1989 Saltare - My god Spock, what have I done??? [Archive]

sybrmike

11-10-2009, 11:25 PM

Hi all,

First, I'm not a Trekkie - but I think I know how Capt Kirk was feeling now that I've brought my new (old) boat home. Mixed feelings of joy and dread of the work to come.

Second, thanks to all the members here. Your knowledge and shared experience has been invaluable in my quest for an open bow, inboard, ski boat for the family.

Well, partially due to a drastic price drop resulting from the "test drive from he!!" (more on that in a later post) - I just trailered home my new (old) boat. She was advertised as a white and dark blue 23' Mariah. Well, that didn't quite jive but the price was worth checking out. Nope, she's a Saltare all right and I'm convinced the oxidation is hiding light grey and black (well as black as old gelcoat will stay). Hull's in mostly good shape with some typical dock rash and dings in places (needs gelcoat touch up, sand, polish, wax, & maybe new rubrail). Interior is completely shot, but looks like most of the trim & little pieces are there. Tandem axle VIP trailer in good shape with some surface rust (need new fenders, bunks, paint, & surge brakes repaired). 454 engine pulled strong all the way to 4300 rpm, no hesitation, no smoke, etc. Only half the gauges work (oil, water, volt, tach). New resin coated plywood has been put down over the old floor (ouch!).

But the two best parts are that all the engine and tranny mounts are rust free and tight into good wood AND SHE'S ALL MINE NOW!

I know I'll be back begging for more help and info as I bring her back into shape for next spring - Service & Repair Forum here I come... I only hope that I can help others as you have already (albeit unwittingly) helped me. I'll try to post pics along the way, but please be patient as I already have a real job, family, life, etc. Sure honey, go & buy that old boat you've always wanted - What have I done??? Thanks again (I think?)

Salty87

11-11-2009, 10:09 AM

welcome to the site...er, club

i can't remember having seen a black saltare, looks pretty good. they're great boats, you'll get her whipped into shape.

sybrmike

11-11-2009, 12:26 PM

Don't ever remember any old black Supras either, but no so-dark-blue-you-think-its-black either. I took her over to a fiberglass shop to see what they could do with some of the gelcoat dings & they think it's just really faded oxidized black, but that old black gelcoat was never a true black. Oh well, a little wet sanding & polish & she'll be what she'll be.

They gave me a reasonable price to match and fix the gel coat dings inside and out (if I remove all the hardware, railing, etc. - which I planned on doing anyway). Plus they'll put her in a sling to get to the underside (some keel and bunker rash) & I can have the trailer to make repairs while empty.

First things first though, gotta clean out room in the garage so I can start working on her.

Okie Boarder

11-11-2009, 12:28 PM

Nice find. Like Salty said, welcome...you'll get her looking the way you want. Just takes time and money. ;-)

sybrmike

11-11-2009, 01:54 PM

Thanks Okie,

Time & money? That's all? I've started a spreadsheet to budget both (anal retentive engineer that I am - thankfully no, not my job description - just a personality trait). Already up to 5 worksheets with 20+ line items each. Gonna be a busy and expensive winter. At least I'll be easy to shop for at Christmas. Fortunately the family is onboard (the wife gets her patio deck surfaced in trade, the 14 year old thinks wakesurfing is "cool", & the 10 year old has offered to help wetsand).

The floor and stringers are the great unknown at this point (resin coated plywood over original floor - yuck). I only hope the tight motor & tranny bolts are a good omen. I don't have the real estate to do a coplete top cap removal job. Probably get it "good enough" until I see how amazing your subfloor ballast system works out (continued good luck!) - your and Salty's (plus numerous others') rebuild threads are truely inspiring.

jasonba1

11-11-2009, 03:02 PM

great looking boat youll love it ...Trust me I know all about the time and MONEY I redid my whole boat last year but it was well worth it now I am going to sell it and abuse myself again and find another project ...sadly I enjoy it though and you will to.

wotan2525

11-11-2009, 05:42 PM

I'm also in the "total rebuild" category. I tend to always be a nay-sayer but the outside of that boat shows a lot of promise. I'd like more details about the flapper setup -- It's still a mystery to me how to convert these over, but I'd love to do it.

I'm not sure how the interior gets that far gone without effecting the stringers/floor. I've got my fingers crossed for you!!

Blackntan90

11-11-2009, 05:51 PM

sybrmike, ours look like book ends... well maybe after she's cleaned up a bit?

sybrmike

11-11-2009, 06:58 PM

Wotan,

Thanks for the finger crossing - that's all I can do at this point until I open her up. I just keep telling myself it won't be too bad since all the mounts are still tight.

From what I can see and remember (and pics from Okie's rebuild), looks like from the exhaust back - exhaust pipe, rubber hose and clamps to muffler inlet pipe, muffler, muffler exit pipe, then a molded rubber piece clamped to the muffler exit pipe on one end and flanged on the outside of the transom, then transom flange ring, and finally the flapper itself is clamped on. I'll know more later, but it may be awhile before I get to that point.

B&T,
Now that's what I call inspiration - real clean looking. Good to know the potential is there... Is that really black hiding under all my oxidation? Sweet! I'll be adding a tower as well. Don't know which one yet (can't beat New Dim Swoop for looks, Monster looks good & priced right, but Titan really appeals to the engineer in me). But once I pick, I still have to decide black or polished. Black looks great on your (our) boat, but gets hotter 'n snot down here in Texas. Polished would blend with the s/s rails & hardware & be cooler. Thinking of a black tower and powdercoating the s/s rails and hardware to match for an updated look (ouch - hot handrails - black may be hot but it looks so cool).

sybrmike

11-11-2009, 07:05 PM

87SunSportMikeyD

11-12-2009, 03:24 PM

syber - welcome to the club! Love the post lol we are all crazy I think. Is it too early to talk about dock/boatlift maitenance and put in/pull out arggg so much stuff to do but so worth it!

You boat looks great, congrats! I am amazed at the size of that boat hehe huge! I really think it would look great with a black tower and the handrails still chrome. Remember that the board racks are chrome, and with lots of other small chrome parts I think it compliments nicely since your main scheme is already black.

I love my Monster Tower but at the time I didn't know the Titan folded completly flat which I need to get into the boat lift. That is a great stiff design and shouldn't need tightening like the MT once and a while. I wouldn't worry about it being hot - you'll touch the vinyl much more than the tower. Even that grey vinyl will get smokin hot!

I admit seeing a torn interior does make me think what happened to cause that and what does it mean about the floor/stringers. If it is just sun damage that is not so bad but if it was left out for years, chances are...

I would totally do the wetsand yourself unless you dont have time but can afford it to be done for you. It's pretty simple.

Oh and make sure the tower is tall enough for you. Even after tower speakers which you do not YET have :) The MT1 is a little short but the MT2 is over a foot taller.

Good luck, keep postin those pics!

sybrmike

11-12-2009, 06:09 PM

Thanks for the kind words - no need to sugar coat it, though. She's definitely rough around the edges, but I agree, the potential is there for something special. Yeah, it's big (no, I won't comment further on the black color distorting the size...) - still not sure it's gonna fit into the garage (sorry again, length and width are not an issue) since I've only got 7' clearance under the door beam. Gonna be close. May have to unhook and lower the tongue wheel to get the windshield to clear.

That will further complicate my tower search. It's gotta drop no higher than the windshield - the Titan won't do that if the wishbone is laid down on the windshield. Haven't talked to Titan yet to see what folding the front forward would look like? or some quick connect knobs (like Monster) on the front mounts. Probably have to make a decision and pull the trigger early on so I can more easily locate and glass in supports while the interior is out for floor & hull repair.

Finally, Mikey (& other surfers) - any recommenations on a good rookie board for my novice "wannabe wake surfer chicks" daughters? Both can ride the typical knee to waist high, Texas summer, gulf surf (ya know the real saltwater stuff) on long boards. Still novice surfers but a wide range of experince skiing, kneeboarding, snowboarding, etc. About 85 and 110 lbs each. I'm old school slalom and kneeboard with a little wakeboard, so not much help wake surfing. Christmas is around the corner & figure if I spring for a board for them, I'll defininetly have to get my butt in gear to finish the boat for next spring.

I'm playing around with some ideas for the new interior at the back for ballast (not ready to tackle underfloor system, although the engineer in me is just dying to go purevert - we're just not that hardcore surfers - yet). My preliminary calcs are looking at just over 1000 lb in the rear & I can balance with many 100's more up front under the playpen, so from what I've gathered here & elswhere - knee to waist high with a loaded Salt is possible?

87SunSportMikeyD

11-12-2009, 09:00 PM

I was told the titan has a pin at the apex of the tower that allows it to first fold over the bow, then collapse totally flat if needed. I have not really been able to verify and I never called Titan. But it is a nice looking tower for sure. No cross bars is how I like it. The monster definitly folds totally flat. Monster will have sales throughout the winter on different models $1-200 off so hold tight.

Belly button wave is a reality with SunSport or Saltare - check my thread for vids. Only takes 1500lbs maybe a lil more for saltare. Gotta get most of it in the rear corner though ie floor.

Will have to look into boards tomorrow. :)
Inland surfer, Phase 5, many great brands
check out the general store at wakeoutlaws.com a TX based group and boardersmall.com

wotan2525

11-13-2009, 03:18 PM

With girls that size you should be able to get them anything.... I'd look for a Phase 5 Oogle (would be a good beginner board for lighter riders) or try and track down a Coex (will give bigger guests a chance to try it out.)

Good luck!

OUI

11-15-2009, 05:50 PM

I have an '89 Saltare. Great boat, you'll love it. Tons of room for family and friend, pulls like crazy, and sucks gas like you owned an oil company. The only thing I've done to mine was to put in an electronic ignition. If you have questions, all of us are here to help.

sybrmike

11-16-2009, 09:40 PM

Thanks for the board suggestions. Santa will definitely have to brush up on the whole wakesurfing thing before I, er he, goes shopping for the kids (really honey, it's just for the kids). We do have a 5'-8", soft top, Liquid Shredder, "real" surfboard with tri-fin setup that's just used for surf themed room decoration. Could that be worth trying out?

Wow OUI, another 89 Salt. Thanks for the encouragement. Do you have any pics or specific lessons learned you could share? I saw you put a Mallory electronic ignition in, but couldn't find which one... I've found a few different options (Mallory & others) in my brief searching. Do you remember the specific model. I plan on a complete distributor, coil, & wire kit.

Thanks

jet

11-17-2009, 01:47 AM

DON'T USE THE SHREDDER! If Its the purple one with sandle shoes. they will F*%K up your knee. they were notorious for that back in the day. If your foot came out of one of the sandles then the fins would turn the board right or left and twist your knee into splinters! i use to ride that board and it is fun but i always had that in the back of my mind. I have it hanging in the garage..Ha ha ha. Jet

snibbornairb

11-17-2009, 12:16 PM

I got a Titan Series one tower for my Mariah and i Love it. It colapses fast and low if are storing in a garage. Very sturdy as well. Good Luck.

87SunSportMikeyD

11-17-2009, 07:07 PM

snibb I heard if you want the Titan to collapse completly flat (like to get it under a boat lift canopy) it has a pin in the top center you can pull? Is this true?

syber I have an ocean surfboard it is a 5'8" custom tri finn (no sandles lol) and it works great behind the boat. It is a not a board you do a lot of tricks or even slaysh at the wave very hard, due to the fins and board shape. But it's fun! It rides fast, meaning it is always wanting to run into the back of the boat. One caution, I had a newb ride it and he fell off backwards and kicked the board into the transom of the boat. The boards tip exploded. :( Epoxy saved her but it's not quite the same.

I would also offer a different opinion on smaller riders and board choice. If the rider is small and the board is for a big guy, the rider does not stand in the correct spot on the board and therefore the board does not perform well for them. Yes is is more bouyant but the edges and fins are not working ideally.

Imo put them on a board that is intended for their weight range for best results. Yes you can still choose a skim board or a surf style board. If you have a smaller wave you should slightly oversize your board. But there is a difference between a longboard and a board that's just too big!

Like if you put them on a Hyp Landlock or even a Broadcast they will probably be too little for it. P5 Oogle might be okay, but I would argue a Hyp Coex, LF Custom, or P5 Prop would be better. IMHO

If you find yourself constantly using 'the brakes' ie applying weight to rear foot because you keep racing towards the boat, you probably need to add some bow weight to lenghten the pocket.

snibbornairb

11-17-2009, 08:02 PM

[QUOTE=87SunSportMikeyD;24523]snibb I heard if you want the Titan to collapse completly flat (like to get it under a boat lift canopy) it has a pin in the top center you can pull? Is this true?

Yeah, it takes all of a minute to collapse the whole tower. There is a thumb bolt (has a plastic handle so no tools required) that hold the front and rear piece together. Remove the bolt and the rear horsehoe drop all the way down to cover level and the front "v" pivots back to rest on the wind shield. it winds up being slightly higher than the wind shield, but my cover still fits no prob. Very sturdy too. And very reasonably priced. I got mine through Wakeside.

sybrmike

11-17-2009, 11:58 PM

Thanks for the board input. I'll definitely be looking into gear specific to wakesurfing for the kiddos, just wanted to see what you thought of trying out the one on hand. It does not have foot straps or pads, just use good ole "sex wax". It's truely a "soft" board - foam core with a wood center stringer, all wrapped in a heavy plastic film, with rubber nose and tail bumpers like this. Lots of surface area compared to what I've seen on dedicated wakesurfers, bouyant, and safe (for riders, spectators, and the transom).

