Roe Bag

Never owned a baitcast reel. I'm gonna take the plunge. When I fish my spinning reels or my centre pins, I cast with my right and retrieve with my left. Years ago when I fished spin cast outfits I cast with my right, switched the rod over to my left hand and retrieved with my right. I notice that several pro bass fishermen switch hands when using a baitcaster. Cast with the right. Switch hands and reel with the right. Yet if they pick up a spinning outfit, they cast with their right and retrieve with their left. Which way do you find more comfortable?

My buddy has the same boat. He runs a 25 Yamaha two stroke on it. A big consideration is weight. 20 Yamaha four stroke weighs in at 114 lbs. (dry weight) 25 Yamaha four stroke weighs in at 181 lbs. (dry weight) 25 Yamaha two stroke weighs the same as the 20 four stroke. 114 lbs. A 25 four stroke on a 15" transom is just asking for trouble. Quick stops or backtroling and you'll have water slopping over the back end, into the boat. Supposedly Honda makes the lightest 25 four stroke at 155 lbs. (short shaft) 160 lbs (long) Hope this helps.

Nothing but positive experiences through Kijiji or fishboard classifieds. The worst I have encountered is a few dreamers and a few lowballers. For every jerk out there, there's 99 good people. A great way to upgrade and save at the same time.

LeBaron is clearing some FE 1000's. http://www.lebaron.ca/pdffiles/web_spec/shimano_stradic_special.pdf

Exactly!!!!!!! Two strokes are load sensitive and will begin to bog down on the higher end of the power band much sooner than a four stroke.

http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/26262/ http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/03/pivotal_piston_.html http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-10413645-48.html And you tell me I need to read?

I've run two strokes for forty years and my maintenace shedule has been the occasional set of plugs. The occasional impeller. Change the gear oil and check for water at the end of every season and motor on. Oh yeah, one fuel pump diaphram in my '73 Johnson. What part of "hear say" don't you understand? There's a fellow up on our lake that runs a 250 Verado on a 21' foot bass boat. It was he that told me that frequently (based on engine hours) he had to take it into the dealer for inspection and adjustments. He said if he didn't do so his warranty would be voided. All I did was suggest that the original poster look into it. A 200 Verado is a four cylinder and it out weighs the 6 cylinder etech by almost 100 lbs. I would imagine too that they are squeezing the guts out of a four cylinder to make 200 horsepower. Bombardier Recreational Poducts (BRP) states that their e tech engines need not be touched in the first three years. See what Mercury has to say about theirs. That's all I was suggesting. There is less maintenance in a two stroke simply because there are fewer moving parts. Less wear. Less breakage. As far as "cow paddy" ? Whatever!! Obviously your budget can be stretched a whole lot further than mine. I cringe everytime I pull up to the gas pumps.

Go see Clarence at Bay City Marine in Hamilton. (not far from Cayuga) They sell all of the big names. There are advantages and disadvantages no matter which way you go. Two strokes have fewer moving parts so there is less maintenance. Four Strokes are more efficient but come with a rigid and expensive maintenance schedule. Four strokes offer more torque but also add weight to the back end of the boat. My biggest concern would be the maintenance cost of the Verado. It's only hear say but I was told that in order to protect your warranty you must adhere to their (Mercury) maintenace program and it is said to be quite costly. BRP claims that their e tech doesn't need to be touched for the first three years.

I was in Bass Pro (Vaughan location) last Saturday and they had both the 700 and 1300 on display. I think they were $109 but not positive.

Great site. Sold lots. Other than a few low ballers, I've had no issues.

An amazing heart warming tear jerking story. We should all be blessed with a son like you. Kudos.

If the starter is spinning but not engaging then I had a similar problem with the electric start on my snowblower. For the most part they rely on centrifical force to engage. As the starter motor begins to spin, the pinion gear on the starter drive is thrown out and engages the ring gear on the flywheel. Overtime dirt and grease had accumulated on the shaft and the drive wouldn't engage. Removed the starter. Cleaned the starter drive in varsol. Added a couple of drops of oil. Re-installed it and it's just like new..

