ConstantS,

We used conventional automotive polishes and buffing pads. Imron is TOUGH stuff!! IRC we used a heavy cut first and then a fine cut for the final polish.

We don't wetsand anything . . there are new dry ultra fine grit D/A pads that work so much better.

I suggest you figure out how thick the Imron was applied before doing any sanding. On my boat there were some chips near the trailer bow eye where we could see that paint thickness was more than normal.

The best part about Imron is there's no need to wax .

Mario L.

Hello Mario

i need to talk to you about my X5. LOL
let me know when is a good time

Thank you Jim

Mario .

Thanks, I dont think I need sanding but I'll try the same stuff that I used on the white gelcote deck. 3M automotive car polish gave it a good shine so lets see what happens.

Patrik .

It's been a long time, a new home, a very busy business and life got in the way of progress on my Magnum 27 project.

But after a summer with very little boating time my wonderful wife has basically told me "Finish the Magnum, I'm not spending another summer on the dock!"

I've made some progress since an update on this thread.

The engines are completed and finally coming back to my shop from the machine shop in the next week. We built these as 377 cu in since I started with new Dart blocks. This will allow me to rebuild in a few years and bore OS, and I'll get much longer life from the engines. I still expect to see 500 HP and similar torque from these.
We chose AFR heads which were totally coated by Dart to avoid any corrosion.

I acquired 2 low hour Volvo 280 drives from a Cigarette 28 and have had these rebuilt. We set these up with different gear lash so that each drive has a dedicated direction of rotation. These will get the last two Big Grizzly Solas SS props, they were supposed to be 23P, but are 21P . . so future prop work will be required. My engines will have to much power for these and running the Volvos at high rpms for extended periods is not my desire.

New K Planes have been added and Imco hydraulic steering will be installed on what is now a new transom, built with the drives raised 2"

I'll post some pics at the end of the weekend. Taking a long break from this and getting back to it now has me re-envigorated.

Mario,
Good to hear the progress you are making. Whats the ratio on the volvo drives? FYI my setup with 550hp a side and 1.5 bravo drives, I turn a stock 32" bravo 1 4blade to 5k. I would guess you need 25-26" of pitch depending on the drive ratio.

- Marshall

Drives are 1.5 : 1 I do expect that props will be needed.
I can run the engines much to higher RPMs , but that is not the desire.

The shop that built the drives feels higher rpms with contemporary synthetic lubricants will be fine as long as I keep the props in the water . .

The drives have nose cones, professionally done, and I am leaving the water pick up passage open through the drive. We figure that at speed this will cause lots of water flow through the drive at a small loss in speed, but increased cooling.

Mario are you sure there 1.5:1 ? Most V8 Volvo drives are 1.6:1 ratio like my Magnum has. Mark

I did't realize how much time has passed since I updated this forum and thread. Some of you have followed along on Donzi.net , lots has happened!

Last weekend I finally completed the repower and launched the boat. With new K Planes, gauges, all wiring, new trim pumps, and power steering. After a few shakedown issues, bad hose clamps that failed and allowed a cooling pump to fill the bilge, a serpentine idler pulley that came apart, all went well and we burned up 75 gallons of 93 octane.

I'll load some pics from a PC later.

So my summer has ended.
With a bilge full of engine oil.......

After running all summer recreationally, never really pushing the boat hard and only one afternoon of big waves both engines were no longer pulling upper revs. Last Wednesday I brought the boat out to the island to leave it for the weekend. On the 5 mile run from the ramp to the island the port engine pushed the dipstick out of the tube and with it 7 qts of oil. What a freaking mess! Fortunately I arrived at the dock with a little bit of oil pressure left. Today I filled that engine back up with oil and started it. Luck would have it oil pressure is good and there's no noises.
As my daughter had traveled in for the weekend and not yet been out in the Magnum we went for a 20 mile ride. No issues, other than the port engine running a bit warmer ... Both throttles synched at the same position, good oil pressure.
Our weather forecast called for heavy rain tonight and with 8 quarts of oil mixed in the bilge I did not want to leave the boat in the water and have a bilge pump turn on. I have not yet had time to get a cockpit cover made.
So I proceeded on a run back to the ramp by myself and ran the boat a little bit harder. Running at 3200 rpm vs the 2400 from earlier in the day, all was well till I was about a mile from the ramp. The port engine lost oil pressure. Fortunately I was watching the gauges more than normally and noticed it instantly and cut that engine. Slowing to a speed just above idle I made my way to the ramp. Upon opening the engine hatch the starboard engine had now also pushed out the dipstick! More oil in the bilge!

Both engines , identical problems, at virtually identical hours. (The port engine had 1 hour of use when the alternator pulley failed last year.) Someone screwed up.

The is the second time for me that marine engines have failed when I didn't personally build them!!
The shop that built these was very reliable, but the owner died when my engines weren't assembled. He was the brains and builder.

I'm too busy to undertake this adventure myself and will need to ship these engines out of the boonies of New England to get them done correctly. Feeling very frustrated. I refuse to loose another winter of skiing to boat building.

Any suggestions as to who is top notch with small blocks?

Any idea on why they pushed oil out? Broken / incorrect rings? Was it misfiring / dropping a cylinder? Rich enough to wash down walls? Oil left in pan or bone dry? Too much oil and crank whipping it into foam? I have a fairly big pan on a 383 which holds 6 qts. Good luck!