GYPSY400

A heli-coil would work and you can probably find one with the same thread pitch as the original drain plug. It will actually be stronger than the original threads into aluminum. Try to reduce the amount of shavings that go in the hole, but if a few go in its no big deal as the drain is quite a distance from the oil pump pickup which won't be a concern unless you stand the motor on its head. It will be money well spent to bring this to a small engine shop ( ATV's) as this is a common repair for them. One oil change halfway through a season if you run it every day is plenty.. you can go 200hrs on oil without worry. Marine engines don't see dust and dirt that other engines do.

^^^ you may be right AKRISONER.. My FF off the TM battery is an old 718 Hummingbird with a black and white screen. I have a helix 7 in the back hooked to a fuse panel which is then run from the starting battery

That is very possible, although I've never experienced it.. I also have a fish finder running off my bow mount TM with the transducer mounted on the lower unit and it seems to work fine.

You can run the fish finder off either battery, it draws hardly any power... but id run it off the tractor battery if it were me. I'd keep the tractor battery for this year and buy a 24 or 27 for the TM.. I go all day on a 24, but I rarely go out for 2 days without charging so you might justify the extra capacity of the 27 ( keepnin mind the extra weight). A solar panel will get you a bit of charge but not much ( pretty much an hour on solar will give you maybe 5 minutes of TM) Any chance you can hook to a generator on your trip to charge the battery in the evening? Most generators have a 12v circuit. Worst case ontario if the battery for the gas engine goes flat you still have the pull start.

Ahh ok, so the transom does have a wood core. Chances are you'll be ok , but having a tether doesn't hurt, especially when your not the only one driving the boat.

Yes that is normal, the water coming out with the exhaust is meant the cool the muffler. As long as it's peeing out the side at idle it will be fine for the rest of the year.. if it's intermittent or really weak at idle it needs to be done asap. You can find videos on YouTube on how to do it for that model of motor - the hardest part is disconnecting the shift linkage ( I think there is an oval shaped plate for access) . Learn how to do it yourself and you will gain satisfaction and save money.. or buy a box of beer and invite one of you mechanical inclined friends over. That's a good job for the off season, along with changing the foot oil and maybe a new set of spark plugs. Spend the extra money for OEM water pump and you'll be trouble free for 5 seasons. Also run only Ethanol free fuel ( shell Vpower) to save on fuel system issues down the road

How thick is the transom on the boat? Like 1.5" thick? Or just a thin sheet? Please provide pics if possible.

I run a 55lb trolling motor off 1 group 24 battery. I was going to step up to a 27, but I couldn't justify the weight penalty ( pick up both, you will see what I mean) mind you, my trolling motor and battery are in the bow. It goes all day on a 24. I have an additional cranking battery in the back for the gas motor and fish finder. You can get a starting/deep cycle combination marine battery from CTC ( 010-2499-8).. you will want a deep cycle for the trolling motor, and a starting battery for the gas engine. Each type of battery is meant to discharge and recharge differently. You could keep your tractor battery for starting, and just get a pure deep cycle for the trolling motor (010-2492-2) Don't count on the outboard to charge the trolling motor battery as the charging system is very small ( approximately 4 amps at wide open throttle) so you will have to hook up a battery charger after each fishing trip so the battery is 100% for the next outing.

With small boats, weight placement is a big factor.. if all 3 guests are in the very front , it will just plow. If everyone sits in the back, it will just point at the sky and squat. Even moving the gas tank towards the middle of the boat makes a difference. Try it alone at first and figure out where it needs to be, then add balanced weight ( people) chances are you might have to go up 1 or 2 holes. You will also notice a difference depending on where people sit.

You are currently on the lowest trim setting. Start there and test drive it alone with minimal gear- it will plane quickly ,but probably plow water. Move up one hole at a time until the side spray is about 2/3 from the front of the boat and the bow doesn't porpoise (bounce). If the bow porpoises, you've gone too high. This will be a good setting once you add gear and passengers, if alone go back down one hole. From there you can fine tune by moving weight around.

I'd give this a 5 depending on your wood working abilities ( it's more wood working than mechanical) I just measured my 16ft legend ( which is the same as a Starcraft or Smokercraft) and its 21" from the top of the transom to the bottom of the hull. The motor has a 3/4" gap at the clamp ( dealer installed) and the motor is thru bolted with 2 bolts. Considering there are only about 2 good months of season left , you might want to make this a winter project and take your time.