Welcome the the winter of project boats, snibb. Look forward to sharing our experiences along the way (as so many others have already graciously done so...).

saltare inverts

11-18-2009, 11:09 PM

Itll take some time but it is worth it. The boat is great. Good Luck

87SunSportMikeyD

11-19-2009, 03:23 PM

Snibb thanks you have just been entered into my screen saver rotation! :) Great pic and the Titan looks GREAT on the SunSport. I dont suppose you have a pic of it collapsed? Stop by Oakies Tower thread.

Syber if it works in the ocean it should work behind the boat too. As long as it's not super squishy soft...
One of the fun things about wakesurfing is riding different boards, it really makes a big difference. When I wake I like the same board all the time but surfing is great with more variety to the boards.

Some surfers can bee $4-500 but you can find some good boards for under $200 if you look
-Hyp Coex or Broadcast can be found on Craigslist or ebay cheap (if you are under 200lbs I would go Coex if possible. Broadcast is fun but Coex can do 3's easy)
-Asylum boards just started making their boards in epoxy (like Inland Surfer I think. They used to make them out of wood like old waterskis which I think is super kewl) and you can get a large or small version for only $180 new. They are twin tipped and if you sink the nose it will keep riding!
-Wakeoutlaws.com has used boards sometimes on their forums classifieds page. Check back often you can get a $500 board used for about $250 shipped.
-Local board shops may have demos!! Demo everything if possible!!!

snibbornairb

11-19-2009, 04:09 PM

[QUOTE=87SunSportMikeyD;24643]Snibb thanks you have just been entered into my screen saver rotation! :) Great pic and the Titan looks GREAT on the SunSport. I dont suppose you have a pic of it collapsed? Stop by Oakies Tower thread.

Thanks. It's actually an '88 Mariah. I don't have any collapsed pics, and unfortunately i have it off right now for the rehab project the boat is currently suffering through. Thats actually one other benefit to the tower.
Four bolts and it removes in two pieces. It leans nicely up against the wall in my shed.

sybrmike

11-19-2009, 07:00 PM

Mikey - I'll definitely be looking at Coex for a "true" wakesurfer (good comments here and elsewhere) for next spring.

Snib - If work will ever let up, I hope to feel your pain soon when I tear into mine. Just when I've about settled on a ND tower (after dragging up Haugy's old post with his sweet Mariah), you threw a wrench in it with your equally good (albeit different) looking Titan topped Mariah. Decisions, decisions... The Mariah is so close to my Salt - it doesn't look out of place at all on the older designs. Do you have any more pictures you could share? Did you have to be careful in locating the front mounts so as not to interfere with the center windshield opening? And the bimini still fits? Looks like you attached the front directly to the wishbone like Titan's factory top? Do the rear legs really pass through the top like it looks from the pic? Any more details on the tower and top? Thanks.

87SunSportMikeyD

11-19-2009, 07:37 PM

Well if you need the tower to collapse flat (for boatlift canopy or maybe garage door) then new dim does stick up a bit. Also I personally do not like the horizontal cross bars because they block vision, however the board racks for horizontal tube are much cheaper.

snibbornairb

11-19-2009, 08:23 PM

I was looking for some pics of the boat and was suprised to see how few i have. I will try to find a couple in the ole archives. I had to modify the factory bimini to accomodate the rear legs. Its not the best set up but custom bimini's are not too cheap.
The front wishbone touches the windshield on about the outside 1/4, I would say, no where near the pass through.
I think I only paid like $1100 for it. But I did notice that Wakeside no longer sells them on their website.
The company was good to work with, although it did take a bit longer than they originally told me.
I'll try to post a couple more pics soon.

sybrmike

11-19-2009, 11:33 PM

Mikey (& others) - Did a little more looking at the Coex. I actually like that it's a mass produced molded "beater" - no need to dive into the high end stuff for rookies. but do you think it'll be too squirrely for us learners? Lots of related experience, but no direct wakesurfing. I'm afraid if we start with a "log" to learn on, we'll be bored by the end of the first day. However, they don't teach driver's ed in a Ferrari either for good reason. Again, kids are "grom" sized at 85 & 110 lbs, I'm the heaviest at 175, & the wife is a diplomatic 130ish (hey, I like sleeping in a warm bed).

Snib - What I meant to ask was any concerns with the front wishbone interfering with opening/closing the center windshield section? Looking closer at your pic, what I thought was a bimini mount to the front leg (like Titan's factory top) is a mirror mount - my old eyes finally saw the front top straps. Again, anything you can dig up would be appreciated. Hope the stringer repair is going well...

87SunSportMikeyD

11-20-2009, 03:08 PM

Yes if you put the front leg mounts in the wrong position it is possible to block the windshield from opening. I have seen other people do it. Big time bummer. Also consider that any older factory bimini top is pretty wide. If you make the tower legs wider apart (both rear and front legs) you have a better chance of having a well-functioning bimini (read: doesn't hit the tower and need adjustment). Also if the back legs are wider, someone can sit on the gunwale without the tower leg getting in their way. I think I have pics of my mounting positions closeup in my supra gallery. The front ones we put outside the bow grab rail.

87SunSportMikeyD

11-20-2009, 05:33 PM

I think there are two sizes of Coex, browse around wakeworlds surf guide. Fins help keep it under control, the stock find should be good size. I am 165 and consider the 5'6" broadcast (the smaller size) to be too big for me. I am 5'8" or so. I dunno I guess it's a tough call. Coex may be just a bit small for you.

On the other hand, my other board is an Inland Surfer 4skim 4'5". I can ride it, fiance 130 can ride it just fine, and lighter/smaller riders have done great on it too. However, my board is pretty squirly, since it only has a 1.2" fin. I have had bigger riders on it, but mostly guys around 210 who have a little trouble with it. They are still able to drop the rope, but when you goof up you slip out of the pocket easier and lose the wave.

sybrmike

01-19-2010, 12:18 PM

Well, I finally made the time to get started on the project (waiting for some free time to show up wasn't working out - faimily, work, etc.). Definitely gonna hafta just schedule dedicated boat time on a regular weekly basis...

Cleaned out the garage & made room. She just barely fit under the 7' door beam, but can walk around inside without bumping my head on the rafters now that she's inside (helps that I'm only 5'6"). Pulled the rear seats, ski locker & hatch, side panels, observer's seat, & moved the gas tank so I could take a look underneath. My rear layout looks very much like Okie's Sunsport ('89 too I believe) - mufflers, blowers, etc. Unfortunately, the substructure looks like Okie's as well - rotten. The bulheads between the inner and outer stringer where the exhaust passes thru are mush and the foam forward of them is wet. So much for the tight engine & tranny bolts being a good omen... I know it might be possible to patch her up good enough to last a few seasons since the driveline is solid, but since I was gonna do the floor and interior anyway - might as well plan on doing the whole thing right. Really didn't want to do a full top cap removal stringer job, but oh well... Fortunately, I got her cheap enough that I think it'll be worth it.

I'll know more once I pull the rest of the interior & can get the floor(s) up. I know it won't be ideal working conditions, but I took some measurements & looks like if I take the windshield off - I can lift the top cap from the rafters and suspend it directly overhead with just enough room to pull the trailer/hull out from underneath. Problem is, the only place in the garage I can lift the cap is the only space available to work on the hull on the trailer. I'm considering pulling the trailer/hull out from under the suspended cap. Then lowering the cap onto some type of wheeled dolly arrangement. Relocate the cap to a different area in the garage & then move the trailer/hull back into original positoin. For those of you that have removed the top cap - do you think a removed cap can be dollied around. I can't quite tell from the posted pictures if there are any good places on the bottom edges to set it down on?

Oh yeah, good news - ordered a closeout blem 2009 Coex for the kids' Christmas & received a new 2010 instead. Bad news - now the pressure's on to get this thing lake ready for spring.

Thanks again in advance for all your experienced advice.

Okie Boarder

01-19-2010, 12:50 PM

Sorry to hear about the rot, but it isn't surprising. Time to get to work and make some progress. Spring is coming quick!

Be careful lifting the top cap with your rafters...it is pretty heavy. You might consider strengthening them some. If they're open, maybe lay a 4x4 across several rafters and lift with that.

There are spots under the gunwales that are pretty solid that you could build a cart to hold at those points. You'll be able to see it once you get the top cap up. You might try lifting the top cap enough to get a good view under there, then build your "cart".

Salty87

01-19-2010, 01:04 PM

sucks to hear but at least you'll have a like new boat when you're done.

i'd be surprised if you have enough room in the garage to lift the topcap off. the inner walls of the interior are attached to the top so it needs to clear the hull by 3' or so. if you could lower the hull onto a low-rider dolly you might get away with it. would be alot easier to climb in and out of the boat too. that gets old pretty quick. but that's alot easier said than done.

okie's right about the weight. i'd guess it's somewhere in the 500 lb range.

if there's room in the garage to lift the topcap, can you lift it on one side and then move the boat to the other side to work on the hull?

sybrmike

01-19-2010, 01:06 PM

Thanks Okie. Kinda bummed, but down deep I knew it was coming - just was in denial.

Yes the rafters are open & planned on spanning on top with a 4x4 to spread the load and lift from there. Having the entire interior & dash out and the windshield off should help lighten the load. I'm gonna leave the rails in place to help add support to the cap while it's loose. Are four lifting points (2 @ each side front and rear) adequate or do I need to add 2 more in the middle?

sybrmike

01-19-2010, 01:28 PM

Salty,

Yeah, I know it's gonna suck, but I just love the looks of the old Supra's - especially the Saltare. I'm fairly competent at fiberglassing, woodwork, & mechanical so confident I can get her back in shape structurally. Just hope a new interior, gelcoat rehab, & accessories (tower, stereo, etc.) will clean her up real nice.

I've measured pretty good & looks like there is indeed room to pull out from underneath the suspended cap with the windshield off (want to re-powder coat the frame and tint the glass anyway) with a few inches to spare. Really don't want that thing hanging over my head (literally).

Unfortunately, due to the width of the trailer with welded on guide bars, column location, door size & layout, etc. - I've only got one bay where the boat/trailer will fit. I can make room in an adjacent bay to store the cap only, but I can't lift in that area and the trailer won't fit so it's either leave it hanging overhead (in my way while working on the hull) or move it once it's off.

Salty87

01-19-2010, 02:10 PM

sounds like you've got it well thought out, this will be fun to watch...

i'd go with 6 lifting points although the 2 in the rear keeps things balanced more than lifted. the rear section might weigh 20lbs. i say 6 because i'd put 2 about where the front speaker holes are and 2 more just to the rear of the windshield...where the gunnels flatten out. the rear 2 will keep the stern from sagging. the playpen area is very heavy too.

Okie Boarder

01-19-2010, 05:14 PM

would be alot easier to climb in and out of the boat too. that gets old pretty quick.

You can say that again. I was thinking about this last night. I have a 4' step ladder sitting next to the boat to get in and out. I've probably used that thing well over 100 times by now.

okie's right about the weight. i'd guess it's somewhere in the 500 lb range.

I was thinking even more than that, but I bet that's really close.

I only lifted mine in 4 places, but yours is a few feet longer and probably a little heavier. I'd say 6 is better, like Salty said.

sybrmike

01-19-2010, 07:10 PM

Thanks guys - six lifting point it is then.

This weekend I hope to get the rest of the interior out, windshield off, and start pulling the floor to see just how bad it is down there.

Looking down the road a bit & getting ahead of myself I know, but a few questions:
1. Obviously, I'll be pulling the engine & trans. It was running fine but planning on rebuilding the carb (it looks nasty), upgrade to electronic distributor, new impeller, belts & hoses, riser gaskets (rust indicating leaks), & general detail & paint. Should I also remove the rudder & drive shaft & plan on new packing while I'm at it (there didn't appear to be any leaks)?
2. If the drive shaft goes, is it out the top or bottom (remove prop or coupling)
3. I have the same rudder and tiller arm as Okie. I know it was a PITA to get out, but never saw the details of how it finally came out. Any words of wisdom in hindsight, Okie? How is it sealed? Packing? - I don't see a zerk.
4. Besides measure, measure, measure - any hints on building the motor mounts back in the right location/dimensions? I was thinking of making cross section templates that span the keel where the mounts are.
5. Will I need to fill/seal the old rubrail rivit & screw holes before rejoining the halves? Run a layer of glass tape on the edges?

Thanks again.

Salty87

01-20-2010, 10:29 AM

1. it's alot easier to mess with that stuff when the floor is off. put the shaft somewhere safe, cover the threads on your water intake so you don't drip resin on them (what a pain in the butt), check the mounting plates for the strut, skegs, and rudder. some people replace these, mine were ok...or so i thought...more on that in #3...
2. depends on whether the coupler wants to come off easily, you can go either way with it when the engine is out. i had to take my shaft and coupler to the prop shop to get them separated.
3. my rudder has a zerk but i've been having problems with water coming in. i wish i had dealt with it when the floor and gas tank weren't in the way.
4. get crafty with reference points. once everything is taken out, it's easy to forget exactly where you are and where things went. don't grind everything completely away until you're ready....the lip of old floor around the hull keeps a reference for floor height, you can mark the hull with spray paint or whatever and grind it away later, cut sections of stringer or engine supports out in large sections so you can use them later for reference...whatever you have to do. templates are good as long as you know exactly where they go.
5. the old rivet holes will get used again. i wouldn't do anything with them unless they're messed up and you can't re-use them. i just drilled new holes for the rub rail. you'll be using sealant for that step so you shouldn't have to bother with sealing the old holes.

read up...rickr also has some great photos and descriptions of his comp rebuild. there are more around here...

sybrmike

01-20-2010, 11:19 AM

Thanks for the hints - good stuff.

