Stealin' Thunder, New Home.
12-04-2018, 05:50 AM
#1
Registered
Thread Starter
iTrader: (4)
Stealin' Thunder, New Home.
I had been looking for a new boat for about two weeks when I ran across Stealin' Thunder. I wasn't planning on pulling the trigger until February, but I just loved this boat. With all that said, I finally pulled her home last weekend. I have a few projects on the list, reseal the hatches, add a pair of speakers in the rear of the cockpit, install a bigger sub amp, straighten up the cobbled up battery system, and replace the Northstar chartplotter with a new Raymarine 12" chartplotter. As far as mechanical projects, one of the CMI headers appears to have a leak when we pressure tested them on the boat. So I need to pull that one and send it to CMI for repair.
When I picked up the boat on Saturday, it was raining and when I got it into my Garage, I noticed boat hatches were leaking. Does anyone have a suggestion how to pull and reseal them, without damaging the paint?
While the current stereo is pretty good, it sounds horrible when sitting in the back seat or on the sun pad. All you hear are the subwoofers and in the distance you hear some vocals. If you really push it the Class D Fosgate amp really can't keep up with the bass. Lucky for me I've got everything to make all the changes. I've got the JL 1000/1 amp out of my last boat, and a new set of Wet Sounds Revo 6 speakers that I was going to use in my last project. Actually I have 4 sets, but I don't need that many speakers in this boat. The Polk 6x9's up front are also going to be replaced with some new Wet Sounds 6x9's, and I'll keep the Lanzar bullet tweeters. I just need to find a way to turn them down a bit, they are very efficient and over power everything. Then I'll be installing a new Rockford head unit that will integrate with the Raymarine, and give me bluetooth connectivity.
The battery system currently consists of an Optima Blue top on one bank, and then on the other bank a Group 24 starting battery and a 29 deep cycle. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to set all this up, but I do know the Optima is getting pulled, and I would like to have the house bank separate with a battery isolator to charge it. Also the factory 15 amp Guest charger seems pretty anemic, I think I will replace that with a true charge 40 that I have.
Then last is to replace the Northstar with a new Raymarine Axiom Pro 12. I have to fill a few holes in the dash and repaint it, so this will be the most difficult aspect of the project.
Outside of that, Stealin' Thunder is in great shape, and will be updated and improved come spring!
When I picked up the boat on Saturday, it was raining and when I got it into my Garage, I noticed boat hatches were leaking. Does anyone have a suggestion how to pull and reseal them, without damaging the paint?
While the current stereo is pretty good, it sounds horrible when sitting in the back seat or on the sun pad. All you hear are the subwoofers and in the distance you hear some vocals. If you really push it the Class D Fosgate amp really can't keep up with the bass. Lucky for me I've got everything to make all the changes. I've got the JL 1000/1 amp out of my last boat, and a new set of Wet Sounds Revo 6 speakers that I was going to use in my last project. Actually I have 4 sets, but I don't need that many speakers in this boat. The Polk 6x9's up front are also going to be replaced with some new Wet Sounds 6x9's, and I'll keep the Lanzar bullet tweeters. I just need to find a way to turn them down a bit, they are very efficient and over power everything. Then I'll be installing a new Rockford head unit that will integrate with the Raymarine, and give me bluetooth connectivity.
The battery system currently consists of an Optima Blue top on one bank, and then on the other bank a Group 24 starting battery and a 29 deep cycle. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to set all this up, but I do know the Optima is getting pulled, and I would like to have the house bank separate with a battery isolator to charge it. Also the factory 15 amp Guest charger seems pretty anemic, I think I will replace that with a true charge 40 that I have.
Then last is to replace the Northstar with a new Raymarine Axiom Pro 12. I have to fill a few holes in the dash and repaint it, so this will be the most difficult aspect of the project.
Outside of that, Stealin' Thunder is in great shape, and will be updated and improved come spring!
12-04-2018, 06:20 AM
#2
Registered
Congrats
I think you will find that boat to be a real battleship on lake Michigan. I'm interested in your Raymarine install as that is the unit I'm interested in as well. I've been around that boat quite a bit in the Keys so now I'm sure we will see you up lake Michigan.
I think you will find that boat to be a real battleship on lake Michigan. I'm interested in your Raymarine install as that is the unit I'm interested in as well. I've been around that boat quite a bit in the Keys so now I'm sure we will see you up lake Michigan.
12-04-2018, 12:19 PM
#3
Registered
Congrats, I have owned and ran mine for 2 Summers now, it it does very well on Lake Michigan. We launch and run around the New Buffalo area, hope to see you out there sometime.
