Carver Owners Forum

Fiberglass hull with wooden superstructure right?

Try doing a Google search for a manual.

Just purchased for $900. It had just came out of an enclosed storage for the last 16 years. It had been winterized back then before going in to its deep sleep. The previous owner had purchased it back in 2003 for $4000 and has since deceased.
The hull is in great shape but I do not know what I have with the engine (OMC 8cyl GM small block 180 hp) or drive. The first thing I will do is to get it to run. Now for drive there is no throttle/shifter on the console, it has been removed. I'm unfamiliar with stern-drives and I see no cable or would it be electric (if anybody has a OMC service manual they would like to donate It would be very helpful). By the way I live just a mile away from this wonderful lake, Geneva Lake in southeast Wisconsin. with a lot of old boats the summer home of Wrigley's and Maytag's back in the day. This is were this boat has spent its days with an occasional trip spent on Lake Michigan. I hope you will share with me and I make my way with her restoration.

Can you post a pic of the drive and are there any numbers on the drive that you can see or on the engine that refer to the drive?

I had a 1972 OMC drive on an old searay. It was a cable throttle and shift with a small electric motor for the drive tilt and trim. The motor failed almost every other year and back in the early 80's it was almost $300. Other than that and a few impellers, I never had any problems with the drive.

Sorry, no manual.

stern drive plate cover in sea grime

Cool old boat!

Going to try firing this puppy up this weekend (9-15-16) original OMC GM motor. what type of fuel (Gas) should I use? will I need to add some additives to today's fuel from the gas station?

Going to try firing this puppy up this weekend (9.15.16) original OMC (GM) motor. What type of fuel (gas) will I need? Will I need to add additives to today fuel for a gas station?

You just need regular unleaded and new oil to fire it up for a test run. Before you try to splash or have an extended run, I would replace all of the fuel lines. The old ones, if not dry and cracked anyway, won't like the ethanol and will slowly fill your float bowl with the rubber from the inside of the lines. Also if it sat for 16 years there is a good chance the fuel pump diaphragm is shot. It may pump, fuel but leak into the bilge or into the engine oil. I would replace it also before and extended run.

Hope all goes well.

My boat was dry for 10 years before we bought her.
Drained the fuel.
Pulled the distributor.
Ran a preluber for many minutes.
Pulled the plugs.
Squirted trans fluid into the cylinders and let it sit for days.
Pulled the dampener.
Manually rotated engine many times.
Got all the extra Trans fluid out of the cylinders
Bore scoped the cylinders
Rebuilt both carbs.
Rebuilt both distributors
Put dampener back on
Set timing with an ohm meter
Replaced belts.
Rebuilt raw water pumps
Changed fuel filters.
Cleaned up anti siphon valves
Changed oil
Changed vdrive oil
Filled with new gas.
Filed carbs withgas through the vent.
They started right up.
Smoked like crazy for maybe 15 seconds while the oil burned out of the cylinders.
No problems