So we bought a cheap (we are cheap) 95' Evinrude 70hp, inspection while buying showed milky oil in gearcase, so we started re-sealing, and everything went smooth...
...and even the impeller looked like new...
...until we discovered that under the impeller housing and plate one of the the bearing housing bolts was broken in its seat:
...our eyes widened...
...and that's where the horror starts. Trying to unbolt the housing we broke all three of the remaining bolts. Trying to drill out the remnants we broke... no, that would be too long a list to put it here... We ended up buying an empty gearcase housing from a good gentleman somewhere in England (God bless Ebay) and... and... and... eventually... WE'VE GOT IT FREAKING WORKING!!!
Sorry guys, I know it's against the netiquette rules to use caps, but... but... but THAT WAS FREAKING AWESOME!!!
But that's not the happiness I wanted to share with you all, not yet.
Happiness came this weekend when we got on the water with 70hp (as opposite to 5hp on our previous runs), and the motor coughed and stalled, and hesitated at first (it turned out we had flooded it numerous times), but then it agreed and took us out of the rocky-surrounded ramp with unimaginable ease and brought us roaring to 19 mph thru quiet waters of Galveston bay (there was virtually no wind that day) and lead us murmuring at 6 mph thru bright luster of sun reflections on the waves, and promised us reward in joy for all that hours we sacrificed to its revival... man, oh man. I was not so happy since I was a boy and got my first "real" "fancy" "fashioned" running shoes. I am not much in motoring, more of a sailing guy, but this... This day alone was worth every penny and every minute I've spend on this old boat and this old motor.
Happiness is what we buy with our efforts, happiness is the only thing worth buying, and happiness is what we should share at every chance we've got... Because sharing multiply things shared, and there is not enough happiness in this world these days.
