Anybody have any experience with these? I bought a 5 owner fixer upper. It came out of the water running. Dual 350 mercruiser magnums on alpha ones. Replaced all fluids lubes and filters. Flushed hydraulics 5 and 7 times to get trim tabs and gimbals all clear of milkshake with cheap tractor hydraulic fluid. Still have to get the power steering fixed. First two owners were offshore high rollers who maintained it meticulously. Next 3 ran it until they sold it. Engine oil looked ok, replaced with 4 qt m1 hm 10w-40 and a qt of m1 racing 0w-30. What would you suggest for final fill of hydraulics? Have gone through boat front to back fixing things but I'm not nautically experienced. Lower unit of outdrive got rp marine syn, it looked a bit beat, has drive showers on it now. Any suggestions of things to look out for? And anybody know a boat mechanic near Dayton Tn who's good with bigger boats?
'87 Wellcraft Nova III ?s
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get on to ofshoreonly,com and get a ton of questions answered
i run 20w50 in my BBC's ..also make sure that you grease the coupler at the back...
i run 20w50 in my BBC's ..also make sure that you grease the coupler at the back...
Sounds like a great boat!! I was a well craft junkie from the 80's. Sounds like you got everything dialed in... all your hydraulic stuff will either work or it won't after 30 years... fresh charged batteries... fuel lines from the tank should be inspected/replaced... heavy shot of seafoam every fill up... I would install a main battery cut off switch... been in a few big merc magnums with dead batteries getting towed back...
Inspected out drives for any rubber boots etc. That may show signs of dryness/cracking... replace bilge pump with new...
Steering should be easy fix/replacement... order online and have a lot of beer handy...
Props have come a long way since 87... couple of 5 blade offshore props would lift that puppy way out of the water...
Get all up in that boat and seek out every possible fuse in that thing... 80's boats had inline fuses everywhere!!!
I would throw a qt of RP HPS in every oil change...
A boat like this is an amazing project... please post pics...
Inspected out drives for any rubber boots etc. That may show signs of dryness/cracking... replace bilge pump with new...
Steering should be easy fix/replacement... order online and have a lot of beer handy...
Props have come a long way since 87... couple of 5 blade offshore props would lift that puppy way out of the water...
Get all up in that boat and seek out every possible fuse in that thing... 80's boats had inline fuses everywhere!!!
I would throw a qt of RP HPS in every oil change...
A boat like this is an amazing project... please post pics...
Yes I had to change all the aluminum bolts holding the outdrives on. The mercathode system was shot and all the zincs were beat. Ate up the Al. The rubbers ok. Working on the wiring right now. Front of the boat is good to go. I'm at tbe rear end now. Pretty much just the steering and bimini top to go. Hard to do when you work 76 hrs a week...
Boat wiring back then was crazy... inline fuses in crazy places... I use the KISS system for wiring... keep it simple stupid. Good ETH free gas and seafoam and you will be all set... boat has 30 yr old starter in it... something to pencil in for the future... fully charged batteries every time you head out...
Once you get this boat all set we can start talk in LEDs...
I had a shot at a scarab center console years ago... regret passing on that...
Pics
Once you get this boat all set we can start talk in LEDs...
I had a shot at a scarab center console years ago... regret passing on that...
Pics
Originally Posted By: ebr1190rx
Anybody have any experience with these? I bought a 5 owner fixer upper. It came out of the water running. Dual 350 mercruiser magnums on alpha ones. Replaced all fluids lubes and filters. Flushed hydraulics 5 and 7 times to get trim tabs and gimbals all clear of milkshake with cheap tractor hydraulic fluid. Still have to get the power steering fixed. First two owners were offshore high rollers who maintained it meticulously. Next 3 ran it until they sold it. Engine oil looked ok, replaced with 4 qt m1 hm 10w-40 and a qt of m1 racing 0w-30. What would you suggest for final fill of hydraulics? Have gone through boat front to back fixing things but I'm not nautically experienced. Lower unit of outdrive got rp marine syn, it looked a bit beat, has drive showers on it now. Any suggestions of things to look out for? And anybody know a boat mechanic near Dayton Tn who's good with bigger boats?
Alphas. Gross.
One saving grace is they don't run nearly as hot as Bravos.
If it were me, I'd pull the drives, replace U-joints, gimbal bearings, all bellows, and re-seal the trim cylinders. Do your impellers at the same time. Clean and grease those shafts up real nice before you stick them back in.
You can hold an Alpha on your own. No fancy equipment needed. I've even done Bravos by myself, but I wouldn't recommend that.
I say this because that's exactly what I did when I got my Nova.
For engine oil, run a good 20/50. I use VR1 and Schaeffer 7000.
I use 10/30 engine oil for the trim system, ATF for trim tabs, Maxlife for power steering.
Re-examine your propellers. If the props are old-school, they are probably way off from what you really need for that boat. Let me know what rpms you see at WOT, and at what speed.
Anybody have any experience with these? I bought a 5 owner fixer upper. It came out of the water running. Dual 350 mercruiser magnums on alpha ones. Replaced all fluids lubes and filters. Flushed hydraulics 5 and 7 times to get trim tabs and gimbals all clear of milkshake with cheap tractor hydraulic fluid. Still have to get the power steering fixed. First two owners were offshore high rollers who maintained it meticulously. Next 3 ran it until they sold it. Engine oil looked ok, replaced with 4 qt m1 hm 10w-40 and a qt of m1 racing 0w-30. What would you suggest for final fill of hydraulics? Have gone through boat front to back fixing things but I'm not nautically experienced. Lower unit of outdrive got rp marine syn, it looked a bit beat, has drive showers on it now. Any suggestions of things to look out for? And anybody know a boat mechanic near Dayton Tn who's good with bigger boats?
Alphas. Gross.
One saving grace is they don't run nearly as hot as Bravos.
If it were me, I'd pull the drives, replace U-joints, gimbal bearings, all bellows, and re-seal the trim cylinders. Do your impellers at the same time. Clean and grease those shafts up real nice before you stick them back in.
You can hold an Alpha on your own. No fancy equipment needed. I've even done Bravos by myself, but I wouldn't recommend that.
I say this because that's exactly what I did when I got my Nova.
For engine oil, run a good 20/50. I use VR1 and Schaeffer 7000.
I use 10/30 engine oil for the trim system, ATF for trim tabs, Maxlife for power steering.
Re-examine your propellers. If the props are old-school, they are probably way off from what you really need for that boat. Let me know what rpms you see at WOT, and at what speed.
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