I know this is a later reply to your question, but yes, that plate in the side of the pan is there to access the oil pump pick up. CC uses a braided hose and strainer assembly the the hose screws into the oil pump and the strainer bolts to the bottom of the pan. They issued a service bulletin that d...

You're welcome. I am pretty familiar with the 283 CC flywheel forward engine. So if you have more questions, feel free to ask.

Ron Michael
Ohio

I forgot one detail that is pretty important if you try to fire the engines up. After you would use a priming tool to pre-lube the engines, you must remove the tool and replace the tachometer drive before starting the engines! This is because the tach drive engages the shaft that drive the oil pump....

One more detail, pull the dipsticks on the reverse gears/transmissions and make sure they have fluid in them. When the engine are turning, the pumps in the transmissions are turning too. So you don't want to run the pumps dry. You won't be putting a load on the transmissions with the boat being on l...

Not knowing how many hours are on these engines, there are things to consider. But my dad had a pair of these 283s in a 1963 Sea Skiff with over 3,000 hours on them and they ran fine. Rebuilding them will not be cheap if they are done right and you rebuild everything including the carbs, starters, a...

Hi all, This is for anyone that owns an XK22 and might have the optional storage bin that goes under the lower center cushion of the back seat. From the sales literature, CC offered one as an option on the XK22s and I actually saw one once on a XK22 that was for sale at a brokerage. Unfortunately, t...

Hi, I just checked a Chris Craft parts book I have for the 283 flywheel forward engines and they do not show a gasket between the water pump and the rear of the generator. There should not really be a need for a gasket in that area anyway since that part of the drive for the water pump is dry. Your ...

I'm just curious, were either Sandusky or Repcolite Paint able to help you out?

R. Michael
CC XK22
Ohio

Hi, I see your post is almost a year old, and you might have found the info you are looking for, but I just saw this post. But I have a Volvo 270 behind a CC 350FLV and I have collected some books on the drive, such as a Chiltons/Clymer style manual for the drive, Volvo factory service manuals and s...

Not knowing the exact color you are talking, I can suggest take a look at Sandusky Paint Co. in Sandusky, OH. The have a line of marine paint and stains to match the original colors for Chris Craft and Lyman boats. https://www.sanpaco.com/ChrisCraft%20Bilge%20Paint Or there is Repcolite Paints in Mi...

Hey Mark, best of luck with your engine rebuilds! From simplicity stand point, rebuilding what you have would be a lot easier than refitting for the 283s like your first post mentioned. I just found this thread and in case your rebuild goes sideways and you switch gears back to thinking about a pair...

As far as I know, Chris Craft never installed any sort of a "factory" thermostat on the flywheel forward 283. I have seen a few hints and rumors of an aftermarket thermostat unit was offered at one time, but I have never seen one installed personally. But as I wrote in my other reply in this thread,...

Since you're working on a 1961, I am thinking that you are talking about having the 1st generation 283, the flywheel forward design and not the later 283 F series engine. And on the flywheel forward model, the point of the 3 pass manifolds is for 2 reasons. The cooling water goes directly from the w...

Glad I could help Tom. I don't know the P-31 all that well, but my dad and I rebuilt the HF-7, 1-1.5 reverse gears in his old 63 31' Sea Skiff and Great Lakes hooked us up with all the parts we needed including some impossible to find output shafts for them. We even rebuilt one of them outdoors on a...

In our family's old 63 31' Sea Skiff with the 283s in her, we ran AC R45S or R46S plugs depending on what we had on hand. The R46S were a little hotter plug which was more resistant to low speed fouling since we had about a 30-45 minute idle speed trip through the harbor out to the lake so the hotte...

Great Lakes Power Products was the last owner of the Paragon name that I know of. 20 odd years ago, my father and I purchased rebuilding parts directly from them to rebuild a pair of HF-7s and they claimed that they owned what was left of Paragon at that time. I am not sure if they still own them or...

Here's another source for drains/petcocks. https://www.mcmaster.com/petcocks

Not only would I do a compression test, if the engine is still in the boat and you could still get it running I'd check on the oip pressure too. If you had to rig up a temporary fuel tank (outboard tank maybe) and a garden hose and a few fittings to supply water to the water pump, I'd get her runnin...

Sounds like the paint info we've discussed worked out for you. Are you getting the paint from Repcolite? I'm just curious if they were still around.

Ron Michael
Ohio

Hi, My dad owned a 1963 31' CC Sea Skiff for about 30 years and he knew that boat from the day it was new since the original owner and second and only other owner were good friends of his. Unfortunately, we had to let the boat go about two years ago, but the boat was painted charcoal blue from the f...

Do you possibly know the registration numbers from when you family owned it? Maybe you have an old photo that shows them. I wonder if the Michigan Department of Watercraft might be able to help if you had the numbers. Maybe they can't or won't give out that kind of info due to privacy rules/laws, bu...

Hi Rhys, It might not be available to you, but here's what I used for paint. It was Krylon Engine Color, their product number 1928, Chrysler Light Blue. It's been a few years since I've repainted my engine, so there are a few nicks and chips in the paint, but here's a picture of what the color looks...

I can do that Niel and I just sent you an email to discuss it. I was also wondering, what engines does she have? 283's or 430's?

Ron Michael
XK22
Ohio

I have found that Chrysler blue engine paint is a pretty good match for the lighter blue CC used in the 60's on a V-8. While not an exact match, it's pretty close. When my dad and I rebuilt a pair of CC 283 flywheel forward V-8s, we used the Chrysler Blue as first coats and then top coated with CC b...

Congrats on buying this Sea Skiff. My dad owned a 1963 31' Sea Skiff that would have been a lil sister to yours. We unfortunately sold her back in the spring of 2013. But we knew this boat from the day it was new since dad was friends with both previous owners. I grew up on that boat and can probabl...

2 1/2 gallons of fuel in the crankcase!?!? Do you think it somehow siphoned that amount from the tank when the float stuck or do you believe it happened while cranking the engine? If you feel it was a siphoning going on, I'd check the the fuel pickup for a plugged anti-siphon passage/valve. If nothi...

Hi Chad, Thanks for the info about that PCV hose. It looks that good in your pics that I thought maybe you had found a source for these hoses. Since my FLV uses the same hose, I would have been interested in a new one. I know what you've went through detailing your engine since when I bought my XK, ...

Beautiful job detailing your engine! They never looked that good when Chris Craft built them. I was wondering though, it that a new PCV valve hose running from the the carb to the valve cover? If so, where did you ever find one?

Ron Michael
CC XK22
Ohio

Excellent job on the resto Chad. Your engine looks fantastic.

Ron Michael
72 CC XK22
Ohio

Thanks Jim, When I posted that link last night, I never thought about checking to see if the checkout worked like you did. You're probably right about them being gone. It's a shame since Lovetts were pretty good pumps in their day. They didn't move as much water as some other pumps, but were dependa...