Official Irate4x4 boat owners thread

barrelroll said:
Someone found a submerged 6" log at 30mph. Lower unit oil looks good no milkshake or stripper glitter. Didn't realize it was missing a chunk till we put it on the trailer 200 miles later.

What's irates thought? Run it?
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Yeah that’s not structural so you should be mechanically in the clear- I’d clean up the jagged edges with a flap wheel and run it indefinitely while passively keeping my eyes open for a good deal on another lower unit for your application.
 
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Detailed and splashed the boat Sunday night for a cruise. Would have loved to ski with water temps already hovering around 70, but the 25 mph winds kept me in the boat instead.

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The stuff that you see at the ramp for the river never fails to surprise me. Especially since our stretch of the river is only 6-12 feet deep and the launch is about 3 feet and change.

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Finally got my junk on the water after being tied up with the kitchen remodel last year. Went thru the carbs,found a broken reed plate. All back together and running good. Took the "Searona" for a spin today
 
Got out for a rip yesterday. Lowered the boat and pulled out, went to trim up and the stbd trim motor worked and made a funny noise and now just clicks. I replaced the port trim motor the day before it went in the water. Dammit. Now I have to pull the whole trim assembly and lower motor bolts while standing on a floating dock. Should be interesting. Somehow I have to lift the thing to get the trim assembly out. F'n boats.
 
KacksterK5 said:
Got out for a rip yesterday. Lowered the boat and pulled out, went to trim up and the stbd trim motor worked and made a funny noise and now just clicks. I replaced the port trim motor the day before it went in the water. Dammit. Now I have to pull the whole trim assembly and lower motor bolts while standing on a floating dock. Should be interesting. Somehow I have to lift the thing to get the trim assembly out. F'n boats.
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it's on a lift? seems like rigging a ratchet strap or crossbar solution from the lift posts would be a possibility.

Is borrowing/ renting a triaxle bunk trailer not an option to do the work in the ramp parking lot?
 
Been in the water 7 weeks, and I can tell the bottom needs a scrub. Took it out sunday chasing coho, between the wind, waves and load shes running like its July already.

Slow fishing, lots of wind, but gorgeous day on the water with the family. Went ahead and tossed 60 gallons of fuel in before prices spike again at the marina for good measure.
 
KacksterK5 said:
Got out for a rip yesterday. Lowered the boat and pulled out, went to trim up and the stbd trim motor worked and made a funny noise and now just clicks. I replaced the port trim motor the day before it went in the water. Dammit. Now I have to pull the whole trim assembly and lower motor bolts while standing on a floating dock. Should be interesting. Somehow I have to lift the thing to get the trim assembly out. F'n boats.
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What engine?
 
ANGELO said:
What engine?
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OX66 250. Are the China trim motors any good or am I stuck having this one rebuilt or buying a $600 Yamaha part? Get any deals on Yamaha parts? I'm aware that this is a 20 year old part and these things just fail sometimes. Just funny that they both quit and these aren't a matched set of motors. I replaced one about 5 years ago.

It's currently stuck in the mid trim position so honestly, I can run it. Usually I trim the motors in with chop but I can use more tabs if I have to. I did the hit the button and whack it with a hammer thing and that didn't work. Just weird that it was fine then quit. Shouldn't be a voltage issue, motor started and cranked fine. 12.8V on the MFD at rest and 13.1 on the Yamaha gauge when running.
 
WTF? said:
it's on a lift? seems like rigging a ratchet strap or crossbar solution from the lift posts would be a possibility.

Is borrowing/ renting a triaxle bunk trailer not an option to do the work in the ramp parking lot?
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I figured I can rig a jib arm off the splash well and lift it off the tower with a block and tackle. Could possibly use the other motor to lift it too. Just thought of that. Once it gets past vertical it will go easy to get on the service lock.

