LocostUSA.com

Learning how to build Lotus Seven replicas...together!
It is currently March 29, 2024, 12:40 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 10 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Boating
PostPosted: June 7, 2016, 3:16 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: August 27, 2005, 1:04 am
Posts: 1414
Location: Kamloops, BC, Canada
I haven't even backed the locost out of the garage this set of days off, but I've been busy with my grandpa's old speed boat. It's not really all that fast, but we had it out yesterday for the first time and had fun. It's an old fiberglass boat, 13'6" long and 4'8" wide, not to mention light and minimalist, so it kinda fits with the Colin Chapman ideology. The motor is a Johnson 35 HP from 1959, pullstart only. It will do about 25 mph according to the GPS in my phone. The trailer was last insured in 2004, so I'm pretty sure the boat hasn't been used since at least then. It needed a bit of cleaning and put the rear seat back in. On the outboard I had to fix a stripped spark plug hole, change the oil in the leg, and clean the fuel filter. I looked up some info on the motor online, and the general consensus is the water pump should probably get a new impeller, but other than that, these old outboards run almost forever when looked after. I might try to fix the decompression system to make starting it a bit easier though.

Image

Image

Image

Image

https://youtu.be/qriQexDwC6g

Kristian

_________________
V6 in a book frame build. Now registered.
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=7587
viewtopic.php?f=33&t=18172


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Boating
PostPosted: June 7, 2016, 3:47 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: July 4, 2006, 5:40 pm
Posts: 1994
Location: Novato, CA
Looks like great fun. Up until a few years ago we lived on a lagoon, with a dock in the back yard. The lagoon led through a lock to a creek that ran into San Francisco Bay. The only powered boat we had was propelled by a 4hp outboard, but even that was fun.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Boating
PostPosted: June 7, 2016, 5:17 pm 
Offline
The voice of reason
User avatar

Joined: January 10, 2008, 4:47 pm
Posts: 7652
Location: Massachusetts
Don't wait on that impeller! The motor needs a water pump.

Nice boat, your kids will have lots of fun. You don't need to go fast for family fun. It would also probably pull your kids on skis when they are ready. See if you can find some wide ones to start the kids on.

_________________
Marcus Barrow - Car9 an open design community supported sports car for home builders!
SketchUp collection for LocostUSA: "Dream it, Build it, Drive it!"
Car9 Roadster information - models, drawings, resources etc.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Boating
PostPosted: June 7, 2016, 6:30 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: July 17, 2008, 9:11 am
Posts: 6414
Location: West Chicago,IL
If that 35HP is anything like my early 50's 25HP Johnson (the green ones) there is an overheat sensor that will shut the engine down if the impeller dies. There should be a tell tale stream of water coming out from the rear, under the power head, if the impeller is working (maybe only on one or two vanes :shock: )Don't quote me on that and don't bet the farm on it. I am remembering the best I can from about 50 years ago. I was about 14 yrs old at the time and it was my 1st power boat. I changed the impeller and never had another problem.

You've got a classic there! Love it. :cheers:

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Boating
PostPosted: June 7, 2016, 6:42 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: August 27, 2005, 1:04 am
Posts: 1414
Location: Kamloops, BC, Canada
I don't think the outboard has a ton of hours on it, but yes, I do need to try finding some parts. I remember taking the boat out fishing on lakes when I as a kid and we ran it with just a little 2 HP outboard. Yesterday was the first time I've run it with the big motor. The people my grandpa bought the boat from used to ski behind it, so I'm sure it would be OK for kids. Just have to figure out something solid enough to hook a tow rope to. I sure wish we had a dock in our yard! I have to tow it to a lake every time I want to run it. The closest one is only about 1/2 hour each way though, so not too bad. We're going camping at a lake for the July long weekend, so I'm sure it will get lots of use then. The water pump is currently working fine, and hasn't shown any signs of giving up the ghost yet. I haven't tracked down any parts for it yet, and won't have any time to work on it before our camping weekend, so hopefully it's still got a few hours left in it.
Kristian

_________________
V6 in a book frame build. Now registered.
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=7587
viewtopic.php?f=33&t=18172


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Boating
PostPosted: June 9, 2016, 9:56 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: August 27, 2005, 1:04 am
Posts: 1414
Location: Kamloops, BC, Canada
I was talking to my uncle, and he thinks my grandpa put a new impeller in the water pump, and he never did run the boat with the big motor much. From what I read on the boat forum, a lot of the failed impellers are from the outboard sitting in the sun baking, and the impeller gets brittle from the heat. This one's always been kept inside, so that won't be an issue. I'll pull the leg off and have a look at the water pump before I put too many hours on it.
Kristian

_________________
V6 in a book frame build. Now registered.
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=7587
viewtopic.php?f=33&t=18172


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Boating
PostPosted: June 10, 2016, 12:34 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: May 27, 2006, 9:46 pm
Posts: 1954
Location: BC, Canada. eh?
As long as you have a telltale stream, you're good to go.

I LOVE Johnson/Evinrude motors. Even a tiny bit of maintenance will keep them going, pretty much forever. By way of illustration, I still have a 1962 Johnson 3 hp. motor I bought when I was a kid, around 1965. It still looks almost new, and still runs perfectly. Lots & lots of hours on it over the decades, but she still runs great. Maintenance consisted of a new spark plug every 3 or 4 years, and changing the bottom end oil about as often. That's it.

Not much you can buy these days that will give you that kind of service!

_________________
Scratch building, at continental-drift speed, a custom McSoreley-design framed, dual-Weber 45DCOE carburated, Zetec-engined, ridiculously fast money pit.

http://zetec7.webs.com/


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Boating
PostPosted: June 10, 2016, 12:40 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: August 27, 2005, 1:04 am
Posts: 1414
Location: Kamloops, BC, Canada
Yup, they're pretty impressive. My dad has my grandpa's old 5hp Johnson from sometime in the 40's. It needs rings now, but still runs, just not very well. I wouldn't want to guess at the hours that one has on it.
Kristian

_________________
V6 in a book frame build. Now registered.
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=7587
viewtopic.php?f=33&t=18172


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Boating
PostPosted: June 10, 2016, 2:46 am 
Offline

Joined: August 19, 2014, 5:17 pm
Posts: 685
Location: England
Ringo`s are a great way to get the kids started, you can go as slow as you like and still have fun.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SportsStuff-B ... 1975976782

Bob

_________________
Build Log viewtopic.php?f=35&t=16640&p=187700#p187700

Mancave http://s1116.photobucket.com/user/mypic ... ow/mancave


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Boating
PostPosted: June 10, 2016, 11:02 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: October 24, 2008, 2:13 pm
Posts: 5326
Location: Carlsbad, California, USA
Great old boat, Kristian. Have fun this summer.

Cheers,

_________________
Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 10 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 16 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  
POWERED_BY