and got my new aerator in and did some more cleaning in the bilge area to get things ready to go back in...im going to post a pic of that outboard mount near the latch and a pic of todays progress! every little bit counts right lol


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## jalockwood

I meant to ask as you as well if you don't mind me stealing your idea for that 1/8th inch aluminum sheet to replace in the bilge area where the gas tank and battery sits....where might I find a sheet of aluminum like this? I know lowes sells the aluminum angle pieces that's no problem but I really like your idea here and it makes a lot of sense bc my old thin sheet from the factor has seen its better days. was hoping I could make this little change without killing the wallet here....wouldn't think it would be all that expensive but any help is appreciated  im gonna go take me some measurements for that sheet of aluminum before it gets dark on me here


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## WVfishnfool

I found my 1/8" aluminum at a scrap yard. It was 4'x6' and I think they charged me about $50 tax and all. I can't remember really because I bought it originally for another project I was doing a couple of years ago and then wound up using something else and just held on to this. I'm glad I did because they would've never given me all my money back at the scrap yard and it's gonna come in handy for my new project. If there isn't a scrap yard close to ya that has any check for some metal suppliers close by or on-line. Most suppliers though sell it in 4'x8' sheets and if you want it cut to size then they charge extra for that. 

Also if the latch is dropping down then it should hold your motor when your in the water in reverse. The spring you're talking about could be weak but I'd test it on the water first before I bought any parts or replaced anything.


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## jalockwood

I'll do some checking around for that sheet aluminum I think that's a whole lot better of a solution to that flimsy stuff without a doubt. im looking into getting those bolts you recommended today and just ordered all my new thru hull fittings last night from perko so maybe this weekend I can get rolling on buttoning up the back end and maybe even get some foam cut to size to put in those small areas in the bilge area. If I luck up on that aluminum ill do some cutting and get that all put into place and take it from there. As always ill try to put some pics up as I go


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## jalockwood

Managed to squeeze in a bit of work on a few small pieces for the bilge area today...just biding my down time at work and was able to get these pieces cleaned up and asthetically in better shape. Tackled some work on the wiring harness as well seeing as how the previous owner decided they would hack it all to pieces lol.


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## WVfishnfool

More plasti-dip I see. Things are looking pretty good. I have to build my own wiring harness. The mess that was in this one had to go. I've done them before though so it's no biggie. My main thing right now is the weather. It's got to warm up some before I can start working with epoxy and glass cloth.


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## jalockwood

yea the weather is cold and nasty here as well. I mainly did these pieces just to have something to keep me busy and working on something at least. I finished cleaning up my wiring harness last night its certainly in a lot better shape than it was in. I do dred doing the console though....I have the factory wiring diagram to go by but the console looks like its going to be a whole new challenge in itself...honestly id like to replace the fiberglass/ plastic console with a new one but seeing as how the wiring is already a birds nest due to the last owner I don't know that swapping everything over to a new console would be so easy. if you have any advice on that id sure like to hear some ideas lol


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## WVfishnfool

If your going to use existing gauges and switches best thing you can do is check all terminal ends and connections and make sure they are clean. No corrosion= less headaches. After taking apart, inspecting, and cleaning your connections apply some dielectric grease(buy it at any auto parts store) to them to prevent future corrosion problems. Also if you have a fuse panel inspect it as well and if the fuses are fairly old I'd consider replacing them all and apply some dielectric grease to them as well. When I build my own harness I usually crimp and solder my terminal ends and then put heat shrink tubing around them. If I use any type of splice connector say for multiple interior lights on one switch I'll coat those things in "Liquid Electrical Tape"(several places to buy this) Once it dries it turns into a rubbery type coating and seals really well. Also when I say "I build my own wiring harness" I'm talking about the harness for the bilge pumps, livewell pumps, interior/exterior lights, anchor/nav. lts., trolling motor wiring, etc. Talking about the console I decided to replace mine because the original was broken where the previous owner had fell on it. So therefore I decided to replace the old and just redo everything. Hopefully some of these ideas will help. Also here's a link to a marine wiring color code. You can find several of these on line. https://www.boatingmag.com/blogs/diy/abyc-color-codes-boat-wiring


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## jalockwood

Thanks for the info on the console! Despite it being a pain in the neck I think it would benefit from updated gauges and some new switches haha those things have seen better days. I had a little time to put in this weekend and got a few small things done in the bilge area....im not coming up with any luck looking for that 1/8th aluminum however, every thing I run across that is big enough is in the neighborhood of $200 and I just cant do that kind of money for a sheet of aluminum. Maybe I can keep looking of try to find another solution but it is a really good idea and would definitely benefit from not having the new pour in foam clogging up those ribs in the bottom of the boat. ill post a few pics on here just to have an idea of what ive been able to accomplish this weekend.


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## WVfishnfool

If you cant find 1/8" alum. sheet big enuf for the right price maybe just find some thin alum. sheet you could rivet in place on the inside of the 2 flotation boxes to keep the foam pour from running into the lower areas.


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## jalockwood

that's kind of the route I kind of decided to go myself even before your suggestion. something will be a whole lot better than nothing that's for sure. none the less I appreciate the idea there. I took my measurements for the area I need to cover....ill probably try to clean up and make the existing sheet look a bit better and straighten some bent portions then fill in around it to prevent that pour from reaching the bottom


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## WVfishnfool

Hey how's it going? Any updates on the boat? I was gone for a while where I started my vacation. I have to use up all the vacation I have left before I retire on April 11th or I lose it. I went and visited a few people I haven't seen for a while. It's finally starting to warm up some here in the mountains so I'm hoping to get started on my project soon. Although this coming Monday-Wednesday the weather is supposed to be fantastic and I'm thinking of spending all 3 days trout fishing.  That's just some of the rough decisions us retired guys have to make. :lol: Anyways hope your project is coming along OK. Once I get started on mine I'll post some pics.


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## jalockwood

Hope the vacation went well and glad to hear some fishing weather is starting to become available! I have since been able to find me some aluminum to lay down in the back of the boat rear deck area like we spoke about, went with 1/16 inch and I gotta say I think its gonna serve its purpose just fine. I have it trimmed down to size and the last thing I did physically on the boat lately is test float it. I found about 3 leaks and currently im waiting for a compressor I ordered to get here so I can use some walnut shells in my abrasive blaster and clean up the floor of the boat so I can lay down some gluv it and try to take care of those leaks now while everything is torn apart. Other than that I had to take some time this weekend to get some fishing in myself lol! got a small largemouth to kick the season off with and I cant complain that's sure better than getting skunked all weekend. Ready to get this boat back to its glory days and put some better fish in bragging rights pile haha!


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## WVfishnfool

Hey man glad to hear you found some metal. Good deal. I'm officially retired and have decided to fix up my 14' john boat first and then repair my Tracker. The frickin weather has been so crazy that I still haven't been able to work with the epoxy resins and cloth like I want to. My 14' project isn't going to be that bad so I thought I'd do it first. keep me posted on how the Tracker is going though and if I can be of any help just PM me. I'll be checking in on the web-site a little more often now that I'm retired. That is until I get the boats finished and start fishing. :lol:


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## huntinfool

The project looks good. Wiring under the consoles is easy work, I just don't fit to well under there.


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## jalockwood

hey man awesome deal on the retirement fishinfool enjoy it you've earned that right for sure. im just a young fella starin down the barrel of 23 lol but I try to pay my dues none the less. I appreciate the help you all have already given me. I had some leaking rivets so I laid down a can of gluv it on them I could have replaced them all but hell the boat is almost 20 years old so im trying to let the ole gal see the water again without costing myself a 2 year build here lol. im gonna do some work tomorrow on her im ready to rebuild the back deck and start ordering carpet and get some new floors cut and prepped im pretty impressed really I think everything is going pretty well considering I have little time to put the ole elbow grease to work with it. ill check in more often now that I know you have some more time on your hands til fishing warms up but get out there and have some fun! ill take a pic or two of the next good catch you run into  take it easy man and enjoy the day on the water when you get the chance ps huntinfool I appreciate the compliment ive sure put some effort into it but not quite seeing the light at the end of the tunnel just yet lol


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## jalockwood

25 years old on the boat haha my fault I was having a brain fart kinda moment point is she isn't exactly a spring chicken lol


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## jalockwood

Certainly was able to get some valuable time in on the boat today. got my rear deck almost assembled completely aside from the main cap on the front and one cross member in the center where the rear seat mounts. All in all im glad with the progress and I feel like it was a good days work! ill post some pics so you all can maybe give some input on what you think.


