jse1982

I have done some searching and haven't found a thread yet so please forgive me if it has already been discussed.

On my '97 252 Boss the engine hatch sets a bit lower than all the fiberglass around it. I am looking ahead at next winter's projects and would like to possibly raise the hatch up to meet the level of the fiberglass. Has anyone done this already? I'm curious if i can just raise where the hinges are mounted on the fiberglass but worry that I will run into the problem of the vinyl and pad getting squished between the hatch and fiberglass as it is opened.

Thanks for any pointers or ideas!

BajaDan

iTrader: (2)

Funny you should mention this as I am in the process of doing just this on our 252. I believe that the hinges can be raised enough to accomplish this. The problem is getting to the nuts inside the air intakes for the engine compartment. I will let you know more as I proceed and figure it all out.

Too bad these hatches are not straight across the back. This would have made this operation much simpler.

Dan

BajaDan

iTrader: (2)

The hinges are two piece side mount hinges. They attach to the bottom of the hatch and the side of the engine compartment coaming. The hinge pivot is a threaded stud and nut that allows the hinge to be broken down into its two components. The bad thing about this is that it requires another hole in the side of the engine bay. The good thing is that a new side plate can be fabricated and mounted to the hatch plate. This side plate can be taller thus changing the installed height of the rear of the hatch and still use the original mounting holes.

My intention is to raise the rear of the hatch about 3.25 inches. This will put the pivot pin nut above the top of the engine bay and not require another hole to be drilled in the boat. This should put the rear pad of the hatch about 1 inch proud of the surrounding coaming.

Of course you can just mount the original hinges higher on the side of the engine bay if you would like and not have to fabricate new plates.

The hinges are mounted to the side of the bay by four 5/16 inch countersunk bolts. Access to these may be gained though an access plate mounted on the bottom of the engine air intakes. The holes are sloppy. I am investigating the use of rivet nuts to tighten this up and more positively locate the hinge as well as not require access to the back of the coaming.

I should have new hinge plates in about a week. I will post an update then.

Dan

jetskidrewski

Maybe a dumb question, but why does the motor lid need to be raised/flush with the glass around it?

BajaDan

iTrader: (2)

There are a couple of reasons for that. Actually my efforts are part of a larger project to improve access to the engine for maintence and improve rear seating. Aside from that, with the hatch sitting lower than the coaming, it is very uncomfortable to sit on the sunpad unless you are small enough to fit entirely on the pad. Your legs end up being draped over this hard glass ridge. Same problem if sitting on the pad with your feet on the swimpad. It is just very uncomfortable. Hopefully this will eliminate that problem.

I guess this is one of those detail things that you learn about when you start boating and you live with a boat for awhile. It is something I would definately pay attention to (along with about a hundred other small, but signficant, items) were I to be in the market for another boat. Things that at first glance just do not seem important.

Dan

jse1982

BajaDan, I appreciate your responses! I'm thinking along the same lines as you on this. It looks like next winter I wll have a whole new sun pad made as mine is deterating a bit in places. While doing that, I may just have the 3+" added on the sides in the area of the hinges. That seems to be the easiest approach. Please keep me updated as you go along. Thanks again!

BajaDan

iTrader: (2)

Well I got the new hinge plates yesterday. I spent the evening trying to polish them up which is odd because 1) I hate that sort of work and 2) you will never see them. I will get some pictures this weekend.

I will probably make a new hatch next year also as my rear seating configuration will change dramatically if I can ever find a pair of suitable seats. I would love to have XT build me a new pair of Aero Bolsters (Thanks for the quote XT), but that will be like 20% of the boats value and I need time to work up to it. Notice I did not say that wouldn't happen. I am fully commited to the quest of having the worlds most expensive 252!

Let me ask you a question. We run (and tow) without the center portion of the windscreen in place and without the bifold door (ours is an Islander). The issue is that the hatch is always trying to open at anything above 45 or 50 mph. It has even pulled the hatch actuator bracket loose from the hatch. Do you have this problem? Actually this occured when we had the center section of the windscreen in place. I am taking steps to correct this but I did find it odd. It would be much better if the hatch also had the back of the bench seat attached to it. That would have solved a lot of my problems I imagine.

Here's a picture of the recessed hatch for those that don't understand the problem.

Dan

txtraveller2002

I used to have that same exact boat...and I would just drink until the back of my knees didn't hurt anymore...wow, in retrospect, if you take the boat out of the equation, it sounds WAY dirtier than it should....

That being said, I thought about doing the same thing with it, but in the end, it was a lot easier to put a couple of towels at the end of the sunpad to mitigate the issue than raise the back. It's also pretty handy if your wife (or kids) lay across the sunpad and fall asleep like mine do, it's an awesome "body stop". It has kept me from diving in the water many a time. I'm almost missing it on the new (old) boat.

Ebay Ed

Dan i am right there with you on the most expensive Baja only mine is a 272 that has been in pieces ( split in half ) for 2 1/2 years now which should be back on the water mid may i hope

mittens

I had a 252 for 6 years. and I dought ANYONE spent more time sittign on a 252 baja in that amout of time then myself.

I remember thinking the lip on the back of the boat was odd when buying it. BUT after using the boat, I like the lip. MANY MANY times this has saved things from sliding off the boat into the water. beers, phones, cameras, and towels. lots of stiff.

I now have a 342, and the pad goes all the way to the swim platform and i find my self paranoid **** is going to fall off into the water...