My Sportfish 5.1 CC project boat

[z50man]

ok
Starting a project boat and here is the background ..
Had a 4.2 tinny with a 30 merc but wanted something to head out to close in reefs and have a bit of room as well for mates ..just loving my fishing right now ...
So after owning my Stacer 4.2 for a whole 4 weeks and going on 2 trips fishing i decided to sell it and try for a +5 mtr boat ..BUT here was the issue only 8 K or so as a budget i was not going to get much .. until this one caught my eye at the 5K mark
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trailer in great condition , 90hp Johnson 1990 unknown condition , has movement by hand so not sized . Boat in pretty good condition , some small patch repairs to the hull top and on inside been sandblasted and painted in 2 pac ( not the rapper ) and the center console and top is good just need some canvas work needs to be done .also has alloy floor and under floor tank about 50lts ..
so thats it ...
Here is what i am thinking , get the motor running and a respray and sell it , add that to the budget i have and buy a newer motor something like a Yammy 70 to 90 hp 1998 up to drop on the back .....
So its all down to pulling the under floor tank out and cleaning out , running new fuel lines and all new cables, lights bilge pumps etc etc, motor on the back some canvas work and then once completed , i will have to start to look at GPS , Fishfinder etc etc ......, am hoping to have a boat for under 10k ..its gonna be a push but got to give it a go ,,,,

your thoughts or ideas on what to do would be great ....

[fisho8]

Anything is worth a go mate you have a good platform there you can now build on. There are plenty of good second hand bit out there in the market place check the classified section here from time to time you gotta be in the right place at the right time to get a bargin these days. Good luck mate and keep us updated with your progress.


Cheers Mick.

[Tickleish]

When I was a youger fella I loved those boats, looks like you got a good deal. Those johno's are near bullet proof and will make a good match for that hull & if you trade it i would keep with the 90hp. when its finished you'll have to take me for a run in it(ahh the memories).

Keep us updated.

[Jarrah Jack]

You've got a good deal by the look of it. I would be open ended about the motor. It may be worth keeping for what you're going to be replacing it with. It all depends on prices and conditions.

You could even use the Johnno for a few years while on the look out and saving for something much better.

[z50man]

Stripped out the inside today after work , console , fuel tank , fuel lines and the beast of a motor that was on the inside of the boat . Under the floor copped a wash down and old selastic got cleaned off. There is a raised section at the rear in the hull that has a hole to the outside looks like it may have been for a clean down pump or something like that ..it will be blocked off i think .
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fuel tank was full of garbage , still flushing it out and finding bits but at least it will be clean when it goes back in ..

Took the cowl off the motor today to see what i am dealing with and to my surprise not much corrosion anywhere pretty grubby but degreaser will sort that out , new set of plugs and tomorrow i will start building a engine stand so i can do a bit of work on the outboard, need to see what the compression is like and how well the engine runs , from there i will decide what will power the boat ..
Anyway a few pictures of the donk .
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[stevel3]

good luck with it mate, it will certainly keep you busy for a while but I am sure the end result will be worth it.

[z50man]

Made up a steel frame tonight to hold up that chunk of a motor, its a bit dodgy looking ( like my welding ) but it only needs to hold it for a clean down and compression check , maybe just a few minutes of run time for a tune up ... so i hope the frame doesnt shake itself to bits ..lol..
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will find out this weekend if it does the job or falls to bits ....

[Si]

mate looks really good for the price. did you take it for test run before you bought it. Has it been in the water with you in it? any water?

Are you going to put the top back on or leave it off?

[jason p]

congrats on the new boat mate. i recon for 5 grand you got your self a bargain. a few personal touches and she will be a sweet ride.

jp

[z50man]

mate looks really good for the price. did you take it for test run before you bought it. Has it been in the water with you in it? any water?

Are you going to put the top back on or leave it off?
I bought it as a unfinished project , but the hull is 4 or 5mm plate and the sides are 4mm , did a bit of research on the old sportfish and there were one of the best plate hull boats at the time ( 1995 ) this one was all there and for 5K how much boat do you really get .... going to put the top back in , i like the idea of a bit of shade and no supports on the side of the boat , makes for good fishing ...