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## WVfishnfool

I see you found some metal to go in the bilge area under those flotation boxes to keep the foam out of the drainage runs. And your metal in the battery and gas tank area is in a heck of a lot better shape than mine. Mine looks like a herd of elephants were jumping up and down on it. Glad to see you're making progress.


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## jalockwood

yea I put that metal down in the bilge man and I tried to clean all the panels up some. it isn't perfect by any means but its better than it was and itll have new foam to boot. hope that coat of gluv it does me right and keeps her dry for the most part. im proud of whats been done no doubt its been a taxing job to say the least lol. stay posted fellas I plan to post more progress as soon as I can!


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## jalockwood

quick question for you guys as I approach finishing up that rear deck...I may have already asked I cant remember but here goes. Personal opinion what density of foam would you recommend to fill the void in those rear compartments under the aluminum? I believe the way I've figured the volume I could buy one kit of the 2lb and do both sides in one shot if not I have to buy two kits of the 4lb and that's gonna be double the cash as the stuff is not cheap anyways. just trying to gather some input before I go and spend the money thanks !


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## WVfishnfool

Because that supports the deck and provides strength to the build I'd say you should use 4 lb at least. Especially if your fishin partner is a big ol boy walking around on that back deck. :lol:


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## jalockwood

got that back deck buttoned up today fellas feels good to see some hard work paying off. looking at buying that foam now and some carpet through bass pro. ill post some pics doesn't look like a whole lot was done since last post but its still a bear of a project and I worked on her all day pretty much. picked my plywood up today as well will be coating in urethane to hopefully stave off weather damage. Anyone know if bass pro is the way to go with carpet or not? its expensive anywhere just curious lol


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## WVfishnfool

Check bassboatseats.com they have carpet and check these guys out on ebay boat carpet sales. Here's the links.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xbass+boat+carpet&_nkw=bass+boat+carpet&_sacat=0&_from=R40
https://www.bassboatseats.com/


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## jalockwood

Awesome!!! very much appreciated I believe ill come out roughly 100$ cheaper with the bassboatseats.com I am thoroughly happy! lol now I gotta figure out exactly how much I need I have a rough calculation but of course I want to double check and order just a bit extra to be sure. I sure wish I could find a template or something like that to go by haha this is definitely time consuming making all the measurements and hoping I didn't goof up along the way. any who I do believe ill be using your source to make my purchase here very soon ive been busy cutting plywood tonight to get those floors prepared. I didn't go with marine grade its just way to expensive and I believe treated ply with some urethane on it will do just fine in this application I plan to buy a good cover once all is complete any how.


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## WVfishnfool

DO NOT USE TREATED PLYWOOD!!!!! Hope you get this before you bought it. The treated plywood contains chemicals that will corrode the aluminum. Use exterior grade plywood (I think it's rated CDX). Then coat it with urethane or better yet epoxy resin. Also the treated wood will not absorb much coating because it already has chemicals in it. Also it pays to use stainless screws to fasten down your wood and when you do put some type of sealant on the screws to keep moisture from entering there. On a few other builds I've done I would predrill a hole about 2 sizes smaller than the screw then dip the screw into silicone (about halfway up the screw) before running it down into the wood and the metal. This will seal the wood as well as under the head of the screw. When it comes to carpet usually you add about 4 to 5 feet extra over your boat length. If the boat is 17 feet figure 22 feet on a fiberglass boat but on aluminum you need more because of covering almost all the deck and wrapping around the seat boxes and stuff. If the 6' wide roll will cover the deck width then you could probably get by with 25 feet. Also remember that carpet has a grain to it so be sure when you cover the lids the grain is running front to back the same as the boat or other wise it will look like it's a different color carpet. I use to mark an arrow on top of my lids showing the front and do all those first then make sure the carpet was running the same direction when running it on the deck. If you go to bassboatcentral.com and look under the forum bass boat restoration you can find more info than you'll ever need about carpeting boats. Although most of it's about glass boats you can apply a lot of it to a tin boat.


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## jalockwood

honestly I had already bought two sheets of Georgia pacific plywood for the floors but im not entirely sure what they're rated for but no big deal, I need to make new work benches for the garage any how I suppose I could just go back and buy new wood for the floors I wasn't aware of the chemicals causing corrosion haha im a noobie at this ill admit. any how if you don't mind let me ask your advice on the weight of the carpet as well, I had first considered 16oz carpet when I was looking to purchase it through bass pro mainly due to the price. however I now see that bassboatseats.com offers the 20oz at a reasonable cost as well...would you prefer the denser carpet such as the 20oz? or would the 16oz suffice? I do already have spar urethane on hand to coat the plywood before carpet is laid on top of it, I do want to try to water proof as best as possible and I was thinking that the epoxy and the urethane either would do the job but I may be wrong. I have several unknowns im facing at this point like whether or not the carpet adhesive will bond to the urethane no problem or am I gonna end up with a chemical mess on my hand (I plan on letting the urethane dry adequately before hand of course) but having said that im just unsure what kind of bond I will achieve once the adhesive is put on top of the urethane. and last but not least would I be safe in saying that 25feet of 6' wide carpet will do my whole boat? I originally planned to measure everything but now factoring in the grain of the carpet im at a bit of a loss for a plan now.


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## jalockwood

just got home and took a look at my ply and its CAT rated...im assuming that would be the treated stuff right? lol


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## WVfishnfool

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=350594#p350594 said:


> jalockwood » Yesterday, 18:56[/url]"]just got home and took a look at my ply and its CAT rated...im assuming that would be the treated stuff right? lol


Is it the blue green looking stuff if so then it's treated. Now to answer some of your other questions. 20 oz. carpet is thicker and plusher and will last longer I'd go with it, matter of fact I have 20 or 24 oz.(I can't remember which) to put in mine when I'm ready. Urethane should be OK to coat the wood with just be sure and let it cure good before starting the carpet job. I'd use Henry #663 Premium Outdoor Carpet Adhesive for putting carpet on the wood. Be sure and use a notched trowel to apply it with and once it's laid down you need to take some type of roller and be sure and press the carpet down to achieve good adhesion and roll out any wrinkles. Only thing is it has to be above 65 degrees to apply it and you have to keep the carpet dry for a minimum of 5 days so it will set up and won't release.(as in park the boat indoors if possible) When it comes to putting carpet on the aluminum sections and the lids I'd use Weldwood Contact Cement(non water based) and you can apply it with a brush. You just brush it on the deck and on the back of the carpet, let it sit for a little while and then press the carpet on to the decking. Just remember unlike the Henry or any other outdoor carpet glue that takes sometime to set up and you can move the carpet around a little bit if you have to once you stick the contact cement together the stuff is stuck together and it aint moving. Best way to put the carpet on the deck using contact cement is to lay the cut piece out on to the deck and then fold it over exposing the deck and back side of the carpet. Apply the cement to both and then fold the carpet back over sticking them together. Basically pushing it over and rolling it down as you fold it back. (It's a lot easier if you have help doing this). Then once it is stuck you can pull the other side back and repeat the process. I'll PM you my phone number just in case you want to ask me any questions because I've probably confused the heck out of ya :lol: but it's not as bad as it sounds. Also 25 feet should be enough I would think maybe 28 feet just in case you might mess up a lid or something. Like I said I'll send ya my number if you want to give me a call and pick my brain.