12-04-2018, 01:01 PM
#4
Charter Member # 55
Charter Member
Congrats!!!!!!! I was seriously thinking about pulling the trigger on it when it was for sale about 5 years ago.
The way I wired my 3 batteries...
#1 on both switches goes to the primary battery for each engine.
#2 on both switches goes to the house/deep cycle battery......only my stereo is direct connected to it.
If both switches are on ALL, then all 3 batteries are connected and as long as there is one charged, I can start both engines.
I control what gets charged by the alternators with the battery switches.
Perko diagram at bottom https://www.perko.com/help_guides-wi...attery_switch/
The way I wired my 3 batteries...
#1 on both switches goes to the primary battery for each engine.
#2 on both switches goes to the house/deep cycle battery......only my stereo is direct connected to it.
If both switches are on ALL, then all 3 batteries are connected and as long as there is one charged, I can start both engines.
I control what gets charged by the alternators with the battery switches.
Perko diagram at bottom https://www.perko.com/help_guides-wi...attery_switch/
12-04-2018, 10:54 PM
#5
Registered
Thread Starter
iTrader: (4)
Congrats!!!!!!! I was seriously thinking about pulling the trigger on it when it was for sale about 5 years ago.
The way I wired my 3 batteries...
#1 on both switches goes to the primary battery for each engine.
#2 on both switches goes to the house/deep cycle battery......only my stereo is direct connected to it.
If both switches are on ALL, then all 3 batteries are connected and as long as there is one charged, I can start both engines.
I control what gets charged by the alternators with the battery switches.
Perko diagram at bottom https://www.perko.com/help_guides-wi...attery_switch/
The way I wired my 3 batteries...
#1 on both switches goes to the primary battery for each engine.
#2 on both switches goes to the house/deep cycle battery......only my stereo is direct connected to it.
If both switches are on ALL, then all 3 batteries are connected and as long as there is one charged, I can start both engines.
I control what gets charged by the alternators with the battery switches.
Perko diagram at bottom https://www.perko.com/help_guides-wi...attery_switch/
As I understand it, a gel and a flooded battery need to be charged differently and should not be used together.
Last edited by endeavour32; 12-05-2018 at 07:54 AM.
12-10-2018, 09:31 PM
#6
Platinum Member
Platinum Member
I can probably give you some pointers on the hatches, I just re-did mine for aesthetics. Do you have Bomar hatches?
Give me a call, easier to explain over the phone. Steve days 414-791-2225
I’ve seen that boat up at Winnebago and at the factory on several occasions
Give me a call, easier to explain over the phone. Steve days 414-791-2225
I’ve seen that boat up at Winnebago and at the factory on several occasions
12-11-2018, 01:27 AM
#7
Charter Member # 55
Charter Member
Thanks Griff! So do you have a total of 3 batteries? Right now mine is set up fairly similar. A group 24 and 29 on one switch, and then the optima on the other. If it is indeed wired like that chart, then I like the set up. So if add another group 29 or 31, I will have plenty of reserve capacity. Thanks for posting that chart. I just need to get that gel battery out of the chain.
As I understand it, a gel and a flooded battery need to be charged differently and should not be used together.
As I understand it, a gel and a flooded battery need to be charged differently and should not be used together.
The 3rd battery is a 29M deep cycle. The other 2 are the standard marine 24's or 27's. Can't remember which.
My most rear bow hatch will drip/seap a little too when water sits there. Never been able to figure out exactly where the leak starts. I have a bow cover and put that on if they are predicting rain and the boat is outside and not under a roof.
Last edited by Griff; 12-11-2018 at 01:31 AM.
12-11-2018, 05:53 AM
#8
Registered
I had been looking for a new boat for about two weeks when I ran across Stealin' Thunder. I wasn't planning on pulling the trigger until February, but I just loved this boat. With all that said, I finally pulled her home last weekend. I have a few projects on the list, reseal the hatches, add a pair of speakers in the rear of the cockpit, install a bigger sub amp, straighten up the cobbled up battery system, and replace the Northstar chartplotter with a new Raymarine 12" chartplotter. As far as mechanical projects, one of the CMI headers appears to have a leak when we pressure tested them on the boat. So I need to pull that one and send it to CMI for repair.
When I picked up the boat on Saturday, it was raining and when I got it into my Garage, I noticed boat hatches were leaking. Does anyone have a suggestion how to pull and reseal them, without damaging the paint?