[Si]

I bought it as a unfinished project , but the hull is 4 or 5mm plate and the sides are 4mm , did a bit of research on the old sportfish and there were one of the best plate hull boats at the time ( 1995 ) this one was all there and for 5K how much boat do you really get .... going to put the top back in , i like the idea of a bit of shade and no supports on the side of the boat , makes for good fishing ...

true, five grand dont buy much of a boat these days. i just asked because the last thing you want after all the trouble you go to is a leaky boat although a good inspection should be able note any issues. a nice shiny dry boat with a good motor and trailer - i think you have done pretty well. hopefully there will be plenty of mackerel coming over the sides soon :-)

[z50man]

true, five grand dont buy much of a boat these days. i just asked because the last thing you want after all the trouble you go to is a leaky boat although a good inspection should be able note any issues. a nice shiny dry boat with a good motor and trailer - i think you have done pretty well. hopefully there will be plenty of mackerel coming over the sides soon :-)
your dead right , but if i do fine any leaks then it looks like it will make a trip to the local alloy welder for a patch up , i have seen 1 spot on the hull that looks to have a stress crack but its pretty easy to get to and a patch welded over it will fix it right up ...it has a few square patches on the hull now and there was some stress cracks these as well that i could see on the inside of the hull that match up to the patches ,no big worry as the boat is 15 to 20 tears old .. Its not gonna stop me from fishing..lol.

[Fed]

If the motor is OK I think you've kicked a big goal z50man.
I'd run out & buy a MIG welder think of the fun you could have.

[Apollo]

Put the bungs in and fill it up from the inside with water and check for leaks on the outside. Will give you an idea if she has any areas that might need some repairs whilst you have her apart. Looks like a good deal though.

[z50man]

Put the bungs in and fill it up from the inside with water and check for leaks on the outside. Will give you an idea if she has any areas that might need some repairs whilst you have her apart. Looks like a good deal though.
what a great idea , sometimes the obvious idea just pass you by ... thanks for the great tip and i have filled it up and only found one tiny drip after 30 to 40 min full of water , so a easy fix and i can start to put it back together with peace of mind .....

[rocklobster]

I would try and get that engine going . New water pump, leg oil,plugs etc and run it till it drops . You might be surprised

[z50man]

I would try and get that engine going . New water pump, leg oil,plugs etc and run it till it drops . You might be surprised
i am thinking the same thing , the more i read about the old 90hp johnson motors the more i am tempted to keep it , the main thing i am hearing is disconnect the oil injection system and run premix , less smoke , better running and motor will last longer , so i am starting to look on your tube for the procedure to disconnect ...

[z50man]

today the fuel tank and alloy floor cover went back in ( now that there is no major leaks to be found in the hull ,,,Thanks Apollo ) ,going to run the fuel line and drop the center console back in . got to find someone to to the canvas work on my console roof and then the motor will get the treatment this weekend ( if i get time )

[z50man]

today the motor finally made it to the dodgy stand i made and as luck would have it the stand stayed in one piece . i connected all the wires up , fuel lines and forward controls and got the motor to fire but not run ...:(
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also put the floor back in today over he fuel tank ,selastic all round and now i can put the center console back in tomorrow. Had time to put in the new black rod holders as well .
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this week will try to do the seat on the top of the esky , its all fiberglass with a timber lid so a foam seat will be good on top along wirth a good clean up ...

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[Stuart]

I love this sort of threads, Gut the boat and redo it. I would add to the water in the hull to check for leaks trick is to add blue food die to the water. It shows up like dogs balls if any leaks out, much better than water on its own. No it wont stain the paint or alloy.