Question on #2 - if you already had the shaft/coupling out, why did you have to take it to be separated?

Yeah, over the last month I've just about memorized yours, Jason's, Rickr's, and a few other rebuild posts and keep tabs on Okie's progress. I'm sure all the past experience posted here and elsewhere will prove invaluable (to me and others) - so nice to be able to learn from those that have been there before... Just like the resin coated threads - first hand knowledge (?) conveyed to the masses.

Okie Boarder

01-20-2010, 11:39 AM

1. Obviously, I'll be pulling the engine & trans. It was running fine but planning on rebuilding the carb (it looks nasty), upgrade to electronic distributor, new impeller, belts & hoses, riser gaskets (rust indicating leaks), & general detail & paint. Should I also remove the rudder & drive shaft & plan on new packing while I'm at it (there didn't appear to be any leaks)?

I would leave the rudder as long as it isn't leaking. I would pull the shaft though.

2. If the drive shaft goes, is it out the top or bottom (remove prop or coupling)

Like Salty said, you can go either way. I removed my prop and pulled the shaft out the top with the coupler still instact..

3. I have the same rudder and tiller arm as Okie. I know it was a PITA to get out, but never saw the details of how it finally came out. Any words of wisdom in hindsight, Okie? How is it sealed? Packing? - I don't see a zerk.

I haven't gotten mine out yet. I messed with it for a while and kinda gave up. Once I "need" to get it out I will. Mine leaks some, so I want to fix it before I put the boat completely back together. It looks like I may need to use some sort of puller. That seems to be the general concensus.

4. Besides measure, measure, measure - any hints on building the motor mounts back in the right location/dimensions? I was thinking of making cross section templates that span the keel where the mounts are.

Measure and make drawings. Use the old sections you cut out as a reference. I'm taking out and putting back one stringer at a time. Right now I'm working on the port side and the starboard side is still in. I've found I've gone over and measured there a few times already just to check a couple things I didn't really think to measure in the first place.

5. Will I need to fill/seal the old rubrail rivit & screw holes before rejoining the halves? Run a layer of glass tape on the edges?

Salty covered this. You'll re-use those when you put it back together and cover it with the rubrail.

sybrmike

01-29-2010, 05:02 PM

So, work's been a bear lately but making some progress on the boat. I've removed the complete interior, gas tank, rear ski locker, & some miscellaneous. Next is windshield, dash, & prep for pulling the engine.

I found some pretty good side-to-side and a little vertical movement in the rudder, so I'm sure it needs new packing, o-rings, or whatever seals it. I've tried removing the tiller arm, but to no avail (Okie was having problems here as well - thanks for the heads up).

First, I soaked everything in PB Blaster overnight. I blocked the rudder, removed the cotter pin, drove the tiller arm down, & removed the key. Backed the nut off to the end of the all thread & broke it loose with a few judicious whacks. Now the tiller arm is loose on the rudder shaft w/ 360 rotation & ~1/4" vertical movement, but I can't get it off (only to where the tops are about flush). Tapping on the all-thread will move it about 1/4" either direction before it starts to bind the arm to the rudder shaft. I can only get a few degrees of rotation of the all-thread by double-nutting.

Any suggestions? Know how the all-thread is holding it in? Does this take a puller? I just don't want to force it to the point buggering it up good.

Thanks

BTW Salty - you've got mail...

87SunSportMikeyD

01-29-2010, 05:12 PM

Dont you have to unbolt the rudder from the rudder arm??? Looking at your first pic, the round tip of the rudder should drop right out the bottom of the boat. Sorry but it went very smoothly for me, although getting it back in just the right position was a bit tough. Going in or out it definitly is easier with two people. Tapped it w/ a hammer.

sybrmike

01-29-2010, 05:45 PM

I wish it were that simple. The nuts you see on either side of the tiller arm were just there when I took the pics (protecting the ends of the all-thread that passes through the tiller arm while I was "tapping" it back and forth).

Evidently my (and Okie's) tiller arm has a section of all-thread through the tiller arm that adds an interference fit to the rudder shaft. The tiller arm is not a split clamp on the rudder shaft - it's solid. The center section of the all-thread must have a flat ground into it so the rudder shaft can pass through when the flat is aligned. I can't drive it all the way through since the all-thread full diameter is too large on either end to pass by the rudder shaft, but I can't get it to rotate & align the flat properly to allow the shaft to pass. From the top view you can see where the outer edge of the all thead would intrude upon the hole in the tiller arm that the rudder passes through. AARGH!

87SunSportMikeyD

01-29-2010, 08:27 PM

Have you tried calling SC?

mapleleaf

01-29-2010, 08:42 PM

During those years SC used 2 different rudder mounting types, one had the grease zerks the other rope packing like on the drive shaft, I suspect they both would come out a little differently........

michael hunter

01-30-2010, 02:10 PM

Looking at the shaft and arm key it looks like its in a bind. Also it looks like you have to remove the two nuts and the stud to remove the arm.

sybrmike

03-03-2010, 04:31 PM

Well, I never could get that darn tiller arm all the way off the rudder shaft. Loose, spinning 360, & close to an inch vertical travel - but not off. SC & Viper had no further suggestions, so I finally cut it off.

Hard to tell from the hacked up pieces, but best I can figure is that the top of the rudder shaft had a slight ridge at the top that was keeping the tiller from sliding past. I couldn't see or feel it, but the packing nut also wouldn't come off the top until I ground the top of the shaft down a bit. There was not a "mating" groove in the shaft for the all-thread lock bolt.

So I suggest if you have this style tiller arm (Okie) - knock the tiller arm down to expose the top of the rudder shaft & file/sand to reduce the shaft O.D. at the top before sliding the tiller arm off. Let me know if this works.

Sure hope the updated profile & greased/sealed stuffing box are worth the extra Benjamins the new rudder cost...

Salty87

03-03-2010, 05:10 PM

nothing like sawing through an otherwise solid part. i had to cut my drive shaft once. it wouldn't come out of the coupler and i had no way to pull the engine. what's a few hundred bucks? [yikes]

sybrmike

03-03-2010, 05:31 PM

Also, possible change of plans. I've removed the interior, windshield, gauges, wiring, cables, trim, hardware, etc. in prep for pulling the cap & tearing into the floor. The engine should be out next week. However, work's been taking all my time & I've found a fiberglass shop that seems pretty hungry. Sounds like he might be reasonable for stringer repair since I've already stripped her pretty good. Also, he's got a couple of A-frames that could pull the cap & empty trailers so I can have mine for repair.

Only kicker is he exclusively does the "open the top of the stringer, remove the rotted wood, pour in the filler, & reglass the stringer cap" routine. He uses his own "home brew" similar to SeaCast - combination of poly resin, chopped fiber, & some as-of-yet-unidentified secret sauce strengtheners. I saw some samples & the stuff is almost hard as rock, but you can screw into it (if you pilot hole first). Seems hell for stout, but probably add a few pounds over wood. Any thoughts or experience with SeaCast or similar?

Also, his floor technique is to cut pre-dried treated plywood, cover both sides in poly resin/cloth, then lay down several layers of wetted mat on top of the stringers. Then place the glassed ply on top of the stringers and weight the begeezus out of it (he has a full pallet of old batteries) while it cures -no fasteners.

Wadaya think? Go woodless if the price is right? Would this affect foam considerations - limber holes & foam blocks so the water can drain (it will eventually get back down there somehow) or seal it up good & don't worry about the extra weight since there's no wood to rot?

sybrmike

03-03-2010, 05:34 PM

nothing like sawing through an otherwise solid part. i had to cut my drive shaft once. it wouldn't come out of the coupler and i had no way to pull the engine. what's a few hundred bucks? [yikes]

A hearty Homer Simpson "Doh"! - At least now I've got a really cool brass paper weight with "SUPRA" cast into the side...

Salty87

03-03-2010, 05:43 PM

that thing is worth its weight in gold almost.

removing rotted wood from the stringers sounds great and probably isn't too hard with crumbled mush but what about wet, solid wood? as long as he gets it all out and covers the tops good, you should be fine. i'd still want some drainage, personally. composites are great but water has a unique way of messing most things up. the floor will still be encapsulated wood, water/moisture will find a way in. i don't think the weight difference between wood or 'seacast-like' will be significant. lastly, i'd prefer some mechanical fasteners holding the floor down but it's not the only way.

is this guy giving any sort of warranty? can you stop by and check on the progress often? wood-less stringers wouldn't suck.

Okie Boarder

03-03-2010, 05:54 PM

Okie Boarder

03-03-2010, 05:58 PM

Hmmm, I'm skeptical of the technique. To me, the best way to do this is to completely remove the old stuff and start fresh. Anything I've seen anyone talk about less than that sounds like trouble. It might be OK for a few years, but that would be it.

sybrmike

03-03-2010, 07:40 PM

I tried a pickle fork (what I had) between the tiller arm & packing nut. Drove it pretty hard with a 3# sledge, but didn't go all out in fear of really screwing things up. I'd try a real puller & reducing the OD of the top 1/4" of the rudder shaft. It's "supposed" to slide right off once you release the side load pressure from the all-thread. I was able to drive the tiller arm down against the packing nut to remove the key & could have worked on the top of the rudder shaft then. Probably a mute point anyway - I don't have a micrometer, but I think my shaft was worn beyond usefullness (I can see where the packing nut had worn the shaft & had lots of side to side play).

Yeah, solid stringers wouldn't suck. I definetely would have inspection milestones (only about 40 minutes away) - primary one seeing it all prepped before the pour. They use a variety of methods to get the wood out - even chainsaws (deep transom replacement). I forgot the specifics of the warranty, but yes.

I'm also leaning towards letting the subfloor breathe somehow.

sybrmike

03-09-2010, 07:11 PM

Speaking of letting it breathe - I finally got the first layer of plywood off the floor that the PO had installed directly on top of the original. The original didn't look too bad actually with only a soft spot on each side. The only bad sign was the mushy rear bulkheads in front of the mufflers. O.K., maybe only need a partial patch job.

Well while removing some more bilge hardware, I sprang a streaming leak into the bilge when I removed a hose clamp screw from an inner stringer - not good. Guess what I found lurking below the original floor? Typical rotted cross braces, saturated foam, and even standing water ~ 3" deep in one compartment - this after sitting in a dry garage for 3 months.

Oh well, so much for the solid motor mounts - be curious to see what they're really like even though the bolts are tight? Still looking at options for the repair. Don't think work's gonna let me DIY this in any reasonable timeframe. Looks like it's time for the proverbial BOAT - Break Out Another Thousand (or two, or three, ...)

87 Supra Comp TS6m

03-10-2010, 10:05 AM

Sybrmike...thanks for pointing me this direction on dshaff thread, looks like we may be in similiar places. I'm going to pull more of my floor up and see if I find lots of water like you did. If I do, I was thinking my first cost/effort control move would be to cut a couple breather holes at the bottom of stringers. Best case, the wood inside is solid and I glass around those holes and put a new floor back on knowing the water will drain and bilge going forward. If the wood is rotten I'll know I have to re-do stringers. Thoughts?

sybrmike

03-10-2010, 10:33 AM

Comp,

If you haven't done so yet, do a search here - "stringers", "rotten", "rebuild", etc. and you'll find several great threads on what you're likely to find lurking down below... Like ngavdba said, the problem is inherent to the design - unprotected wood (cross braces, notched joints, underside of ply) with foam poured in direct contact. After 20+ years water is going to find its way down there with no way out and begin the rot process. Depending on how much water and for how long, it can mean a relatively minor patch job or a complete rebuild. You just never know for sure until you open it up, but most have found pretty extensive damage. I hope you're one of the luckier ones...

87 Supra Comp TS6m

03-10-2010, 10:58 AM

Sybrmike...thanks, and I will indeed take a closer look in the next couple days and search on those key words. The other option (I've had the boat for 12 years myself and gotten lots of joy out of it, but it only has 650 hrs and runs great) I've entertained is selling it to someone else who is better situated for the extensive stringer job and buying a new (old) one. I've found quite a few in $10k-$15k range which are mid-90's age. Two questions...

1. It appears you bought yours knowing there could be quite a bit work needed, mind sharing (PM if you do) the purchase price so I get an idea what I can expect market value to be?
2. Any idea whether Supra addressed this design flaw (no breather holes) in a certain year going forward (ie. 1990 forward) to avoid the standing water/rot problem?

Okie Boarder

03-10-2010, 12:36 PM

Yep, looks a lot like mine. Surprisingly I only found a couple areas where there was "standing" water. I cut out my last stringer last night. There were a couple areas I was cutting where water oozed from the wood a bit. Just as a point of reference, I started taking it apart in September and it hasn't seen outdoors or water since then. Pretty amazing that portions are still damp / wet, huh?

Oh...edit:

Supra addressed this problem with their new designs. They're now using the NW method. NW = No Wood! he he.

sybrmike

03-10-2010, 02:25 PM

Okie, looks like the floor makes an effective one way check valve, lets water in but not out. Your making great progress - keep it up! Wish my work schedule would allow me to tackle this one myself, but no way I'd have her back on the water in time for summer (gonna be tight as it is). Frustrating cause I've got the tools & experience, but gotta be realistic...

