Way2slow

Actually, I think that adapter is so you can do DFI motors since their fuel doesn't go through the motor like carb motors do.

I live in GA, temps can hit 100+ and in the summer, any dark carpet makes one very much hotter to fish out of. If you tried to give me a brand new 21' Ranger with dark carpet and told me I had to leave that carpet in it, and fish in the summer with it, I would refuse the offer. Up north, I'm sure it's a little different, but in the southern sun, not even dark grey, blue, red, etc is going in my boat, been there done that one time, cost me a bunch of time and money, won't happen again.

For what the OEM graphics cost, I would have opted for some custom paint/graphics for a few dollars more, that more suited me and the boat. Take that same as every bodies look out of it.

Yes, I'm liking the X18 with a 150. That's as large as I care to go, anything bigger and there's no need trying to downsize, and it seems to be more in line for what I would like to have. However, like I said before, I'm most likely going to be at the mercy of what shows up at the auctions. I will probably start getting serious about getting one in the April time frame but I'm not going to pay the prices a ready to fish boat will be bringing. I will give it a few months, on into the summer if necessary. There is one auction I use that every few months they have nothing boats, sometimes hundreds of them and that's the one I usually get my best deals at. That's where I got my Javelin. The first time the bank that had it financed ran it through, they did the "No Sale" because it didn't bring what they were wanting. The next time they did not put a minimum on it and I actually got it $1,200 cheaper that time than I had bid the first time.

Open the manual bypass and see if it goes down then. Could just be air locked.

If it's an older boat, before you do anything, make sure the transom is good. If you are good with fiberglass, you can make any way you want. It will probably end up costing more in time and money than you really save over just buying an older bass boat. If you are talking about using a bunch of wood and just building decks on it, probably will be pretty heavy when done, but again. but if you are handy with the stuff, a sawsall and enough wood and you can do it. Just don't expect to have a nice modern looking bass boat when done.

The color of the boat is not the problem, the color of the carpet is what's critical. I live in south GA and have had tons of boats, all shapes sizes and colors. Years back, I installed dark blue carpet in a dark blue and blue grey metallic boat, won't never do that again. Looked great, but after the first summer of fishing with temps hitting 100 degrees while fishing out of that thing, $300 and two days work went down the tubes, I ripped it out and installed light blue. My current boat is white with a burgundy accents, with light grey carpet. As long as I live in GA, I will never own another boat with dark carpet in it.

The biggest thing you have to find out is, does the boat have open cell or closed cell flotation foam. In the year yours was made, it could be either but a large number of them was still using open cell foam. If it has open cell foam and it sat with water in it for very long, the foam will absorb water deep into it and it lets it in a whole lot easier than it lets it back out. I had an 1989 Stratos that had saturated foam. It was always kept under a shelter after I bough it and nine months later, when trying to figure out what it's performance was still so bad with a new, larger motor on it, I checked the foam and it was totally saturated. I finally took the cap off, pulled the floor out and dug all the foam out. five gallon buckets full averaged 28 pounds each. I pulled out 300 pounds of wet foam. It took 56 pounds of new (closed cell) foam to replace more than I took out. Plus I had to replace one rotten stringer. So, pray yours has closed cell foam. With it, only about 10% (the outer layer) of it absorb water and it's able to dry back out after a few months of keeping it dry.

Catt, your trying to send me to the soup line. I went to the Xpress sight and looked at the 18' HyperLift. Over $23K for a basic, stripped boat with a 115. By the time you make a real boat out of it, and put a 175 on it, I'm sure it would run well over $30K and probably close to $35K. That's a lot to pay for an empty beer can. Probably not many of those going to be showing up at auction.

Yea, it sounds like the 18' with one of my 325 mod motors on it would be about my style. Just kidding, probably a 175 on the 18' would make a nice package. Actually, I would probably be a lot more Leary about over powering an aluminum hull, especially having NO experience with them other than my jons. Fiberglass fatigued will give you early warning signs, metal fatigue can be instantaneous and catastrophic, not something one would want to deal with in water too deep to walk in.