Stu

[z50man]

Today the fuel line went in ( and fuel line cover ) 2 bilge pumps under floor ,a auto pump and a manual , cover back on , alos a extra bilge pump on the bottom of the transom to provide clean water to the live bait tank ,, in a few boxes supplied with the boat was some marine carpet that was in the boat , had a heap of black marks on it and fuel marks , 20 min with the water blaster and some carpet cleaner and it came up pretty good , one very light spot that spent its life under the esky. a very usable carpet and it saves me about $200 out of my budget .
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the esky got a new lid and some paint , hinges fixed up even bought a foam seat from BCF on special for $20 so now it seals fine and also somewhere a but softer to sit ..

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got the motor to run today and it ran pretty good , will get a mechanic to come and have a look, tune up and some electric work and i think it will go back on the boat ...

[Carry]

Hi Z50man,

Looks like your having fun with refit mate. Looking good. On the disconnection of the oil injection, I would definately disconnect it. I have seen three of these johno's go to the grave due to the oil injection failing. Other than that they are a tough donk. Flog it till it dies. Good luck with it all mate.

Cheers

Carry

[z50man]

Had the motor inspected last friday and the news was pretty good , the motor has good compression, idles ok and pumps water fine ( complete new pump still going to be put in ) there is a slight overheat in the head but i have a new thermostat kit on the way ..trim and tilt now works again and the overheat alarm works again .. so it looks all good with the motor ..a small issue with the solenoid but have bought a new one so its all good
Also got a bit of work done in the boat , bilge pumps back in along with the new fuel lines , dropped the center console back in and connected up the steering controls ...The top also got a work over , had a advertising canvas sign from work ( Century Batteries) so put a few eyelets in it and up it went . had a bit of a sort through the box of bits that came with the boat and found a spray cover for the front of the boat and it was in good condition as well , put the stays back in and connected it up and it looks pretty good .....hooked up a live bait tank and hoses , once the motor is on the back i will start with the real headache of wiring ,defiantly not my strong point .... sounder , radio,gps,lights and more :-[

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[Fed]

Could need water deflectors 50man, easy job.

[z50man]

yeah that was the plan , there was a set in one of the boxes i got but they had dried out and shrunk so had to be thrown , will look at another set once the boat is back on the water ....

[thelump]

Looking good mate. I reckon you have done the hard yards the wiring bit is pretty easy. PM me if you need some help.
Cheers Jason

[z50man]

got the new perspex for the screen so put it on today , looked good too until i put a small crack on one edge :(. any way it will be fine , LEDs in the top cover ready for the wire up . and some decals on the back, tomorrow the motor on and the trailer needs a few wobble rollers to get the boat sitting just right.
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anyway more pictures when the motor is on and rollers are done

[z50man]

today was crawl around in the dirt day , new rollers for the boat while the boat was in place .. got 4 pair of wobble rollers and had a few standard rollers . the trailer had a few sets of rails only and man it was hard to get the boat to move off the trailer ( 2 person job and still hard ) ...so new rollers in place and gave the boat a push and now it slides with a bit of a good push , could not even move it before by myself .....got my Ausfish stickers today so put them up on the boat as well ,, if you see me on the water when the boat is going come and say gday .more work tomorrow ...
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[fisho8]

Looking good mate coming together nicely hope you get that engine running so you can get out there and enjoy it.

[z50man]

Thanks mate, was hoping that i was not make people bored with my posts, its a big process refitting a boat that you have never seen all in one piece ,,,, but it will be worth it when i'm out there catching fish

[Jarrah Jack]

Don't think you'll make anyone bored. From my experience on here everyone loves rebuilds. I can never get enough and you never stop learning new things or relearning things that have been forgotten.

Keep up the good work Z

[logga77]

Looks Like you are doing a excellent job mate and its a great thread.
you wont want to get rid of this one it'l be like one of the kids with all the work your putting in.

looking forward to seeing some fishing reports mate once your up and running.


