Just a little dinghy..............

[Instigator]

So you know its winter in Ohio when......, I'm geeked about an old 20 hp motor for our dinghy that goes on the back of our cruiser

10'6" 90 lb Zodiac Zoom w/an inflatable keel and plywood floor. Got it together late last season and could only find an 8 hp Merc. Ran great w/that but would barely plane w/2 adults.
That is unacceptable and to give you frame of reference, heres how I treated my last one. This was before putting a 15 on it and learning we could knee board behind it

[Instigator]

Last yr w/the 8 on Zoom.

[Instigator]

W/the new and improved heart.

1973 20 hp. Need to raise the transom 5", wire a kill switch and order new fat boy ski vests

To give this a bit of reference, I learned to do a deep water start on a slalom ski behind a 13' Whaler w/an 18 hp version on the back.

Should be fun.
I'll paint and label it like a new motor too.

[slowaction420]

Last yr w/the 8 on Zoom.

Nice combo is that a 31 Trojan ? Great inflatable will fly with that 20 sea horse what year looks lates 76-78 ish

[Instigator]

Nice combo is that a 31 Trojan ? Great inflatable will fly with that 20 sea horse what year looks lates 76-78 ish

Cruiser is a 32' aluminum Marinette.

Motor is a '73. Already found a 25 hp carb for it but books say the 25's had different pistons and head too.

We are currently searching for a set of davits for the boat. We spent last season hauling the motor on the platform and pivoting dinghy up onto it. Was temporary but still sucked. Plus this motor is 15 lbs heavier than the Merc.
We spend a lot of time anchored off a 2 mile long beach on a 9 mile long island. A blast to explore by bink.

Plan is to have it locked and loaded, back the cruiser, set the anchor and drop the dink.

[slowaction420]

Oh cool good looking boat I have a 31 vanguard sea ray we week end on here in long island I'm looking for a replacement for my quicksilver raft was air floor lasted many years but had to go I have a 1976 6sea horse Johnson for power not the fastest thing but Runs great and lots of fun enjoy

[Bodhi]

Even after all the boats I've had and still have....I always have a dinghy to play in and a mess of antiques to powe em. Sometimes we just need a little 15mph. Yesterday I had the the old wooden 8ft out with a 1958 7 1/2hp evinrude.

[olboatman]

Hey Gary...... Just change out the carb to the 25hp model and cut the head about 45k and you will wake that puppy up! The piston difference was mostly for compression and you should shoot for about 150 lbs as the stock is only about 120. Just make sure you don't buy the low comp head gasket by accident! Have fun Gary

[Instigator]

Great info! Thank you sir.
What should piston/head clearance be?

Bodhi, when I did this before I spent as much time in the dinghy as I did the big boat.
Once we get the davits figured out and some time, I may build another one.
I have some ideas bouncing around my head.

Hey Gary...... Just change out the carb to the 25hp model and cut the head about 45k and you will wake that puppy up! The piston difference was mostly for compression and you should shoot for about 150 lbs as the stock is only about 120. Just make sure you don't buy the low comp head gasket by accident! Have fun Gary

[Brabender]

Oh man.. Thanks for this post.
thought I was the only one.

the motor was so salted up, I couldn't get the brackets off to replace the trim.
took me hours, to take apart. Seriously considered tossing it...She's finally back together.
New trim and tilt assy, steering tube and mid bushing, also rebuilt carbs. ( thanks superbender. I know you wanted me to throw the carbs away and buy new ) Shortened the wiring harness to clean up the rigging. Just waiting on a neutral safety switch, which was bad. Lol. I have another right behind it to get me thru the winter. Thinking that one will get the sst 45 motor.





Oh oh yes I know... It's time to clean the garage

[Instigator]

Now that's killer! Love it.
On the salt/corrosion, remember I rebuilt O/B's in Fla for 9 yrs I once broke the handle of a 2 lb sledge knocking the piston out of a submerged block and took the sleeve out with it!

Coolest inflatable story ever:

We were at the ramp in Key Largo launching our 24' Sonic when a guy pulls in a VW Golf pulling a 10' or 11' inflatable w/a 15 hp motor.
He parks beside us and spent 20 mins loading the boat w/camping, fishing, snorkeling equip AND his dog! When I told him how cool that was, he told me he was leaving for a week (by himself) for camping and exploring on the islands west of Key Largo!
I knew exactly where they were since I had spent the previous few yrs trying to get there in our Sonic and never made it do to being scared away by the shallow water.
So he was going where I hadn't/couldn't in his 10' boat towed by a VW!

Loved it.

2nd best story: was having lunch at a local pub in Sebastian and struck up a conversation w/a guy at the bar. Middle aged like me.
He was camping on the spoil islands just offshore in the Intracoastal. He got there in his 9' inflatable w/a 15 hp motor. He came from Ft Lauderdale!
That's 60/70 mls by boat!
Said he was bored, climbed in and took off! Had a buddy w/a p/u waiting on a call to pick him up when he was done!

Loved that one too.

Oh man.. Thanks for this post.
thought I was the only one.

the motor was so salted up, I couldn't get the brackets off to replace the trim.
took me hours, to take apart. Seriously considered tossing it...She's finally back together.
New trim and tilt assy, steering tube and mid bushing, also rebuilt carbs. ( thanks superbender. I know you wanted me to throw the carbs away and buy new ) Shortened the wiring harness to clean up the rigging. Just waiting on a neutral safety switch, which was bad. Lol. I have another right behind it to get me thru the winter. Thinking that one will get the sst 45 motor.


Oh oh yes I know... It's time to clean the garage

[Brabender]

Something to be said about simplicity.

heres my next one

[Instigator]

Something to be said about simplicity.

heres my next one

Agreed and very nice.

[Ken Warby]

I have just one important question for my friend and now, a close neighbor, Mr. Instigator.
When are you going to drop in and let me see your smiling face once more?????????
There is a lot of tall tales and true to discuss.

[XstreamVking]

Little homemade 13' tunnel my son and I built some yrs ago. 25 merc makes it go into the hi 30's. Turns good with the tunnel. He keeps it behind his house now in the creek. We both run it fairly often.....Lotta fun!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSSGqWEbN9o