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I am almost ready for a launch but have come across carb problems with engine.
I never got a convertible top for this boat, does anyone have one from a junker boat, or maybe one I can borrow for a pattern?
i may try for a launch his weekend.











What a great project this has been, I can hardly wait to splash her and put the power to her and see if all my repairs hold together!

With a silent slip into the lake and a cloud of blue smoke this boat saw water for the first time in about 8 years. The original 25 hp Johnson cranked right up and shifted into forward without a stall.



But as I approached the docks I turned right and the boat turned left... I pulled back into reverse to keep from hitting dock and she came to a stop! I came to the realization that I had wrapped the cable backwards around steering spool. Oh well no reason to stop now, and with a little steering reorientation off I went onto the lake.



The little motor puttered right out into open water and pushed the 16'er right up to plane and to about 20+ knots. the hull ran nice and level and other than reverse steering she handled well. Stopping and starting she rose up quickly and had no nose dive.








What a thrill, she has responded like a new boat, after crashing through some rough water and boat wakes she took on on about a gallon of water. She has been in the water three days now and has not taken on any more water.



After a trip back to the dock and with some help from Andy and Scott we re-wrapped the steering cable and now she drives like she should. I have had a little problem with the engine jumping out of gear but I think it is bad electrical connections in controller. This is an electric shift, so my next in the water repair is to clean all contacts and see if this fixes this problem.




What a fun boat I was thinking of a larger motor but so far this little 25hp runs her well and will sip gas.

COOL Dan... I could almost hear it and feel it from your pictures.... I think I know how much fun that was.....

I like the idea of keeping the smaller motor... I always wonder about having 250 lb motors hanging on 45 yr old transoms....

Great job and congratulations.

John.

more than likely if it jumps out of gear the knurling on the forward hub has worn down causing the spring to slip.

Great job. It looks wonderful!

Andreas

Great job she looks like a dream on the water...is that a 40 or 33 johnson?

simply outstanding - great job!

I did a little model number checking and low and behold I do have a 40hp engine, I was going by what previous owner had said and model# RKL-25D. I thought 25 was hp but no relation.
After lake testing I am in need of a rebuilding of current lower unit or a finding a working lower unit. This is an electric shift unit that was jumping out of gear after about 20 min of use, I cleaned all electrical contacts and it shifts into forward and reverse easily but will not hold gear under power. Anyone have a line on a replacement?
Thanks for you compliments!

Hey there cappy...it sure looked like the same motor I have...mine is a manual shift model..those electric shift models used a special gear lube....type c or something...this might solve your problem...?

Is the prop hub slipping?

Does it jump out and stay out.....? Or skip....?

My 75 Johnson would jump about every minute or two, as if I had hit something underwater. A former Johnson mechanic described my condition exactly back to me, and said the clutch dogs were worn, and it was slipping and then catching again. It didn't happen at real low speeds.

I bought a new clutch dog, and a friend helped me clean up the gear surface, and the symptom is gone. That is why the owners manual and shop manual always advise against slowly easing the unit into gear, but rather a sharp, quick shift at low speed only. (my is manual)

It is curious that your's happens only after running a good length of time.

John, This is an electric shift unit. It Jumps out under load without any grinding. The engine revs up and I pull back on control till she falls back to idle then it shifts right back into gear and will hold at slow to medium speed but when a load is put her on it holds for a little then jumps.
I am going to change lube to electric shift lube and test again. it has some water in lube and at first test on this unit it ran great for about 15-20min before acting up so maybe it has something to do with getting water in lower unit. I think I might put new seals in it and see if that doesn't cure it.

I decided not to lake test this unit again, all I would be doing is putting a couple of pints of oil into the lake. I found a working lower unit on E-Bay and am awaiting its arrival. I took lower unit off and found that the wires that run through exhaust / water chamber had melted/ rotted and exposed raw wiring.This is probably the reason it was loosing electrical power and jumping out, I hope to be able to make one good unit out of the two I will have.

Dan; Im going to make a assumtion that the grab handles in the middle of your boat are for riders that join you useing folding chairs to sit on is this correct ? Jim Hays

Those handles are actually to attach the convertable top! They do actually come in handy. Got new cushions made will post pics soon. I am sending two lower units to local shop to have them build me one good unit.