Cheers Dean'o

Oh and Merry Christmas every one shame about the weather forcast though :(

[z50man]

got stuck in today and completed some of the easier bits ,Aux bracket for my little evinrude 4hp ( just in case the big one dies on me ) the Johnson 90 is finally on the transom with the steering connected up and the battery leads fed through the transom .....
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The Johnson Cowl got a lick of paint to freshen it up a bit and put on a few decals ,looks pretty good , will do the leg once i have done the water pump , thermostat and solenoid ..
Made up a live bait tank , runs from a bilge pump at the back of the transom and fills the bucket and about 6 " from the top the water drains back out through a pipe out the transom , easy and only cost me $35 for the full set up ( working to a budget remember).
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The decal arrived for my boat name , the boat is called "SEAFOOD BEITZ" ( BITES ) A Twist of words as the beitz is the start of my last name . so thats it for today will look at wiring in the next few days ....
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[z50man]

a bit of a look at the boat now that some of the work has been completed ..
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Put some floatation under the floor today , yes they are pool noodles but think about it , very high floatation , not much surface area touching the boat ( dries quickly ), fire retardant built in and easy to change in a few years and because i bought 50 of them only $1.50 each.. Anyway i thought it was a good idea .;D 75220



Connected the forward controls and run them in the floor , still need to put the cover on and the carpet but that all has to wait til the electrics are done ...also got the trailer lights hooked up today , the slip into the rear rod holders so i can sink the trailers and not worry about the lights 8-)

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[z50man]

Some more work today on the center console , a new door for the console for storage with a very strong magnetic lock , had this alloy checker plate left over from my bike trailer i built..


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and now for a bit of security , when i go camping its a pain to take out the sounder , gps etc and i am always thinking someone might try to start the boat and steal it ...made up a cover with 3 locks to lock around the steering , cover up the battery isolate switch and the gps,sounder etc .. a bit of piece of mind

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this week the engine gets it service ,new pump,solenoid, ignition and thermostat and all the electrics will be done this week too all in time for australia day ...yahoo .....

[fisho8]

Well mate you have done well I really like that idea you have there in regard to securing the electric's well done and I hope you have a great australia day on the water. Awsome stuff.

[z50man]

Well mate you have done well I really like that idea you have there in regard to securing the electric's well done and I hope you have a great australia day on the water. Awsome stuff.
Thanks Mate , really looking forward to doing my first run and a bit nervous at the same time , my last boat was just a 4 mtr tinny and this being a bit bigger ...how hard can it be ....

[z50man]

all wiring is completed , fish finder is done , radio done , engine has had solenoid, thermostat and water pump done.
BUT found out the johnson still has a over heat probelm ,,,,bugger ,,, now the head and barreld need to come off and the engine gets a clean out on the inside .. was hoping the thermostats would solve the issue but at least this way the engine will be good for a few years ....

[z50man]

now the boat is almost finished , rod holders are in on the canopy ( 8 of them ) in stainless , radio and aerial, esky is in place ,carpet in place , drink holders in place ,a bit of security for the console , fishfinder in place and all wiring ,battery are done ...
still have a issue with engine over heat , marine mechanic out next week to resolve the issue and finally may get it on the water for some fishing , well its been quite fun to do the boat , it has plenty of fishing room , enough storage and a bit of cover from the sun .. let me know what you think ,, only a few more updates and it will be finished , engine heating and some finished pictures on the water ;D

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[Mossy247]

Geez, nice work mate, solid effort on your behalf and well done. Can't wait to see some reports and hopefully catch you on the water. Tight lines

[rosco1974]

cangrats mate looks like a sweet ride,perfect to get into the macks.
cheers rosco

[z50man]

thanks guys , hope to be out there soon and getting into a few....

[z50man]

Well the time has come , this weekend i will be putting the boat in for the first time , thinking about saturday at jacobs well , nice easy ramp to unload / load and easy to have a quick run and check things out ....hope it all goes ok as i need a fishing fix ....

[z50man]

made it out to the pin today , what a traffic jam , boats every where , but the boat went well , needs a hyrofoil as it jumps around a bit over swell but apart from a few changes its ready to start fishing ...at last ...
here is a few pictures from today ..


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[STUIE63]

mate she looks good and thanks for sharing your rebuild