2 year project is almost done!
05-11-2014, 08:43 PM
#1
2 year project is almost done!
In June of 2011 I bought my 87 311 SR1 with a bad 420 on the port side. I had the port motor pulled, rebuilt to stock specs, and ran the boat all summer while having a ball with it. The week after labor day I noticed a skip in the starboard motor and the sound of a dead cylinder when turning over on the starter. At that time I made the decision I was going to pull both motors and do them the way I wanted. In the spring of 2012 I yanked both motors, but I was opening my first automotive shop and decided I needed to shelve the project for the year.
Over the winter of 2012/2013 we tore down the starboard motor and found a cracked head. I ordered a new set of GM heads, bored the motor .040 to match the other motor, and ordered a set of Bob Madera cams, morel lifters, and isky valvetrain. The starboard motor was rebuilt and the port motor was recammed.I also pulled the silent thunder platform and replaced all the seals, replaced the starboard gimble since it had a fair amount of play, and all the water pickup hoses. That about wrapped up 2013 as my shop had taken off and I had very little time to even think about the boat that summer. I covered the boat for the winter and resolved that I would not spend another summer without my boat in the water.
This March things started rolling. Both motors were together and run on the garage floor. The engine hatch headed out to be recovered. Both drives were inspected and serviced. In April on probably the coldest, crappiest, rainiest Saturday I could pick, 2 good friends and myself sunk both motors back into the boat. For anybody that has never tried dropping a pair of TRS equipped big blocks in an older Formula, it is a real treat, let me tell you. After about 5 hours in the rain, we called it a day. The next weekend I got all 28 bolts back in the offshore mounts, all the plumbing and wiring done, and all the cables hooked back up. On Monday of this week I got both drives back on and it was starting to look like a boat again. It took a while to get the hydraulics operating properly, both drives didn't want to go up and down properly, but some bleeding of the rams and some exercising took care of that. The port side K-plane just clicked, and after some diagnosing I determined the motor was dead. I pulled the motor, disassembled it, cleaned the armature and brushes, and it worked like a charm. Tuesday at 5:00 I fired the motors in the boat for the first time since September of 2011. You can imagine my excitement at this point. My next project was getting the pedestals of the bolsters TIG welded as all 4 had broken from the bases. I also sent out the hydroloks and had them rebuilt, and they should be heading back from Crane Aerospace this week. I picked up the engine hatch Friday and it looks like new. I bartered some work with a local fiberglass restoration guy and he spent the weekend buffing the old girl back into shape. It looks awesome. I am hoping to get the hydroloks back this week and get the bolsters working again. I will put the engine hatch on this week after finalizing a couple more things in the bay and hopefully next weekend she goes in the water.
It has been a long couple of years and I know I have way more money in this boat than it is worth, but I love it. I have a certain level of pride in all the sweat equity I have put into my fixer upper. The dark blue color scheme is rare around here and the lines are timeless to me. I have fixed just about every nagging thing that has bothered me at this point, but still have some more projects I want to do in the coming years including more interior and paint work. I also sit here right now with a fair amount of worry about putting it in the water and having something go horribly wrong. I have had just about everything mechanical apart, and hopefully I have put it back together properly. I'm hoping the motors make as much power as Bob thinks they will and she will break 70. Wish me luck guys, because I don't post much here but I have done endless searching to answer my questions. Thanks to all of you guys who may not know you have helped in this, but you certainly have been a huge help
Over the winter of 2012/2013 we tore down the starboard motor and found a cracked head. I ordered a new set of GM heads, bored the motor .040 to match the other motor, and ordered a set of Bob Madera cams, morel lifters, and isky valvetrain. The starboard motor was rebuilt and the port motor was recammed.I also pulled the silent thunder platform and replaced all the seals, replaced the starboard gimble since it had a fair amount of play, and all the water pickup hoses. That about wrapped up 2013 as my shop had taken off and I had very little time to even think about the boat that summer. I covered the boat for the winter and resolved that I would not spend another summer without my boat in the water.
This March things started rolling. Both motors were together and run on the garage floor. The engine hatch headed out to be recovered. Both drives were inspected and serviced. In April on probably the coldest, crappiest, rainiest Saturday I could pick, 2 good friends and myself sunk both motors back into the boat. For anybody that has never tried dropping a pair of TRS equipped big blocks in an older Formula, it is a real treat, let me tell you. After about 5 hours in the rain, we called it a day. The next weekend I got all 28 bolts back in the offshore mounts, all the plumbing and wiring done, and all the cables hooked back up. On Monday of this week I got both drives back on and it was starting to look like a boat again. It took a while to get the hydraulics operating properly, both drives didn't want to go up and down properly, but some bleeding of the rams and some exercising took care of that. The port side K-plane just clicked, and after some diagnosing I determined the motor was dead. I pulled the motor, disassembled it, cleaned the armature and brushes, and it worked like a charm. Tuesday at 5:00 I fired the motors in the boat for the first time since September of 2011. You can imagine my excitement at this point. My next project was getting the pedestals of the bolsters TIG welded as all 4 had broken from the bases. I also sent out the hydroloks and had them rebuilt, and they should be heading back from Crane Aerospace this week. I picked up the engine hatch Friday and it looks like new. I bartered some work with a local fiberglass restoration guy and he spent the weekend buffing the old girl back into shape. It looks awesome. I am hoping to get the hydroloks back this week and get the bolsters working again. I will put the engine hatch on this week after finalizing a couple more things in the bay and hopefully next weekend she goes in the water.
It has been a long couple of years and I know I have way more money in this boat than it is worth, but I love it. I have a certain level of pride in all the sweat equity I have put into my fixer upper. The dark blue color scheme is rare around here and the lines are timeless to me. I have fixed just about every nagging thing that has bothered me at this point, but still have some more projects I want to do in the coming years including more interior and paint work. I also sit here right now with a fair amount of worry about putting it in the water and having something go horribly wrong. I have had just about everything mechanical apart, and hopefully I have put it back together properly. I'm hoping the motors make as much power as Bob thinks they will and she will break 70. Wish me luck guys, because I don't post much here but I have done endless searching to answer my questions. Thanks to all of you guys who may not know you have helped in this, but you certainly have been a huge help
05-12-2014, 08:39 AM
#2
Registered
Congrats starting a new shop that's a big undertaking and get the boat up in running is a lot of work I hope it all works out.
05-12-2014, 06:26 PM
#5
Gold Member
Gold Member
Congrats and best of luck. I understand the worry factor I just finished replacing everything on the top ends of mine last month. Last time I tore an engine down was 1984. Keep us posted that has got to be a blast with 420's my last boat was a 302 with 330s.
05-12-2014, 09:44 PM
#7
Registered
iTrader: (2)
Congrats man! I know the feeling, I finished putting the second drive back on today and hooked up the electrical to the trim pumps so I could trailer it home. Now I can finish putting the risers on and hook up the engine harness plugs and gas lines. Then test fire! Exciting and nervous all at the same time.
Plus it finally got warm here, so kinda itching to buy some fuel!
Brian
Plus it finally got warm here, so kinda itching to buy some fuel!
Brian
05-13-2014, 08:18 PM
#8
The water test went fantastic. Boat is running strong, the midrange is brutal, and with the fuel tank completely full and glass flat water, she broke 70mph on my GPS. I couldn't ask for any more out of it. Everything is working as it should and even my Morel lifters are starting to quiet down finally. I don't see anything leaking in the boat, which for some reason was a real worry of mine. I'm going to take the wife and girls out for a nice cruise tomorrow after work. It feels really good to have her back home.
