Alright, I figure I'll document this while I do it instead of after it's comlete. If nothing else, it should be some entertainment for those of you up in the cold

So one of my motors sh!t the bed over labor day...that's what started this snowball rolling. At first I said I'd only pull and fix the blown motor, that didn't happen, pulled both of them. It was only logical to do them both together. Then I swore I wouldn't touch the bilge other than to give it a good cleaning...well that hasn't happened either, lol.

Here's the plan.
- Build two new 509ci fuel injected Whipple motors
- Rebuild the tranny's
- check outdrives over
- Re-paint the bilge
- Update some old items in bilge like pumps, blowers and some misc electrical connections/wires
- New battery boxes with custom painted tops
- LED's to highlight all the pretty new hardware
That should do it for the next few months

So here's where I'm at so far. Both motors pulled and new ones are under way, bilge half de-rigged and in process of being prepped for paint. What a sh!t ton of work the bilge is...but hopefully it will be worth every hour spent when it's all done...I wonder if it will end up looking anywhere close to what I'm thinking it will now in my mind???

Anyways, here's some pictures as I know how you all lover pictures!

Engines before


Engines out


Bilge Before


Bilge in process


Bilge all over floor


Comments welcome of course and I'll try to update this as often as I can. Hope to have everything done within the next month, but I already know how's that's going to go...will probably take three!

What you are doing is bringing me back to the same project i did last year on my Flat Deck. It is alot of work but the first time you take it out and open the hatch its hard to wipe the smile off your face. Good luck with everything and keep us updated.

THis will be a fun froject to follow...are those 525's? You prolly should sell the old SM exhaust to me cheap so you can upgrade to accomodate the new power! Hahahah, good luck and have fun with it!

Thanks for the encouragement...now let's see some pix of how your project came out

Yeah actually already slightly upgraded 525sc's. They already had 502's instead of 454's. If I sell the SM exhaust it won't be for cheap because this project is draining every single $$ I have so they would have to be sold for expensive so I could replace them

Good stuff! Looking forward to following the progress

You got a case of the "might as wells" start one thing and might as well do this while i can. the others are right, you will love it when its done... looks like fun in a pain in the ass sort of way too.

I just finished my bilge and it was a ton of work. With the motors out I decided I had to do it and it was well worth it. I painted all the mounts, cleaned all the wiring, blowers, pumps, all new nuts and bolts. The most time consuming thing was putting all the wiring and hoses back neatly and tight. I think I spent about $300 on those little rubber cable clamps. With winter up here I have to find things to do , I go crazy sitting around the house.

I started the same way. Burnt a hole in the head a couple weeks after Labor Day and so forth and so on...

I am about one week ahead of you on the same process. The second coat of paint goes in the bidge tomorrow (pending temps). The second motor is being deno'ed today.

Thanks Kurt!

Offshore you're so right...the might as wells suck! I swore I wasn't going to paint the bilge...but after looking at it a couple times I said, well the engines are out I might as well...and then it pretty much hasn't stopped since. Might was well replace the bilge pumps and hoses while I'm doing it...and might as well finally get the battery boxes that I wanted...and might was well powder coat all those little things that have been bugging me...well, you get the point

jbraun I hear you on those clamps, I'm not to the point of putting it back together yet but I can only imagine how much I'm going to spend on cable clamps and wire ties. Some of the cables were wire tied every two inches!

Let's see some pictures Rebar And spill the details on the motors

The thing that sucks doing this down here in FL is that I could be boating right now, but I always look for the positives so in that light I just keep telling myself I'm saving money on fuel

I am doing the same project as we speak. Who is doing your motor work and what power are you shooting for? My motors are at Richie Zuls right now for frshening and a nice little upgrade. Friggin boats so fun but a big drain on hte check book!