Comp,
1. Market value is only determined when someone is willing to pay what another will sell for. Mine wasn't a basket case (most all the little pieces were still there), but looked pretty bad with the oxidized hull, rotted interior, & surface rust trailer. I've helped rebuild two previous inboards of the era & pretty much knew what I could be in for. Owner said previous lookers didn't even lowball his asking price. I did & he took it. Let's call it sub $2k. I still think I got a screaming deal & he was happy to get it out of his yard and out of a payment. If it's in decent shape, I'm sure you can do better. Plus we're getting into Spring which is a much better time to be selling. FWIW, I missed out on an 86 Skier in decent shape with new engine that wasn't running that went for $3k.
2. I think Supra switched to composite stringers in 92, but you'll still find wood in the interior through the 90's on most makes.

Okie Boarder

03-10-2010, 05:31 PM

Yeah, I guess I'm somewhat lucky in that I can usually squeeze in a couple hours most weeknights to continue making progress.

87 Supra Comp TS6m

03-11-2010, 11:58 AM

Okie & Sybr...Thanks for your help, I'm diving all-in, starting a new thread on my restore...https://forum.supraboats.com/showthread.php?p=29738#post29738

jpeters

03-20-2010, 12:36 PM

My $.02 worth....
I have owned and currently have a 94 Pirata. Had an 89. All with 351W. Good for you having the BB. Plenty of power no question. This is the only concern about this boat. 3500lBS. needs the power of BB or GT40 351. You could put ton of money into fixing it and bazzilion hours away from your family. If the seats are crunchy toasted from sun you might want to have them redone. Much money. Everything else just cleanup and lube. Buy yourself a fair REAL buffer approx$75-. Buy compounds from NAPA 1-2-3-step You Know , heavy cut, polish then swirl remove. Google how to buff if you dont know. Boat will look pretty good when done. Use all summer as is. See if you like or love it. If you love it, then there is some merrit from a total restoration stand point. Not for resale purpose. It is a great family boat. We actually prefer the cuddy for my kids. It is a good looking boat under the Ox. 3500-$5000 worth. Sold my 89 in very good condition for $6500. Just remember, a boat is only worth what someone is willing to pay you for it. Book value is for the guy loaning you the money to buy it. Have fun this summer with it.

sybrmike

04-05-2010, 12:04 PM

Finally got to spend some "quality time" with my girl. With the weather warming up, figured it was time to go topless. Eight pulleys, two come-a-long winches, 4 landscape timbers, a handful of lag bolts, and a bunch of rope later - I have a nice fiberglass ornament hanging in the garage.

I ran rope from the two bow cleats to pulleys lagged into the rafters. I cut 2x4 pieces to fit into the intake vents and ran rope up to pulleys tied to landscape timbers spanning across the rafters. The rear cleats are also attached to pulleys tied to timbers on top of the rafters. I had to run the rope on the rear pulleys forward to another set of pulleys tied to the middle lift points and then back to the winches to get enough rope length to be able to lower the top cap to the floor. The winches are lagged through both 2x4's of the garage top plate framing - one winch tied to 3 pulleys on each side. 1 or 2 clicks per side at a time & she lifted off with no problems. Without the windsheild, there was just enough room with the top sucked up tight to the rafters to wheel the hull out from underneath - it was tight. Rube Goldberg would be proud.

Interesting note - the cap was secured to the hull with alternating rivets and s/s screws?

sybrmike

04-05-2010, 12:19 PM

I also got most of the foam removed rear of the helm. Damp, but not as wet as I expected. However by the next morning, about a half gallon of water had leached from the stringers on the driver's side. We'll see what happens on the port side after I get more foam out? Next is to remove the remaining carpet, floor, and foam from the front. No turning back now!

87SunSportMikeyD

04-05-2010, 02:14 PM

WOWwWWW nice work!

Mani

04-05-2010, 06:11 PM

You're making great progress. I hope all goes as planned. :D

sybrmike

04-07-2010, 10:10 AM

O.K., now I'm really confused (and amazed). As I continued to remove foam from around the the engine mounts, I discovered that MY ENGINE MOUNTS ARE HOLLOW! The front of the "bump out" is sealed and glassed as expected, but the rear (facing the transom) is open. 3-4" of foam were blocking the opening, but after I chisled it out I can see down the entire length with light coming through the engine mount holes - now I know where all that extra water came from.

Anyone ever seen this before? Musta been a Friday afternoon stringer job. I'm amazed the engine/tranny mount bolts held the torque of a 454 for 20 years without solid wood.

Carpet and floor (most of it was mulch) are out of the bow. Still working on the last of the foam (more standing water).

Okie Boarder

04-07-2010, 02:03 PM

I like how you took off the cap...looks good!

Mine was pretty solid at the engine bump, meaning there was actual wood there. The wood was pretty rotted, but it did pretty much fill the space. I wonder if yours rotted away or if it was never there?

sybrmike

04-12-2010, 10:56 PM

Nope, the engine mounts were built hollow - go figure? All the foam is finally out! Shaft is out with the coupling and prop removed (ya know, if I got a new prop now I could use my old 3 blade 14x14 as a spare...). Now let the fun begin in earnest.

I'm planning on updating the dash while I'm at it - if I can ever get the steering hub off to remove the vinyl dash panel. Any hints here? Already have a set of guages, but anyone know of a discount source for updated rocker switches with silkscreened labels and rubber booted circuit breakers? Thanks.

sybrmike

04-23-2010, 06:12 PM

saltare inverts

04-24-2010, 12:03 PM

I have same issue. Dont know if warning lights work or not. I tell people to watch temp and oil pressure. Seems pretty simpl, of course I check them all the time and Im always driving unless Im landing a hootchie glide or a whirlybird.

sybrmike

05-11-2010, 01:24 PM

Well, made some progress this weekend - outer stringers are in! Made the final decision to go foamless, thus the 3 limber holes in each stringer (glassed the holes before setting them in). 3/4" ply, scabbed in the middle, poly resin coated, filleted with resin/chop/strand, and tabbed in with a strip of woven roving on each side.

The original 1/2" ply stringers (what was left of them) had been bedded with bondo, but hadn't even been "squished" down so very little contact with the hull. She's already stronger than original. Inner stringers are next...

wotan2525

05-11-2010, 01:59 PM

Finally found a set of metric bolts (the only metric I've found on the boat) to thread into the steering hub & a puller took it right off. So the dash is finally out.

Now I'm planning the new dash layout (still looking for modern rocker switch source). The old dash had idiot lights for oil, temp, fuel, & amps. Speedos & a couple other gauges were not working when I bought it & don't know if the warning module works. Is there a way to test it? Aren't these things tempermental & prone to false buzzing? Should I even bother with it or just trust myself (and others) to watch the vitals?

Thanks

You're a braver guy than I -- I had planned on rebuilding my dash. After a bit of fishing around with a multimeter I decided that unless I end of marrying an MIT Electrical Engineer -- that dash is staying exactly where it is. Holy balls did they make that thing needlessly complicated!!

Okie Boarder

05-11-2010, 04:10 PM

syber...looking good. Good job glassing the holes first. I figured that out after putting in my first stringer and it helps a lot. It's interesting how the Saltare has the secondaries curve inward. They didn't do that on the Sunsports, but they were also shorter. They must have done that to extend them into the bow area a bit for more support.

MATTH53

05-11-2010, 07:26 PM

I have also been thinking about doing the whole dash vinyl and guages. Do you have any pics of what you have done to the dash so far. I just need a little nudge and I think I will prolly do it.

saltare inverts

05-11-2010, 10:34 PM

I recoverd my dash vinyl. Its not even close to as bad as you think. I would pull one gauge out at a time mark were wires go with tape and a felt pen. I can take my whole dash apart and put it back together in about one hour now.

sybrmike

05-11-2010, 11:58 PM

No pics - dash still in pieces (finally wrestled the D@#$ steering hub off) - back on the stringers.

I think the vinyl is going to clean up nicely. It's in decent condition and one test pass with Exquisite on half of it made a world of difference! My 89 has the vinyl tight on the plastic insert, not padded like earlier years (not sure when they made the switch). Hope it's good enough - no way I can tackle recovering that piece myself.

I picked up a scrap piece of textured black 1/4" plastic sheet material to cut new inserts for the gauges. I've got a new set of gauges to go in (switching to paddlewheel speedo's), so definitely gonna test my electrical skills. Plan is for new speedos and tach (with lcd engine hour) back in original locations, then volt, fuel, temp, oil, (maybe add a depth) in the left panel, and all the switches on the right. Still undecided about messing with the idiot lights?

sybrmike

05-18-2010, 01:59 PM

Now that the outer stringers are tabbed in - started on the inners. They're mostly out now. Found a total of about 5 ft of good wood. I mentioned earlier that my engine mounts were hollow, so I'm playing around with the idea of leaving the glass around the mounts in place and chiseling out what little wood is there. Maybe I can back-fill with solid wood and be assured that the mounts are all in the same location. We'll see how that idea pans out???

Schedule's not getting any better. MAYBE on the water mid-July for my birthday present?

Okie Boarder

05-18-2010, 03:57 PM

Looks like it is coming along. I think I'd just make the mounts solid if it were me. Look at how Salty did it.

sybrmike

05-18-2010, 05:34 PM

WWSD (What Would Salty Do)? Def going back with solid. Just thinking of leaving the fiberglass "skins" bonded in place on the hull edge and build-up under and around them with solid wood. The glass is pretty stiff in its own right and could serve as a permanent pattern so the holes all stay in original locations.

Okie Boarder

05-19-2010, 03:32 PM

Oh, gotcha. That was a little bit of a stress point for me because I went totally off measurements. However, you have some wiggle room if you are off a bit when you put the engine back in. Is yours like Salty's where there are depressions right where the engine mounts?

sybrmike

05-28-2010, 04:55 PM

Couldn't get the wood off of the engine mount glass skins, so had to rebuild from scratch. Lots of measurements - I hope it's right!

Mine didn't have indentations for the mounts. In fact, the front mounts were slightly elevated on plywood pads glassed in (they're not in place yet in the pics). Mounts are now solid instead of the original hollow (still can't believe that one!!!). Solid composite (oxymoron?) of 3/4 ply and lumber with a layer of glass between each piece. Still have to glass another layer of ply on the backside that runs along the length of the engine, add x-braces, tank support, etc. Hope to take advantage of the long weekend & be ready to glass the floor in next week.

Noticed something odd while lookiing at my "bent" strut. The upright is slightly bent, but looks like the bore runs fairly parallel to the hull centerline. However it looks like the shaft log is not set in square - angled so that the aft end is cocked to starboard. This makes the the strut look worse since the two bores don't line up well. Is the shaft log supposed to run parallel to the hull centerline, or is it offset to overcome torque steer or other reasons? It's in real solid & looks like the hull is molded that way where the shaft exits the bottom.

Okie Boarder

06-01-2010, 05:57 PM

It looks like you're coming along nicely. IIRC, my bore was straight to the centerline. It may not matter that much as longas you start your alignment at the strut and work towards the engine.

sybrmike

06-02-2010, 10:26 AM

I'm gonna have to break out the laser level to verify - but eyeballing it, it sure looks like the rear of the shaft log is angled to starboard (from the factory).

Hard to get a good pic, but from the transom it appears that the strut upright is slightly bent to starboard with the bore still relatively parallel to the keel. However, if I look through the strut bore, the shaft log looks outta whack. If I look from the inside of the boat through the shaft log, the two bores definitely are not concentric. It looks like there is enough clearance for the shaft to make a straight shot through both, but it won't be concentric in the shaft log.

Will this give me shaft seal problems (was gonna switch to dripless PSS mechanical seal)? Should I rip out the shaft log and align it with the keel centerline?. Or, should I straighten the strut and align it with the shaft log (will I just go around in circles if the thrust is not parallel with the keel?)

linemanbusha

06-17-2010, 09:01 PM

so im neew here but i have an 89 supra saltaire, and this weekend i broke the steering cable! so i was wondering if any one hase replaced one on this boat before and if they had any picture of how they did it, also why is there two cables on this thing?
thanks

sybrmike

06-17-2010, 10:56 PM

Welcome aboard the board!

Sorry to hear about the broken steering cable:confused: Can't help with "replacement", but can tell you how I "removed" mine (just finished the floor, so "install" should be just be reversed soon.

Two cables? Typically these inboards only have one steering cable. It's the big black one in the below under dash pic. The two red ones are throttle and trans shifter. You'll have to pull the rear seats and rear center floor section (probably the gas tank as well, unless you've got long arms and can work by feel). Once you have access to the tiller arm, remove the cable end from the tiller. Next if it's not obvious, mark the location of the clamp block (it's attached to the bracket on the strut mount) on the support tube and then remove the support tube from the clamp block, then remove the support tube from the cable. Now move to the front under the dash. Unscrew the nut attaching the cable to the helm and turn the steering wheel to help feed the cable out of the helm. Be careful - the cable end should be covered in grease & could make a mess. Once both ends are free, check for any intermediate clamps that may be holding the cable in the bilge. You can now feed the front of the cable down into the bilge and remove the cable from the rear.

Measure the length of the cable tip to tip for the correct replacement length. It's a 3300 style - I'd go with the new TFXtreme. Installation should be reversed - I think? Make sure the front end of the cable is completely inserted into the helm and to secure the clamp block to the support tube in the previous marked location for a good starting point in alignment. Probably have to play around with the steering wheel and support tube to get things centered.

