It probably was run a couple of inches from the top of the stringer and as you said, supported with scraps of upholstery. As a concession to modern safety, I would use a rubber lined clamp to secure it to the stringer and you may also want to consider a braided flex fuel hose where it connects to th...

That mahogany foredeck looks great.

You didn't mention it, but a compression test might tell a lot about what's going on. You could have a dead cylinder and that could cause a lot of what you are experiencing. KBL engines are available either in need of a total rebuild or complete and ready to run. Finewoodboats.com and mccallboatwork...

When working properly, it will self bail the boat when you're up to speed and the bilge water washes aft. As Jim said, there is a small vent hole at the top of the bend to prevent unwanted siphoning and this must be clear. I would also suggest installing a ball valve sea cock on the threaded part of...

Agree with adding a little more oil and check the pressure. Your pressure gauge could also be inaccurate and only attaching a test gauge to the engine oil galley port would tell. There is a pump pressure adjustment inside the crankcase behind the side cover. You would have to drain (suck) the oil le...

Have you tried Jim Staib at finewoodboats.com ? He has complete carbs as well as rebuild kits.

Try Jim Staib at finewoodboats.com

I would just add to that these engines use flat valve tappets (lifters) and modern oils no longer have the ZDDP additive to keep these high pressure parts adequately lubricated. You of course have no idea if the previous owner knew that or maintained it properly, but for future oil changes, you can ...

If you are a paying member on this site and go to Research, Hull Registry and search for the 1969 Chris Craft Corvette, there's one there named Lucky Bag. Sounds like it could actually be your boat with a picture and description.

It has been done many times. Some will say to use West system with carriage bolts. Some will say CPES the entire joint, use 5200 and carriage bolts (that's what I would do). A "keyed" scarf joint would be the most stable in this high stress structural member. Try placing the scarf joint in a fairly ...

You may already realize this, but you will have to redesign the engine box to accommodate a V8 of any size, even a Chris Craft 283.

I used to own a 1955 17 foot Sportsman CC 17 2061. Hull card showed it as a 1955 but it probably was sold in 1956.

I cannot tell you if there's supposed to be a gasket there. I am only familiar with the later Gemmer steering boxes from the 50's. I can tell you that even with proper gaskets trying to keep the oil in is a challenge and no one wants oil in the bilge! I have followed previous advice and substituted ...

I clean mine by removing the brass screen from the housing and spraying with brake cleaner. If you have a compressed air source, blow out any loosened grime that the brake cleaner softened.

Best of luck chasing the electron gremlins!

So to recap: New battery You didn't say if you can get the engine to start but you do say you have no accessories working. Voltage at battery terminals is around 14 - 15 volts, which is very good. Some further troubleshooting steps with the meter are in order: Negative meter lead to a good clean spo...

As a process of elimination, temporarily try a known good pressure gauge connected at the engine gauge port. An easy first thing to check before opening up the crankcase.

The shunt is a resistor that slightly "drops" voltage across it (battery in, accessories out). The ammeter is connected across the resistor to measure the small difference and then display this as amps on the meter. The more amps being drawn through the shunt by the accessories, the higher the volta...

What make and model of boat?

Don't forget to tighten the locking nut against the packing gland after each adjustment. Otherwise it could loosen from the shaft friction when you're going forward.

Second on installing filters because: If using a filter, you can use a detergent oil to suspend the crap in the oil so the filter can trap it. If you do not use a filter, you're supposed to use a non-detergent oil and the crap settles out in the oil pan, rather than circulate through the finely mach...

Years ago I used Sandy's Bumper Mart in Syracuse. Drivable from Buffalo. Results were very good.

Nice you are interested in preserving Milt's hard work and to continue to appreciate these fine craft. That said, you have pretty much identified the issue you have, plank movement from drying out. The planks will shrink at their width, usually not at their length as that's the nature of wood. You s...

There's also a 24 foot 1965 Sea Skiff on Ebay now with some pictures that might help. Don't know what engine you have but this one covers a 283 V8.

Someone on this site probably has the same boat and could take pictures and dimensions for you. You could peruse the hull registry if you are a paying member and look for the same boat or years around that era for a similar Sea Skiff, then contact those people for help.

I agree with Greg's recommendations but will add that maybe temporarily running it from a gas can, bypassing the boat's tank will eliminate everything with the tank and fuel pick up. I know that its tough to do while motoring across the water, but it can be done safely. The fuel pick up sometimes ha...

There is a better marine rating than cold cranking amps (from Interstate Battery's website): Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) is a test conducted at 0 F (-18 C) for 30 seconds without falling below 7.2v at the battery's CCA rating Marine Cranking Amps (MCA) is a test conducted at 32 F (0 C) for 30 seconds w...

Depends on how grimey they are but Dawn dish detergent works very well at breaking up grease and oil without being harsh on the wood and your hands.

May require power washing if its really caked on but use the power washer carefully, it can do damage as well.

I believe Jim Staib at finewoodboats.com has an A-120 for sale.

Remember...it's only money.

Ah well, swing and a miss strike one...