ProStar 190 / 197 How to separate the Engine Cover from the Boat - for Dummies

[swbca]

I am going to be upgrading the damper plate on my ProStar 197 this winter in my brother's heated storage garage. There is room for the boat but not room to leave the motor cover on the floor. My boat will be parked under his boat lifted to the 18' ceiling with a drive on lift.

 

On a few occasions I have examine the hinges, motor cover and the center floor section behind the cover. I never figured out how to get the items out of the boat.

 

The hinges are "key" to this question.

Do the hinges come apart or do you have unbolt the hinge from the floor section ?

If the hinges come apart, HOW?

 

Someone suggested lifting the cover and floor section as a unit, but acknowledged that requires unusually strong people to do.

 

Second, is the floor section behind the cover screwed or bolted down ? Or is just so swollen that it won't lift out without overwhelming force ?

 

I am mechanical enough to have replaced damper plates in the past, but this motor cover is difficult because of its weight.

 

Thanks

[skiboyny]

On the 190 you have to take out the floor panel and motor cover together. The hinges have no pull pins. There is a vertical carpeted trip stop that comes out first 4 screws than 4 screws that hold the floor board. Two people can handle it easy enough. Not sure about the 197.

[Broussard]

The year/photos would be helpful. There were multiple engine box designs during the 13 year run of that hull.

[Bongo]

@swbca, unusually strong? Don't know that's the case, but it is awkward.

 

I've got a 2004 197 TT like in your signature. When I've taken the doghouse out, I take the doghouse (engine cover), hinges and back center floor panel out as one unit. As follows:

1. Disconnect the lift springs. A flat screwdriver on the top and bottom pivot point can pull away the retaining metal clip. (Mine haven't had these in at least a decade, so from memory.)

2. Find and remove the four screws, two on each side, holding the back center floor panel to the stringers. You very likely cannot see them, because the carpet is matted. I've used a small magnet to find them. I'd expect the back two to be about 2" from the back fiberglass and the front two to be about 4" from the doghouse hinges, but that's a guess. Philips-head stainless steel wood screws, each about 2 1/2" long.

3. Lift the back of the doghouse up. Maybe even by putting some type of wedge (say short 4"x4" near the hinge and under the doghouse cover); something to pry the center floor panel up by using the whole structure as a lever. This will help if the carpet in the seams is a little bit swollen, as you reference. (Note: The center floor panel is aluminum frame with a styrofoam dampening buffer. So can't get too large.)

 

4. Get at least one and probably three of your buddies to help lift the doghouse and center floor panel out as one unit, get it over the freeboard, and down onto the ground. This is the one step where it is really awkward, since the hinge is freely moveable.

 

In the few times I've done this, it has always been with my wife as my only assistant. First three steps above can be done without help. Last step is a challenge, so go slow on that one.

 

Bongo

[swbca]

@Bongo @skiboyny I removed the 4 nuts from the bolts welded to the hinges that go through the floor panel. Skiing is the only strenuous thing I do that doesn't screw up by back, so I am always willing to break things down into smaller parts before I lift them. It takes a deep 3/8" socket to remove the 4 nuts. Preferably a 1/4" socket wrench because a 3/8" socket wrench with a deep socket runs into the mufflers.

 

My old Ski Nautique and Master Craft motor covers were MUCH lighter in weight. No big deal for 1 person to set them on the dock when needed. And their flat tops were much better serving happy hour to a group of friends sitting on the gunnels.

 

Thanks for your help !

[ScottScott]

Found this thread when looking for tips removing my doghouse so I could replace steering cable. Seems my '17 prostar also doesn't have a way to separate the doghouse. What kind of idiot designs a boat where you cant separate a piece like the doghouse. Is a hinge-pin such a foreign concept? Ridiculous, I guess these engineers never actually work on boats, just draw them on paper? The whole process didn't take too long, but it may have been the worse couple hours of my life. 

On a related note, I'm going to need a new fire-extinguisher. 