You'd be happier with a long shaft transom as I said before.. I own both and much prefer the extra 5 inches when reversing or traveling down wind and coming to a troll from speed. Newer Short shaft motors over 20hp are hard to come by.

I did a transom on a smokercraft last year.. it was 1.5" thick.. so 2 x 3/4 plywood and the method you explained.. go all the way across the boat with the grain horizontal, don't try and patch a chunk to the existing piece. The transom will flex under torque so the wood needs to flex and not break. laminated wood would actually be stronger than a solid piece ( if you could ever find one big enough) as it would flex a bit. A solid hardwood piece will snap easier if flexed. My first ever transom I replaced, I used a piece of hardwood ( cherry I think) the last time I had the boat out, the transom had alot of flex, so I think the wood inside is compromised .. You have to ask yourself, why do boats come with plywood core transom rather than hardwood or even just solid aluminum?

That boat was originally a Long shaft boat, and someone has cut the transom to fit a short shaft motor. The second step down and the gusset reaching the edge are 2 giveaways. 3rd giveaway is that no one makes a 40hp short shaft motor, therefore no one will rate a short transom at 40hp I'd rip it all out and replace the transom wood to the original profile ( the pic with the red line on it). It will cost you one sheet of 3/4 plywood, paint ( sealer) and time

That boat was originally a Long shaft boat, and someone has cut the transom to fit a short shaft motor. The second step down and the gusset reaching the edge are 2 giveaways. I'd rip it all out and replace the transom wood to the original profile ( the pic with the red line on it). It will cost you one sheet of 3/4 plywood, paint ( sealer) and time

Yes that motor is a long shaft .. the motor will have another tag with the model number.. should be something like J25RLxxx . A jackplate is quicker and possibly cheaper, but a new transom would be beneficial for splash protection (backtrolling?) . after having both a short shaft and long shaft boats, I don't want to go back to a short shaft. Please provide a picture of your boat transom

YES! Get a plastic tank!! Don't even consider a used metal tank!!!! You can use whatever you want on the tank side or even put a barb to 1/4npt connector and permanently mount the hose to the tank ( one less failure point) . If you must disconnect the hose from the tank, the best connector is an Attwood universal spray-less connector. Part number 8838TM6

I'd definitely go with electric start on an old motor like that.. but it might not have charging system, you will have to check with a meter. I have a 25 from the 70's, has electric start, but no charging... you only get 4 amps at 5000rpm anyway.

Anchor lock requires the GPS receiver found in the iPilot

Words of wisdom ^^^^^^ Buy once, cry once. The nice thing about new outboards is that you'll get 10 to 15, maybe even 20 years of trouble free service with only routine maintenance. Yeah there are horror stories, but for the most part any outboard is pretty reliable nowadays.

Perform a "link and sync" on your motor. Someone may have messed up the timing over the years. When fine tuning while it's running, use small adjustments and wait 30 seconds between adjustments. Don't use muffs, use a barrel for fine tuning.

Agreed.. I won't buy a motor that's older than a year I can remember.. and I'm 45. I couldn't be bothered with old junk anymore. 10 years ago I got fed up with everything, it was getting to the point where I'd troubleshoot Tuesday, order parts and install by Thursday so i can fish friday and Saturday.. just so i can do the same thing next week! got sick of it and bought a brand new BMT package. So far its been 2 impellers and other routine stuff, but I can guarantee that boat will run all weekend without issue. Everyone has their own budgets, but it gets to a point where time with family and friends outweigh working on an old motor to save a few hundred bucks. Some guys love the vintage stuff and enjoy fixing and tinkering with it. I do that 40hrs a week so when it's time to go fishing, the last thing I want to see is a wrench! LoL but to each their own, as everyone has a different situation and "toy" budget.

Sounds like a dealer warranty problem to me.. A mercury 4 stroke should run for at least 10 years before even worrying about the compression.

1960's vintage is too old and hard to get parts for. The oldest I'd go is early 80's if you don't want to wrench on it ALL the time. Personally I'd run what you have for the season and look for something in the fall. The prices goes down slightly as people don't want to store them for the winter, then they shoot back up around May 24 weekend. But since Covid, and now supply chain issues prices are higher than normal on everything.

Yes Sierra builds almost anything other than engine blocks and chassis etc. But the quality isn't the same and some parts ( ignition) you shouldn't cheap out on. I use Sierra gaskets and stuff like that, but most of the time oem parts aren't that much more money and they have stock, vs. having to order it and making a second trip.. 2 bucks a litre wipes out the money saved.