gamblerOH

i had this boat. same year same motor. i loved it. the yamaha is the only way to go. i bought a new 201 stratos after owning the 285. very well made and faster then most

If youre targeting largemouths go with spinnerbaits up in the creeks. I personally would go after smallies and spots, they will be in the main lake on points. Throw jerkbaits and float n flys. We caught em good on float n flys in april last year. You can catch a quick limit of spots then go looking for the largemouths. good luck

i have seen a lot of boats leak in the transom where the bolts go through that hold the outboard on---I would check those for leaks.

I used automotive body plugs. Auto parts stores will have them and they look really good. I put a spot of silicone around the holes and push the plug in. it makes a nice job!

the stator cost about 300$ and the powerpacks are around the same. You can change the powerpack yourself but the stator should be changed by someone who has the right puller for the flywheel. Either way it will be well worth the 60-70$$ a shop will charge to check it out and let you know what the problem is. Those 115 merc run on 2 cylinders unitl the rpms hit 1800 then the other 2 kick in. When that engine is running right it will get on plane as fast as anything out there. In my past experience mercs always seem to have electrical issues(usually stators and powerpacks). I had to replace both powerpacks and the stator all at the same time on my 200hp (your engine only has 1 powerpack) which was over 1000$$ so I know how you feel >

sounds like it has a bad powerpack. The low oil buzzer works on milivolts and when a powerpack fails they will interfere with the voltage making it beep all of the time. The powerpack will also cause the loss in power like you stated. I do also know of several of the 4 cylinder 115's that have had stator problems. The red stators are the better ones, if yours is black that could also bee your problem. Have the powerpack and stator checked, i would say youll find your problem there.

VERY RUDE!!

Is there any reason that a fabrication shop couldnt cut away some of the transom? If the boat sits plenty high in the water I would think that would be the easiest way to make use of your short shaft motor.--Just a thought

If that 6 cylinder is an automatic I would install a transmission cooler right away. those six cyl trannies are not very durable when towing. I know of a lot of people that have had lots of problems towing with them. If is a manual I would say you'll be fine. I have towed my boat with my wifes 2002 explorer it will pull it but It gives it a good workout on the hills.

Noexcuses is right about skeeters numbering system, I should have remembered that since I just looked at new skeeters last winter. :-[

I would find out for sure how big it is first. If it has a 140 on the side it is a 14 foot boat. if it has a 180 it is an 18 ft. boat, most boats are stickered this way although some companies(Ranger) do not do it that way. Skeeter makes a great boat so I dont think you'll go wrong there but I dont like those old Mercury 115's They are inline six cylinders and have a lot of problems with the upper 2 cylinders getting hot. They require a new water pump at least a couple times a year to make sure they always have enough water pressure. Those older 115's are a little less than reliable in my opinion :-/ they are well known for being hard to start which creates a lot of starter wear which turns into being stranded with a bad starter. I know of several guys this has happened to. Be sure to take a test drive, check compression, check lower unit oil for shavings and be sure it goes into gear smoothly. If it grinds going into gear then the clutch in the lower unit is going. With an engine of that year I would pay a NUETRAL person to check it out and give you their opinion.

i'm using all interstates, no problems so far, this is their second year. get yourself a good on board charger with a maintaining setting, it wont cook your batteries.

You cant get a 5.7 litre in a chevy truck anymore, to get one you'll have to go back to at least a 1998. The 1999 tahoes and suburbans still had the 5.7 but anything with the newer body style has the smaller v-8 or the 6.?? bigger v-8. I love the 350's, I dont understand why they changed them. Bowjunkie is telling you right though, go with a chevy. They have the best trannys in the business and thats most important when towing. Im talking about gasoline engines so all of you powerstroke guys can throw your 2 cents in too ;D

on a boat that new, especially a ranger you shouldnt have any problems but call ranger with the boats vin # and have them look it up to see what all warranty work the boat has had so far. do the same with a merc. dealer on the engine. In my experience if a newer boat has had a lot of warranty repairs I will stay away because it could only mean 2 things, the owner was neglectful or the boat/engine is a lemon. I would also keep in mind that a guide will put as much time on a boat in a year as most of us will in 10 years. Definately have the dealer hook it up and tell you how many hours are on the motor, check the lower unit and check compression. If it were my money I would find a Ranger with a Yamaha, those optis have had their share of problems. I should know i have one

right, it equalls out to 2.5 oz's per gallon