Hope this helps & good luck!

linemanbusha

06-18-2010, 01:31 PM

awsome thanks! yeah i just took a look at mine again and i have a large red one that comes out the bottom of the steering unit and goes down the center of the boat then i have a smaller gray one that comes out of the top of the unit then goes down the side of the boat, and thats the one that broke and as i turned the wheel it started too bundle up under the dash, if i can find my camera ill post some pictures.

sybrmike

09-21-2010, 06:59 PM

Had a lull in the action for awhile (work, family, life, etc..), but hit another milestone this weekend - the trailer's gone! Of course, forgot to take pics of the stripped trailer - it was a sad sight & looked naked with no fenders, bunks, winch, lights, etc.

My truck's been banished to the driveway for awhile now that the top cap sits on a roller dolly in it's garage bay. I used the same method and winches from when I pulled the top cap. Hooked one winch to the inside of the bow eye bracket and the other to the transom lift ring that I had temporarily re-installed. Was concerned about lifting at the two ends without the top cap for support, but musta done something right with the new stringers/floor cause nothing sagged, moved, creaked, or cracked. Once the hull was clear by a few inches, I pulled the trailer out, & then nervously crawled under and fabbed a new roller cradle, & sat it back down. I can actually roll it around by myself thanks to 6 chinese Harbor Freight furniture dollies. The wife wouldn't let me take up her last remaining bay, so quickly hauled the trailer out to get powder coated. We'll have to talk once the trailer's back (new bunks, lights, brakes, etc.).

Okie Boarder

09-22-2010, 09:50 AM

Looking really good! Did you paint bilgekote on the entire floor?

sybrmike

09-22-2010, 10:37 AM

Actually, it's gelcoat over the entire floor and bilge. Wanted to play around with splatter technique for the bilge & figured it wouldn't hurt the floor to have another coat and carpet would eventually cover up the test area anyway.

Good news, used up the last of some scrap (free) white gelcoat on the floor & the black splatter worked out pretty cool. Bad news, my buddy's other leftover (free) can of gelcoat labeled GR turned out to be green (kinda seafoamy) not gray as I thought. It was already catalyzed, so I shot it. Keep telling myself it'll all be covered up & it's just a bilge, but not sure if I'll keep the green.

jet

09-22-2010, 09:36 PM

Man that 3rd picture makes your boat look like a SHIP!! Man it looks long and big. Nice job man. Jet

Okie Boarder

09-24-2010, 09:50 AM

I think the green is pretty cool. It's something different! Almost all bilges are white or grey. Your's will be a bit unique.

Blackntan90

09-27-2010, 05:13 PM

Awsome job you are doing- I kinda like the green, Its a custom touch for sure!

sybrmike

12-21-2010, 12:39 PM

Been making some progress of late, but a little remiss on taking pics. Finally got the trailer complete enough to bring back home (my buddy's wife was reeaal understanding having it sit in their backyard & me working on it at odd hours for weeks). Man, I hate working outdoors this time of year!

Had had a welder modify for new actuator, winch & jack mounts. I torched new openings for added back up lights. Had the trailer blasted & powdercoated, fabbed & installed new bunks (carpeted PT 2x6), installed new LED lights all around, and mounted new F2 winch & jack. I pulled the suspension, blasted and painted, and installed 14 new bushings before reinstalling. Then installed new grease seals, repacked the bearings and new bearing buddies. Installed the new swing away actuator & disc brakes on one axle and remounted the tires on "new" used aluminum rims.

Brought the trailer home last weekend & winched the hull back into the rafters, slid the trailer under & lowered back down. Then pulled it out of the garage, reconfigured my Rube Goldberg contraption for lifting the top cap (2 winches, 8 pulleys, a mile of rope, & 2 ladders). Wheeled the top cap back to my lifting area & raised the cap. Backed the boat & trailer back underneath & lowered the cap for a trial fit. It wouldn't fit. My new floor is 3/4" higher than original (Doh!), so trimmed the bottom edge of the top cap liner & it went together nicely. The floor holes for the air vents, cables, ice chest drain, etc. are all close enough, as well. Yea!

With the hull finally back on the trailer, I could then properly fit the new fenders. I couldnt' find direct replacements for the oddball sized fenders, so went with some aluminum diamond plate's that were close enough. A little judicious bending with my highly calibrated knee and foot & they finally fit (3/4" higher than original, but I feel better & think they still look good with the extra clearance). The new carpeted PT plywood fender liners should cradle the hull nicely on loading. Finally, added some functional bling with matching diamond plate step covers (cooler on the bare feet than black metal). Forgot how messy cutting aluminum is - I still have aluminum glitter all over the garage despite 2 cleanings.

Still have a few minor details on the trailer - polish up on of the old rims best I can & mount spare tire carrier, cut chains to length, bush the wiring frame holes, & think I'm gonna try to carpet wrap pvc covers for the guide poles the PO had welded on, etc.

Next is to pull the top cap (again) & clean up a few areas on the floor & bilge before laying carpet (black roll laying under the trailer in pics). Also going to change up the bracing under the playpen for more open storage of ballast sacs, glass in tower mount supports, & rewire the top cap before mating the halves one last time.

Okie Boarder

12-21-2010, 12:51 PM

Man, coming along NICELY. That trailer looks great! Sucks you were a little off, but it shouldn't hurt anything that you trimmed the bottom of the top cap, I would think.

wotan2525

12-21-2010, 01:49 PM

Whooaaa..... you just ended up with a brand new trailer! How much did they charge you to blast and powercoat it?

Your supra dealer (or ebay in the spring) will have Supra branded guide-pole pads. Believe me... It's a much better idea to get the real ones!

sybrmike

12-21-2010, 02:29 PM

Yeah, sucked having to trim the cap. Not sure how I messed up that very basic dimension, but just means I have even more solid structure down below now (ha ha, see how easy it is to justify screw ups). Since I was already cutting (and itchy), I went ahead and opened up an access behind the observer's seat to slide my batteries in under the storage area.

Had to look around for an oven big enough to load a 24' trailer, but lots of heavy industry in Houston. $600 cash to blast & powdercoat the trailer (they r&r'd the suspension - can't cook springs, brakes, etc.), 3 engine pulleys, rub rail cap piece, and 20 pieces of windshield frame. Deal was contingent on using it as filler work, and of course they took a big job right after I dropped it off so ended up taking 5 weeks to get it back. Put me farther behind schedule, but the price break was worth it - it sure is purty. Now if I can just get the boat as nice...

WakeSurfCanada

12-21-2010, 03:09 PM

Looking good! Makes me want to brush the snow and ice of my beast and get to work :). . .. . Looking like that isn't going to happen until the new year.

Keep up the good work Mike!

Cheers and Happy Holiday's!

TitanTn

12-21-2010, 07:24 PM

Gorgeous work on the trailer. I'm going to have to do something similar this spring and I hope it comes close to what you've done. The hook up on the nose looks a little different than normal. What did you do there? If it's what it looks like, I'd think it'd really protect the nose from damage as you load. I've got some damage on mine and I've noticed others have some issues there as well.

oldman

12-21-2010, 09:43 PM

Mike, you don't mess around, that trailer is righteous!

DAFF

12-22-2010, 02:07 AM

Better than factory.... Wait till summer, you won't be able to get her in the water with out a croud of drewlers!!!

sybrmike

12-28-2010, 11:43 AM

Titan - Here's a better pic of how the bow attached to the trailer. The angled support is hinged down at the vee support and lays flat while loading. Once the boat is located properly fore/aft, the brace is raised so the bow eye protrudes thru a slot in the brace and the winch clip locks it all in place. Simple & elegant way to lock things down, but I can see some issues in getting things lined up just right - I only loaded it twice (purchase test drive and one quick outing) before I tore her apart. I've only seen this set up on one other Randall's VIP trailer also under an '89 Salt & the owner said it could be a PITA. Guess time will tell, but it's what I got.

ngavdba - thanks (nice title btw ;)) Now if the Stabil will just keep ethanol from contaminating my Dylithium crystals, me & Scottie can finish getting this ship outta space dock.

Wotan - good advice, I was the successful (only) bidder. Waiting on delivery, but I'm sure it's 28 bucks well spent to not have to hassle with making ghetto guide pole covers.

DAFF

12-28-2010, 12:17 PM

That device will be very time consuming to get right every time. A simple 1.5" wide ratchet strap might do just as good and without the alignment issues. Is there any chance the steel flat stock can rub the bow of the boat near the hook???

Patrick56

12-28-2010, 01:59 PM

Mike,

I had that set-up on my old 85' Ski Supreme. Getting the fore/aft alignment isn't too bad, but be careful when loading on steep ramps. The PO of that boat locked everything down nice and tight, but didn't realize the back of the boat was still floating. When he pulled up the ramp the boat settled down on the trailer, pivoting on the lower V-bunk, and pulled the lifiting eye right through the bow of the boat. It was a bear to fix when I got it.

Just some food for thought.:o

sybrmike

12-28-2010, 04:33 PM

Thanks for the heads up! I sure had not thought of that possibility - ouch!

Since you have some experience - what do you think about getting the boat positioned fore/aft on the ramp, raising the brace and attaching the winch clip through the bow eye to secure the boat to the trailer, but then leaving some slack in the winch strap? This should allow some movement as the boat "settles" on the trailer as it's pulled out. Then tighten the winch once on level ground.

Any other hints or techniques?

Daff - The angle of the brace matches the hull pretty good & it's a static hand fasten operation, but I've had the same concern. Thought about plasti-dipping the end of the brace or maybe even one of those keel guard kits that come with a thin gauge s/s, self adhesive, protecter plates that mount around the bow eye.

Thanks

cadunkle

12-28-2010, 11:17 PM

I would get rid of that goofy loading setup. I would find it a pain as I don't powerload. Depending on the ramp I use one is impossible as it's full exposed to the tide current so I have one person hold to lines on the boat (only load when it's pulling away from dock) then throw bow line to me at trailer and I pull it on, hook the winch and crank it up while helper holds the stern. Other ramp is shelteredd so I idle onto the bunks then hook the winch and crank the last bit. Either way, get trailer depth golden for the ramp angle and the boat just aligns on the trailer by itself. I would be nervous powering all the way up with a big piece of metal right at the bow eye that could take a chunk out of the glass if not perfectly aligned.

I also always have a safety chain from the bow eye to the winch post, as I don't trust a strap 100%, then strap down the stern after pulled off the ramp.

Just my thoguhts on the matter as I usually use ramps that have insanely strong currents... Like wakes coming off the docks from the current. If you always have perfect calm water with no current it may not be that big a deal.

TitanTn

12-29-2010, 08:38 AM

cadunkle - I this he was saying that the metal piece is hinged where it's mounted on the trailer and therefore is not vertical while loading. It's actually laying flat and completely out of the way.

Apparently the biggest issue is just trying to get the boat in the right position so the metal piece fits over the bow eye. If you power load, this might be difficult, but if you winch it up, this seems like it'd be fairly straight-forward. My Saltare has some minor bow damage from the roller. The angle is never good and there is a lot of pressure asserted from the rubrail down as the boat is loaded. I think either my bow stop needs to be reconfigured or maybe done away with all together and put something like this in place.

sybermike - I'll be interested to hear how much you like this (or don't) as you get more time with it. Thanks for the pic.

sybrmike

12-29-2010, 10:52 AM

Yeah, it's hinged at the base and lays flat on the trailer until needed. That's part of the alignment problem - when loading, there's no reference point (bow roller) to locate the eye. Thinking about putting a small mark on the hull at the vee bunk as the reference point.

Like all boats, it's probably just a matter of experience to figure out the sweet spot just how far to sink the trailer for easiest loading.

Patrick56

12-29-2010, 11:09 AM

Here are a couple of pictures of my old boat on the trailer. You can see I had to either power load or really sink the trailer because there was not a winch.

Your loading description is right on target. Your boat/trailer might not be as sensitive because it does have a winch and strap. My old boat had a hook and a turnbuckle.

If you ever get to the ramp to unload and can't get the metal arm to swing down because it is stuck on the bow eye, lift up on the bow of the boat and the arm should drop on out.

Hope this helps.

sybrmike

12-29-2010, 03:20 PM

Thanks, Patrick. Since I have a winch, I plan on just using the brace while towing. Unhook winch strap, lower the brace, reattach winch hook and back down the ramp with just the winch strap.

Sharp looking Supreme btw.

cadunkle

12-31-2010, 12:10 PM

Didn't realize it was hinged. Still seems irritating. If it's hinged it can't be as strong as a normal bow stop. Was this used to keep the boat from going back off the trailer if the winch strap snapped? Seems more trouble than it's worth compared to a traditional winch post with safety chain and stern straps.

sybrmike

01-06-2011, 05:45 PM

Well, my earlier concern that the strut was bent proved correct. Now that the hull's back on the "new" trailer, I could crawl underneath (didn't trust my hull dolly design enough for that) and see a wear mark on the hull near the shaft log. Once the strut was out (dang, 21 year old 5200 is still strong stuff), you could really see that things weren't square.

62 bucks later, it's now straight & looks good as new (the polished finish will make it go faster, right?). :)
Good news, the shaft rolls flat & appears straight.

Started cleaning up the gas tank a bit & checked the sender while I was at it - open, no resistance & only half a cork float left. Skidim, here I come (again).

