The Bird has a new perch
 

Just got the new (new to me) sled last weekend.

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

Check out the meats on this thing!!! 16.5".

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

nice! Eagle is my trailer of choice (3 times) They have a style all their own and are quite a HD build.

details?

used? Did you have to mod it?

where?

the deal?

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

Bought the trailer off OSO Classifieds from "Tweakinit". He's new to OSO. Went to South Carolina to pick it up (he met us there from Fla). Trailer was originally built for a 336. Called Formula and they said the hull on the 336 is almost identical to my 311, as I suspected. Called Eagle too, they said it's the same trailer for both boats. Fits perfectly, all I need to do is move the winch stand back about three inches, boat is up on the bunks about that far and it has a tad too much tongue weight. Interestingly enough, you can see that originally the winch stand was back three inches. Might have slipped forward at some time. Real nice trailer, super heavy-duty. I like it. :D :D

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

[QUOTE=Rippem]nice! Eagle is my trailer of choice (3 times) /QUOTE]

Yup, third one for me too. Three Birds, now three Eagles.

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

yea, I could see it's definitely the right trailer cool!

yup, back 3-4 inches

had it been in salt at all?

surge drums?

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

the 'Bird...the 'Bird...the 'Bird is the wurd... :D


from looking at your skegs, I would guess the old trailer was a low-rider? :p

I see the Jim Earle on the trailer, I know the boat that was under. had seen it on the 'net.

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

According to the "Tweakinit", he bought the 336 out of Canada only a month ago. Didn't want to use this trailer in the brine. So, legend has it, it's never seen salt.

When we swapped the boat over to this new trailer, we tasted the drain water coming out of it. :D No salty taste :D

Looks real nice, no rust except for some rock chips on the cross members. I'll be dailing that in next spring.

Trailer has surge drums on all three axles, powerful stopping.

Skeg paint loss is from the constant sand blast at the Pond. Pretty rough on skeg paint. Hard to avoid sand contact when the channel is only three feet deep. :eek:

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

"Jim Earle" is coming off, "Formula" is going on. :cool:

Gonna replace all the lights with LEDs too. I just love LEDs. :D

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

funny, that's not what she said... :eek:

can't be avoided, mine has it with only a couple thou of road miles. It's not the truck tires, it's the vaccuum cinder-spray effect you know? Try black! I'm thinking for appearance better than the chips, I'll spray the center leg only of the first two x-members with chip-guard like you see on rocker panels

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

Dave, I am glad that the 311 fit well and you are pleased with the trailer. Thanks again, I couldn't have asked for a better situation...

Rippem, so you know the boat? Anything in particular? When I bought her in Canada from Double R, name was "Building Speed" (a contractor was the owner).

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

Hey Jon, glad to see you on the Formula forum!! Welcome. :cool:

Any news on your engines yet?

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

I would think black would be better. Rock gaurd paint sounds like a good idea, think I'll do that.

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

By the way Tweakinit, thanks for the photo resize info. Easy to use even for a technical caveman like me!! :D

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

No ..not know the boat directly but had seen it for sale on the web. Looked super clean, was it?

oh, and welcome to OSO :)

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

not if you wax the trailer like I do!... including all the x-members. ;)

once you wax over those chips in black you can't miss 'em.

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

Yeah, got ya. I had a blue one and a red one. I waxed mine also and you're right. Dryed wax makes the dings stick out bad.

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

Ever see Two guys swappin a boat on two trailers at 5AM on a very cold damp october morning after a approx 1500 mile, 36 hour drive?

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

Good to see you signed up!!

We got 'er done though. We must have looked like a couple of zombies at the ramp. 'Course, who could see us, it was pitch dark!!! :eek:

Reliant was my traveling partner. Good one to have along, he did most of the driving. :D In his brandy new truck too. :cool:

Thanks again buddy.

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

Nice trailer there Mayor, heard you were getting a new one. Looks like mine, except now I'm thinking someone stole one of my axles. Are the 16.5s original? What is the rating per axle?

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

They're original. I think they are rated at 6k each, not positive though. What's nice with those heavy-duty axles and tires is when I'm doing tight maneuvers, the tires don't roll under. Ever since I first saw one of these big Eagles, I wanted one. You can never have too much trailer.

Had radials under my other trailer, never again. Give me big, brawny bias plies any day.

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

They are 6K axles I'm sure. I've never seen an 8-bolt hub on anything less. Eagle used "Axis" axles. 16.5's were used widely up in the industry until the proliferation of 16" tires and the reduced availability of 16.5's

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

Another nice thing about that eagle is it made the trip towing 10k lbs from Canada to Fl a dream. It tows very well...straight and no flexing going down the road.

I really hated to sell the eagle but I knew that if I were to ever put it in salt water that would be the beginning of the end. Now I am having Manning Marine build an aluminum one for me.

The 336 is great. Now, the 525s are at Innovation Marine being rebuilt after I discovered a small gremlin. When I got the boat back to Fl, I changed the oil and filters to Valvoline Racing 40w and Fram HP4s, and was warming the motors up on the water hose. Port OK, starboard starting knocking after a few minutes. It sounded lower end, so I decided to pull both motors and have them gone through since the boat had 350 hrs and the motors had never been touched internally.

Innovation called a few weeks ago and told me what the knocking was. The flame arrestors have welded vent tubes on them and at some point in the boats life one of them broke and was riveted back on. Well, that rivet broke off, fell through the carb and blower, and landed on the top of #2 piston. The knock was the rivet on top of the piston hitting the head. No damage was done since the motor ran maybe 5 secs after the knock was heard.