It can go the other way too. If you have an air leak between the pickup and the fuel pump, it will gradually lose it's prime. Particularly at low rpm. I had a 9.9 Mercury that had a metal gas tank. The fuel pickup was an aluminium tube that screwed into the bottom of the fuel guage/hose attachment. Overtime it had vibrated loose. Just enough to allow air into the system. At high speed it was fine but when trolling it would stall every few minutes. It became apparent because I would have to prime it to get it to restart. Another possibility is condensation in the tank. I read where you ran it out of gas and refuelled with premium. Try adding some methyl hydrate. (lock de-icer but much cheaper) You can buy it at just about any hardware store or CTC in their paint department. It will evaporate off any moisture in the tank, fuel filter etc. Had a buddy that had a 175 Mercury. The dealer replaced three ignition modules before they finally discovered it was water in his built in tank. After the modules were replaced it would run fine at the shop but as soon as my buddy trailered it out to the lake the same problem returned. Apparently there were a lot of problems with the ignition modules in that particular model, so the dealer just assumed. Being heavier than gas it settles on the bottom of the tank. Usually below the pickup depth. If the boat sits on the trailer at an angle it will settle in the tank accordingly. Trailer the boat or run it on the lake and it gets stirred up. The fuel will look cloudy. Depending on the concentration, the boat may run fine at mid to high speed but will spit, sputter and stall at trolling speeds. Stir it up well and put some in a clear jar. Let it settle. The water will seperate a become very visible in the bottom of the jar. Hope this helps.

Personally I'm only familiar with manual chokes on smaller outboards/lawnmowers/chainsaws etc.. You simply pull or push a knob and the choke is activated. Generally when a choke is activated it is fully closed meaning that you are unable to see down the throat of the carburetor. In some cases, the choke does not completely close. A small space remains at the top and bottom to allow air into the engine. In other cases, the choke does fully close but has a small hole in the butterfly allowing air to enter. Given the fact that once warm, the engine operates fine, then it has to be the choke. If it's cable activated it's probably just a case of the cable having slipped out of adjustment. Good luck.

I'd take a close look at the choke. The linkage may have slipped and the choke is no longer fully engaging. Had this happen with an earlier outboard and a lawnmower as well. If that's not the case then throw a new set of plugs at it and an accurately mixed fresh batch of fuel. I'm a firm believer in Sea Foam as well. Pour in about 200 ml. into a 25 litre fuel tank. Add the proper amount of oil. (assuming it's a two stroke) Then fill it with gas so it is all thoroughly mixed. Good luck.

To me it implied, I don't agree with this Roebag character.... It seemed you were speaking to the original poster about me instead of to me. Had you written I don't agree Roebag or I disagree Roebag, then there would have been no implication. It would have been clear that you were simply disagreeing with me. Sorry for both the misconception and the misunderstanding. Rick aka Roebag.

Perhaps. Be nice to here that from him. As it stands. it appears to be derogatory.

Good eye Glen. The boat does actually extend beyond the end of the bunks of the trailer. This too could add to the "bouncing" you observed prior to the instilation of the transom saver. It would create a whip like action at the rear of the boat. The bottom of the boat should be even with the ends of the bunks. To resolve this, measure the overhang. Then loosen the bolts securing the winch mast and move it forward the required distance. Tighten and winch the boat into proper position. The transom saver will probably require adjustment as well.

I seriously considered a 16' Lund DLX but I was truly disappointed when I started comparing it to the SSV. Seems Lund has really cheaped out. Shallower. Narrower. Accordingly, carrying capacity and maximum horsepower rating has been reduced. The transom on the SSV is fully covered with aluminium and completed with a backsplash. As much as I would have liked the full floor and walk through the design the SSV, structurally, is a much better boat.

Earlier in this post I read that you are not sure if the damage was there at the time of purchase or since you have owned it. Also you are uncertain if you caused the damage seeing it bouncing around before purchasing the transom saver. I would stick with the transom saver. At least until you find out what's up. Have a Lund dealer inspect the damage. Certainly a 2008 boat would have been designed with the additional weight of a four stroke taken into consideration. The dry weight of your BF30 longshaft is 160 lbs. Go to this link and click on the Specifications tab. http://marine.honda.com/Products/modeldetail/BF30 I scanned this from my Yamaha Owners Manual. Something else you may want to consider. Good luck, "THIS" Roebag!

