28 Donzi Sportsman running.....well sort of..

[Scott Pearson]

Well....I winterized the boats today. As some of you know I picked up a 1968 Donzi 28 Sportsman. When I bought the boat over the summer I knew from the previous owner that there was a problem with the Starboard motor. He thought it had a bad manifold or cracked head. Water was in the oil. Any whooo....I started with the Port motor first. I have say that once we got fuel to the carb it fired right off! This motor runs great! Onto the problem motor. Cranked it over a few times and she coughed and caught on fire....Bowl stuck and flames shooting through the carb. Got them out and tried again. It started and ran like the firing order was wrong. So....this is a counter rotating motor...took a little while but it was right all along.

So....onto taking the valve covers off. Pulled the easy one off first...looked great! Clean as can be. Just like a brand new motor! Popped the inside one off....Nice and clean...but. Bent push rods all over and a stuck intake valve. Thought that might be the reason for the fire.

Looks like the old owner hydro locked the motor when he went to restart the boat after the winter. Must have been a bad manifold that leaked down the water into the cylinders. And caused the problem...would also make water in the oil.

Plans....Take it apart over the winter or early spring and fix the one engine. Then use the hell out of it. Unless...I get a reasonable offer...Hint..Hint.

(NJ)Scott

[ALLAN BROWN]

Ran into that ******* John Greviskis at the Lauderdale show. He is doing a project restore on an original 28. They are doing it serially on TV (ShipShape), and have asked me to participate. They are installing 350 Yanmars. Might be fun! Stay tuned.....

[JOHN SCIBERRAS]

Brownie,is the restore progect on the Donzi 28 on Ship Shape TV a sure thing?If yes, will Speedvison be carrying the show I have not seen this show in Canada for a long time.Having completed a restore project on a Donzi 28 personally,I would enjoy watching this on Ship Shape TV.I sold my boat to WAYLO and have been following John and Kathy"s continuation of the project with great interest.Your assistance to them Iam sure has been of great help.Regards,John.

[boxy]

John, was your 28 ever in Ottawa ? I saw a really nice blue and white one last fall at Hurst Marina, but I didn't have my camera handy.

[ALLAN BROWN]

As far as I know, it's a go. Speedvision is the channel.

[Scott Pearson]

Brownie,
Thanks for the information. That should be interesting...Have watched Shipshape in the past. Some good thing that they do and some are pretty crude.

So will the deck be removed on the 28?

(NJ)Scott

[JOHN SCIBERRAS]

BOXY,the boat you saw in Ottawa was not mine.Iam not aware of this boat at least in the colour you mentioned. There is another Donzi 28 in my area but the last time I saw it, it was all white with a radar arch and in bad repair.Regards,John.

[Scott Pearson]

Boxy,
There is one in Ohio that color. I think the guy who owns it in named Jim. I talked with him about 7 months ago and he wants $40,000.00 for it.

(NJ)Scott