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## jalockwood

Awesome information!!! thank you and I will more than likely call you at some point haha I followed everything you said pretty well though but as a side note my plywood does not have any coloration to it at all....I did some reading on plywood grading and I believe the CA part of CAT refers to the quality of the wood faces on opposing sides with A being best and C being a blemished sheet. Which makes sense because one face of the plywood is smooth and has a quality look where the opposite side has knots and blemishes that aren't smooth at all. I do not know what the T stands for but as I said theres no color or hue that would indicate chemicals being applied. Great info on the carpet glue I would have asked had you not clued me in lol. Im not able to park the boat in the garage at the moment but seeing as how the carpet glue for the wood takes 5 days to set couldn't I just glue it down and let it set up inside the garage to prevent moisture? sounds like the contact cement on the aluminum inside the boat will be pretty instant and require less time avoiding moisture than the Henry 663.


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## WVfishnfool

Good talkin to ya ja I happened to think about a couple of other things this morning and thought I'd post them. First here's the link on how to cut the corners on the carpet for your lids. https://www.bbcboards.net/bassboat-restoration/159416-how-cut-corner-your-new-carpet-job.html
Make sure you have real good sharp scissors to do this. Now the other tip I forgot you need a good carpet knife and blades and you need to change the blade often so it doesn't fray the carpet on you. You can pretty much tell when the blade is starting to get dull it usually doesn't take long. Here's a link to the knife and extra blades I bought at Harbour Freight and they've worked fine. This tool works good because you get 4 uses out of each blade before throwing it away. If you look at the blade and knife you can see what I'm talking about. Make a few cuts with the blade then flip the back side over then after that side is used flip the other end out and use both sides to cut with. The knife has a push button to release it and it swivels open to make replacing the blades real easy. https://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=Carpet+knife. One other tip also you didn't mention if you were going to cover the seat bases where your pedestals go in to for your fishing seats with carpet or if you were going to mount the bases over the carpet. I recommend putting the bases down on the flooring so you can seal them and carpet over them. If you cover the bases with carpet once you cut the holes for your pedestal to go in to take an old soldering iron if you have one and go around the edge of the hole you cut in the carpet and this will melt the carpet strands keeping it from fraying this also works good where you cut the holes in your lids although most people just fasten the lid pulls down on top of the carpet I still do it to the holes in the lid. I usually cut the hole in the carpet about 1/8" bigger than the hole in the lid and then either seal the lid pull or some of them come with a rubber O-ring type seal and this allows them to seal flush plus the carpet can't wick water up under the lid pull and then run down into your storage that way. This should just about cover everything including what we talked about on the phone. Like I was telling you last night just call me if you've got a question and I'll try and help if I can. I'll check in on the post from time to time also. Just keep plugging away at it and you'll be done before you know it. :wink:


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## jalockwood

ive been looking for a carpet knife and harbor freight is one of my favorite stores lol i will be picking one up soon! After we got off the phone i went ahead and ordered my carpet last night i decided to go with the 20oz version...not the cheapest or the most expensive just looking to go a step higher than the lowest grade offered. I also went ahead and got my henry 663 premium adhesive ordered (2 quarts like we discussed). I do however want to touch on what you mentioned with the seat bases for the pedestals, i kinda wanted to mount them on top of carpet for two reasons one purely just for looks i seen someone restore this boat and they did it this way i just thought it looked neat once it was painted and all. But also if the pedestal mount is below the carpet will this pose a likely area for the carpet to come loose after the adhesive is dried? thought about how the mount is higher above the aluminum floor when bolted down i wasnt sure how well it would work being under the carpet. im gonna check out the links you sent me and try to get familiar with how to do some of these cuts but i forgot to mention...i ordered 30ft of carpet just to be safe, mistakes happen and for the extra money i would just rather have it on hand in case lol. Only question i forgot to ask last night was on carpeting the rear aluminum deck, when i go to lay that carpet down do i want to lay one solid piece ( covering the bilge/ livewell cutouts) or do i need to measure and cut them before the carpet is put down. obviously ill want to carpet into the recess where the lid sits but i didnt know if it would be easier to just lay one piece down and cut after the glue dries.


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## WVfishnfool

Most people carpet over the seat bases because you get a better seal by mounting the bases directly to the flooring keeping water out of the deck this way. Plus if the carpet gets wet from fishin in the rain or setting outside it will dry out fully where if you have the seat base on top of the carpet it will actually wick water up under the base and stay wet which can cause mold problems. I've never seen the carpet come loose from the bases as long as it's glued properly. I guess you could always cut the carpet around the base instead of covering it or maybe cut the square out and just leave about an 1/8" of carpet to go up under the seat base to tack it down but you would still have the possibility of water wicking thru the carpet and going up under the base. I would either carpet the base or cut the carpet around it and make sure it's glued good. When it comes to laying carpet on the back deck I would lay it out and then make the cut outs for the livewell and bilge access after it dries. If I remember right the way me and my buddy done his we cut from left to right thru the middle of the opening starting and stopping about 5" from each end and then made a cut from the 4 corners starting about a 1/4" from the point of the corner then cut to the center cut. This will leave 4 V-shaped flaps in the opening. We applied glue to the inside metal and the carpet in the opening. My buddy had cut some scrap 3/4" plywood squares to use that were a little shy of exact measurement of the opening themselves and we pushed them in there forcing the carpet against the sides of the opening. Two important things to remember right now: #1. Be sure and sand the edges of these plywood squares to keep them from hanging on the carpet and leaving splinters in them. #2. Be sure and cut some holes in the center of these plywood squares so you can grip them to remove them once the glue is dried. I never mention this around my buddy because he usually starts spouting off at least 10 of the 14 cuss words he invented that day when we did this job. :lol: :lol: :lol: Okay now that the glue is dried you can remove the plywood and take your knife and trim the carpet even with the aluminum wall of the opening. This method leaves the corners of the opening bare but that is kind of a good thing because it won't be tight there now and put excess wear on the carpet corners of your lids. Also your lids will fit tighter now because of the thicker carpet your using and that will help relieve some of the tightness. Also if the lids are to tight to open and shut allow for some wear time to crush the carpet a little bit but if for some reason it's still tight even after some wear and tear you can take a set of hair clippers with a comb on them and trim a little bit of the carpet off the lids relieving some of the tightness.


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## jalockwood

I believe ive changed my mind on the base now lol after spending the money I think it stands to reason that I don't want mold under the carpet. Would it be a good idea to lay a bead of 4200 under the base just to maybe keep a water proof barrier around the center hole? maybe keep that bilge area dry in case water gets on the deck? just a thought but ill definitely be carpeting over the base now that you have explained the draw backs of not doing so. I plan to make that harbor freight trip this weekend and get my carpet knife as well as a stapler, I think some staples would be a good idea where that carpet wraps around the wood floor, ill glue it then tack it with staples just as a precautionary measure. I already checked the specs on the staples they wont be long enough to make it through the opposite side of the wood so im good there.


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## WVfishnfool

You can put some 4200 around that to keep water from getting to the exposed wood where you cut the hole and drilled for the bolts to go thru. I bought an electric stapler at Lowes last year that wasn't to expensive and it makes the job a lot easier. Also be sure and get stainless staples or they'll just rust out. If you redo your trailer and put new carpet on the bunks you'll really thank me for the electric stapler and stainless staples idea. :wink: Although the next time I have to replace bunk boards or carpet I'm going to use this.
https://www.gatorbak.com/


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## jalockwood

ill definitely be getting the stainless staples soon! ive got my urethane process underway as we speak and hopefully by the time the carpet is delivered ill be ready to smear some glue on and get to finishing up some new decking i can be proud of lol. had to take a break from it all this weekend and finally got to toss a line, caught one small bass no more than a pound and lost one about 3 pounds what a heart break haha got him all the way in before he threw the bait so all i caught was a glimpse at him taking back off into the murky water but thatll keep me motivated to get back at em.


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## jalockwood

Though id get a rough idea on what it would cost when I get to fix the trailer a bit and definitely like your idea on the galvanizing, if I am lucky enough to find a place that can do it locally for me I was curious if you felt it was reasonably priced to do the work or should I look into going another route as in finding a used trailer? Called around for some quotes today but waiting on a few phone calls to be returned. Im not exactly close to starting in on the trailer just a thought ive been toying with here lately and I had some down time at work so I figured why not shoot ya a question real quick lol.