I power a relay that runs the pump off the accessory side of the key switch, that way it's only on when the key is on and you don't have to worry about it being left on accidently. My pump is mounted in the battery/bilge compartment in a place that's very easy to just unplug one of the wires that goes to it if I'm doing something where I want the ignition switch on but not the pump running. If you have to mount the pump in more inconvenient spot, I would recommend running a wire from the accessory side of the switch to a switch, either on the dash or in the back, that you can turn the pump off when the switch is on. I run a Carter 80gph, 7psi rotary pump and have never had to run a regulator or had a problem with it pushing the needles off their seats. A good factory pump runs about 5-6psi and the motor can pull as much as 22gph at WOT and I like to at least double the gph required, so I wouldn't go below about 50gph. The Carter pump I use draws about 6-7 amps and that's more than you can pull off the switch without burning it out so you need to go through a relay. I just use of those generic Bosch style 4/5 pin relays that's used for fog lights and just about everything else you can think of. Once installed, you can forget about that dang primer bulb. Launch to boat, drop the motor, turn the switch on, push the key in to prime if for two or three seconds (you will get a feel for what your motor needs) and start it up. Mine are almost instant start when I crank start to crank it over. That alone has always offset having to deal with measuring oil every time I add gas when running those motors. Now, I've heard some say they have had problems with the electric pump pushing the needles off the seats (I think that's more the float levels being off)and some prefer to run the 15psi pump for more consistent pressure. In both of those cases you need to run a regulator set between 5 and 6psi and the Carter or Holly regulators run about $30+. If you run a regulator, I would recommend running it so when it reached pressure, it bled the excess back into the tank and let the pump run all the time. It's also common to run a fuel manifold with a feed for each carb coming out of it for more consistent flow to each carb and do away with all those T connectors, and the regulator in one end. That keeps the pump from having to dead head against the regulator and using it's built in pressure relief but you have to run a second fuel line for a return line back to the tank and get it plumbed into the tank somewhere, either in the top of the tank or the vent hose or fill hose if you don't want to make holes in your tank. A "T" connector in the vent hose is a good place to return it..

OK, if you are talking about installing a 1997 VRO on the motor, then I would probably be a little hesitant . If you are talking about buying coming off the big bucks and buying a new unit to install, I would say go for it. A friend of mine worked for OMC as one of their technical trainers in Atlanta until the closed the doors in 99/2000. They had redesigned the pumps for 1999 and make them about as bullet proof as they could be. At the time, he referred to them as CRO pumps instead of VRO (Constant Ratio vs Variable Ratio) so if I was going to run one, it would be one made in 99 or later. Somewhere before then they had changed them from a three wire to a four wire pump by adding a purple wire and supplied 12 volts to the alarm system instead of using the rectifier. The guy that was basically my mentor when I was learning to build the hot rod OMC's I build and was the guru of all OMC guru's at the time recommended against running the Oil injection at sustained rpms of 6,000 or more. I actually run my modified motors at a 40:1 but they live a lot of their life at 6,500 to 6,600 rpm. Now, if I was running a stock motor and not turning more than 6,000 rpm, I would probably run the oil injection for the convenience but at the $500-$600 they are going for now, that's a lot to pay for being lazy. Especially knowing how much easier having a rotary vain electric fuel pump makes them to start. My modified motors on the electric pump are as easy to start at my DFI motor.

