Goodies!

RPM Performer. No mount for the choke, hmm guess I have to go electric.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...6C7B317A07.jpg

Teak Swim Platform. Gotta have a platform as much as I swim at Kelleys Island on Sundays.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...68FC89A1A1.jpg

Also made a pressure tester. Testing the first drive tonight after its done draining. Oil looks good tho, so im optimistic. Will still put new impellers in them and resets.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...68FFD9C171.jpg

Researching long blocks so if this block is trashed I have a place ready to go. Ill try to get it to the machine shop by the end of the week to find out for sure.

Still too cold to work much in the bilge, may start sanding teak in the garage to get that knocked out.

Billy

That old teak swim platform looks about like mine did before I started on it!!!

Hell Yeah, thats the beauty of Teak, can always make it look like gold!

Messing around in the garage, I got my drives split and ordered new water pumps. Picked up some Oil Based Tractor Paint and Hardner from TSC today, so soon as I get the pumps/seals replaced Ill paint them up nice and shiny :)

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...D28671604A.jpg

Then I had a little daylight, and some decent temperature (45 lol), so I decided to start getting the bilge ready for paint. You know, fill some holes with PB, degrease, pressure wash etc. Things took a turn in another direction when I found a crack in my Stbd battery shelf that subsequently turned into this..

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...D2935001B0.jpg

Got all the wet wood and foam out, that was a PIA. Ill cut up some new wood and order some resin and mat tomorrow. Good thing Formula made this small "locker" independent from the stringers, transom, and motor mounts, or I would still be out there ripping out wood. Everything on the other side of this locker was glassed on its side. Shame they didn't glass both sides of the wood or it probably would have been solid. They did put a pvc pipe drain in it, but the filled it with foam so it was clogged lol. Everything else looks pretty solid, so if this is all the glass I have to do in the bilge I will be super happy. The front part of this was a super PIA because its under the floor, no way to cut the glass. So I just cut up as far as I could and "dug" out the wood and foam with a paint scraper. Just the shell up there remains, not sure how I am going to get wood back in it yet, its a tight fit.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...D28A07E3AF.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...D290321387.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...D28D415175.jpg

Also ordered my rebuild kits and floats for the carbs. Found a guy locally that will rebuild both carbs for $150. Not a bad deal IMO. The marina's on Catawba charge $250 each.

Still slowly taking apart my bad motor, but I can tell its seized up pretty good. Probably not worth rebuilding so I'm leaning towards a long block. Need to go to Auto Zone tonight to rent a Harmonic Balancer Puller, then drain the oil, flip the engine to get the oil pan off. Should then be ready to go back as a core soon as I buy a block.

Toying with the idea of using electrolysis (homemade hot tank) to clean up my exhaust manifolds, thermostat housing, harmonic balancer, and water pump. Then I can start repainting them a contrasting color to dress up the lil SB's a bit. Idk tho, we'll see.

Thats all for now!

Billy

Wow you really get busy!!!

Got to, clocks ticking. Only 2 months till Memorial Day!

Got all my boards cut and rounded for the rotter batter tray. Need to get some glass and resin to get it in. Had to do it in 2 sections to get underneath the existing glass.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...3FEFD2A919.jpg

Then I started taking off the old decals.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...3F59AE3DB0.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...3F5CD564CF.jpg

Then I power washed the filthy deck, scrubbed it with simple green, and power washed it again. Looks better but not good enough. Might have to see what it would cost to paint the top of the boat from the rub rails up. The bow needs it as well. If I do most of the prep work, might be able to get off somewhat reasonable. The last guy got really messy with the carpet glue. Grr.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...3FE8D3D135.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...3FF2FA29E3.jpg

Then I started looking in the cabin at some wood I have to replace there, and it led me to checking out the tank. It looks ok, but I think its going to have to come out so I can replace one of the floor stringers under the captains bolted. Ill have it cleaned and pressure checked at a radiator shop while its out, and paint it with POR 15 before it goes back in, assuming its ok. Getting it outs going to be a b**$^. Probably syphon it empty, cut the belly straps, try to pry away the foam around it, and lift it out with a hoist. Supoosed to be cold as hell tomorrow tho, probably sand teak in the garage.