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## WVfishnfool

Well I kind of went overboard on mine just because I planned on keeping it for a while and then handing it down to my son eventually. I bought the sandblaster from Harbour Freight because I already had the air compressor. Got the blasting media and new fenders from Tractor Supply. Bought new aluminum rims and tires(bought 3 so I'd have a spare), hubs, bearings, leaf spring kit, trailer coupler, light wiring harness, led lights and tounge jack from etrailer.com. Winch, winch strap, and spare tire bracket from Wal-Mart on clearance along with the bed liner paint I used to paint over the galvanizing with. New yellow pine 2x6's from Lowes for bunk boards and stainless lag screws. Bunk board capet from boatcarpet sales on ebay. If I'm not mistaken adding up all the stuff I listed above along with what I paid for the galvanizing and welding I had done before hand I've got about $1800 invested in the trailer. I could have bought a new trailer probably I don't know but this one is the same as new and I know what's in it. That's not counting my time and transporting the stripped down trailer on my big utility trailer I have. In order to have it galvanized you have to strip the springs, axle, all bushings, wiring, and lights off. Then all the paint has to be removed. Then you have to drill holes in the bottom of the trailer ever so often as well as the cross members so the liquid can flow thru and drain back out. After all this they still can't guarantee that it won't warp it when they dip it. This was a chance I took though because I didn't have much invested in the boat and trailer and my trailer was in bad enuf shape it probably would have only lasted about 3 years if I hadn't done this. The galvanizing itself only cost me about $140 including tax.


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## jalockwood

wow haha yea I knew something like that wouldn't be exactly cheap, I understand why the trailer must be stripped down to nothing so the zinc will stick when its dipped. any who Ive been putting some time into the boat this weekend and got all my materials in the mail this week, including my new pour in foam. im gonna post a couple pics of the pieces I was able to carpet this weekend and see what you think! oh and p.s. that soldering iron trick sure gets the job done! haha


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## WVfishnfool

Carpets lookin good. I started getting some things done to mine this past week. Going to work on it some more until Thursday. Thursday morning my son and I are going to the Hatfield McCoy trail system and ride 4 wheelers for 3 days. We didn't get to do a lot of things together when he was growing up between me being on the road and him playing sports. We mostly hunted because he didn't like fishing that well and camped out some and fished a little in the summer. He was in the Boy Scouts and completed his project and become an Eagle Scout right on time. So that took up a lot of time also. Any ways once I get a little more work done I'm going to take some pics and start a thread on my project.


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## jalockwood

hey man I hope your trip goes well! I got a pic im posting with the front deck all wrapped and good to go but I do need to give you a ring again sometime soon, let me know when you get back in I don't want to interrupt your trip by any means I completely respect that. I ran into a situation with the pour in foam in the rear deck and I would kind of like your input on it before I proceed so any how take care and have a good time with your son!


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## jalockwood

got some hard work put in today! im very excited now im starting to see a bigger picture


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## WVfishnfool

Front deck install lookin pretty good. I'm back home now so if you need to call I'll be home this evening anytime between 6-10 pm will be good.


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## jalockwood

hey man my apologies on not calling ive been busy at every turn it seems lol. More to the point the reason I was concerned was because I started my pour in foam process in the rear deck area and I poured one side at a time, starting with the side opposite the wiring harness tube. I immediately noticed the plates I put in below the livewell weren't enough to stop the foam from filling every nook and cranny so I finished foaming that side and stopped for the day. I regrouped and found some 1/2" pvc tube at lowes that fit in those drain channels so I thought I would at least put these on the remaining side in the channels not yet full of foam and tonight I poured the last of the foam in, I do have my concerns that area near the transom might have plugged these tubes because I can see where some excess foam made its way up close to the livewell pump. this may not make sense im trying to word it the best I can over the net but I just feel like ive made a big mistake somehow and I really don't want to flood the boat on the water because of something so careless on my part. That foam is unforgiving to say the least lol. I did lower my trailer at the nose to keep the boat as level as possible while I did this as well. Do you think ill still get some drainage to my bilge pump? If not do you know anything I may be able to try to make the situation a bit better? id hate to have doomed my rebuild at this point lol


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## WVfishnfool

OK if I'm reading this right the foam ran out of the back box and into the bilge area where your livewell and bilge pump are right? If so can you not take a saw and just cut the foam up in chunks and remove it from that area? I would think that if you cut the foam and removed it in small pieces you could eventually square it off behind the flotation box. If I'm misunderstanding then try and post some pics and maybe I can help or post some pics and then give me a call.


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## jalockwood

ive got some pics to try and clear up what im trying to ask about man, its not so much that excess foam filled into the floatation box but the excess foam that possibly clogged up the channels under the rear deck that allow water to make its way to the bilge pump area. I did a small scale test today with some smaller buckets of water I poured in the channels to see if the water would make its way to the bilge area and for the most part I got the feeling that water is going to eventually find its way to the bilge pump, however I think it could flow more freely. let me post these pics and see if it helps give a visual on what im talking about. I think the two channels in the center are marginally cleared of foam but the outer most two are pretty much useless and im concerned water wouldn't make its way to the bilge pump quick enough with the foam being in the way.


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## WVfishnfool

OK I see what you're saying now. I would cut out as much as you can back in the bilge area. In other words try and square it up some with your flotation boxes on the ends. After clearing that out then take the metal rod and punch as much of it as you can out of the drain channels towards the bilge area. Main thing is to open up the drains so water doesn't lay there and get absorbed by the foam. All though that foam is closed cell if it's constantly in water it will absorb some. Probably not enough to worry about but it can do it. Main thing to remember is if you're going to store the boat outside then keep the boats nose raised and the drain plug out so the water won't stay in it. That's why I said remove as much of the foam from the bilge area right behind the 2 flotation boxes where you poured the foam in to as you can. With the boat raised up during storage there will be some water back there because with an aluminum boat design there's no way that every drop of water will drain out and there will be some back there at all times any ways. As long as you remove a little bit of that foam in the bilge area and open up those channels going back there I don't see any problems.

PS: When I'm talking about flotation boxes, I'm talking about the box formed on each side of the boat where you're pouring the foam in to.


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## jalockwood

That makes me feel some better man thanks for your input. It's extremely hard trying to punch through that foam with a metal rod and the angle it's going into it at is making me worry that I'm hitting the floor of the boat too hard. Would you have any other suggestions of something I could use? Tried a gun cleaning kit but my brushes are breaking off on me lol


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## jalockwood

That makes me feel some better man thanks for your input. It's extremely hard trying to punch through that foam with a metal rod and the angle it's going into it at is making me worry that I'm hitting the floor of the boat too hard. Would you have any other suggestions of something I could use? Tried a gun cleaning kit but my brushes are breaking off on me lol


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## WVfishnfool

Can you clear out the excess foam in the bilge area first? I'd do that if you can then start trying to clear a place through the channel. Also since you made blocks of foam to go in under your floor I wouldn't think that the drain channels would be blocked completely but just maybe right at the front and rear where you showed me in the pics. So what you might be able to do is take a scrap steel rod(a piece of rebar maybe) that would fit through the channel. Sharpen one end to a point and then bend it on the other end to form a hand grip. Then take a torch and heat the sharp end up and not only push through but melt it as well. I'd try it on a scrap piece of foam first and if it doesn't catch on fire or make to big of a mess then go for it. I don't remember what I used to force the foam out with when I was cleaning and prepping my boat but I'll go take a look in my tool box tomorrow and see if I can refresh my memory.


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## jalockwood

i took a small fishing trip this morning but just got back in and im gonna try to remove two panels in the bilge area to gain some access to the foam near the transom and try to clear it out more. i thought about the idea with heating up the rod but wasn't sure if it would be a smart move with the gluv it being laid down in the bottom, maybe it wont effect it. like you said ill try it on a piece of scrap first before i send the whole thing up in a ploom of smoke haha.