Okie Boarder

01-06-2011, 10:00 PM

Nice! You'll have to keep it polished to keep it streamlined ;-)

TitanTn

01-06-2011, 10:46 PM

Very nice! How did you straighten the strut?

oldman

01-06-2011, 11:25 PM

Looks like gold! Better break out the lacquer to keep it that way.

mapleleaf

01-06-2011, 11:43 PM

I've yet to drop off all my nibral for rebuild after a rock incident in Sept. I'm pretty sure I'll pay for what ever polishing fee they want. That thing looks sweet!!

sybrmike

01-07-2011, 11:15 AM

Titan - I took it to a marine repair shop down on the ship channel (shoulda taken a pic of the 8' dia prop they were working on!).

Chatted it up with the manager & turns out he did a Supra Beast cap off resto many years ago. Guess he took pity on me & threw in the polish job. Not gonna be too anal about keeping it shiney (although I did put on a coat of wax), but it is pretty while it lasts.

Okie Boarder

01-07-2011, 01:40 PM

but it is pretty while it lasts.

Which will likely be the first time it goes in then out of the water. :p

sybrmike

01-10-2011, 02:20 PM

Some progress this weekend. Pressed in new strut bushings, cut new guide pole pvc tubes, slid on new ebay padded guide pole covers, reflective tape on the pvc top caps, added aluminum diamond plate protectors to trailer for jack wheel and bow eye drop bar, cut tow chains to length, & filled a gap between the hull and shaft log (don't think it was necessary, but it bugged me).

Also mounted the new wakeplate. The old one was pretty beat up & I'm adding electric actuators, so wanted a hinged plate anyway... I couldn't find a plate that would fit into the existing pocket, so I cut off the existing plate & left a 1.5" flange to mount the new plate (plus didn't want the hassle of removing the 27 screws that are still solid in 5200, filling, & then fairing). This moved the hinge point 1.5" further back, but I still have a 9" movable chord width (now 10.5" total) so don't think it'll have much impact on performance.

Room is tight up under the swim platform so I have "short" actuators with only 1.5" of travel. Since the Supra manual says not to adjust the wakeplate below horizontal (but I do want the ability to force that deep vee down into the chop on occasion), I'm thinking of using 3/8 or 1/2" of travel for "down" and the remaining 1-1/8 or 1" of travel for "up" (surfing).

Any ideas on what the normal plate travel is for boats with actuated wakeplates?

No, I didn't screw up on the bolt spacing - the transom drain hole is off center from the factory. Also, you can see more of my new LED trailer lights and the back-ups I added - a little functional bling-bling.

jet

01-10-2011, 03:52 PM

Hey Sybrmike. Are those CENTER trailer lights white?? And post a link on what back-up lights you are using?? That trailer is SICK!! Trailer of the year man. Jet

sybrmike

01-10-2011, 04:35 PM

Thanks, Jet. Too bad I can't ski behind a trailer.

Everything but the back-ups are Optronix LED. They're all clear lenses & show only the reflective chrome backing when not lit up (turns out after-the-fact, the diamond plate matches real well). When powered, the tail/stop/turns, center and rear markers light up red and the front markers are amber (per DOT requirements).

It took some digging to find DOT leagal back-ups that matched (the matching Optronix work lights aren't DOT and don't throw much light), but finally found some close enough here:

http://www.truckntow.com/pc-23196-147001-round-and-oval-led-back-up-lights.aspx

Okie Boarder

01-11-2011, 12:15 PM

Looking good. By back ups are you saying they will light up when you're in reverse like normal car back up lights?

wotan2525

01-11-2011, 12:41 PM

Relective tape to the top of your PVC caps? I'm confused... shouldn't the trailer pads cover these? You know the pads are designed to float up the guide poles as you back into the water, right?

The trailer does look amazing. If anyone else is interested in those lights -- I have the same ones. They were actually quite a bit cheaper at the local truck stop than any online store that I found.

87SunSportMikeyD

01-11-2011, 12:44 PM

Looks GREATTT!!! I have an aftermarket hydrolic wake plate and it does go slightly past horizontal. It makes the bow sit real low and you cant drive fast like that cause its so low.

sybrmike

01-12-2011, 12:16 AM

Okie - yeah, true reverse lights (couldn't see squat back there - 22' of quad cab, long bed, tinted windows and 23' of boat). They're tied into the reverse lock-out solenoid on the new disc brake actuator).

Wotan - I stumbled upon an internet coupon, so the back-ups were a little less than I could find local & these matched better.
The PO had welded pipe guide poles to the existing box beam uprights (that were missing carpeted bunks). I made new bunks for the old uprights and cut 2" pvc to slide over the pipe uprights and put caps on the ends. The guide pole covers slip over the pvc and the caps keep them from coming off the top. I drilled a small vent hole in the pvc just below the cap so the pvc/pad assemly isn't too bouyant, but will still float up & down over the metal pipe. I "borrowed" the reflective tape idea from Jet.

Mikey - how far is "slightly past horizontal"? The boat show's in town this week, so guess I need to take some measurements while there (good excuse to go :) ).

dshaff24

01-12-2011, 12:42 AM

Hey man just wanted to say everything is looking awesome.. Its a great feeling when such a big project starts to look like your actaully getting somewhere!! Im going to pull mine out of storage to tear into the little odds and ends i never finished last year!

Keep up the good work and post pics! :cool:

mapleleaf

01-12-2011, 12:51 AM

Looks GREATTT!!! I have an aftermarket hydrolic wake plate and it does go slightly past horizontal. It makes the bow sit real low and you cant drive fast like that cause its so low.

oh Mikey, if you only knew what a really low bow looked like!! lol ya I still have SunSport envy!

wotan2525

01-12-2011, 11:30 AM

Ahh.... I see! Didn't realize how TALL those guide poles were!

oldman

01-19-2011, 12:12 AM

sybrmike
I like your new mantra: Patience & Perseverance SCREW THAT!! I GOTTA START BUSTIN A$$ & FINALLY GET ER DONE!! Sounds good to me. I'm shootin for April.

sybrmike

01-20-2011, 01:25 PM

After trial fitting the top cap & trimming the bottom edge, I winched it back into the rafters again. Enlarged the new opening for the batteries behind the observer's seat & made a pattern for a divider wall that I will glass in to separate the port bow ballast bag from the batteries.

I wanted the area under the playpen more open for easier placement of ballast and storage, so I removed the original divider/support panels and will glass in new supports that fit tight up underneath.

It's not just an "ice melter", it's also a floor rot promoter. The ice chest has no insulation on the bottom & it sits directly on the carpeted floor in the walk thru. This area of floor was really rotten. The exposed bottom is probably constantly wet from condensation & direct contact with the carpet keeps the trapped area wet. Probably gonna cut the bottom off the ice chest, section it, and reglass & gel so I have room to add insulation to the bottom and leave an air gap so things can dry. I'll lose a few inches of ice chest depth, but gain some peace of mind.

sybrmike

01-20-2011, 01:43 PM

Laid out the new dash panels. Decided to change things up a bit - guages on the one side and switches/breakers on the other with room for the new depth guage and trim actuator switch. Also a new panel for two ballast switches that I'll mount to the right of the dash above the throttle. Think I'm gonna wish I had a CNC machine...

Okie Boarder

01-20-2011, 01:45 PM

sybr,

You're just going to have that cut out in the back wall of the observer seat and slide the batteries under from there? Why not cut out the floor of that storage area above it too and just open it all up?

On the cooler, is it possible to just leave the floor open to the bilge under the cooler so there is no need to worry about it touching there and causing problems? You could have the floor solid right up to the edge of the front wall of where the cooler goes, then open it up until the front edge of the playpen floor area.

What are you going to make the new dash panels out of?

sybrmike

01-20-2011, 02:03 PM

Yeah, I remember how you really opened yours up - but I wanted to keep that area for dry storage (wife & 2 girls always have a bunch of "stuff") and not worry about exposed batteries, wiring, & ballast bag (my 400# sac fits perfectly under the existing storage floor).

Good call on cutting the floor (already thinking that). I added 2x4 cross braces spanning the bilge just ahead and behind of the ice chest during the stringer/floor rebuild, so should be o.k. structurally. A lot cleaner than sectioning the ice chest.

New dash panels are out of a $5 piece of scrap 1/4" textured black plastic sheet. Supposed to be UV stabilized, but I'll keep it slathered in 303 protectant just in case.

Okie Boarder

01-20-2011, 02:15 PM

Battery boxes can solve that problem very well. You might test your idea to see how easy it will be to get to the batteries and see what would work better. I felt the batteries being in that more open space was easier to deal with. Not trying to knock your idea, just throwing out some options.

I think cutting the floor open right there gives you a little more flexibility. I'd definitely say the 2x's going across right there is plenty of support.

I'm interested to see how the dash comes out!

TitanTn

01-21-2011, 09:24 AM

Sounds like the dash is going to be awesome. Looking forward to seeing how that turns out.

sybrmike

01-31-2011, 04:09 PM

Got the supports glassed in under the bow to make room for the sacs. Decided to keep the port storage intact with batteries underneath (sorry Okie), so glassed in a divider panel to separate the batteries from the bow sac. Hope they're not too hard to access, but hopefully my Surepower isolator will cut down on the need. Last of the big fiberglass jobs was to locate and glass in the tower mount supports - hope 3/4" pt ply and 17 oz bidirectional with epoxy resin is enough... Glassing upside down really sucks!

Going to cut the floor under the ice chest (thanks Okie) to make room for the new insulation. I added two pieces of 3/4 rigid foam house insulation to the bottom then built 4 sides of the same and poured 2 part foam to fill the gap. Once I fab a decent lid, the beverages should stay cold now.

It was a PITA (drill, cut, file, sand, fit, trim, fit, trim, fit, trim, repeat), but the new dash panels are done. Had to clearance the dash insert in numerous places, but it all finally fits. I'll have to trim the helm a bit to match and cut out the hole for the ballast panel, but I'm happy with how it's coming together. Wiring's gonna be fuuuun.

jet

01-31-2011, 05:20 PM

Mike..we need a new pic of the dash. A close up with more light please. : ))

Okie Boarder

01-31-2011, 05:42 PM

Looking good! I like the dash and would love to see more pics, also. What did you use for material to mount the gauges to? Is that plastic or metal?

87SunSportMikeyD

01-31-2011, 05:52 PM

Looks great!! I put my 400 lb bow sac right where you do. I wish I had a way to keep the one in front of the drivers seat tucked out of the way just as neatly.

Hope you have as good of luck with the SurePower as I do. Love it. Never have to touch anything. Always bring a spare alt belt but even if it breaks and I don't notice, power will cut out when it's too low and when I turn the key the backup battery comes on to save the day.

Dash looks great and that cooler looks AWESOME!

sybrmike

01-31-2011, 06:46 PM

I just happened to have these from the workbench.

Left side engine oil, temp, volt, fuel, added depth gauge, and 12 v receptacle w/ breaker.

Right side switches and breakers for nav/anc (new led bow, stern, and tower lights), courtesy (interior led's - more to come on that one), another courtesy (could it be that the blue indicator on that switch match some blue u/w transom leds?), stereo, acc (switched power to the new trim tab controller/indicator that initiates an "all up" position), bilge (upped the breaker for 2nd pump), and blower.

Center - dual speedo's w/ paddle wheel pickup (haven't drilled that hole yet), tach w/ integral hour meter, and red horn button w/ breaker. Ignition's in original location and the trim controller/indicator is right of steering wheel.

Two ballast switches & breakers are in a separate little panel that I'll mount right of dash above the shifter.

Yeah, if you look close at the big gauges they say MOOMBA. They're Beede's outta a 05 Outback & the depth is a Faria that matches close enough. Wish they didn't have chrome bezels (I don't like shiney things on my dash, oh well). Had to pick up a few extra switches and swap some breakers around. Installed blacklight led gauge lights that give the white faces a purple glow. The depth backlight is red, but I can't get into the gauge to change it.

The vinyl on the original dash has a few nicks, but cleaned up pretty good after I re-glued the edges and cracks on the backside. I cut the new panels from a 5$ piece of scrap textured 1/4 plastic.

Okie Boarder

01-31-2011, 07:08 PM

Remind me again...how much does that Surepower cost?

sybrmike

01-31-2011, 09:57 PM

$52 for the 100 amp 1314 here

http://www.ase-supply.com/Sure_Power_Battery_Separator_s/154.htm

or I think Mikey may have a hook-up...

TitanTn

01-31-2011, 11:13 PM

Looking awesome! I love the dash. You motivated me to do something with my dash. I was already planning to reupholster, but now I may do something with the panels. Thanks for the pics.

87SunSportMikeyD

02-01-2011, 12:30 PM

BrettYates/PolarBill on WakeWorld is the hookup but that is a GREAT price!

Okie Boarder

02-01-2011, 01:11 PM

Which one do you have mikey?

jet

02-01-2011, 04:33 PM

How did you cut the gauge holes so perfectly?? Nice job mike.

sybrmike

02-01-2011, 05:48 PM

Thanks guys (as I try to get bum shoulder to reach around and pat myself on the back).

Okie - don't know bout Mikey, but Mike got the 1314-200 (it was on sale at the time & more current rating for upgraded alternator couldn't hurt). I think the difference is that the 1315 will switch both directions.

