Delcraft Tunnel Boat Complete Restoration

**Tom Smyth** · 08-06-2025, 03:05 PM

Okay so lets see what gremilins this motor has conjured up the took many weeks to resolve. Sucked a fiberglass reed in resulting in no power on #5and #6. Complete teardown. Then the almost perfect inner wzter jacket cover d3cided to crack after torquing to factory spec. Of course didnt find this outuntil #4 decided it did not want to contribute to the party. Another teardown and NOS plate installed. Letssee then the plastic distributor advance bracket cracked while outon thewzter resulting in only 10 degrees of total advance. Again out on the water. Engine ran good just wouldnt go over 3000 rpm. Then a brand new $180 mercury brand tod bearing decided it wanted to slide instead of roll. Another teardown, new crank, rod and more bearings. No damage to the block or piston as i shut it down instantly when it started making noise. Back on the water this morning, running great UNTIL the main power switch on the dash shed the power wire cutting of the electrical system at 5400 rpm. This was an easy fix and no new gremlins popped up.

so back in the water tomorrow to try and get more that 20 minutes run time on it and break things in a bit. Sorry no video worth posting, but i havent given up yet !!!!!!

**WaterZebra** · 08-06-2025, 04:24 PM

Originally Posted by Tom Smyth

Okay so lets see what gremilins this motor has conjured up the took many weeks to resolve. Sucked a fiberglass reed in resulting in no power on #5and #6. Complete teardown. Then the almost perfect inner wzter jacket cover d3cided to crack after torquing to factory spec. Of course didnt find this outuntil #4 decided it did not want to contribute to the party. Another teardown and NOS plate installed. Letssee then the plastic distributor advance bracket cracked while outon thewzter resulting in only 10 degrees of total advance. Again out on the water. Engine ran good just wouldnt go over 3000 rpm. Then a brand new $180 mercury brand tod bearing decided it wanted to slide instead of roll. Another teardown, new crank, rod and more bearings. No damage to the block or piston as i shut it down instantly when it started making noise. Back on the water this morning, running great UNTIL the main power switch on the dash shed the power wire cutting of the electrical system at 5400 rpm. This was an easy fix and no new gremlins popped up.

so back in the water tomorrow to try and get more that 20 minutes run time on it and break things in a bit. Sorry no video worth posting, but i havent given up yet !!!!!!

How about some simple still shots????

**Instigator** · 08-07-2025, 04:16 AM

Yikes!

I thought my luck sucked!

I remember finishing my second twin OB Sonic when we were down there and I was 0 for 9 at making it back to the ramp w/both motors running!

Ugh.

Originally Posted by Tom Smyth

Okay so lets see what gremilins this motor has conjured up the took many weeks to resolve. Sucked a fiberglass reed in resulting in no power on #5and #6. Complete teardown. Then the almost perfect inner wzter jacket cover d3cided to crack after torquing to factory spec. Of course didnt find this outuntil #4 decided it did not want to contribute to the party. Another teardown and NOS plate installed. Letssee then the plastic distributor advance bracket cracked while outon thewzter resulting in only 10 degrees of total advance. Again out on the water. Engine ran good just wouldnt go over 3000 rpm. Then a brand new $180 mercury brand tod bearing decided it wanted to slide instead of roll. Another teardown, new crank, rod and more bearings. No damage to the block or piston as i shut it down instantly when it started making noise. Back on the water this morning, running great UNTIL the main power switch on the dash shed the power wire cutting of the electrical system at 5400 rpm. This was an easy fix and no new gremlins popped up.

so back in the water tomorrow to try and get more that 20 minutes run time on it and break things in a bit. Sorry no video worth posting, but i havent given up yet !!!!!!

**WaterZebra** · 08-08-2025, 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by Tom Smyth

Okay so lets see what gremilins this motor has conjured up the took many weeks to resolve. Sucked a fiberglass reed in resulting in no power on #5and #6. Complete teardown. Then the almost perfect inner wzter jacket cover d3cided to crack after torquing to factory spec. Of course didnt find this outuntil #4 decided it did not want to contribute to the party. Another teardown and NOS plate installed. Letssee then the plastic distributor advance bracket cracked while outon thewzter resulting in only 10 degrees of total advance. Again out on the water. Engine ran good just wouldnt go over 3000 rpm. Then a brand new $180 mercury brand tod bearing decided it wanted to slide instead of roll. Another teardown, new crank, rod and more bearings. No damage to the block or piston as i shut it down instantly when it started making noise. Back on the water this morning, running great UNTIL the main power switch on the dash shed the power wire cutting of the electrical system at 5400 rpm. This was an easy fix and no new gremlins popped up.

so back in the water tomorrow to try and get more that 20 minutes run time on it and break things in a bit. Sorry no video worth posting, but i havent given up yet !!!!!!

Maybe you should knock the powerhead off the tower Billy Don Pruett Havasu style?