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## jalockwood

got those channels clear the best I can man there not perfect but Ive worn myself out trying, I do know that ive got some drainage to the back bilge area so im going to try and not sweat that too much. Ive got a whole new challenge on my hands now lol once I button up my carpet ill be looking at doing something with this console and ive gone over the wiring diagram time and time again but I get turned around bc half of the gauge wiring isn't even connected on my console and the diagram makes it hard to piece it back together. I have thought about just making sure all my switches work and running without gauges but would that be a bad idea? im at a loss at the moment and im definitely going to have to find some help with this one lol


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## WVfishnfool

Having your tach work is a good thing because if the charging system on your motor quits working the tach stops working, fuel gauge is nice :lol: , don't worry about the speedo just make sure the pick-up tube on the transom is taken off or it will shoot water up in the air behind the boat if the hose is unhooked or you can plug it off with some silicone. Don't know what other gauges you may have. My console only had a tach all the other stuff was either broke or gone. Matter of fact my console was busted up really bad and I bought a new and different style to replace it with.


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## jalockwood

you have any suggestions as to where I might find one similar to yours (console) mine is cracked from sun exposure over the years and I wouldn't mind replacing mine either. Had a few thoughts of putting new fiberglass over mine but I just don't know, that's kind of like putting a bandaid on a broken bone lol just a patch job. Any who I did get lucky and find someone whose console is in good condition and is willing to send me pics of his wiring to give me a reference to go by along with my diagram im hoping I can make sense of what is what. Also was curious if the over heat alarm was made into the throttle control box, I see the temp sensor on the engine but that harness runs directly into the throttle box and from there I don't see a separate alarm made into the console or any indication from my wiring diagram that there is supposed to be an external alarm mounted somewhere.


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## WVfishnfool

Over heat alarm is inside the throttle control box. It's basically a horn type. Don't know how to check them to see if they work. I'm not much of an outboard mechanic. Heck I'm not much of any kind of a mechanic anymore with all this computer controlled crap and my aging and aching body. :lol: What brand of motor? Mercury, Johnson or something else ? If the motor hasn't been used in a while there's several things that need to be checked. For starters the thermostats and the poppit valve to make sure they're not gunked up and working this controls your water flow and cooling. Also would be a good idea to pull the lower unit and check the water pump housing, wear plate and replace the seals and the impeller to make sure you're getting good water pressure. If you pull the lower unit replace the shift shaft seals as well. The lower unit lube will need to be drained to make sure there's no water in it. If there's water present it will be milky looking and if it's real bad the greasy water will come out first followed by milky looking gear lube. Take the prop off and make sure there's no fishing line wrapped around the prop shaft. That crap can eat out a prop shaft seal and let your lube run out and water run in ruining the entire lower unit. I've seen them get so hot the gears blew apart and knocked a hole in the side of the lower unit. Don't scrimp when it comes to gear lube and grease for the prop shaft and other things on the engine that need lubed. If you've got a Mercury or Mariner Mercury OEM stuff is the best. Not to mention if your motor is a carb engine you may have to clean and rebuild them. Your a service tech you should know what fuel varnish does to your fuel system. With all this ethanol you may need to upgrade your fuel and primer bulb to the new type which I would do anyways if yours is very old. All right I know I've hit you with enough bad news here but I'm just trying to give ya a heads up on some things that you might run in to. Hopefully you won't have it to bad. Dang forgot about the console. Here's a link to the guy I used click on the products and it brings up the models he makes. I bought the side console that is at the bottom of the list. https://www.fiberglassboatconsoles.com/Home_Page.html


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## jalockwood

the engine is a mercury 35 hp to answer that question man. ive already replaced lower unit oil with quicksilver brand lube and the old didnt seperate any water out when put in a plastic bottle but i will probably run it a time or two when im on the water then re check. i have already replaced my fuel line as well as a brand new water pump kit, i have ran it on muffs since then and i know the engine is peeing so i believe all is well with the water pump. i ordered a seloc manual so i can do some more things that i have question about. i havnt replaced that shift shaft seal but i did however find the answer to one of my questions in an older post about that reverse lock on the engine. i was missing the cam gear that operates a lock rod to wrap those claws around the bar on the swivel mount. i have since ordered those parts lol just gotta put em in. i found a wire to be burnt up on the throttle box in my boat and i found a replacement set up im seriously considering putting in now rather than later, although it looks like taking the harness out of the old engine may be a headache all in itself. just figure if ive came this far might as well not scrimp lol. anyways im sure ill have a new set of questions in a couple days haha ill just take it as it comes man i didnt plan on doing this work at this point but i want it all right before i carpet the rear deck, because from there its gonna be carpeting seat bases and putting this thing back together!


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## WVfishnfool

Sounds like you might be OK on the lower unit. One question though did you fill the unit from the bottom up with one of the pump type fillers until the fluid ran out of the vent hole on top ? This is the proper way so you get all the air out. Then once it is full you drain about 1 or 2 ounces back out to allow for expansion when the gear lube gets hot. This keeps it from putting excessive force on the seals. Also since you didn't have any water in the L/U you might be alright on the shift shaft seal. Glad you got the reverse lock figured out as well. The wiring can you not just replace the wire that burned out by splicing some new wire in? That is once you find out what the problem was. As far as changing out a wiring harness the existing harness running back to the engine from the control should have a plug somewhere so you can disconnect it from the engine without having to remove all the wiring from the engine. It maybe under the cowling(hood for you being and auto tech :lol: ) somewhere. But on an older engine I don't know you may have to disconnect it all.


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## jalockwood

to answer your question I did in fact fill from the bottom but im not sure that 1 or 2 oz drained out before I put the plugs in I just filled then capped the top then removed my pump and replaced the bottom plug. with that being said, on the wiring I believe I can make a separate ground wire but im not sure if the internals on the control box felt the heat so to speak lol. I think Im going to run the engine at idle on the muffs this weekend and see if I have any signal for my tach at the harness and also do some ground investigation to see if I can wire things back the way I mentioned. ground should be a ground no two ways about it, its not a load carrying wire so hopefully it all ties back to the powerhead and I can do what I want without replacing the control box. my problem is that yes I do have the separate plug so that the engine harness itself can detach but the harness that feeds from the control box to the engine harness routes under the starter and is a very tight fit. from what ive read power head removal may be necessary to remove the starter....thus removing the wiring I just havnt had time to fully research the issue at this point. its always something isn't it?? haha


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## WVfishnfool

Yeah with a boat it is always something. My dad used to say" If it wears a skirt, has a set of wheels, or floats it's going to give ya headaches." :lol: :lol: I would probably crack the drain plug on the lower and maybe drain an ounce out just to be safe. But as for wiring man I get totally lost sometimes unless it's simple stuff like lights and things like that. I do know that on the tachs there is a switch on the back of a lot of them where you can move to be used with different engines. If the boat had a Johnson on it originally and then someone switched over to a Merc and didn't switch the tach over that can cause a problem. Also if the tach isn't working that's a sign that your stator or something else in the charging system isn't working right. Sorry I can't be of more help but I'm sure you can get it lined out eventually. I've decided to take mine down to Fish ON Fabrication and have them do some custom build on mine. I'm going to do all the prep work and design my layout and then let them build it. After that I'll carpet and wire everything else. I hope to have it complete by fall fishing season. I've been busy doing things around the house where I've got so far behind the past 3 years and plus I've had to do a few things for my mom and wife's mom and dad as well. All of them are in their mid to late 70's. Keep me updated and when I get the pics sorted out and get some later on from Fish On's work I'll post them up.


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## jalockwood

thanks man and I understand on the wiring, like I said usually I have no problems but these older schematics are a lil off for what im used to....all the principles are the same of course but its just slow going work having to analyze every last detail. I plan break out my electrical meter soon and see if ive got some charge going back to my battery and then see whats going on for a signal to the tach off my control box. im actually trying to make my own console using the old as a mold ive reshaped and covered in foil so I can lay some fiberglass over it and hopefully pop it off once the glass is set up. ill have to reinforce it with wood on the inside like the old one of course but im having a hard time biting the bullet on a 200 dollar console after putting the cash into carpet and materials not so long ago. hopefully everything will pan out for me soon im ready to lay the last bit of my carpet and get on the water man I didn't expect having to do this work im doing now but ive come this far might as well try to get it all right. good luck on yours and ill be interested to see what those folks work up for ya!


