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Just took a look at my whaler today and noticed that the green line has cracked around the engine. How should I go about repairing this? Should it be done immediately or can it wait till spring? I also plan on repowering soon. Should I try to keep the weight of new engine low? I found a 60hp etec 220 pounds. Good option?

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Generally speaking the green line will separate when the transom is wet and freezes/thaws. At least that has been my experience. If the boat is stored outdoors uncovered I would put something over the separation until temperatures permit a proper repair.

As for repower - a 90hp E-Tec is a popular choice for these hulls. 60 might be a little light on power depending on how you load your boat and what you are doing.

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I have a ETEC 90 on my 1988 Montauk and love it. My brother has a Yamaha 4 stroke 70 on his 2004 and it take a little longer to get on plane..

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Action:

If I'm not wrong (no guarantees ...) your 1988 Montauk and your brother's 2004 Montauk 170 are not the same boat. The 1988 has a spec weight of 900 lbs, while the 2004 is 1400 lbs. That's an apples to pumpkins comparison?

That said, if the Yammie 70 is only a "little" slower than the ETEC 90 ... it might be a useful bit of comparison information ...

Bill


(EDIT: corrected name of boat for clarification and full 4 digit year)

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Interesting...

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I have a 1979 Montauk with the 90 HP 4 stroke Yamaha. Its alternator puts out 25 AMPS.
If you have a lot of electronics (GPS, Radio, Depth Finder, live well) etc, you may need that amperage to not kill the battery. A smaller engine has LESS amps output.
The 70 HP Yamaha puts out 18. I need at least 20, so the 90 hp is OK. Anything smaller and it will not work for me. Something else to consider.

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My brother corrected me that his Montauk is a 1996. The motor is newer which confused me.

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Heres a photo. I am manly concerned because it is right on the engine.
http://photobucket.com/gallery/http://s1380.photobucket.com/user/warmingst/media/Screen%20Shot%202018-01-29%20at%204.40.37%20PM_zpsjazzyhzq.png.html

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Weld line separation like what appears in the photographs you have posted is very common with neglected Montauk 17 boats that have not had their brass drain tubes replaced and re-sealed properly. The condition is cosmetic in nature right now. You have relatively minor swelling of the wood causing the weld to separate in cold weather. Wait for a warm day above 65 degrees to seal it; I always use West System Six10 epoxy for a minor separated weld-line. No need to worry about the structural integrity of your transom.

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Just purchased the boat in fall for cheap. It’s honestly in great shape it has little to no spider cracks and no major repairs have been done on the hull. I plan on replacing the drain tubes come spring (yes they are in bad shape) Another thing is its cracked right on the engine and I think I will have to remove the (dead) engine in order to repair this. I am planning to repower in the coming months. Should this be done immediately or can it wait till repower... thanks for the help

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In one of your photographs it appears that the exterior lip of the brass drain tube is missing. It also looks like the rivets have popped that fasten the HIN plate. The weld line separation on your boat is not of major concern; I have seen much worse weld line separation with gaps of one half to three quarter inch wide, 6-8 inches in length, bilateral. You should wait until the spring and warmer temperatures (above freezing) to remove motor and repair. You will need warm temperatures anyway for the repair material to cure. Cover the boat and keep it dry for the remainder of the winter. Elevate the bow of the boat so there is no standing water in the rig tunnel.

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What are the steps in repairing it? Is it just as simple as pouring the epoxy in and clamping it shut?

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Clean out the crack of debris. I use a small piece of sandpaper to accomplish this task. I tape off the area so I do not make a mess of the gelcoat. Then I lay a bead of epoxy into the crack. I wait for it to cure then wetsand the bead until it is smooth. It must be warmer than 60 degrees to accomplish such a repair.