Fountain 48 dash redo
 

Getting rid of all of the gauges

More[ATTACH=CONFIG]538958[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]538959[/ATTACH]

Windshield had to come off so redoing it too!

It takes a lot of thought and work to redo a dash. I am doing the same kind of thing on my boat. At least we are on the back side of the project and things are now going back in the other direction...the assembly direction and it's looking good. Keep the vision!

And the cost is x3 of what you planned:)

Already there!

Yeah,...well, I can tell you it wasn't any less. We had to move the helm station/steering wheel, throttles/shifts, and trim indicators from the center of the cockpit to the Starboard side. Built a new dash panel out of 1/4" aluminum plate, and painted it to make it look like carbon fiber...all new Auto Meter marine gauges, Blue Sea switches, and all kinds of new electrical Blue Sea stuff...so, yeah, there's a little more there than what I originally planned.

I'd wouldn't mind posting some photos of the project, but I'm not sure if there is a simple way of downloading photos from a cell phone to the computer...I cannot keep up with all the latest cell phone trends....too far behind.

Sounds cool.
Easiest way is to go though drop box or something like it

Cut and lowered

Do you are recessing the dash? Nice! That'll really give a more open look. What's the 2 knobs to left of steering wheel, thruster controls?

Shifters on left, throttles on right!

Looks good. What was the reasoning in choosing the Auto Meter gauges, I'm not terribly familiar with their marine products. Generally you see Livorsi or Gaffrigs.

Plug is in primer

Almost done!

Cocky!

Windshield done

Almost there

Looks great, very nice work, congrats!

Getting closer!

now.....that is just absurd :D Looks great, I like the throttles on the left however. Doesn't bother me, and I can still control the boat if the wife needs to steer while I drink

First class job!

Switch panels

Love the "ejection seat" switch haha

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ibOeXCecEvw/hqdefault.jpg

It was better than ACC until I find something else to put there

Finishing touches and lower panel are all that remain.

Congrats, it looks great.

I'm new here, so I apologize in advance if i'm asking this question in the wrong forum, but I figure given the subject boat, you guys may be able to point me in the right direction. I own a 2006 48 Express Cruiser with the standard triple Yanmar 440's with Arneson surface drive set-up. She needs a gasket replaced on the center engine this winter, but since access to the motor is pretty limited, i'm wondering if anyone has had to work on this motor and if they opted to pull the motors closer to the transom to pull the center engine, or if they cut the floor and installed a large hatch (which the company has since done with newer models).

Happy to provide additional details/pics, any info would be very helpful.

Thanks

I have wondered the same as well. I hope to not have to come across this anytime soon. What type of gasket?

Unfortunately it appears to be a head gasket or perhaps the head itselt. Happy to have a more in depth conversational to what lead me to this conclusion if you'd like, but don't want to inundate others given its unrelated to original thread topic.

Unfortunately it appears to be a head gasket or perhaps the head itselt. Happy to have a more in depth conversational to what lead me to this conclusion if you'd like, but don't want to inundate others given its unrelated to original thread topic.

So sorry to hear that. I was looking at 48's, and often wondered how in the hell you would ever get to that center engine. Through my research, I did learn that the 440's seem to have quite a few valve train issues. Hopefully you didn't drop a valve :(

I'd be very interested in how they ultimately get to the engine. Would be a good idea to start a new thread.

Best of luck.

Artie - thanks for the note - The center engine actually dropped a valve back in 2008, and Yanmar replace the entire engine, and performed valve jobs on the remaining two. All under warranty, thankfully. At that time they pulled the starboard engine to get to the center engine, but because it was a replacement versus repair I'm wondering if the methodology for access was different. The lead mechanic at Fountain, recommended to me today that I have the port engine pulled to do the work, but given the discrepancy I figured I'd see if anyone else had any feedback/input/experience. Today the new 48's come with an access hatch to get to the center engine, but I'm not sure what other structural reinforcements they've made, so I'm hesitant to take a saw to it!

As a sidenote, according to Mack Boring who is one who did the vast majority of the rebuilds for Yanmar, it was only a short run of the 440's that were affected, and generally if the motor made it past 200hrs you were in the clear. Yanmar/Mack Boring will run the serials for you if you have any questions/concerns.

Thanks,
Joe

Sorry to hear. I bought mine with fresh power from Mack Boring and yes they are miserable to work on center or port engine. I have a belt that constantly comes off the stb engine and have not been able to diagnose. I am thinking I have an alternator issue that may be causing it.

Thanks for the info, Joe. It's good to know it's only a specific serial range, and by the sounds of it most of the affected engines should be beyond the failure zone or they have been repaired. Love my 47, but a 48EC will probably be our next boat.

Good luck with the repairs!

Amazing job, Ive always thought fountains had the ugliest dashes. Just an fyi, consider wrapping or plasti dipping the garmin covers, I did mine in a carbon fibre wrap and put the logo on it again and they look great

Fountain 48 Dash redo Questions
 

Hello Dirty,
I am in the process of purchasing a fountain 48. What product did you use to convert the Analog gauges to NMEA2000? Seems the only thing still on the market is Actisense.
Also, Do you still have the dash mold? how do you like it after separating throttle and shifter controls with throttles on left?

By the way, I tried to PM you but your box is full.

Hook'em

Hey Dirty, clear your inbox if you’re still on here. Especially if you still own the 48 you redid the dash on. Thank you, Larry. Or call/txt me 83zero-45nine-fifteen30

Inbox cleared.

Not according to OSO, it still won’t let me msg you. My number is above if you’d like to call me. Your boat is sitting there with water standing in the cabin and I’m just tying to help.