As of today, I am still very pleased with my decision to buy the boat. Formula builds one like no other. I'm just waiting for my first day on the water with her.

And thanks for the welcome, you guys are cool...

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

Just too bad to go through an entire rebuild (times 2) for a fluke in one motor. Hey, at least you'll have fresh 525s. :cool:
What kind of speeds can you expect from a 336 with 525s? You said you ran in Canada, right?

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

[QUOTE=tweakinit]
And thanks for the welcome, you guys are cool.


Yor are for sure welcome. If you hang around here long enough you will find some of us are cool, some are hot, and some, like Bird/The Mayor simply have a glowing personality (it's a work related thing, sometimes he even glows in the dark ).

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

I have the PB issue with the test of the first 336 built w/525's. :)

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

We ran the 336 on Lake Simcoe up there...we cruised around for about 10 minutes, then we opened her up alittle, steady and solid. Full throttle, trimmed out, and tabbed up, last time I looked at the 75 mph speedo, the needle had gone around the gage and was coming back up the other side. We ran out of lake before I could get a lock on the GPS, and I was too excited to worry about it on the way back to the dock. I figure we hit around 78-80 mph. With this rebuild, I am changing the cam and valve train, and expect to gain 50hp p/motor and some RPMs. I changed to dwp bravo Xs, so when I put her in the salt and do some prop testing, I'd like to see a solid 83mph GPS. (You wouldn't believe it, but I was not allowed to drive. I still haven't driven her, yet.)

BTW, Dave. Your 311 looks great. I looked at one for a while, and finally went for a ride. Thats when I fell for Formula. Congrats on the sweet set-up.

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

Thanks Jon :cool:

So, the guy you bought the boat from wouldn't let you drive it!!??!!??!!?? :eek:

What's with that chit? If I'm gonna buy a boat, I'm gonna drive the damn thing. Guy sounds like a tool.

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

Sorry Dave, I gave the wrong impression. The guys at Double R were great, and I mean that. Their insurance, and past experience led them to that rule. Last summer, Double R took out a customer, and let him drive. Turned out the customer was not as experienced as he said he was, and flew the boat off a cruisers wake, never let off....ended up throwing them around in the boat and the owner of Double R shattered his arm, twisted wrist, stuff like that......so I kinda understood, but I was still upset about it. I would usually NEVER agree to that, but the boat was worth it to me. I probably should have required that I drive at least some, but at this point, the boat is quite mysterious to me, and that will make things very interesting and exciting our first time out. (listen to me, I sound like I'm going out on my first date :D )

Rippem, did that article give any interesting info??

Dave, is that your original cockpit cover, or did you have that made? Looks good.

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

Previous owner had it made just before I bought the boat. It's six years old now and looks as good as new. Whoever made it did a nice job.

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

Need the extra axle for the weight of those heavy Birds! About 1500-2500lbs. heavier.

I think Bird got a few more options on his trailer then you did...Like a 3rd axle, fully intact fenders, and oh yea, a title and registration! :D

Dave

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

I caught that wind a while back... ;)

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

Per the manufacturers websites: Bird = 9500 lbs./ 4309 kgs.
: Beak = 7600 lbs./ 3450 kgs.
The math, for the challenged............. 2100 lbs / 859 kgs.
These are posted dry weights, of the 35' models. The Beak is the Executioner model, like mine, the new style Lightning comes in at 8600 lbs./ 3904 kgs. Which was the reason for the question to the Mayor regarding the 16.5's and the axle ratings. The birds are heavier, but not by enough to warrant another 6k axle. That's a pretty stout trailer.


My Eagle has a Kentucky registration/ title, which, for those of you not familiar, is based on the fact that if it is under your boat and/or hooked to your truck odds are better than 50% that it actually belongs to you. It would appear that in Kentucky, a wonderful state by the way, possession is given more weight than nonessential paperwork.

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

Actually, my 311 weighs 7400 dry, not 9500. And yeah, the trailer is honkin' big but, as I said in an earlier post, you can never have too much trailer.

"nonessentail paperwork" :D :D
The Beakman kills me :drink:

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

Plus,,,,,,, figure it this way:

6000 lbs is the MAXIMUM capacity of each axle. Add up the 7400 dry weight, plus 800 pounds of fuel, plus lets say 200 pounds of various boat stuff plus 2000 lbs for the trailer itself (minus a generous 600 lbs for the axels, overall trailer weight is 2600 lbs) equals a supported weight of about 9400 lbs. Thats a little over 3000 lbs per axle. Puts it right in the middle of the axle's rating which is perfect. Enough for the suspension to work but light enough that the bearings, spindles, brakes, tires and wheels are not taxed at all.

Just right!! :cool:

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

I agree with you on that!!!! Them there BIG tires keep everything cooool :cool: down below, if you know what I mean...


I wonder how Johnny Law feels about that?

You can just keep borrowing the dealer plate I guess...

Dave

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

So maybe that means you can only trailer it in Kentucky! See if the old 1/2 ton would make the trip!

Dave

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

I agree with that statement. I've got a trailer rated to 5200 pounds under my 20 foot Donzi Minx that I don't think tips the scale at 3000#. I frigging hate trailer trouble. I'd rather blow an engine, than break a trailer. If you blow an engine, you can take it home and fix it at your leisure. If you break a trailer, you have to fix it right then, and right there, and it usually happens on a Sunday night when parts are so easy to find. :rolleyes: :mad:

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

Btw, the trailer under my 302 is rated to 10,500#.

Re: The Bird has a new perch
 

That's right!!!!!!!!!!! :cool:

Bigger is better.