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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
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    Introduction and newbie questions

    I’d like to introduce myself to the Donzi Registry. I’ve admired Donzi’s for over a decade and I finally made the leap to buying one, a 1970 18 2+3. It has a Holman Moody 351W with a Volvo Penta 250 outdrive. It had been owned by the same family and passed down from father to brother to brother, for almost 40 years. Garaged most of the time, nevertheless it is showing some age. Most photos make it look better than it is; the close-ups are more revealing. One of the brothers was a gear head who rebuilt the motor with performance parts so that it supposedly dyno’ed at 400 HP (is this plausible?) The other brother put less than 5 hours on the rebuilt motor before putting it up for sale. I put a bunch of high res photos on photobucket: http://s665.photobucket.com/albums/vv14/ivypandas/Donzi

    Before I get carried away trying to restore it, I plan on using it for the first season as is, to see if this boat is really what I imagine it to be.

    Now for the newbie questions:

    1) What should I do to the boat before using it? For example, should I change the engine and gear oils and/or the impeller?
    2) Is there only one impeller in the water cooling system, in the pump belt-driven by the engine, or is there another impeller in the stern drive, as in an outboard?
    3) How do I get the correct part number for the impeller(s) see photo of the pump?
    4) The Volvo Penta outdrive comes with a motor driven tilt mechanism. Why can’t this also be used as power trim? Will I wreck the mechanism if I use it in that way?
    5) How do I turn on the bilge blower? I think the blower might be broken. Which button on the dash is supposed to turn it on?
    6) I’ve been reading the forums and know that the original gas tanks will likely have to be replaced. If I don’t smell gas when the tank is full does that mean the tank is ok for the moment?
    7) I’ve done some mechanical work on cars (re-did an engine head, swapped transmissions, replaced Macpherson struts, etc.), so I’d like to work on my boat. Is there anyone in the Belfast, Maine (where the boat is) or Arlington, Massachusetts (where I live) area who also does their own work? I’d like to watch and learn the next time you work on your boat. First dumb question: How do you get the engine oil out? The dipstick tube looks awfully thin to suck the oil out of that orifice.
    8) I won’t ask any questions about props or gear lube. I’ve read the forum posts enough to know that these topics tend to ignite a lot of discussions. I’m not that much of a noob

    Thanks for any help you can offer.

    Davis
    Last edited by ivypandas; 06-06-2011 at 08:53 PM. Reason: typo correction

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