Ya'll are giving me a little different respect for the tin cans. All the rednecks I know around that have them are the Tracker's and Lowe's and such or Pontoons, As you said, the cookie cutter models. The largest aluminum I've ever been in was a 17.5 Tracker with a 115 Merc on it and I have a couple friends that have them with 90's, but I've always tried to avoid going with them in theirs. I always come up with an excuse to take mine. Which it never takes much arm twisting because they had rather go in mine also. It's so nice to be able to run 10 miles in choppy water and your eyeballs are not still bouncing 10 minutes after getting there and have to get your kidneys and insides back in their proper place. To be honest with you, I've messed with boats for about 55 years, owned at least 20-30 (with jons and all I have seven now) but have always looked at aluminum in the class of jon boats and canoes. Very few people I know even own them. I have never even seen or thought of an aluminum boat anything like Dwight's having a 250 or like Slonezp with a 225. I'm glad I got on here and asked, because even though many of ya'll know, I know a little more than the average bear about boats and motors, but finding out I'm dumber than dirt on tin cans.

I'm not looking right now, just getting an idea what I want to look for. About December, sometimes people get to looking at those useless boats and thinking that would be some quick Christmas money and some outrageous deals come up. One of those almost too good to be true deals would probably spur my interest sooner but otherwise, not right now. You also have to remember, I usually buy at actions, normally something needing some engine work that I get for about a quarter on the dollar. Like my Javelin, at the time I got it, it was easily a $17,000 boat and I got it for less than $5,000 but all the injectors and other major parts of the motor was in the storage boxes on the boat and nobody would touch it. I spent $1,100 getting the ecm upgraded and getting it running, and have not had a minutes trouble in the 10 years since. Fishnkamp, yours is about the size I have in mind, but from the few I've been in, because of the hull, max out at about 45 mph before they start doing unpleasant things. That's why I was thinking of one of the newer stamped out hulls. I've heard they perform pretty much like a glass hull. As for being under powered, out of about 11 motors between 4hp and 325hp, I think I can just about put any amount of power I want on one. Matter of fact, I need to start thinning those out some also.

Dwight, that's a nice boat but that ain't doing much down sizing for me, plus that one is too purtty for me. I'd be scared to put it in a lot of places I go, being scared I might scratch it. Other than length difference of an inch or so, maybe, yours is bigger and heavier than my Javelin all the way around. I would feel like I'm fishing out of the Queen Mary in a boat that size. Yep, heard that weld vs rivet argument all my life. Welded boats crack, riveted boats leak because the rivets come loose but welded boats always seem to cost a lot more I think is the main reason for seeing more riveted boats. That's why I figured I would avoid that debate and get a stamped hull, but I've heard complaints of them cracking also.

OK, I'm feeling out you tin can guys. I'm considering joining your ranks next spring. I have had a couple smaller 15' and 16' over the years to try in small lakes/ponds and got rid of them almost as fast as I got them because when sitting in the pedestal seats, you never sat level, the things always leaned one way or the other. Now I'm thinking of maybe getting as wide of a 17'-18' model as they make, used of course not a new one. I want one that has a pretty good ride (for aluminum), thinking maybe one of the die pressed hulls instead of riveted/welded. Figured they would have the best ride and speed. There seem to be a lot of aluminum boat owners on here so figured this to be a good place for some feed back. As some of you know, I've always been a speed freak. I have not owned a bass boat since the late 70's that would not run at least 70 mph, but I have gotten where I'm very comfortable being able to cruise at 3/4 throttle in the upper 40's to mid 50's and have no qualms about over powering a hull to do that. I've gotten to the point I'm going to the lake very seldom because I'm mostly by myself now and pushing 70 (age not speed) these big, heavy, glass boats can get to be a pain in the butt at times when conditions are bad. Plus, being retired, hauling and feeding them is getting pretty dang expensive and figure I'll see if I can reduce that expense some also. So, I'm thinking of selling or giving the Javelin Renegade 20DC to my granddaughter (who says if I ever got rid of it she wanted it) and getting me something a little smaller and lighter, and thinking along the lines of an aluminum to do that. I still have three other 17.5'-18.5' glass bass boats that stay at different lakes that I seldom use because I seldom go to those lakes (long trips), but my main boat is the Javelin I haul to the different lakes around GA I go to, and that's the one I'm thinking of down sizing.

