Newbie ...Looking for info on Marlin Jet Boats....

[TIGGER]

I bought an 18ft 73 Marlin Jet boat last week. I am new to boats so please forgive me. The person I bought it from didn't know much about it either. Could someone point me somewhere I can educate myself? I would like to know the different models of Marlins, options, history etc. Could someone please tell me the model of my boat :rolleyes: My insurance company asked but I am not able to find much info on this boat.
It is going to need a little work but it is all there.

[Marlin455]

That, my friend is a Marlin "Taurus"- I know, because I just completed a 2 year resto of mine! As far as info on these, it's pretty hard to come by, except that the hull bottom was copied by quite a few different boat manufacturers. I have also heard that the Marlins were built in Oregon by former Sidewinder guys, and as such are almost identical to the Sidewinders. Mine runs pretty good with a mild 455 and fresh pump- I haven't GPS'd it yet, so I don't know what my actual top speed is, but it is a blast to drive- Check your hull bottom for hook- The hook in my boat averaged 1/4-3/16" over the last 6 feet of the hull. Good luck, and post some more pics if you can. :D
Stan

[TIGGER]

Stan, what do you mean by "Check your hull bottom for hook- The hook in my boat averaged 1/4-3/16" over the last 6 feet of the hull"?
I haven't brought the boat home yet. It is still sitting at the previous owners place. I will pick it up after labor day.
I picked it up for $1200.00. The motor has been rebuilt but there is a water leak somewhere. Hopefully it is a blown headgasket or something. The guy I bought it from said it was a 455 olds but I the more I read up on them, the more it looks like it is a 350 olds. The boat appears to be pretty solid. The seats and stuff only have a couple seasons on them. Everything appears to work, lights, blower motor etc. Cosmetically it will need paint and carpet.
I don't have many pics yet but I will post a couple more when I get home.
Can you post pics of yours?

[Marlin455]

Tigger- Take a fairly long straight-edge(a 4 or 6' level for example) and check the hull starting at the transom going forward, like thishttp://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/68hook1-med.jpg
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/68hook3-med.jpg
The gap under the level in front of the pump intake is the amount of hook on my hull- This is much easier to check if the boat is upside down :D , but with a little patience, you can check it on the trailer.
The hook acts like a set of trim tabs, at speed it pushes the nose down, and costs speed. As far as the motor, post the cast in numbers just to the right of the oil fill tube and behind the water pump block off plate, looking at the motor from the front- also, post the numbers or letters cast into the lower corners of the heads( example Ka or C or G or 5a). As far as the water leak, some common Olds problems are the Intake gaskets, warped intake manifold, or the water pump plate is corroded and leaks into the block.
How well does this motor run? Does the oil look like a milkshake?
Stan

[TIGGER]

The motor supposedly runs real good but we did not let it run for very long as it has a bad freeze plug now. Supposedly, it was gone thru right before the previous owner bought it five years ago. The guy I bought it from hardly used it, and noticed this problem last year. Basically all he has done is put fresh oil in the motor and ran it enough to see if it was still leaking. By what I remember, the oil doesn't look like a milkshake but it is getting something in there. The mixture appeared to be more gray than white. I will have to look into it more when I get it home.
Not sure about the block, but the Heads are #5's. I don't remember seeing a A so I assume they are plain 5's.
I need a new dipstick tube. Any idea where to get one from?
Is the Hook a design feature to the hull or something that happens from use and age?

[Old Guy]

You are probably familiar with this site, but if you're not, it's got lots of good Olds info.
http://www.442.com/oldsfaq/ofhed.htm#Heads%201964%20-%201990

[TIGGER]

You are probably familiar with this site, but if you're not, it's got lots of good Olds info.
http://www.442.com/oldsfaq/ofhed.htm#Heads%201964%20-%201990
Thanks, I was on it yesterday.

[Aqua Boogie1]

Tigger..........your engine looks to be either a 350 like you said or maybe a 403. I just took mine out and replaced with a 455. The width between the heads where the intake goes isn't as wide as the 455. Also I had #5a heads on my 403. There are a few websites on 442.com as mentioned before that will give all serial numbers engine blocks and head castings. Good luck!
Oh by the way, I have a 78 Marlin tiger jet 455 olds.

[TIGGER]

Marlin455, is the Hook a design feature to the hull or something that happens from use and age?

[Marlin455]

Tigger- I am no hull expert, but all the info I've gathered on hook seems to tell me that it could be any combo of things, from built into the hull from the factory, to a badly adjusted trailer, etc. How it got there really doesn't matter much- If there is anything over 1/8" over about the last 5-6 feet of the hull, it's gonna slow you down. If you plan to remove any hook in your hull, be prepared for a LOT of sanding, filling, etc., and get used to the "fiberglass itchies"!! When I did mine, I planned to repaint the hull anyway, so I gutted the whole boat, flipped it over(an adventure all by itself :yuk: ) and went to town. I straightened the entire bottom all the way out to the hull edges, and sharpened the transom lower edge and the edges of the strakes to almost knife sharp, then speed coated the bottom . It made a big difference in the way the boat handles and tracks, much better than before. One bit of advice- Get a good quality airboard(18"), and lots of 36 and 80 grit paper for it- you will need it :) Good luck, and lets see some more pics!! Stan

[TIGGER]

I finally went and picked it up last night. Here are some more pics. The trailer is going to need a lot of work. Most of the skids are rotton. The fenders and steps are pretty rusty. And the wiring has been butchered.
As for the boat, the steering wheel seems pretty hard to turn as well as the forward and reverse shifter. As for the motor, I am still not positive what size it is. I will head out there shortly and take a look.
Stan, one of the engine cover latches is broken, any idea where I can find one? Maybe a replacement for both of them?

[Marlin455]

Tigger- That boat doesn't look too bad- The metalflake is pretty faded, but mine was worse than that- :( Before you paint or regel the boat, try wet sanding the gelcoat in a small spot with 400, then 800, then 1500 grit- go easy- if you start to see black, you went too far. After wet sanding, spray some clear coat on the spot- you might be surprised at the result! As far as the engine cover latches- both of mine are junk, and I am looking for replacements also. One thing I have noticed is the different rigging on the exact same year boats from Marlin- for example, my hatch is hinged on the transom side, yours is on the front side of the hatch. I have also seen 73-74 Marlins that were right hand drive, where both yours and mine are left hand- Kinda weird :cool: Anyway, good luck with the boat, and post some engine numbers so we can determine exactly what motor is really in it- I hope its a BBO vs a SBO(350), cuz that hull needs a big block, it's pretty heavy :wink:
Stan

[TIGGER]

The motor is a 68-70 350 :frown: It has #5 heads and the block casting number is 395558 2. Oh well... I still think I made out well for $1200. Hopefully i will have enough time to debug and tear into it before the weather turns bad here.
The oil and filter look like a pain to change. Any idea's to how to make it easier? Anyone running a remote filter system? How do you guys drain the oil?