"I don't agree with THIS Roebag..."??????????????? What's with that? Some kind of slam? Fine if you don't agree with Roebag but "THIS" Roebag. Over forty years and a gazillion miles trailering boats and I'm "THIS" Roebag. Whatever!!!!!!!! Don't you think engineers and manufacturers haven't considered the additional weight of four strokes and stengthened transoms accordingly? With the engine in the normal operating position there is no change in direction in terms of weight transfer. The energy is transfered vertically down through the transom to the bottom of the boat. Through the trailer to the suspension. All in a straight line. NO FLEXING. I also place the gear selector in reverse so that the engine is locked down and can't bounce around or try to flip up in the event of a serious bump. Scanned from my Yamaha Owners Manual. If you consult your dealer he will point out to you that you can adjust the bunk/roller height and the spring shackles length that will afford the necessary ground clearance. I maintain about eight inches between the ground and the bottom of the skeg. Fully loaded with gear adnd supplies the spring travel is only about four inches before the wheels bounce off the ground. Lots of room to breath. My spring shackles and bunk mounts are pre drilled with extra holes for easy adjustment. No transom saver required! You guys with larger outfits and different configurations may certainly require a transom saver. No need in my case or from what I see here, in this case either.

All too often I see boats being trailered with the outboards raised in the "out of water" position. Parallel to the boat and no transom saver. Transom savers aren't really necessary for smaller outboards provided you have sufficient ground clearance fot the skeg and prop. Transom savers came into being for extremely large outboards associated with fiberglass ski/bassboats. They are also required for very low slung trailers which don't afford proper ground clearance. Smaller outboards should be trailered in the verticle position. Otherwise the powerhead is bobbing up and down like a cork in the ocean constantly flexing the transom. The outboard goes into a teeter totter effect as the trailer bounces over the bumps in the road. I have trailered boats for some forty years. All 65 horsepower or less. Never have I had an issue with a transom even with an old wooden boat which had a severely weathered transom. Never have I needed a transom saver. Currently I operate a 14' aluminium with a 25 Yamaha. The owners manual for the Yamaha clearly states that the engine should be in the vertical position (straight up and down off the back of the boat) when trailering. Otherwise damage to the transom can be incurred. Adjustments can be made to the trailer bunks/rollers and even the leaf spring shackles should you be concerned with possible skeg/prop damage when going over bumps. It appears the damage to your boat may have been caused by improper trailering (motor in horizontal position) by the previous owner or perhaps you yourself. The only other possibility is the previous owner has been towing heavy skiers or tubers. As for the piece of wood beneath the engine clamp, it makes little sense to me. If you have a twenty inch transom then a long shaft engine would have the cavitation plate land approximately 1" below the bottom of the boat. Raising it as such will cause cooling problems for the engine because once the boat is up on plane, the water pick up (located on the underside of the cavitation plate) will essentially be out of the water and sucking air. If you have a 15" transom and mount a longshaft (20") then you would have to raise it at the clamp some 5 inches. The only issue with mounting an outboard is in making certain it is centered exactly, otherwise you will have steering issues. Best advice I can offer is get it to a Lund Dealer for an assessment of the damage. Seek out his advice on probable cause and get an estimate.

I would pack the hubs by hand. This will ensure less chance of any air pockets. When installing the plastic dust caps you will need to slide them on over something like a finishing nail or round toothpick. The caps are air tight and won't slide unless you create a space which will allow air to escape. Once in place, remove the nail/toothpick.

If you are installing new bearings or cleaning old ones, they have to be hand packed. Applying grease through a Bearing Buddy cannot fill all of the voids. Air pockets can form. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8293470844095773448# Bearing Buddies can only be filled to a point. Once they reach that point, grease comes out around the piston letting you know that the proper spring tension has been achieved and the hub is full. I bought my EZ LOADER in 2000. It came equipped with Bearing Buddies. Eleven years and many many miles. Not one problem. Overtime some of the grease will break down into a liquid form. The liquid can seep past the inner seal. This combined with the dust it attracts can appear to be more serious than it actually is. I just check the position of the piston and top up with a squirt or two of wheel bearing grease. If you start to see gobs of grease on the backside if the hub or wheel then the seal needs to be replaced. My previous trailer had 8" wheels and no "Buddies". Each and every year they had to be repacked or replaced. mOre often replaced. The higher rpm of the smaller wheels caused the grease to breakdown more rapidly. The dust caps weren't waterproof and by the end of the season, everything was full of water. Personally, I wouldn't own a trailer without Bearing Buddiies. http://www.bearingbuddy.com/why.html