[Andre]

2 hours ago, ScottScott said:

 

On a related note, I'm going to need a new fire-extinguisher. 

Ouch ! Did you trigerred it ?

[ScottScott]

@Andre Yep..... one thing to add to a list of many stupid things i've done, most out of pure laziness. I'm looking at this thing as I'm disconnecting the linkage thinking "I could very easily set this off." I considered looking into it deeper to see if there was a pin that could be put in (or back in,) or finding another way to tie up that lever, as I continued maneuvering the linkage to disconnect and suddenly POOF!!! Very fortunate that it wasn't a more harmful substance that could have burned my face and eyes. No harm done other than sending my glasses across the garage and the need to purchase a extinguisher. After the fact I decided to read the warning labels. 

[teammalibu]

For real dummies I would suggest leaving the engine cover in the open position and trailer it down the highway at about 85 mph. for 5 miles.

Then simply turn around and pick up the pieces on the way back! Seen it done and it definitely works!

[swbca]

On a Prostar 196 or 197 I found a way to get the dog house and rear floor panel out of the way with no assistance, but its not on the ground.   Only takes one frail old skier about 5 minutes. 

I just replaced the damper plate and relined the doghouse with foil insulation with no assistance.

Before you start, cover the rear upholstered deck with a moving pad or a couple of beach towels so the vinyl engine cover and the vinyl deck are not directly dragging on each other with the weight of the dog house. 

1. Remove the screws if any that hold down the floor panel
2. Remove the 2 pressure arms that support the dog house when you have opened it.
3.  With motor cover opened, straddle the transmission with your feet on the carpeted floor facing the back of the boat.

Reach down and grab the leading edge of the floor panel and lift it. If you keep pressure towards the back of the boat as you lift, the doghouse well end up -upside down- on top of the upholstered rear deck.   Stuff a folded towel or another spacer between the dog house and back of the rear deck because it feels like it wants to roll backward.  ( you may need to pry the floor loose the first time with a 30" piece of 2x4 under the leading edge of the floor section )

When your done, just reverse the process.

Probably won't work on other boats with a different rear deck configuration.

Edited May 22, 2023 by swbca

[ScottScott]

Thanks @swbca Good tips. Its all a pain in the butt. Next time I need to remove that rear panel I"ll be prepaired ahead of time and I'll work out a way to swap out that hinge with something that either has a hinge pin, or access to screws holding the hinge to either the dog house or floor panel. (Maybe even make that a dedicated project sometime if Im bored.) 

[chrislandy]

On 5/22/2023 at 12:28 PM, ScottScott said:

Found this thread when looking for tips removing my doghouse so I could replace steering cable. Seems my '17 prostar also doesn't have a way to separate the doghouse. What kind of idiot designs a boat where you cant separate a piece like the doghouse. Is a hinge-pin such a foreign concept? Ridiculous, I guess these engineers never actually work on boats, just draw them on paper? The whole process didn't take too long, but it may have been the worse couple hours of my life. 

I just remove the 4 screws attaching the rear floor panel down, and remove as a whole with the box attached. about 2mins with someone to help.

I've caught my toes on removable hinge pins, not pleasant, so that may the reason they don't put them on?

 

TBH if you're doing major enough surgery that the dog box has to come off, then from MC point of view it should be at their dealers so it's not an end user issue. 

[swbca]

@chrislandy

2 years ago I did what you did (removed the hinge screws at the floor)  On the 196 the floor is two separate layers of aluminum with a 1/2" space between.  I wasn't able to get the screws to align to target the bottom layer of aluminum when putting them back without drilling the holes in the bottom layer of aluminum larger.  No big deal and maybe you won't need to do that.

[harddock]

I had to replace a broken hinge on a 2012 190. After removing pistons and with the help of vice grips to catch the nuts, the bolts can be removed from either or both sides of hinge. It is a two person operation as one needed to hold box open pare way while the other removes hardware.