Jet - Gauge holes were easy - hole saw bits. The 2" holes were a little small, so had to open them up a bit w/ sandpaper. The 4" were a little too big, so a few wraps around the gauges w/ electrical tape tightened the gap up good. The switches were the problem - they push and lock in from the front so the holes had to be juuuust right to catch the lock tab on the back, keep them parallel, and from moving around - drill the corners, jigsaw the edges undersized, & file to fit.

oldman

02-01-2011, 10:56 PM

Looks like you getener done! Keep up the good work, the water will be warming up real soon.

Okie Boarder

02-02-2011, 03:40 PM

syber, thanks. I looked on the website and I'm trying to understand a little more about which one would work the best.

87SunSportMikeyD

02-02-2011, 07:51 PM

I have the 1314.

sybrmike

03-08-2011, 01:28 PM

Cap might be on for the last time. Sadly, I've got this pulley/winch thing down - dropped the cap on in 10 minutes solo. Finished the new playpen supports and divider for the relocated batteries. Ran all new wires on the top cap. Cut out a hole for the newly insulated ice chest (but admittedly had to go back and trim 1/2" of insulation from 2 corners to make it fit). Laid new carpet.

Decided to keep the "green, not gray" bilge, but need to trim the 2 floor panels to get a tight fit on the seams before carpeting them.

Next up - start the daunting task of cosmetics on the hull (gelcoat repair is not my specialty - got a buddy that might help out). Probably wetsand until my shoulders give out & then switch to engine detail (carb rebuild, electronic ignition, paint, etc.) and mechanicals, then back to wetsanding, & repeat.

TitanTn

03-08-2011, 02:53 PM

Alright! Progress! I'm in the gelcoat refinishing process right now. Rubbing compound, Finesse It, gel coat repair, epoxy, etc... It's no fun, but the results are nice.

Keep it up!

Okie Boarder

03-08-2011, 06:18 PM

Awesome...looking really good!

sybrmike

03-28-2011, 11:21 AM

Shoulders/arms/hands are about to fall off from all the hull refinishing, but making good progress. During the breaks in sanding, I've stripped the engine and rebuilt the carb. New choke (cracked housing) and water pump (impeller contacting housing) are on the way. Raw water pump is disassembled and old impeller is out, but gonna have to cut a new thrust plate gasket unless I find more parts needed for another skidim order (I shoulda bought stock in those folks). Tstat housing was pretty corroded, so I sprang for the new updated style so I can run a standard 160 F automotive tstat ($10) instead of the special 140 ($60).

Been blasting and painting manifolds, brackets, accessories, etc. (still have sand coming from every body cavity & orifice). Not gonna be show quality, but Clint's engine inspired me to add a few performance & bling items while I'm at it.

TitanTn

03-28-2011, 01:05 PM

Looking good! I know what you mean about the sand issue. That stuff gets everywhere and you'll find it hanging around even days later. Keep up the pace and let us see how that hull refinishing is going.

sybrmike

03-30-2011, 06:26 PM

Finished the carb rebuild. Didn't clean up too well even after soaking disassembled in carb cleaner for 4 days, but better than it was - new guts, j-tubes, and choke.

Assembled the raw water pump with new impeller and o-ring. The thrust plate came off while taking it apart, so had to cut a new gasket. The PO had used steel bolts on the cover plate & I couldn't find any brass ones to fit, so went back with stainless figuring they're less likely to strip the bronze housing (& it's what I had)?

The parts fairy in the brown truck showed up today. New aluminum water pump (bad impeller on original) and valve covers (old ones rusted pretty bad) to go along with the intake I picked up earlier. The new intake is a square bore so the old spread bore wedge wouldn't work. Luckily, a buddy gave me an old square bore wedge left over from his blown v-drive hydro.

Hopefully get the engine/trans painted this weekend & start reassembly, then it's back to sand/compound/polish on the hull until I can find another excuse...

TitanTn

03-30-2011, 09:12 PM

Pretty parts! I understand that getting distracted on the hull refinishing. I guess the "good" news is that there's plenty to do so you won't get bored...

jet

03-31-2011, 10:19 AM

Sybr. Use this product on ANYTHING that looks old. Except clear coated surfaces. It will bring anything back to life. ALL you guys need this product if you own a boat. Use it on your old looking aluminium, copper chrome..it brings it back to life. If your Dad was in the army you will know about this product.

TitanTn

03-31-2011, 11:20 AM

dusty2221

03-31-2011, 11:35 AM

Jet - What product are you talking about?

Lol, old "in-gear" gets excited and forgets things in his old age!

jet

03-31-2011, 02:27 PM

Old age..your sittin on the couch resting your lil ankle and Im hittin a 30 mi marathon sat and just started training lastnight for it! lol. But yeah I forgot the link. :-p

http://www.nevrdull.com/

devovino

03-31-2011, 06:47 PM

This never dull is amazing stuff, I used it on my CR 250 Aluminum frame, it made it look like a mirror! I will probably invest in another can to do some work on my rims of the boat trailor, they are Aluminum as well! Great Stuff!

sydneyACE

04-04-2011, 07:22 PM

Mike, I used stainless bolts on my pump too. That's what was in there when I took it apart. One of the holes was also helicoiled too so that should say something I guess. LOL! Looking good, keep-up the hard work.

I'll race ya! Just kiddin... My boat is in an entirely different state than yours. We might be up and running about the same time, but yours is definately gonna be much better.

I'm just shooting to get mine in the water and driving. The rest will have to wait until next season.

sybrmike

04-05-2011, 11:24 AM

I don't know about better. Whichever one hits the water first is the best.

I've got grand plans & an aggressive schedule for a lake mechanical test by May. I'm afraid it that checks out - I may spend the rest of the summer sitting on milk crate seats, listening to a boombox, & sporting a low profile look sans windshield.

Engine's painted (no pics yet), but found 3 of the 6 bushings in the motor mounts were split. Disassembled, blasted (thankfully, think I'm done with blasting!), painted, & drying in the sun - waiting for new bushings.

sydneyACE

04-05-2011, 01:48 PM

Mike, at least yours has all new stringers and floor. Mine just has the two main ones where the engine mounts replaced, the rest is still crap. Plus your gel-coat prob looks much better.

This is what I was thinking for chairs:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/SKLZ-Sport-Brella-Chair-DLX/14895573
seriously... They are pretty damn comfy. Just screw-em into the old plywood. The umbrellas will be nice on hot or rainy days... Just kidding bout the umbrellas, but serious about the chairs. Should be more comfy than milk crates and you could take-em out for when you sit on the beach. Heheheh!

I know how you feel about the sandblasting. I'm about over it. I still need to do the "new" engine though, and the trans... *sigh* Oh well, I'm getting there.

I'm thinking end of April, beginning of May-ish for my first In-water test too.
Just got my registration done yesterday, my boat is "18ft 10in" cause 19ft and up was like twice as much. You guys wont tattle on me will ya?

Think I'm gonna copy and paste this on my thread cause it's a pretty good progress update...

sybrmike

04-17-2011, 11:44 PM

Finished rebuilding the mounts & installed on the engine. Think I've finally got all the parts to start reassembling the engine this week.

Just a few touch ups left on the hull, but my arms are calling it quits on sanding/compounding/polishing - gonna hafta be good enough. Actually I think it turned out really nice & will take pics next time I pull it out of the garage.

New rudder & housing assembly is installed. Had to move all the holes 1/4" outward in the pattern (it was surplus NOS from now defunct Gekko), but coated all the openings with CPES, filled with 5200, and tightened the bolts real good. My Supra may develop an identity crisis - Gekko rudder, Moomba gauges, Mastercraft steering wheel, etc...

Finally finished trimming the floor panels for good carpet seams and pull rings, only to find the last of my HHR contact cement had set up. Hafta wait for more adhesive before I can finish carpeting.

A constructive weekend - that is until I started to fasten the top cap. Things must have shifted during the stringer/floor rebuild because now only about half the screw & rivet holes line up. I started running screws from the rear along both sides & could only go about up to the helm. Pulled all the screws, shifted the cap rearward a tad & now only the middle half of the holes line up & I'm not sure I'll be able to close the slightly larger gap at the transom. The cap still fits fairly tight & uniformly around the hull, but it's as if the holes magically shifted. Any of you "cap-off" resto boys run into this? Solutions? Also, how much of a gap (if any) did you have between the bottom edge of the rubrail and hull? I think I'm going to screw into holes that align in the middle section & then drill new holes in the hull towards the bow & stern. May just have a little more silicone under the transom rubrail.

cadunkle

04-18-2011, 08:50 AM

Sounds like good progress! Hopefully you can get that cap fitment issue sorted. In any restoration I've found there are many little tedious roadblocks. I'd imagine it's a matter of your flooring might be slightly higher? I'm no export on boat restoration but I'd guess you just need to find out where it's hitting something and not letting the whole length drop into place, then grind for clearance if it's just a small amount.

How difficult and what was involved in the rudder swap? When I grab mine I can wiggle it around a bit side to side like the bushing is worn. I tightened the packing which didn't help, but it's not leaking. I've asked about this (this is my first inboard), and people say it's normal to have some play in the rudder, but I can't imagine they came from the factory like that. Doubt I'll bother with it this season, but it may be a project for next winter. Looks straightforward from the point of unbolt and grind out the old sealant, clean, bolt in replacement assembly with 5200?

Okie Boarder

04-18-2011, 10:42 AM

sybr, I had a similar problem. I just drilled new holes for rivets and screws where needed and filled any big gaps with silicon. Also, the original base for the rub rail is kind of "L-shaped" so it covered the areas pretty good too. I'd find some sort of happy medium in you mind on where you want it to sit and go from there. I agree with your idea of letting it match up in the middle then adjust the front and rear. Is the front playpen and dash area setting down on the deck and getting good support when you do it that way?

WakeSurfCanada

04-18-2011, 11:40 AM

Hey Mike,

I can't speak from actually having replaced the cap as of yet, but based on the swiss cheese that is the mounting holes between my top cap and hull I have opted to glass over theses sections from the rear side of the hull to allow me to drill new holes when the time comes to put the top cap back on.

Sound like you are getting close to having that boat of yours on the water soon enough.

see attached pic on what I am doing, laid the mat a bit wider than the hull and will buzz off with the air-saw when the time comes.

sybrmike

04-18-2011, 03:55 PM

The cap is sitting down on the hull flush all the way around - the holes will line up vertically, just shifted fore & aft 1/8-1/4" in places depending on how I have it aligned? I was warned of this typical alignment issue before by a pro shop & think pretty good spatially in 3D, but still confused how the shoe box lid can fit tight, yet the holes don't match? Oh well, time for some new holes. To top it off, I buggered up a cosmetic repair I did to the nose while moving the cap around trying to get more holes to line up. Looks like the factory had a dry layup in that area. Guess when I re-fix the nose, I'll mix up some extra resin (epoxy this time) & milled fiber to fill the unused holes.

WSC - looks like that cap might of been off once before - that's alot of holes. Good idea of glassing in a backer. Unfortunately, I've already carpeted the hull sides (plus I really don't want to pull the cap again) and I should have plenty of meat left for fasteners. Plus I figure if after filling the old holes & seams with silicone/epoxy/5200 and attaching/sealing the rubrail - if water intrusion from behind the rubrail ever becomes an issue, I've got bigger problems on my hands.

Cadunkle - rudder swap was no biggie. Although it would have been easier if the bolt pattern on inboard rudders was universal. My original rudder was the old style with packing and had lots of play in it. I ended up cutting the rudder shaft to remove it since the shaft head was mushroomed & I couldn't get the tiller arm off. Turns out it wasn't a big loss because the shaft was severely worn anyway. Yeah, it's supposed to just be an unbolt, clean-up, and reinstall new type of job. I did have to jack one side of the boat up off the trailer during removal and replacement so that the rudder would clear the prop guard. The new one has 2 zerks and 3 o-rings, so no more packing.

wotan2525

04-18-2011, 05:30 PM

I had just as many holes in my boat as WSC did. I'm assuming it had been from replacing the rubrail at some point. Now that I've replaced the rubrail myself, there's probably more negative space in the lip than positive space. The stainless rub rail has a LOT of screws!

sybrmike

04-20-2011, 04:07 PM

Hey, Wotan - just consider them "lightening holes" so she'll get up on plane faster.

Cap is on - for good this time! Jockeyed the cap around for the best fit & was able to use about half of the original holes. It pulled in tight against the hull with only an 1/8" gap in a few places - small enough for the rub rail to cover except for the transom.

The transom seam had a pretty good gap from the factory (a good bit of silicone under the rubrail when I took her apart). It's a little tighter now, but I ran a bead of sealant in the gap full length across the transom in anticipation of tsunami sized stern rollers while surfing (o.k., maybe a little wishful thinking...). Also filled all the old joint & rubrail holes w/ 5200.

Mixed up a batch of poly resin (so the gelcoat will stick) and cut fibers to fill in the self inflicted bow wound. I'll wait until I finish grinding down the hull where I've got some shaft contact below the shaft log (just in case I go through the gel) before I sand and try & match gelcoat one more time.

TitanTn

04-20-2011, 07:40 PM

Mike - I can see the results of your labor with refinishing the hull. It looks beautiful! Looking forward to seeing more pics...