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## WVfishnfool

Well I might be going thru another change of plans. I've always wanted another glass boat and the wife knew I'd buy one eventually but neither one of us figured it would happen this soon. I'm going to South Carolina this week sometime to look at a 2009 Ranger. It's a very nice boat and if I buy it I'll be finishing the rebuild on the Tracker with no custom work and will then put it up for sale with the 9.9 four stroke motor. I'm still going to take my 14' MonArk to Fish On but just not as soon as planned. It's not a done deal yet but if the boat checks out to be OK and we can agree on a price it's going to happen.


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## jalockwood

nice man i hope that works out for you! was kinda curious about the replacement console you bought for your tracker, have you installed any of the steering wheel/ gauges yet? just trying to weigh my options on what im gonna do with my boat as far as a console, i know youre in the middle of your rebuild as well so you may not have even gotten that far with the new console just thought it was worth asking! let me know how that ranger deal turns out for ya!


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## WVfishnfool

Hey Josh I'm going to look at the Ranger on Wednesday. We've already agreed on the price and if the boat passes my inspection it's mine. Won't be bringing it home until the 28th though because I have to wait until they send my money to me from my old 401k plan and plus the wife wants to go with me to pick it up. Right now the plan is to finish my Tracker build and then put it up for sale. After it is sold then I'll fix the 14' boat I have to fish small waters with. I haven't got to the console install yet but if you would like to see pics of it I can take a few and e-mail them to ya. The top part of my console was beyond repair. My bro-in-law had fell on it and it was broken up pretty bad. So I took the plastic part off and thru it away. I found this place where I bought my console on the internet and liked the looks of the one I showed you in the link. In order to make it work I am going to have to cut it down slightly so it will butt up against the wall of the boat. In order to fasten it I cut a piece of the aluminum from the original console and will use that to determine how much to cut away and will then bolt it to the new console and then fasten it to the inside wall of the boat. After all that is accomplished I'll cut for the steering and tach/gauges. I'm no where near doing this but I can take a couple of pics to give ya an idea if you want.


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## jalockwood

yea I would kinda like to maybe see some different angles vs the what the link provides man I thought I could make me a decent one from fiberglass but its gonna be a pain in the neck for sure. it may be better just to start with something like you have in my situation as well because it may not even be worth the effort going through what I had planned on. I have the same situation with my old console its cracked up pretty bad on the top face from years of sun exposure I assume and I just really didn't want that to be the center piece of all the new carpet just didn't seem right lol anywho man idk if you can pm those pics or what not but if you need my email ill be glad to send it!


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## WVfishnfool

Hey Josh sorry I didn't get back to ya until today. I was wore out after drivin down to SC and looking at that boat. I drove 950 miles in 2 days. I didn't get back until late Thursday and then a buddy of mine called and wanted me to go pre-fish with him Friday for a tourney he had Saturday. I spent the early part of this morning helping with a church ministry where we feed less fortunate school kids during the summer by boxing up foods and then they mail it to them during the summer. Then got together with the kids for Father's Day. I'm now getting ready to go to bed shortly because I have to get up at 5 in the morning to pick up my father and mother-in-law and take them to Charlotte NC. My father-in-law has to see a doctor(specialist) on Monday morning and then has to remain there until Wednesday morning when I'll be coming back home. I'll get you a bunch of pics on Thursday morning and if you'll PM me your e-mail address I'll send them to ya. I'll be in touch on Thursday buddy have a good one.


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## jalockwood

hey Kenny I hope all is well with the doctors visit and happy fathers day to you as well! that's great that you help the children out man I always like doing things to help people as well glad to hear others doing the same  ive made a mad dash to get the majority of my interior together this weekend and all im lacking is new seats and figuring out my console I will post pics so you can see when you get back to the net. I did want to ask if I can have faith that the dap weldwood contact cement and the henry 663 will be fairly good bonding when in contact with water? I read the label and I believe they say water "resistant" after 5 days. im slightly concerned because ive been using a tarp thus far to cover it, not I deal I know but it was cheap and I havnt been able to find a really decent cover for a good price, found some at wal mart that would be great but theyre sold out gotta order now and hope the rain doesn't destroy my work haha. anyways have a safe trip out there and I hope the best on that doctors visit with your family, have a good one man.


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## WVfishnfool

Josh I sent the pics of my console to the e-mail address you PM'd me. It took a while to get it done because of this site crashing and I forgot to write down your e-mail addy. If you have any questions just give me a call I included my numbers in the e-mail. And by the way the boat is really looking good. Excellent job on the carpet install.


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## jalockwood

thank you for the compliment Kenny I appreciate it! it sure hasn't come easy I know that much haha. Would like to ask your advice on fastening down that front casting deck and how to fasten my seat bases/ console base to the main deck. What I mean by that is I don't want the casting deck shifting on me so a few screw like fasteners would be a good idea but how would I go about water proofing them so water doesn't wick down into the wood? The main floor where the console fastens to went in so tight due to the carpet friction its not going to need any fasteners itself just where the console and seat bases go down. Id like to hear your ideas on this man ive worked too hard to not button this thing up the way it should be done! got your pics man thank you its a nice console and I got a better idea how that thing looks now I really appreciate it, when I decide which option is going to be best for me ill let ya know and more than likely have another hand full of questions at some point. have a good one thanks again!


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## WVfishnfool

Best way to seal the screws going into the deck is: Predrill your hole slightly smaller than the screw. Take the screw and dip it about 1/2 way into some 3M 5200 or 3M 4200 just like you'd use on the transom or anywhere else you want to seal out water. Put the screw in the pre-drilled hole and tighten down. If your putting the screw thru the carpet on the front deck just try not to have to much of the 5200 where you have a whole lot of excess squishing out. Other wise when you try to clean off the excess your going to wind up smearing that crap all over your new carpet. Good luck with it. Oh and by the way my deal went thru on the Ranger I looked at and I'll be picking it up in about 2 weeks. So that means my 14 foot john boat will be going up for sale.


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## jalockwood

Good deal on the boat sounds like a winner! maybe post a pic or two when you get a chance id like to see it and I believe it should be worth getting rid of the jon boat haha. thanks for the info on those screws I think I may better use some 4200 just in case I ever want to take something apart that way it wont be quite as permanently bonded.


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## WVfishnfool

Hey Josh I was at Lowe's today and noticed they have stainless finish washers there. You could use these under the screws going thru the carpet on your front deck and give it a more finished look plus it would help with sealing out water using it and the 3M 4200 as well. Take a look at them and you'll see what I'm talking about.


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## jalockwood

that's a good idea I used some stainless washers when I fastened down my bow support and also my rear deck brace where the seat pedestal bolts through under the aluminum. hadn't considered using them up front visibly but that sounds like a plan. im kinda tinkering around with the idea of making me some panels out of hardboard then wrapped in fiberglass to fasten to my existing console just to "cover" the cracked sections. idk if you can imagine what I mean through a message on here but I could basically rivet these panels into the console from the outside and it would look a bit different but I think I can paint them and once riveted down it would just look like some extra garnish I havnt decided just yet. I still don't have the cash to bite the bullet on a new console so im trying to mcgiver something that will work and not be too trashy lol


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## WVfishnfool

The stainless finish washers work with a oval type screw instead of a pan head. Once you look at them you'll know what I mean if I have the terms wrong for the type of screws. And hey if patching the panel works I wouldn't worry about what others think. Could you possibly put the panels on the inside with some epoxy resin as well as riveting them. Then after that sets up, fill in the cracks on the outside with resin and then sand it down some and spray it with the plasti-dip. After that's all done get you some fishin decals and place them on there and tell everybody you had to advertise for your sponsors. They'll never know the difference.


