We’re Officialy Woody Boating In 2015!
Reporting in from Sunny sunnyland Florida, Paul and Karen Harrison chose to not use their MIXER and go Woody Boating. Best yet, they actually saved a stranded boater. Now, many of you that follow Paul and Karen will see this as a bit strange, as I did considering that it’s usually… OK ALWAYS the other way around.
This opens all sorts of questions. Is the economy turning around now that Paul and Karen are saving stranded folks? Is the Florida Housing market effected? Is bad cholesterol now good cholesterol? I am so confused. All that I know is changed. I dont like change.
But, you will be happy to know that right after towing in the stranded couple in their Clorox bottle.. Paul did break down. Phew! All is the same! Yup! The trusty Sea Skiff did remain true to its status as the most trusted Woody Boat of 2015 so fare, it limped home with not full power. Mike Watson and Paul will be looking at something in the ignition area today. mmmmmm I bet a BLENDER is now what you really wish you had! OK we have officially confused readers today. If you are confused… About the blender, mixer referenced yesterdays story and comments. And for those of you on the countdown 68 days til the big show.
Nice job Paul and Karen!
Heat wave here 36 F. Would love to put my shorts and T shirt on but will have to stick to long pants and long sleeve T.
Years ago I towed a 45′ steel Schooner in with my little 19′ Lyman. It was a long and tough tow since it yawled back and forth with its disabled rudder flopping about.
A few months later, the same Schooner towed me when the outboard failed on a CLOROX boat I was on. I don’t know if the lesson here is about Karma, or about Plastic boats…
I found my favorite tools in FL.
Loss of power after towing? If we are going to place bets on the cause, I’ll put a pound of bacon on fouled plugs. Or maybe fowled plugs in woodyboater spelling.
Speaking of water fowl, I could wear a Woodyboater T shirt today, as long as I wear a down coat over it!
Yep I can see where you’re coming from I’m going with that diagnosis.
I like the fowled plug thought, that makes a ton of sense. I got 5 bucks on that one?
Yep. But the real question is how many Bells Two Hearted it will take.
I think as long as Paul is buying, the answer is as many as they have in stock.
Loss of power after towing. Check plugs first.
Lots of different reasons for them to foul, but extended periods under load at Low RPM can cause fouling from one or more of the following factors:
1) Engine not fully warmed up, or missing/defective thermostat.
2) Fuel mixture too Rich
3) Some oil leaking through rings
I like to check engine temps with an infrared temp gun, and not rely on the analog gauges in the dash. Running Temperatures vary by engine and MFR. But if you aren’t running at at least 140 degrees, I would say that’s your problem right there.
Not to confuse things any further, but… we have mixers and blenders. What if they bought a nutri bullet? Would they be home making smoothies and missed the guy needing a tow? If they went out later would they still break down? What would Matt call a nutri bullet?
Can you put bacon in a nutri bullet??
Bob, yes you can put bacon in a Nutri-Bullet.
I don’t know why or what you’d end up with, but you can do that…..they’d fit !!!
Maybe a good way to make bacon bits when cooked ??!!
Do you really think Paul could maintain his physique eating smoothies?
In the world of Woody boating there is nothing that gives me more of a thrill than a woody boat towing a plastic boat. If it was not for the damm cell phones( the guy called for tow already) I could had a similar pic last year with my Skiff.
Well, the precise circumstance of the poor running was that after towing stranded boat for about 15-20 minutes at 1500 or so rpm. we took the guy down the lake to his vehicle at a good 3000 rpm cruise – ran perfectly. Slowed down to get off at the Dora dock and help guy return to get his boat, and Karen soon called to tell me it wouldn’t really run over 1500 – just bogged out. I had not detected oil consumption or the smell/smoke of a too-rich mixture. I suspected a problem with the mechanical advance in the distributor or a point problem – due only to the very sudden onset of observed operational characteristics.
What I know about engines can likely be inscribed with a crayon on the head of a pin, so this was an uneducated guess. I know I have been meaning to put a Pertronix on this boat for some time, and that will be happening very quickly. The carb was rebuilt several years ago and should be good, and my boats are well maintained by an old-school marine mechanic, and I know ignition work has also been done. It has been cursed with recurring ignition failures of one type or another – time to chuck the points and condenser system.
According to the gauge, the engine runs at 150-160 deg. no matter what, and oil pressure is good. It stull only has 270 hours on it from new.
The owner of the 1999 23′ SeaRay was very grateful and I bade him farewell with the request that he keep paying it forward and help folks when he can. Nice guy – bendix drive on his started had failed.
Nothing better than towing plastic with wood.
Kent, exactly where do you aim the infrared gun for the accurate temperature reading?
At whatever you want to know the temperature of. Generally the heads and the oil pan. For example, if the heads are evenly cool and the oil is hot, you may want to add an oil cooler or if the heads are unevenly cool and hot you might look for a water blockage. In either case, the water flowing past a temp sender might not tell you there is a problem.
Sounds like you’re right on the money Paul with diagnosis if motor runs fine up to 1500. Timing needs to advance to go further, point plate may need some PB blaster if there’s corrosion. Petronix won’t address that. Could also be worn plastic “rub contact” that the distributor cam bumps to open the points. If there wasn’t light lube on the distributor cam, it can wear that plastic contact block and consequently retard the timing resulting in your condition.
60 F in OKC yesterday. A great excuse to go for a ride. Approaching 70 on Monday. That’s enough to motivate me to get out in the garage and work on the boat. Can’t wait for the Show!
Sweet ride Don!
btw, use white lithium grease on the distributor cam lobes or special cam lube in a tube. Do not use light oil, it will get thrown off and may coat your points and prevent them from making (or allowing) electricity to flow from coil to condenser. Don’t use wheel bearing or general purpose grease either. There should be a “wiping pad” that gently contacts cam lobes on some distributors that will distribute lubricant as cam gear spins.
Ha – I can relate – it is a great feeling to have a 1930 Woody rescue a modern plastic boat. Since 2006, we’ve rescued six (6) boats along with their neglectful owners. They were all very grateful however….
Well Paul.. What is the answer? In my world its something dumb. Like a wire that came loose.. Or a switch not all the way switched. I am still in the foulded plug area
Fouled plugs? I gotta plug the boat in? Is that why mine never seems to run? Gonna have to get me a looooong extension cord.
Re: Temperature gun – I usually aim it at a PAINTED SURFACE or or near the engine temperature sensor, or on a head. Another interesting place to aim (depending on make and design is at the thermostat housing, taking note of temps on each side of housing. (the higher reading should reflect the engine operating temp fairly close.
You are trying to get the water temperature, so you have to try and get a part of the head that is not too close to the exhaust port or top of the cylinder if you are measuring temps on a flathead.
Hi Paul, It looks like you are towing with the aft loft ring on your 25′ Sea Skiff. I am presently restoring the same boat. Not sure if you are aware that the lift rings were designed to handle the weight of the boat vertically and do not have a lot of integrity horizontally. I have attached a photo of the inside transom area showing the shaft going through the deck down to the keel attached to the lower transom inner frame. It would not take a lot of pressure to pull this assembly out, bringing the transom with it. Just thought I would pass on this observation.