Billy

Damn boy...you're in it now!! Welcome to the club!!:evilb:

Thanks??? Haha wish I wasn't but oh well, I knew it needed a lot of work when I bought it, can't really say I didn't know what I was getting into when I bought it. Atleast I know it will be solid when Im done. Good thing Im single with no kids haha

Sorry to hear about your drives man, hopefully insurance bought you two brand new ones?

Billy...wasn't the drives but the Bravo Transom Assemblies. The shop owner is making good on it and I am buying replacements from my friend Diego.

Thanks for your thoughts....

Well, thats better then the drives I suppose, but how the hell did they pull that off? They jumped inside the bilge and unbolted your plates? Those are some ballsy thieves! Glad to hear its not costing you anything tho and the shop is doing the right thing.

Wow that is alot of work you get done in a day!!! Very impressive!! I'm tired just watching!!!!

I haven't had to do any major projects to mine not nessasary projects anyway!! Thank god!! It looks like every other thread like yours is the same! Once you get started tearing into it you just find more and more to do!!!

Yeah, im trying not to get too caught up in the "while im at it" cliche, but I had problems with my last boats gas tank and ended up replacing it with a poly tank which solved everything. Definitely a big project, have to realize that some things are going to have to wait until this winter when I have a full 6 months to work on it. Right now getting it mechanically and structurally solid are my main goals, and cosmetically decent. Ill do a whole mess of upgrades when I have more time, she will be perfect by the time next season rolls around but I do want to be able to use her this season as well so some things may have to wait and/or be done during the summer week(s) when she's not getting used.

But there's ALWAYS something to do on a boat!

Billy

Jees, I look at this thread and I keep having flashbacks to my project!

PM me your contact information if you would please, I want to call you and talk about my old motors. Dug them out today and looked them over, but easier to talk than write it all down. Oh, and best time to reach you.

Brian

Good Talking to you today Brian, let me know bout the Jasper Motor and Ill get my heads to you. Seems like the best way to go!

Thanks again!
Billy

More goodies :)

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...52F7AE4DA8.jpg

Hell of a deal on some 1.5 oz CSM and some old school 20 oz Woven. Sucks the csm is only 14 inches but I have a sh!t ton of it so I should be good to go for whatever I do glass wise.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...5196EFA22D.jpg

Starting digging out the tank today. Brian gave me a great idea to use a wire rope saw to free it from the hull. That should work great. Should have it out tomorrow or Friday.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...519B3C0791.jpg

I finally found water in the last 6 inches of foam, until that point it was all dry. Glad I found some, otherwise it wouldn't have made much sense for me to dig all that out, even though I need to tank gone to get to the softspot I need to address. Makes me feel a little better tho!

Thats all for now, plugging away!

Billy

Success! My arms hurt...

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...37479028_n.jpg

Billy

Holy crap!!! All Im dicking with is oil changes and speakers and a depthfinder!!! You are the man!! Well done!!

I was just sitting in mine having a beer thinking all the stuff I need to do and then I see you extracting a gas tank!!! Lol

You are a lucky man! Wish that's all I was dickin with! This project is about to get interesting......

I enjoy watching these kinds of threads!!

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...B35466F6B9.jpg

All nice and clean. Unfortunately I opened up another can of worms :poopoo: Center stingers are mush, decks are going to have to come out to replace those. Thinking about 6-8 inches up on the vertical part, after the bend should be easy enough to hide the seam behind the carpet as well as the trim pieces that will go there as well..

Getting ready to cut my boat up today, wish me luck.

I keep telling myself this is completely normal. haha


Billy

When i saw the shovel and shop vac I knew this couldn't be good....:poopoo:

Lol yeah, but it's completely normal right?!? ... Lol

Cleaned off the carpet glue.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...E7CC6BD153.jpg

Line in the sand has been drawn, just gotta grow the balls to make the cut.....Hey its just fiberglass right?

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...E8470F00CA.jpg

Always have balls, might just be a little out of my mind on this one though...

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...F4A316FC04.jpg

Rotten.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...F4AA82B065.jpg

Formula should have made these removable from the factory. I am a little disapointed with their "waterproofing". My Sea Ray was older but didn't have a rotten piece of wood on it and it sat uncovered outside for atleast one tough winter.

Guess its time to open up those boxes and start ditching bad wood. Nice little Saturday huh?