While the current stereo is pretty good, it sounds horrible when sitting in the back seat or on the sun pad. All you hear are the subwoofers and in the distance you hear some vocals. If you really push it the Class D Fosgate amp really can't keep up with the bass. Lucky for me I've got everything to make all the changes. I've got the JL 1000/1 amp out of my last boat, and a new set of Wet Sounds Revo 6 speakers that I was going to use in my last project. Actually I have 4 sets, but I don't need that many speakers in this boat. The Polk 6x9's up front are also going to be replaced with some new Wet Sounds 6x9's, and I'll keep the Lanzar bullet tweeters. I just need to find a way to turn them down a bit, they are very efficient and over power everything. Then I'll be installing a new Rockford head unit that will integrate with the Raymarine, and give me bluetooth connectivity.
The battery system currently consists of an Optima Blue top on one bank, and then on the other bank a Group 24 starting battery and a 29 deep cycle. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to set all this up, but I do know the Optima is getting pulled, and I would like to have the house bank separate with a battery isolator to charge it. Also the factory 15 amp Guest charger seems pretty anemic, I think I will replace that with a true charge 40 that I have.
Then last is to replace the Northstar with a new Raymarine Axiom Pro 12. I have to fill a few holes in the dash and repaint it, so this will be the most difficult aspect of the project.
Outside of that, Stealin' Thunder is in great shape, and will be updated and improved come spring!
When I picked up the boat on Saturday, it was raining and when I got it into my Garage, I noticed boat hatches were leaking. Does anyone have a suggestion how to pull and reseal them, without damaging the paint?
While the current stereo is pretty good, it sounds horrible when sitting in the back seat or on the sun pad. All you hear are the subwoofers and in the distance you hear some vocals. If you really push it the Class D Fosgate amp really can't keep up with the bass. Lucky for me I've got everything to make all the changes. I've got the JL 1000/1 amp out of my last boat, and a new set of Wet Sounds Revo 6 speakers that I was going to use in my last project. Actually I have 4 sets, but I don't need that many speakers in this boat. The Polk 6x9's up front are also going to be replaced with some new Wet Sounds 6x9's, and I'll keep the Lanzar bullet tweeters. I just need to find a way to turn them down a bit, they are very efficient and over power everything. Then I'll be installing a new Rockford head unit that will integrate with the Raymarine, and give me bluetooth connectivity.
The battery system currently consists of an Optima Blue top on one bank, and then on the other bank a Group 24 starting battery and a 29 deep cycle. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to set all this up, but I do know the Optima is getting pulled, and I would like to have the house bank separate with a battery isolator to charge it. Also the factory 15 amp Guest charger seems pretty anemic, I think I will replace that with a true charge 40 that I have.
Then last is to replace the Northstar with a new Raymarine Axiom Pro 12. I have to fill a few holes in the dash and repaint it, so this will be the most difficult aspect of the project.
Outside of that, Stealin' Thunder is in great shape, and will be updated and improved come spring!
12-11-2018, 07:31 AM
#9
Registered
Thread Starter
iTrader: (4)
I may work on this over the weekend and see if I can track down the source of the leak. Resealing hatches is a lot of work, so I want to make sure I'm fixing the right thing. I did just notice that my boat did at some point have a bow cover as well. I'm probably going to have a new one made to protect the paint from the sun and birds. I do need to figure out were the leak is though, because they both leak. If I'm overnighting on it, I don't want to have rain drops on my head.
12-11-2018, 07:46 AM
#10
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iTrader: (4)
So this past weekend I got around to some of the projects on my list. The most worrisome one was that one of the headers was leaking. So I pulled it and tested it in a water tank. Lucky for me, the leak was a pin hole in the weld on the cool collar (outside of the header). So this will be an easy fix. I talked to Eddie Young about the 525 header issues, and I was told that the up to early 06, non cool collar headers, where the bad ones. He said as a whole the 525 header is very solid, and a good header. So at least I don't need to worry about replacing the exhaust.
I also worked on the stereo system. While I didn't care for it much at first, I adjusted the gains, and the crossover points and it really sounds good now. I did replace the Sony head unit with a new Fusion Apollo, but that was for integration with the GPS, and to add bluetooth connectivity. I really wanted to use the Rockford Fosgate head unit I had, but it was too large to fit in the panel AT has for the stereo. The last thing I want to do was to cut holes to fit in a stereo.
I also worked on the stereo system. While I didn't care for it much at first, I adjusted the gains, and the crossover points and it really sounds good now. I did replace the Sony head unit with a new Fusion Apollo, but that was for integration with the GPS, and to add bluetooth connectivity. I really wanted to use the Rockford Fosgate head unit I had, but it was too large to fit in the panel AT has for the stereo. The last thing I want to do was to cut holes to fit in a stereo.