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## jalockwood

hahaha i like your thinking Kenny i don't care so much what others think as much as the fact i appreciate all the hard work ive put in it and im just not wanting a big eye sore to be the center of fresh new interior. as far as putting those panels inside im not entirely sure purely because of the extent of the cracks on the outter shell but like i said im taking it as it comes and that might not be impossible, just gotta cross that bridge as it comes. ill keep you posted and all im currently fiberglassing me a plate for my troller connector because the old one is toast and i didn't think sheet aluminum was the best route when i can make a decent plate with some hardboard and fiberglass then painting over that. any who ill talk to you later on ive got some fiberglass resin to attend to! have a good one man


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## jalockwood

made some progress this weekend and looking at carpeting one seat base and finishing my console and ill be ready for some water!!! ill share these pics and see what ya think  I do still have to fasten the seats and console base down but these pics will at least show how my bilge and livewell lids came out I really like the look, I gave extra attention to be sure my carpet grain flowed just right


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## mikeybv

Greetings to the both of you and everyone else here on the forums. I just recently bought a 1990 Bass Tracker Pro 17 w/ Johnson 40 HP, in really good cosmetic shape, and have been looking all over the internet for support and answers to the many questions I have on my beginners boat. I think I have found the place. I have read 90 percent of your conversations and am very intrigued. If you dont mind I have a few questions of my own. I want to replace the bottom of my flooring as it has rotted under the steering column and in front of the steering column where there is a small space wasted space. Do I need to remove the steering console and the side panels to access the floor, or can I easily rip out the flooring by itself? I am NOT a handy man, however I look forward to the challenge in bringing this boat back to its better days!

I want to also replace the livewell pump and the bilge pump, would I need to drill new wholes or will the old holds be reusable? Do I just need to replace the pump themselves? I have read your postings earlier on the functionality of the livewell and it just seems like the tech/design on it was very poor? Please elaborate????

Other aspects of the boat seem to be in great condition, the only real concern was the flooring, and maybe a few motor questions. If you are willing to help, I am here to listen so I can get on the water and enjoy this sport that we all love...

Thanks!


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## jalockwood

nice to see another one of these in some good hands! and to answer your flooring question, the side panels wouldn't necessarily need to come out unless youre wanting to re carpet the rear deck and the front face of the front casting deck (the panel that drops down from the casting deck to the main deck) the livewell was probably a lesser design however ive not quite got my boat on the water just yet so im not the one to ask on how well it actually works. The old livewell/ bilge holes in the transom worked just fine for me with some replacement attwood pumps I can give you the exact name of the two later if you wish. Ill be glad to answer as many questions as I can for you because I understand the challenge and how much work its been, its truly unbelievable but it should all be worth it in the end. The biggest challenge with taking that main floor out without removing the side panels will probably be getting the old board out, possibly with a pry bar unless its rotten to the point where the wood will just crumble for you and come on out. Also want to check your floatation foam it really will add on the weight if its sopped up water and is just holding it. I hope this helps feel free to stay in touch!


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## jalockwood

meant to add that yes the console will need to be removed, base and all as well as the seats and the bases they fasten to the floor with.


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## mikeybv

I am thinking that it is going to be a bit of a challenge as I have never refurbished any carpet or overtaking of a project like this. It is starting to rot noticeably in the front of the console and the foot rest on the steering column. I am thinking that it is also rotting elsewhere as well. This may feel like a dumb question but are the boards, side panels, and seats riveted onto the frame, or are they normal screws. I took a brief look at it today and saw a few rivets by the seats...I feel like this is going to take lots of time, money, and extra tools to get the job done, slowly but surely.

Another question is the removal of water from this particular livewell? Does it just overflow to the bilge pump or does it get removed elsewhere. I see the intake hose in the back for the livewell pump, but was not quite sure how water is removed. I see that water comes in from the bottom right aluminum hose in the livewell, but how to make it function correctly, I have no idea. I do think I need to replace the both pumps, if you could help me with that, Id gladly appreciate it.

As I look deeper into the boat the more things I find that may need some work. As they come along, I'll sure be turning to you for some advice. You are very helpful and appreciate your kindness....thanks!

*seems like the owner before me took the boat out sparingly, mostly sat on his driveway. Recently bought two new batteries, redo the wiring harness for the trailer, changed spark plugs, and that is about all. Any suggestions you have for me will be gladly appreciated.*

Needs on the boat:

Carpeting but it will have to wait besides the rotted flooring.
livewill pump
bilge pump
hubs on the wheel (bearings)
and any recommended jobs to the engine...

Lets try and hopefully knock out this list (it might be getting longer...)


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## jalockwood

The main floor and your front casting deck are almost the only pieces of wood in the boat associated with structural support if it is the same model as my boat. mine were fastened down with self tapping screws into the ribs of the boat, they came right out with a lil effort and a regular Phillips head screwdriver. all other panels are aluminum and secured with some type of rivet. The livewell pump and bilge pump themselves are not going to be a major project, however if you intend to replace the hose that runs off of your bilge pump to the thru hull fitting in the top left corner of your transom (if looking at your transom from the back of the boat) you will find that this wont be easy without removing some of the rear deck. Now the livewell will fill to the water line of your boat as it sits in the water once it is put in off the trailer, the water will enter through that spout in the bottom of the livewell tank via a tube that is connected to another thru hull fitting in the bottom of the transom, if looking from the back it will be the bottom left thru hull. If you take a look at page one of the post you will see how the tube coming off the spout in the livewell sits on the hook near the top of the livewell, this will prevent water from exiting the well when the boat is under engine power. The livewell pump should serve to put new water into the well and any excess flow over into the tube that is being held by the hook inside the livewell. The water should not overflow into the bilge area to be removed by the bilge pump. Personally I would focus on these aspects first then the motor later, ill be glad to help as much as I can but ill admit im no outboard specialist lol. But before you go to all this effort are you sure that the engine is in good operating condition?


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## WVfishnfool

Hey Josh everything is looking good. I finally water tested my 14' flat bottom I'm selling it all went great. Now I just have to put a floor in it and call the 2 people who are interested in buying it. Hopefully one of them will take it and I won't have to advertise this thing. Going this Saturday to pick up the Ranger. Once I get back with it I'll have a few things to do but not much. I'll e-mail you some pics of it. I plan on starting back up by Tracker project pretty soon also. I still need to strip the glue off some parts and get a few things welded and then reassembly begins. Talk to ya later, Kenny.


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## jalockwood

that all sounds great on your boats Kenny im glad youre getting it all worked out and I know youre anxious about getting that ranger! ill be interested to see your tracker project come along as you rebuild, ive been insanely busy with work lately but all I have left on my boat is installing gauges into my console, I went with some panels made to fasten down on top of my console to conseal the cracks instead of replacing it for now. ive re done all my console wiring with new switches and a new fuse panel and cleaned up all the bad connections with new connectors so everything looks like its fairly new, not 100% new but its all sound wiring that shouldn't give any problems. ill talk to you later man take care


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## jalockwood

seats are done and in place, not yet fastened down to make the console install a bit easier but console should be done this week and I should be ready for water within the week!!!


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## WVfishnfool

Looking good. I got the Ranger home last Tuesday. We stayed an extra day at the wife's sister's house. Then I had to get up Wed. and help my daughter move out of the townhouse she'd been renting. She bought a house and is having it remodeled first so 3/4 of her stuff is now in my rec room downstairs. Spent Thur. finishing up her move and then started to clean up the Ranger on Friday. Rain moved in on me so not much accomplished then I woke up Saturday sick as a dog. Head and chest cold and have been out of it for the last 5 days. I'm feeling better today and hopefully get started back in on the Ranger tomorrow if it will quit raining. Once I get the Ranger ready to fish I plan on finishing the Tracker. I'll work on it while it's to hot to fish and if I have to finish it this winter. Once I get some pics of the new to me ranger I'll e-mail them to you and probably post them in the Watering Hole Forum. Keep up the good work man you're almost done.


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## jalockwood

ahh some much awaited news has finally come to pass! shes done!!!! and looking good if I say so myself. I ran it last night on muffs to be sure all my new gauges and electrical is tip top and looks like im coming out on top this time everything looks to be good. ill be taking it to the water next chance I get but for now have a look and let me know what you think!


