Installing 1/2" spacers next Monday. The slip is better turning out, but still to high at 18%. We can not add diameter, so will go down looking for more bite. Staggered boats are harder to get set up to me because of the diameter limitations.

Hi Mrpickett357 , the next timer you are in the bilge of your boat I was wondering if you could measure the overall length of the bilge transom to bulkhead . Just trying to figure how much room I would need if I decide to stagger the flat deck.
Thanks Rick G.

Well, back to work, the 4" wide old school SS waterpickup is causing all the High Slip issues. We will make a template to have a custom teague marine rams horn pickup built, and cut some feeder ramps into the bottom. With 18" prop centers, the pickup is disturbing to much water. We will also raise the extension boxes up 2" and add spacers to get back down to optimal height.

Just food for thought every Staggered boat that we have built have all run inboard rotation we found that the slip was a lot greater on outboard rotation. Straight bottom 38 Larry Smith Scarab VI drives 1.5 inches below the bottom was the best setup we found we run 17.5 x 37 Merc 5 blades

This one ran better out, because of the disturbed water flow from the pickup I think. When we get the pickup replaced, we will try in again, thank you for the insight. It all helps.

Coolerman produces these of they are of any interest to you.

http://www.pfintercoolers.com/Other_Products.html

Once you open the link scroll down for the water pick ups,...


Jon

Top quality!

Hey ZP and 357 I know you guys are pretty busy but if my request too much trouble let me know and I go another another route . Thanks just the same .
Rick G.

I will get it for you today, when we wash them. I would stay with side by side, just my opinion, but the staggered is a pain. But it does have the look cool factor. Sarasota Races this weekend.

pm kid apache, he's had a few staggered flat decks and has one now

Thanks ZP and Cig92 . Cig92 I went to the trouble to notch my hull and the results so far are noticeable so if I do actually do the stagger thing I would want to keep the notch , the other flat decks you referr to are more than likely not notched . ZP at this point I am scoping out the project the measurements are the first step . I agree it may not be worth it but man you have to like the cool factor.

Rick G.

100 inches from transom at top of tailpipes, to firewall under the lip.

Thanks ZP .

Why spend the money converting a boat to staggered configuration when you can get one of the fives Topguns from factory. One will be for sale real soon without power but with drive train #5, brand new interior, rigging and more.

Nice to see the Aluminum Cougar in the water, wasn't that a triple before?

Jon

It is still a triple the center drive is a 4 and fixed at straight. The outers steer they are 3s I think. Big Psi blower motors, it is still fast. Crash boxes, very cool to watch Billy dock it.

Thanks for the update, very cool old school set -up!

Anymore photo's of the ole girl?


Jon

One

From the New Years run this year.

http://i62.tinypic.com/2aanayg.jpg

Skatermike82 let me know when it hits the market . Feel free to pm me.
Rick G.

Drives off, rear engine out, hatch off, POS water pick up removed, extension boxes raised 2 inches, new ram horn water pickup with ramps cut into the bottom next. The port is raised in this pic, starboard next.

If we could just get rid of the antique, heavy, slow, heavy, heavy, barn door flaps this old girl might get to the triple digits.

you. are. over achieving.

As thick as the castings are on those barn doors, might put them in a Mill and put Steps in the tabs
to get rid of the vacuum effect .... LOL


Jon

you laugh but i've been thinking about that for years. even if they where a bunch of small "45" cuts in the tabs. it would have to help

Care to share which staggered Flat Deck he has now?

The pickups were over 4" wide, we tried cutting it down but went to negative pressure in the strainer and temps shot up. We welded a piece back in to get running. There is a third pickup in the middle for force feeding the intercoolers that we are not using. We feed them from the dual stage sea pump. The template has be sent to build the Rams horn pickup. Should be about 10 days.

Back on it, the Teague pickup came in. So it was temp mounted, and the feeder slots marked.

Then the slots were cut, and the pickup trimmed, cut, modified, to create the smallest amount of drag. A little more test fittings, and then gel coat the slots and polish.

Great work ZP . I have one question being the over builder I tend to be , I would have added material to inside of the hull to compensate for the material removed from the exterior . Are you planning to do that ? Or is there enough material it is not a concern.
Rick G.

That's a cool mod, too bad I had mine made fixed.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]543695[/ATTACH]

I never got past any glass, the notch the pickup goes thru is 3 5/8" thick. I estimate the hull to be 1 1/4 inches thick where the slots are. This from measuring at the drain plugs. These old girls are heavy duty. I know on a Beak I would have ground thru. I am waiting on the gel coat to cure now. Then we will bolt it on, and install the drives again. They will probably need 1.5 spacers, but we will try several.

I kind of figured that . Cool.
RG.

Pickups complete, drives back on, plumbing done

Looks great ZP . I have a concern on mine and I would think given those monster pickups you have the same situation . How are you managing water pressure . Does the system have a bypass of some sort you can manipulate or is it just done by changing the height of the adjustable pickup. My pickups are fixed and I am not a fan of the grind to tune method .
RG.

On my boat it was grind and tune, on this one the pickups are adjustable up and down, so we will control it that way. The engine comes back from Chief Wednesday, so we will install it this weekend, it needed a new oil pan, the PS cooler dripped salt water on it and made it ugly.

just read this entire thread..

what a read.. glad i read it. you did some amazing work on this boat. i love it

Can't wait to hear the numbers . Are you going to start with spacers or run as is and then add to tune ?
RG.

Awesome work as always, Here are the pick-ups I built for my boat.
Same concept with keeping pick-ups above running surface, and allowing
water to flow up and it. Had 90 hours in building them....

Also notice the adjustment arm on them, I can adjust the internal pipe up
or down from inside the boat until I have desired water pressure.. then lock in place.


Jon

Very nice, great craftsmanship.

We are going to try it at the 2" higher location, but we have a set of 1.5 and .5 spacers ready.