Excel 435 HD fit out from scratch

[Callum B]

Hey Jeff.....this link takes you to the manuals

https://www.manualslib.com/products/Mercury-3-3-Twostroke-3638338.html

http://https://www.manualslib.com/products/Mercury-3-3-Twostroke-3638338.html

[jeffstevens763@g]

Cheers Callum I'll have a look

[jeffstevens763@g]

so i had a look at the manuals also on the web some good sites with part list drawings so its fairly easy to get the bits you want. my problem is there's no numbers anywhere all i have is the hood to go on if its original red band 1986 on speaking to the guy i bought it off it sounds about right. so stripped her down gearbox first the oil was pretty dirty but no water ingress. the gears look in good nick with everything working ok shifts in and out of gear ok. the impeller was in good fettle as was the housing so i just changed the impeller. the pics of them i forgot to get so these are off the web for info but much the same as i found. it had a gear lever shaft in place but it turns out it was a bodge job as the correct one is all plastic. same as the hood catches the new one i got doesnt fit the cowl so ive had to mod it just by gluing them in to stop them falling off they work ok and look ok so that will do. ive got a good spark and cleaned the carb bowl out it was full of crystals, set the float up it was leaking fuel. ive to run it yet and might find problems but i wanted to see what i had and get the water sorted first. going to put the leg back on and try it, ive tested the pump with a drill on the shaft pumps water well.

[Callum B]

Thats all looking promising.....the proof of the pudding will be in the eating....fuel, spark, air fuel and water.....sounds easy, but my wee 3.5hp 4 stroke tohatsu still isnt running right....the ultrasonic cleaner, for the carb arrives tomorrow......but the longer we can hang these wee jobs out, offers less landscaping of the garden ??

[Callum B]

You will most likely know this but......The serial nos are normally on the transom bracket but some of the early outboards had aluminium plates which may have corroded off.

[jeffstevens763@g]

Just put the gear box/lower leg back on what a game back on landscaping now

[jeffstevens763@g]

Yep some had a plate in the hood all mine have buggered off

[jeffstevens763@g]

a few more pics putting it back together is a pain lining everything up especially the gear shift rods i did find away in the end by putting the clamp on the top rod putting the bottom rod at the side then with a screwdriver pushing it into the clamp whilst having a long socket on the bolt to loosen or tighten once in place.
just need to start her up now and see if more work needs to be done

[jeffstevens763@g]

started her up second pull, according to the guy i bought it off it ran ok 7-8 years ago so thats not bad ticks over ok stop button works too. the tell tail dribbles more than spouts out but i think thats par for the course.

[Callum B]

Great news, and a small victory in these challenging times!!

Have you tried sticking a bit of wire up the cooling water tell tale hooter??..... its common for salt to crystalise up there, restricting the tell tale flow.

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by Callum B

Great news, and a small victory in these challenging times!!

Have you tried sticking a bit of wire up the cooling water tell tale hooter??..... its common for salt to crystalise up there, restricting the tell tale flow.

I blew all the waterways out with compressed air Callum just had a look on YouTube it appears they do just dribble I've sent gurnard a mail he has a mariner 3.3 same engine to see if his does. The other thing is this has only had river use by the look of it and it was pretty clean for its age, quite chuffed its cost me £100

[jeffstevens763@g]

so ran it at length with 40-1 oil mix to give it a good lube up i think that since it's been river run there's going to be a bit of crap floating about once the water softens it up and it travels, blowing down the tell tail pipe clears it and there's plenty of water coming out the exhaust.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8th...ature=youtu.be

[jeffstevens763@g]

got the aux engine fitted, i was going to use an old outboard bracket but it would have stuck out 250 mm plus put 4 holes in the transom which i dont want. my only real option was to fit it on the transom at the side of the tube but the splash web is in the way. now i didnt want to peel this back and i have advised on here not to because on all my previous SIBS the web has been substantial and offered some strength to the tube to transom joint. the excel web however isn't that strong indeed its quite slack and is just a splash web the strength on the transom joint is a bolt through plate arrangement on these boats different to what i owned before. the web peeled back easily by pulling it back on itself sheering the glue so i put some self adhesive velcro on from halfords to keep it tidy, dont know how long it will last but i can glue it on if it does come off. i made a HDPE plate for the transom inside where the clamp screws go and stuck some rubber on the engine bracket outside to protect the transom surface. fitted the engine on leaving a gap between it and the tubes which gives plenty of room for full lock on the main engine port and starboard. both props are more or less inline thats why i went for a long shaft on the aux engine knowing i might have to fit it on the highest part of the transom. its going to be a displacement speed so no big deal on position ive also trimed it right back so it lifts the bow offering more height incase its rough when i need it sods law it will be.
so there we have it ready to go i might tart the engine paintwork up if i get board and nowt to do we will see.

[Allye]

Smart sib, if it didn’t get a zapcat I’d have chosen a large xcel like this one.

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by Allye

Smart sib, if it didn’t get a zapcat I’d have chosen a large xcel like this one.

zapcat good fun though

[Fenlander]

That's a neat solution Jeff. Totally fits with the expedition style your SIB is evolving into.

On the smallcraft where I have used an aux I've done anything possible to avoid any extra bracket.

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

That's a neat solution Jeff. Totally fits with the expedition style your SIB is evolving into.

On the smallcraft where I have used an aux I've done anything possible to avoid any extra bracket.

hi David
really chuffed with the setup of the aux having more beam helps i'll bet i'll never use it in anger now i have the main engine sorted but it makes me feel better. got to get some aspen fuel for it now.

[Keltoyboy]

Jeff that has been superb reading and very well put together by yourself, really informative and helpful, Thank you.

[jeffstevens763@g]

well as the gardening jobs come to an end it was time to do the niggling things one of which is my gravel hardstanding, its always a pain pushing the boat off the loose gravel so i decided to fit gravel gids but leave the gravel just shy of the tops so not on the loose stuff and gives me grip. the areas is 13 m2 the grids are 500 x 500 mm easily cut to the area price £130 delivered i had the gravel of course a bit big at 20 mm but it will do.

next up was an oversight by me ive never pumped the keel up fully and when i did found it rested on the trailer cross member easy fix i had some buffalo board so made a keel bunk. of course that causes the side bunks to be too low by 60 mm so i made some buffalo blocks up to lift the boards.
the only thing is that the trailer was built to suit my mercury 365 to keep it as low as possible for launching, the bunk supports are welded on so can't be moved and the boards can only go over an inch if re-drilled so i'm leaving them there. the bunks support the middle of the tube and cross the tube to floor area but dont touch the floor. im happy i have enough support with the keel bunk and transom bunk already fitted

[Highland Haggis]

That looks like a nice wee set up there Jeff can't wait to see it keep safe happy boating HH