Actually, it's very simple when you size a motor for a boat and speed is a concern. Install the max HP two stroke motor the boat is rated for with the proper size and type SS prop on a properly sized jackplate and you can get all the speed the boat you like has to give. If finances don't allow all that, leave off the jackplate, SS prop and down size the motor to no less than 25% smaller than the rated HP. Anytime you go more than 25% smaller than the rated HP and speed is of any concern. you will probably never be happy with that boat. Under powered and speed are not two words that go together on a boat. Now, if speed is a key point in picking out a boat, stick with the hydro rockets like Bullets, Allison's, Gambler, Stroker etc. However you should also realize, the desire for speed can make owning a boat very expensive and the faster the hull design, the more and more expensive it gets because you are constantly making changes that might add another MPH. Also, one must understand, speed should not be the main reason for installing a max rated HP motor on a boat. Just because you increase the HP on some hulls, does not mean you will see big gains in speed also, some hulls hit a wall at a certain speed and doubling the HP only produces a small gain in speed. You want the Max HP for load carrying ability and getting on plane with a load in it. Small motors can make a miserable trip when the boat has a load in it and trying to get on plane. It's a lot of fun having to tell some one they need to get up and go to the bow, just so you can get the boat out of the hole, or making sure all your gear is as far forward as you can get it.

Angry Jon, you are confusing two stroke with four stroke. There is no oil to get by the rings, it's all mixed with the gas and is on both sides of the rings with the gas. Bad rings in a two stroke only cause loss of compression. However as he mentioned, don't reduce the oil mixture. This will reduce smoking but can cause damage if you do a lot of WOT running. Also adding SeaFoam or any fuel additive does cause a slight increase in smoke, but read my other post on what to do about it. You also have to remember, the 88 is not VRO. VRO actually reduced the oil to a 100:1 ratio at idle to help reduce the smoke, you do not have that option, and at 50:1 it's smokes but DO NOT reduce it.

Older two strokes are going to smoke, that's what they do. Some actually can make a hellava smoke screen if you took a lot of priming to get them started or was idled for a bit before cutting it off the last time it was used. The newer ones, not quite so much but some do a little. Even an eTec will spit a little every now and then. One thing could be you are a little rich on in the mixture. Rich idle mixture creates a lot of smoke, but so do rich mids and mains, but those are not adjustable and takes a little engine knowledge to determine how they are burning. Idles are sometimes adjustable. If the synchronization is off, that will cause one to some more. I would suggest doing one thing, if it starts fairly easy, and runs good, run the p*** out of it and not worry about it.

The boat's V? The few Carolina Skiff I've seen were all flat bottom. My son has trim tabs on his 20' flats boat and they are great, but his are hydraulic and he can raise them any time he needs to. Your concern over them getting hung in a sandbar when down is a valid one. There have been a few times he has forgotten to raise his and they would hang the bottom in shallows when backing up.

Jack plates can be risky business without a water pressure gauge so I do hope you have one. If not, I strongly suggest you get one before you fry a power head. While you are installing a water pressure gauge, you can also install your tach. It's pretty hard to get one setup without one. A good stainless prop is another must have if you want top speed.

I have a small storage room in one corner of my garage about the size of a closet I keep a lot of odd ball stuff in. I also have a number of different garden chemicals like Round UP, Weed and Brush killer, Stump killer, insecticides, fungicides etc. and when you open the door, you get a little whiff of the stuff. If I knew which one or which combination it was I would tell you and keep some in my boats but there is something in there that is deadly to mice with them just being in there. I keep large plastic bins just outside that room for Cat and Dog food. It's almost unavoidable that some gets dropped on the floor when filling the animals food bowls, plus my wife keeps a bowl sitting around for a couple old feral cats she has been feeding for several years. Well, it's very obvious this is prime pickings for those little furry creatures. They find it, then try to set up residence in the storage room near the buffet line, but something in the storage room kills them. Over the years I've probably found 10 mice dead on the floor of that storage room or just outside of it, but other than the dead ones, I have never seen signs of mice in the garage.

