Mike...Audiofn is right...there is alot of stress that is put on that stringer and all you need is to be rammin on it and tweek it just right and now have a engine drop down and now you have the oh **** factor. I know it costs, but you might as well fix it right and be done.If you were up here I would help you out.

Jon ... I am thinking most of the force on that stringer would be from the transom to the bulkhead. Support for the push from the drives... I tore out some more today and the stringers from the Fuel tank forward seem ok ... I have a fan running 24hours drying everything out ...Just one nite made a huge difference. Working 12 hour nite shifts make it slow going, but we'll get there. I do plan on calling Formula and get an opinion from them. The main stringer is solid as a rock except for that last 18". Thanks for the input. I am sure the plan will change accordingly.

I see and understand better by these pictures why it is so hard to take the fuel tank out... IT IS GLUED IN THE FOAM! There is not even a quarter inche to put straps underneath it to lift it! Tough job!

U Need a Formula Fuel Tank Remover ..... aka chainsaw .......... makes short work of the foam ...

You see that in my thread?

One thing I will point out. When you put the bulkhead in. How are you going to attach the stringers back up to the bulkhead? The only way that I see is to cut out the back 6" or so of the floor so that you can tab it in. We tried to attach it with cabosile (sp) and it did not work at all.

Jon

Remember the boat twists when you hit waves. That is the stress that is probably going to cause a issue.

Jon

I am thinking if I use the seacast I will make a form out of 1/2 plywood totally encapsulating the plywood in Fiberglass ..the plywood toward the bow would be tabbed in before the 2nd piece (on the inside.towards the stern).The 2nd Piece would also be tabbed towards the Stern. Then pour the seacast for the bulkhead and also the bad section of the Stringer. A solid T will be formed .. Main Question is the joint in the stringer. It bothers me too ... Seacast is sending some info and a sample. Also .. where the outside stringers dead ended to the bulkhead. I can feel up in there now and it is wet. But both those outside stringers are rock solid so I suspect the damage is only where the stringer joined the bulkhead.

oh .... and yea .. robbed the chainsaw method from your thread ....

It was funny. When I went over to my buddy and asked him how to take the tank out he handed me the chain saw. I about died and though he was joking. It did work REAL well however.

Make sure that those stringers are 100% dry no matter what you do. You are going through EXACTLY what I did. I thought I could just tab the stuff in and then found out later that that was just a temporary patch job. Hopefully you can get a moisture meter to barrow from some one to make sure that it is dry. Also my stringers were very good in the middle but as I got to commit myseld to just pull up the floor I did find that the rot was up forward in the bulkheads at the cabin also. That being said my boat was built different then yours is. Not trying to bum you out at all just do not want you to get caught off guard.

Jon

Mike,
I am a new-be to the boards, I've got an '87 311 that is very clean except I've never been real happy with the engine compartment. Being a gear head that place should be spotless. I've thought of pulling the iron to squeeze more HP and to clean and detail the compartment. All I do now is stare at the pictures in your thread. I think I'll leave mine alone for now!!!
Best of luck with your project.