Trailer is possibly an option if my buddy is back from Florida with his Regulator 29. It's not a bad repair, and there's a slim possibility that I can get a 1/4 drive socket and extension in there and just pop the motor off without removing the whole assembly. If I can do that, I'm golden.

The floating dock isn't bad, it's a raft but it blows up solid, I have a 16x12 and a 7x7. Can also just stick my buddy's deadrise in and tie it behind my boat and work from that. Probably the most solid platform. Boat's pretty high up.
 
I usually run Arco for aftermarket. But that's only if I can't get OEM.
I've never done an ox66 PTT motor. But most of the time you can slip a small socket, swivel and a Long extension or a Long Allen socket with a ball end, behind the trim and tilt motor to get to those back bolts. I almost never removed the whole assembly for just a motor.

Either figure out a way to tie your motor to the boat lift and drop the boat down or drop the boat down onto a floating dock with the manual release open. Much easier than trying to lift it by hand
 
ANGELO said:
I usually run Arco for aftermarket. But that's only if I can't get OEM.
I've never done an ox66 PTT motor. But most of the time you can slip a small socket, swivel and a Long extension or a Long Allen socket with a ball end, behind the trim and tilt motor to get to those back bolts. I almost never removed the whole assembly for just a motor.

Either figure out a way to tie your motor to the boat lift and drop the boat down or drop the boat down onto a floating dock with the manual release open. Much easier than trying to lift it by hand
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Good call on the lift, can probably rig something up. Tops of pilings are lower than boat, could be interesting.

Dropped Yamaha trim motor I just pulled off the port side off at the Auto Electric shop. It would work if I tapped on it so it probably just needs brushes or something. They rebuild stuff. Some old guy named Happy took it and said they'd handle it. Place smelled like oil and motor grease and there were 4 old guys hanging out bull****ting drinking coffee at the counter and 6-7 old guys working on stuff at benches in the back. Probably a better bet than China stuff.
 
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Around here, we can't tow our boats with the drain plug installed. Some bureaucratic rule to help stop the spread of Quagga Muscle. Now installing the drain plug is just routine for all around here.

Be safe this weekend, already been several bad collisions on the roads our lake visitors use. Happy Memorial Weekend everyone.

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yesterday no plug. even happens here. was floated and on a trailer same day no injuries
 
redneckengineered said:
**** that's a Cobalt too, not some POS. Shop have any culpability here or any they're willing to own up to at least? You said they winterized it, who dewinterized it? If that was his responsibility the plug issue is on him.
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Shop dewinterized it.

I disagree. Owner launched it, owner should have done a walk around to make sure the plug was in.

In an alternate reality, the owner could have take it home and left it out in the rain with the batteries off and flooded it that way if the shop left the plug in.
 
DirtRoads said:
In an alternate reality, the owner could have take it home and left it out in the rain with the batteries off and flooded it that way if the shop left the plug in.
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Well if the battery switch kills the bilge pump, it’s wired wrong.

But I do agree that a plug check is merited every time you back a boat down the ramp.
 
WTF? said:
Well if the battery switch kills the bilge pump, it’s wired wrong.

But I do agree that a plug check is merited every time you back a boat down the ramp.
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If the boat isn't in heated storage then I pull my batteries every fall. Spent to much on replacing frozen batteries over the years. Actually just put them back in on Saturday.

But I will say it is on the owner to check the plugs. Used to have a shop winterize my malibu and they would put the plugs and clamps in a bag and zip tie it to the steering wheel with instructions to de-winterize. I double and triple check my plug and transom straps at each launch as I have been that guy. Nothing worse than launching the boat and the trailer start floating :flipoff2:
 
The plug is always on the owner/whoever launches the boat. I check it while unstrapping the back of the boat.

Also keep two spares in the glove box and the active one fits just right into a steering wheel hole so it's obvious if it's pulled.

I however, can forget to put the plugs back in the exhaust manifolds and fill the boat that way, like a real idiot. Made it from the launch to the lift.
 
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