190 Tarpon/Tournament advice

[81Malibu]

I purchased a 190 Tarpon. I bought this boat to replace my previous boat that was trashed by Sandy. This boat seemed to be solid and in good condition. The PO said that when he was driving it last the engine quit on him and he thought he was out of gas. When he had the mechanic look at it he told him that it needed a crank bearing. It wasn't much of a concern to me since I was able to salvage all of my electronics,trim tabs,seats,motor,nfb helm, and my trailer from my old boat. I picked up a jackplate and figured I could put my old motor on and go. Well now the weather has warmed a little and it seems like I may be looking at a transom replacement. I'm just wondering if anyone has any input as to if this job is worth doing or not. I would most likely use nida pour to replace the transom and raise it to a 25". I have no worries that it's a job I could handle its more the money on materials verse what the boat is worth.
I'm also going from a 21' walk around cuddy to a dual console which is part of my dilemma.

 

[mboyatt]

Malibu, I don't know the answer to your question. Just wanted to say I am sorry to hear you have discovered transom issues with the boat. That is a real bummer. I would think you would spend at least a thousand on materials. Just making an uneducated guess. Hope things work out for you.

 

[kevinnward]

Purchased a 1984 Tournament last summer... Knew the boat needed some work, was ready for the challenge...Here's my nightmare story...
After picking her up in the low country of South Carolina and trailering her back to South Florida (was totally uneventful trip), we began to evaluate the extend of what was going to need to be done to restore her back to original beauty will all new upgrades... Did not really have a budget in mind, just wanted boat done right... After determining that the transom was going to have to be replaced, we removed the 150 hp yahama and cut off the back gunnel cap for better access to remove the transom from the inside out leaving outter fiberglass and gelcoat skin... Once we cut into the floor I found not only was the transom rotted, so was the floor and the stringers were water soaked... The decision was made to remove the entire floor, stringers and complete transom leaving no remaining wood structure what so ever... I have been working on boat on and off since last fall and have almost completed the new stringer structure and floor...Reason the boat rotted so badly was that the brass thru fitting for the self bailing hull rotted away and allowed all the water to enter the boats structure with out being noticed.. Flaw on Grady White... But all manufactures use those brass fittings... MY new transom will not have those drains...We will modify new transom so that no water will be able to enter... Point I am getting at is that once you open up the transom, check the stringers and floor very carefully because once you start there is no turning back unless you scrap the entire project...I decided that this boat was worth fixing and I plan to fish her all over the Florida Keys this summer...

 

[81Malibu]

Purchased a 1984 Tournament last summer... Knew the boat needed some work, was ready for the challenge...Here's my nightmare story...
After picking her up in the low country of South Carolina and trailering her back to South Florida (was totally uneventful trip), we began to evaluate the extend of what was going to need to be done to restore her back to original beauty will all new upgrades... Did not really have a budget in mind, just wanted boat done right... After determining that the transom was going to have to be replaced, we removed the 150 hp yahama and cut off the back gunnel cap for better access to remove the transom from the inside out leaving outter fiberglass and gelcoat skin... Once we cut into the floor I found not only was the transom rotted, so was the floor and the stringers were water soaked... The decision was made to remove the entire floor, stringers and complete transom leaving no remaining wood structure what so ever... I have been working on boat on and off since last fall and have almost completed the new stringer structure and floor...Reason the boat rotted so badly was that the brass thru fitting for the self bailing hull rotted away and allowed all the water to enter the boats structure with out being noticed.. Flaw on Grady White... But all manufactures use those brass fittings... MY new transom will not have those drains...We will modify new transom so that no water will be able to enter... Point I am getting at is that once you open up the transom, check the stringers and floor very carefully because once you start there is no turning back unless you scrap the entire project...I decided that this boat was worth fixing and I plan to fish her all over the Florida Keys this summer...

That is my biggest concern.
I checked my two center stringers when I was looking at the gas tank and they seem solid and don't have any dark spots. The floor is solid except for the gas tank cover, but that isn't a big deal for me. I was surprised by the transom because I tapped on it with a hammer when I bought it, but my dumbass bought it in the dead of winter and it was frozen solid. Now that it thawed it flexes. My dilemma is to get the engine running thats on it clean it up and sell it with the bad transom,full disclosure of course, fix the engine and transom and sell it, or fix the engine sell the engine, raise the transom to 25", put my 1996 130hp on and keep it.

 

[kevinnward]

I'm not sure about raising the transom the additional few inches to accommodate your 25" motor.. the boat was designed to fit a standard 20" engine. Not sure why Grady White chose to use a 20" engine!!! Seems to me it may be smart to attempt to sell boat if you attached to your engine... Again< my fear is that you open up a very large can of worms with the transom repair... I am doing all my own work, (I work in boat industry), so I have access to all resources to repair... If I did have to pay someone, I would have never purchased such a project.. If you choose to repair, I would suggest staying with 20" transom and purchase the correct engine to fit.

 

[81Malibu]

I work in the auto body industry and I am more than comfortable doing the work myself. The later models went to a 25" transom.

 

[kevinnward]

Post some pics as you progress< I would like to see how that comes along... Looked at mine earlier and it should look almost the same and the extra few inches of transom will help in a following sea... that and 25" engines are much easier to come by than a 20" motor... the other thing I did was replace my fuel tank, fuel vent, fuel fill and feed lines... With all the additives in gas these days, I want to know that I will not have issues... there is a company called "moeller"..They make a plastic tank that fits perfectly into the 190.. Was not huge expense for peace of mine.. That and I fish in the keys and the last thing I need is a fuel leak... My buddies Pro Line rotted a fuel line last fall and the FWC impounded the boat...

 

[Action_Jackson]

Post some pics as you progress< I would like to see how that comes along... Looked at mine earlier and it should look almost the same and the extra few inches of transom will help in a following sea... that and 25" engines are much easier to come by than a 20" motor... the other thing I did was replace my fuel tank, fuel vent, fuel fill and feed lines... With all the additives in gas these days, I want to know that I will not have issues... there is a company called "moeller"..They make a plastic tank that fits perfectly into the 190.. Was not huge expense for peace of mine.. That and I fish in the keys and the last thing I need is a fuel leak... My buddies Pro Line rotted a fuel line last fall and the FWC impounded the boat...

What fuel tank did you go with from Moeller? Looking to replace mine...

 

[81Malibu]

The manufacturer of the original tank is still in business. I believe it's RDS aluminum. I think with shipping it was about $500. I paid almost that for my moeller tank from west marine in 09

 

[81Malibu]

So I bought this boat under the assumption that the motor had a bad crank bearing and did not run. I've been removing all the teak and redoing it and just cleaning up the boat while contemplating my next move. My curiosity got the best of me and I just had to see if it ran.
I hooked up my booster pack and nothing. I checked the main fuse and it was blown. I changed it and it blew immediately. I started checking the wires and I found the main harness to the shorted out and melted together. I repaired it and she cranked. I checked the compression and it was decent. I hooked up a portable tank and she fired right up. She ran smooth and sounded normal to me. Now I'm pissed that I took it all apart because I reallt want to get her out and see if that bearing is bad or not.