OK, exactly what all do you have now? Scales? What kind, make and model Dies, What make. Also in 223, make sure you don't get the SB dies, there are for the AR guys that have chambering problems. You said you have a single stage press, what kind? Do you have a good set of calipers, either digital or dial? Those are a must have. A set of Redding S Bushing Dies are pretty much required. The size bushing is to be determined by brass prep. A set of Hornady bullet comparators that fit in a dial caliper is needed If you by chance have access to a lathe, you can make you a shell holder, if not you need to order the $50 set of Redding competition shell holders, so you can set up you resizing die A gauge to check run out is required. Case neck trimmer is required Case length trimmer, adjustable, not one of those Lee peg things A throat gauge to measure the barrels throat depth. 100 pieces of Lapua Brass to get started with A piece of brass shot in the rifle chamber but not resized with a hole drilled through the primer pocket a cleaning rod will go through. This is just some of the stuff you need for developing accuracy loads. If you are serious about accuracy, these items are not optional. These are just the things to get started, with more to follow but just about all of this is required to either prep the brass or to measure and check you loads when done. If you don't think you need it or want to spend the money for it, then don't think about loading precision loads. In your first post you mentioned avoiding mistakes. The biggest mistake you can avoid if wanting to load accuracy loads is starting off cheap. Almost everything you buy will have to be bought again. Cheap stuff loads cheap bullets, but not much good for precision bullets for the most accuracy.

Bullet weight is not as critical a bullet length. A 1:9 is more suited for the 69 grain Jacketed Lead core bullets but some do shoot the 75 grain A-Max very well if you can keep the velocity up because they are not quite as long as a lot of the hollow point target bullets in that weight. I shoot a lot of the 75gr A-Max's at 500 and 600 yards. As for pricey, A-Max's and V-Max's are prices bullet to start with. Don't even bother trying the longer Barnes triple shocks in anything much heavier than the 62 grain, they are just too long for a 1:9 twist to stabilize. Just for general shooting out to 500 yards, I shoot a lot of Sierra 69gr BTHP, and it's also the main load I use for coyotes because where I hunt them, most shots are 300 to 500 yards. One thing mentioned above I want to comment on. Loading by volume or loading by weight, powders that flow and meter well, do ok loading by volume. Not all powders meet that bill and I find they do much better loading by weight. Also, bedding the action. If not done properly, it does very little to improve accuracy and can actually hurt accuracy. It's not something I recommend someone try on their own without some proper guidance and very few I've come across know how themselves and the guidance they give is junk. A proper pillar post bedding job requires a lot of very exacting work. A lot of so called gun smith's I've seen do botched jobs. One suggestion I will make that will help as much as anything, is how you resize your brass. I DO NOT neck size only and don't advocate it, especially with hunting loads that you don't want to be trying to chamber a round and the bolt won't close. I full length resize all brass with a .001" bump on the shoulder. I say do not neck size, to prevent chambering problems but at the same time do not full length resize to the full depth of the die. That makes a case so small, it actually flops around in the chamber. A .001" bump down on the shoulder keeps things nice and smooth and very accurate loads. Next, don't get wrapped up in the bullet seating depth game. It has very little affect on accuracy and is the very last thing you even want to try for that final little tweak after everything else is dialed in. I always start with my bullets seated .020" off the lands, and many times that never changes. Some rifles and bullets want even let you get that close without having to shoot single shot. Again, don't fret it, it's just not that critical, especially if everything else is right. Understand also, as I mentioned, all mine are custom builds with custom chambers and custom cut throat depths so I have not problems getting my seating depth .020" off or jammed into the lands if I so wish.