Billy

Good day at the office I suppose. Stringers out. Next is bulkheads and the top of the Starboard "box", Port side is good. Then I can start cutting the replacements.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...0C4C003F8B.jpg

Cleaned up.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...0C4FAC5468.jpg

Holiday is gonna cut into my boat time tomorrow.

Billy

Paying your dues my friend...rewarding in th end.

That's what I keep telling myself. First day on the water and I'll forget all these dog days. Eye on the prize.

Is this normal for these boats? How do you know if the wood is rotten? What holds that center fiberglass up over the gas tank? Mine seems to be just a little spongy there also!! Not spongy over the port and starboard sides of the cockpit at all!!

That fiberglass hatch is held up by the fiberglass deck on either side, if port and stbd of it are solid you're probably ok. Although, if you go looking, you will probably find something. My stbd side was very soft, that's what started this. You can pull that hatch and check the condition of that forward bulkhead, and from inside the cabin. If its wet, all the wood in there probably is by the way Formula put these together.

I would leave it alone lol

Billy

Back at it today.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...AA752A1E5B.jpg

Popped open the Stbd belly box. Yummy. That brown stuff is standing water.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...AA75AA60EA.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...AA78BCB46B.jpg

Dont stop till you hit the back of their teeth I suppose. Ran out of cut off wheels so couldn't start the other side :(

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...AA7C39E0AB.jpg

Also started taking apart my locked up motor.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...AA7F50A5A7.jpg

Frozen piston. Still need to get the last 2 pistons out, kinda hard when the crank dosn't spin. Everything else surprising looks good.

Still continuing down the rabbit hole, but I see an end in sight. Hope to have all the bad wood out this week and starting templates for new wood this weekend. Resin is ordered.

Billy

you better have the end in sight!!! if not, you will be looking at the trailer. You have guts man, I will give you that. In the long run I think about doing something like this to an older scarab. Complete deck off restoration. Would be interesting for sure....

Sending a PM also.

Brian

P.S. Oh, what do the valves look like on the head from that rusted cyclinder? Rusty also? Wonder if you had a manifold, riser or gasket go bad and it backfilled into one of the middle cyclinders. If the exhaust valve is open, it will drain into the cyclinder and then rust the bore up locking the steel rings to the walls. Might be what you are up against.

Is the oil galley cracked above the lifters or is that just a rust line?

Ill check out the valves tomorrow and post a pic. The rings are def fused to the cylinder, like cold welded lol. Not a crack by the lifters, its a rust line. The one core plug was popped out of the block and the oil was very watery.

Billy

Getting close to being done cutting out wood. One more day of cutting and I should be done with all the rotten stuff. The boxes in the cabin will probably have to come out, but they are so small compared to the mid boxes I'm not even mad. lol

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...38F0276D5D.jpg

The center stringer that goes from the aft bulkhead to the middle motor mounts is bad, atleast by the bulkhead I removed. Im probably going to cut it back a foot and see if I get to good wood, but I doubt it. Does anyone know if it goes through the center motor mount box or if its just glassed up against it?

Billy

It's a real good start! I love seeing people taking the time to keep these old classics alive!

Thanks! I've read your whole build thread, REALLY nice job. inspiration/motivation for sure! The cabin doors look like they are turning out sweet!

Billy

Not much wood left in this thing now! Starting templates tomorrow. Will get the 2 bulkheads and center stringers back in place before ripping out the rest of the cabin boxes and the vberth bulkhead.

My plan as of now is to PL the new stringers and bulkeads into the "slots" left behind by the old tabbing. The new wood will be coated in resin and then wrapped in 1.5 oz CSM before going in. Then ill make up some PB to fillet transition into the old tabbing, and then continue with the new tabbing using 20 oz woven. Might add a couple of bulkheads inbetween stringers, not sure yet.

I know conventional methods would have me grind down the slots, and lay the stringers off of the deck 1/4 inch, and start with all new tabbing, but I cant come up with a reason why my plan wont work just as good, save me grinding time, and allow me to place the new stringers in the exact place that the old ones were. If anyone has a reason why I shouldnt do it this way, please share..

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...C509F7ADF2.jpg

Ready to get some wood back in this old girl!

Billy

Thanks! Tons of hard work! I look at your thread and it brings back some good and not so good memories! :lolhit:

Keep up the good work!