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## WVfishnfool

Every thing looks top notch to me. That's a fine job. =D> Aint no reason why fish wouldn't want to go for a ride in that rig. Now get out there and enjoy yourself and reap the rewards of your hard work. By the way the console looks great to me don't know what all you did to it but it looks fine in the pictures. :wink: Congrats on a job well done.


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## jalockwood

thank you Kenny! I hope I don't get any nasty surprises in the way of water intrusion when I hit the water but im gonna keep my hopes up for a great maiden voyage....well my maiden voyage anyhow haha. As far as that console goes all I did was get some fiberboard material similar to what you would find on a wooden clipboard and I coated it with textured spray paint that dried real nice it doesn't have a sticky residue and it matches pretty well also. then after I coated it several times I just riveted them right to the existing console to make a decent patch job. ive got a video of the gauges operating while I ran it on muffs ill try to email it to you if you would be interested in taking a look. My idle fluctuation also calmed down when I ran it this week on new premium gas with a 50:1 oil ratio and stabil marine fuel treatment. I work late this week so it may be sunday before I get to see her in action but itll give me something to look forward to this weekend. Ill try to stay in touch on the forum even though im done with my project for the most part, the trailer needs attention but thanks again for all your help its gotten me through some tough situations I faced. I hope you get your projects situated soon as well and I hope to see what yours looks like in the end!


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## WVfishnfool

Hey Josh you're most welcome buddy. If I can help somebody else out and save them from some of the headaches I've experienced already then just maybe it will come back around and somebody can help me out I hope. :lol: Of course most people that know me say I'm beyond help. :lol: But hey please do stay in touch. I've enjoyed helping you out and who knows if I get down your way or if you ever come up this way call me before you get here and we just might go catch a fish or 2 some where. I think I lost your number but I'll PM you mine and my e-mail address again. I just finished getting my Ranger cleaned up yesterday and plan on putting it in the river this weekend. I also started working part time for my son-in-law this week as well until he gets somebody hired again so I may be kind of busy myself. Once I get started on my Tracker again I'm going to get my pics uploaded to photo bucket and then get them posted on here. I'll talk to ya later on and hope things go well with your "New Tracker". And if you ever have anymore questions don't hesitate to e-mail or call and I'll try and help if I can.


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## jalockwood

that sounds great Kenny id like to catch a fish or two sometime if things panned out sometime were in each others area. I took the ole girl out this weekend and spent about an hour on the water just running it trying to clean out the pipes so to speak lol. it runs pretty well im thoroughly pleased with it for being my first boat and a successful build. I had minor water in the boat after the time I spent out there and it was nowhere near enough to use the bilge pump, maybe just enough to get your fingers wet when taking out the drain plug and definitely no noticeable standing water thus far. according to my rpm gauge I was running around 3000 rpm full throttle im not sure whats typical of a smaller 35 hp motor such as I have but it didn't sputter or feel like it was lacking any power when you got her opened up at full throttle. I look forward to really breaking it in this fall and seeing if I cant catch a nice one before the year is totally gone. ill post a pic I took just out on the water excuse the old seat on the front deck its just a stand in until I replace those as well haha


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## WVfishnfool

Hey Josh you could always call a marine dealer and give them the serial number and model number of your engine and they can tell you what maximum and ideal WOT rpm is.


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## jalockwood

very true Kenny I could do that, im also going to have to get a quote on quite a serious repair as well  I found my upper engine mounts to be broken putting serious load and wear on my shift shaft. and wouldn't ya know they happen to bolt through on the inside of the driveshaft housing....no good at all. from what im seeing a powerhead removal and engine removal from the boat will be necessary to remedy the broken mounts. pretty disappointing im fearing this repair to be in the high dollar range and idk how to make this sort of repair on my own....with proper tools not being on hand as well. The major issue I see is that if the shift shaft shears going down the water not only will I lose capability to select my gear from forward to neutral to reverse but that part alone is over 100$ used and almost 400$ new, not to mention the possibility of the lower mounts sheering off and the whole motor going right into the drink. ugh it just feels like a big slap in the face after seeing it all done and taking it out for the first time not knowing now if that repair is going to ultimately be too costly to make it worth the while.


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## WVfishnfool

:shock: Dang wonder what the heck caused that ? Pulling a power head can be done. You'll need some way to lift the head straight off and set it straight back down so you don't get the exhaust gaskets and plates out of line when you do it. I have a Mercury lift ring that screws in to the flywheel where you just use an engine hoist or some type lifting device to remove it. Don't know if it would thread into your flywheel but if it will your more than welcome to borrow it. I could mail it to ya. Main thing is take a lot of pictures of the wiring before you disconnect anything and label them if you have to. Also what about any locals that work on boat motors on the side that may even have the used parts you need. Ask around and see if anybody knows somebody that's reputable. Find out if there's any bass clubs in your area and ask some of the guys who are in it I guarantee you most of them have had work done at one time or another and know who to trust will treat ya right. But hey if worse comes to worse save up some money and find a used 60 horse Mercury that you can run and test on the water and repower your boat. Then use the boat for a bunch of years to get your moneys worth out of it. That's what I use to do. Hopefully everything will work out for ya but don't let it get ya down man you did a great job on fixing that boat up.


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## jalockwood

Thank you Kenny I appreciate that, not gonna lie its not hard to feel disappointed at this stage but hey it is what it is. What im thinking for now is maybe just running it a couple times this season, and try to really take her easy but get some joy out of it while I can. I am searching for someone to help me do this but if it turns out that I have to do it myself it can be my winter project, I have a seloc manual for this engine and I do have the advantage of being mechanically inclined at the very least. Thank you for offering your tool for me to use on that powerhead, if it turns out that I do have to take this one on myself I will let you know. I will write down your info somewhere safe so I can call or email you if I need to, I havnt checked my pms yet im not sure if you've already sent that info lol but that's no rush. Do you feel like a 60 horse used mercury would be a reasonable buy for a boat of that age? I have no idea what they cost im sure not cheap if I had to guess somewhere in the 2 to 3000$ range but maybe im way off. Anyways man thank you for words of encouragement on that dilemma and I intend on staying in touch with ya whenever we get a chance to chat. I hope things are going well for you out your way take it easy! By the way those mounts are solid rubber best I can tell, I would imagine just like an old tire that dry rots these mounts can do the same and over the years they've just given out...unfortunate but ultimately kind of unavoidable when I consider the age of the boat I have.


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## WVfishnfool

Josh sent you a PM


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## jalockwood

aside from the broken mounts on the engine which I plan to take care of as soon as possible I couldn't be happier with the build and how the boat operates, its great to get out there and toss a line and enjoy the peace that nature brings!


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## huntinfool

Congrats.


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## WVfishnfool

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=363717#p363717 said:


> jalockwood » 18 Aug 2014, 19:55[/url]"]aside from the broken mounts on the engine which I plan to take care of as soon as possible I couldn't be happier with the build and how the boat operates, its great to get out there and toss a line and enjoy the peace that nature brings!


SSSSHHHHHH Josh don't say this very loud or everybody will be buying a boat and we won't have our peace and quiet for long. :lol: I messed up several years ago and took my non-fishing wife at the time on several fishing trips with me. After about the third time she says "I know why you do this now, It's like all your troubles and cares just drift away." That was 34 years ago and she still goes fishing with me from time to time and when some of her friends say "I can't believe you like to fish." she tells them "Don't knock it until you've tried it."


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## BoaterGirl

Hi, My son has had a lot of fun in this boat over the summer. The original key broke off in the ignition. He continued to use the ignition and finally the half of the key wore down and will no longer work. We bought a new ignition switch (Sierra MP 39090). I told him to take picture before taking it out and of course the pictures he took weren't good enough. He went ahead trying to put on the new ignition and still no power 3 weeks later. Does anyone have pictures of the ignition with wires that they can share with me. Any help you can pass along is appreciated. I have already printed the wiring diagrams, which I will look at tonight, but some real pictures showing the switch might help. Thanks all for your help so far. Jen


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