Okie Boarder

04-21-2011, 11:32 PM

I bet that feels good having the cap on knowing you're done with that part. Huge milestone!

jet

04-22-2011, 10:34 AM

Hey sybr. How did you make the little black squiggly lines in your bilge paint?? That looks nice. I was think of using the garage floor sprinkles. What do yall think about that??

sybrmike

05-03-2011, 05:31 PM

First, Jet - bilge gel splatter done with an el cheapo Harbor Freight gravity feed gun with the atomizing holes blocked off and gel thickened with a little repair paste. The results aren't real consistent (even after first practicing on my floor which I later covered in carpet), but helps break up the accidental seafoam green bilge. Garage sprinkles should work fine if you're recoating since I would consider the bilge a "low traffic" area. I used them on a pool bath floor a few years back & they still look good.

sybrmike

05-03-2011, 06:12 PM

Getting close to tackling wiring, but have a few questions. I have all the parts, but don't quite know the best way to hook it all up. On the supply side - I have two Optima blue tops with a Surepower 1314 isolator and a high output DB alternator. On the demand side - the standard boat electricals (guages, all led lighting, electronic ignition, etc.), plus two electric trim actuators (one 20 amp breaker), two Johnson ballast pumps (two 20 amp breakers), one 4 ch amp (20 amp fuse), and one 6 ch amp (2x30 amp fuses).

1. To confirm with the 1314, just connect pos of each battery to batt 1 and batt 2 terminals on the 1314 and jumper the neg of each battery together and ground to engine block?

2. Should I connect all power loads to their respective batteries at the 1314 or the the battery terminals themselves or the Optima's auxiliary posts?

3. Do I need to upgrade the wire gauge from the new alternator?

4. Do I need to run a wire from the alternator power directly to the 1314 (currently a single 10 ga from old alternator that splices into two 10 ga at the engine harness that then travel up to the helm?

5. Should I dedicate the second battery to stereo only (pretty much constant use at varying load) or tie in some of the other intermittent loads (ballast pumps, trim actuators, etc.)?

Thanks.

Okie Boarder

05-04-2011, 12:01 PM

sybr, here's an explanation that might answer most of your questions.

I have two batteries. We'll call them primary and secondary. The primary battery is connected to the main power feed circuit breaker and chassis ground for the boat. I also have my ballast pump tied to that battery. My secondary battery is all stereo system. The main power to the motor circuit breaker is connected to the primary battery positive terminal. The ballast pump is piggy backed onto that. The main ground to the engine is tied to the primary battery negative terminal. The stereo distribution blocks are tied to the secondary battery positive and negative terminals. To wire in the 1314, I connected one side (main battery) to the primary battery and the other side to the secondary battery. The ground connection from the 1314 went to the primary battery. I connected a ground wire between the two battery negatives. That's the whole set up. This configuration favors the primary battery to be charged by the boat's electrical system and only connects the secondary battery if the primary is fully charged and a charge current is applied.

A couple notes:

1. Wire size from boat to primary battery is 2/0.
2. Wire size from distribution blocks to secondary battery is 2AWG.
3. Wire size of 1314 power connections is 4AWG. (Except it's small ground which is 14AWG, by mfg recommendation)
4. Wire size connecting two negatives on batteries together is 4AWG.

Okie Boarder

05-04-2011, 12:06 PM

Another couple notes...

I would connect everything to the batteries directly for auxilary stuff on each battery. Use the auxilary terminals on the battery itself. The main boat operating system should connect from the helm back to its main circuit breaker.

I opted to only have the stereo on the second battery. The main reason for that was I had it totally isolated until this year. With the 1314 you could go either way, but it seems to me things like ballast pumps do just fine running off the main engine battery. I'd put the trim tabs on that main battery for sure since you would usually only use them while your underway and the engine is running.

csuggs

05-04-2011, 03:30 PM

Sybr - I just got cought up on this post and your boat is really looking fine. I too am ready to start wiring - maybe tonight. Anyways, I'll be referring to your progress and posting my progress on "86Sunsport-phase2" thread.
I have 2 batteries also - one starting and one deep cycle. I have them wired to a Perko switch so that there are two hot wires coming into the switch, one going out. With that set-up, do I need a battery isolator? I know that if I run the Perko switch on one battery or the other, then only that battery will get charged. But if I run the switch in the "both" position, do I need the isolator to be sure the weakest battery gets charged first?

sybrmike

05-04-2011, 06:22 PM

Obviously from my questions, I'm no electrical expert - but if you have two different style/size batteries, they will probably charge differently with the Perko in the "both" position & not sure how that will affect battery life.

Not sure about all isolators, but the 1314 preferentially charges/maintains one (usually the starting) battery. It automatically connects both batteries only once the primary battery reaches a certain voltage threshold (13.2 volts I think) and will disconnect them if the primary drops below that voltage. So it always maintains the primary battery, not the one with the lowest charge.

Thanks Okie - that helps me plan things out a bit better. Think I'll keep all the the stereo stuff on the second battery.

sybrmike

05-16-2011, 11:10 AM

Put some long hours in this weekend, but it paid off.

Finished repairing the bow ding and installed the rubrail. Still have to seal the bottom edge with silicone, but it turned out well and really starting to look like a boat again. Can also see my new LED bow light.

Received the two correct platform angle brackets last week (Jim @ Viper had originally sent 2 of the 3 with wrong angle, but shipped replacements quickly). Installed the new removable mounting brackets with aluminum backer plates I fabbed, angle brackets, and platform. Bad news - I didn't get the 3 mounting brackets aligned perfectly. Good news - the platform is still level and square, but now with a little bit of bind in the brackets - I don't have any slop or movement once I get the pins inserted.

Thanks to Matt K for the inspiration (or at least courage) to try splitting my new wakeplate when mounting the new actuators. Settled on parallel when fully down which gives me 1.75" up at the trailing edge when fully retracted. Made more backer plates for the top mounts for thru-bolting. I hope they work as well on the water as they look in my garage.

Ptownkid

05-16-2011, 11:22 AM

that dual plate action is really, really cool...i think you may have made me add yet another thing to my list!

Okie Boarder

05-16-2011, 11:32 AM

Very cool...looking good? What is the reasoning behind splitting the plate? Fine adjustment side to side of wake effect or attitude of the boat?

sybrmike

05-16-2011, 11:45 AM

Two reasons - one, to see what effect (if any) differential actuation will have on side-to-side list trim (read help sink one corner for surfing) and general wake shape and hull performance. These hulls are pretty flat across the stern and the wakeplate(s) are in the middle, so I don't expect much (Matt K kind of confirmed this), but it's worth a shot... Two - on the odd chance that the actuators unintentionally (or intentionally for above reason) deploy at different rates, to keep them from trying to rip things apart.

oldman

05-16-2011, 01:34 PM

Two - on the odd chance that the actuators unintentionally (or intentionally for above reason) deploy at different rates, to keep them fm trying to rip things apart.[/QUOTE]

On my conventional set up (one wake plate in middle with to actuators), the piping-tubing is teed to balance the fluid pressure.

sybrmike

05-16-2011, 01:52 PM

That's the beauty of hydraulic, but I went electric with no way to truly balance the load - but I knew I wanted to try differential actuation anyway.

Nice upgrade to yours btw. How much up/down travel do you have on your Bennets & how does the boat respond?

matt k

05-16-2011, 05:20 PM

man, your tabs look nice! Mine's just a cut-up version of the stock one, with the hinges from the rear deck riveted in. I like the thru-bolted setup as well.

It looks like we have pretty similar travel now. My actuators have more throw, but due to the extended angle, the tabs don't move any farther than yours do.

oldman

05-17-2011, 09:01 AM

Nice upgrade to yours btw. How much up/down travel do you have on your Bennets & how does the boat respond?[/QUOTE]

I haven't measured it yet. Only ran it once on water. When I lower it down all the way it really get crazy out of control. I raise it all the way up and it seem to put out a normal wake, but can't seem to tell yet if it can help the wake for wakeboarding. I know you can't put it down much. I need to work with it some more, maybe the actuators need to be mounted higher? I have to take some pictures of travel and see if it look normal to other people.

haugy

05-17-2011, 03:57 PM

Why don't we have pics of the engine and side profile of that shiny boat yet???

I'm impressed man. I see me asking you a ton of questions in the future.

Okie Boarder

05-17-2011, 04:47 PM

sybr has been very light with the pics all along the way...I think he used to be an automotive engineer in a former life. Maybe someone can swing by his place and get some "spy photos".

sybrmike

05-17-2011, 05:20 PM

o.k. - I'm busted. Actually the only boat I own is an Old Town canoe & I'm just really good with Photoshop.

Actually, most work's been done in the garage & not much room or light for good pics. Plus I've been solo on most of this & picking up a camera's the last thing on my mind while resin's kicking or I'm done for the night & trying to get back to the family. I can try to take more along the way, but you'll ruin my big "ta da" finish. Sorry, guess I'm just not that photogenic.

Jetlink

05-17-2011, 06:08 PM

Sorry, guess I'm just not that photogenic.

Who said anything about mugshots of you, we were talking about pics of your boat...lol

Okie Boarder

05-17-2011, 10:19 PM

Slacker! Nothing but excuses. ;)

premierproperties

05-18-2011, 08:37 AM

Sybr
your bow repair looks flawless, what did you use to blend the repair and how did you match the color so close. I have a similar repair on my new project and would love to hear what you used....It looks great!

sybrmike

05-18-2011, 05:04 PM

You definitely don't want me muggin for the camera - even unfinished, the boat is much better looking.

Flawless? Hardly! - here's a few better pictures of my first (and worst) attempted batch of gelcoat matching that I used at the bow and two deep gouges on the rear corners. The first is the horizontal line at the corner (the big light spot is the flash reflection). The second is the bow point next to the rubrail. Too gray, with not enough brown.

The rubrail covered most of the bow repair & the others are pretty minor (to the point they don't show up too well on the camera - a little worse in person). Don't see either when in the boat. After sanding/compounding/polishing, the surface contours and finish look real good, just the color looks lighter. My other bad color match was after clearancing the hull at the shaft log exit - but no one will ever see that one. The 15-20 others are much better & you have to know where to look in the right light. In total, I used almost two of the big 4 oz Evercoat repair kits.

sybrmike

05-18-2011, 05:32 PM

Oh, and Haugy - this one's for you. Hard to get much room for a good pic with a 24 footer in the garage, but you get the idea.

It's good from about 5' away. Any closer & you can still make out where the stripes were in the black (difference in surface height, not color) & a few places that weren't deep enough to bother fixing, but too deep to comfortably sand/polish out.

Maybe Okie can borrow OldMan's spy photo lens used in his thread, but you may not see much in a drive by - I'm keeping this one locked up in the SYBR Stealth Skunkworks. ;)

jet

05-18-2011, 05:44 PM

SOMEONE SAY SPY?? Im ready..sybr lookout! I busted Dustys New 2011 I mean 06 24' before it even hit water.:twisted:

jet

05-18-2011, 05:45 PM

How bout a spy photo of CMtaylors new led speaker rings??

sybrmike

05-19-2011, 06:39 PM

Looks like the secret offsite location (my buddies car repair shop) is unsecure - these spy photos of the engine clean up project just released.

Aftermarket bolt-ons are a pain. The intake wasn't made for a wedge - had to switch to studs and enlarge the holes in the spacer and carb. The throttle bracket wouldn't clear extra bosses on the manifold - had to clearance the bracket a bit to mount and I'll have to change the angle of the throttle clamp bracket. The aluminum engine water pump outlet is interfering with the raw water pump bracket - gotta break out the grinder/cutting wheel on that now too. I'm sure there will be more tweaking required along the way...

Mostly done except for plumbing and wiring. Hope to install next week.

oldman

05-19-2011, 09:41 PM

Lookin Good! Sybr. What is the make and model of the intake manifold?

Okie Boarder

05-19-2011, 11:17 PM

Looking good!

cadunkle

05-20-2011, 09:47 AM

Tall intake setup... That gonna fit under the doghouse or did you raise that a little?

csuggs

05-20-2011, 09:53 AM

Looks great! You one-up'd me on polished intake. Let us know how that works out! Send pics after you get the motor back in the boat - Beautiful!!

sybrmike

05-20-2011, 10:04 AM

Advertised as a ProComp Performer Air Gap. Got it off of CL for $100 - "used" but never installed. Didn't know it was polished till I went to pick it up - bonus! Yeah, it's a little taller but only brings the top of the spark arrestor up about level with the top of the risers so the original height should be close. Once the engine is installed, I'll make the new doghouse base tall enough for clearance at the top.

Associated headaches so far - got a square bore carb wedge from a friend's old blown v-drive hydroplane & had to modify to fit and cut studs to mount, had to reshape the throttle bracket to clear some bosses on the intake, and required longer intake bolts. Also, will have to change the angle of the throttle cable clamp, find/make a longer coolant J-hose to run from water pump to intake (after I clearance the raw water pump bracket to clear the outlet of the new engine water pump), and the fuel line may be an issue.

And the family keeps asking why it's taking so long to finish this boat project???

jet

05-20-2011, 10:36 AM

Way nice engine..and great spy photos. lol

haugy

05-20-2011, 10:50 AM

Crap dude you're setting the bar high. Should make for some interesting craftsmanship to compete with that bad boy. :D

And come'on, really? That's the shot you send? That's just wrong!!!! I need more than a 4 foot span, it's like prom night all over again. Barely a taste, and then I'm sent packin.

A question: Are you not worried about the lack of blow-by vents with the new valve covers? You only have on blow by vent now for one bank of cylinders. With these old 454s I would think needing to have both blow-by vents operational would be helpful in performance and life.

sybrmike

05-20-2011, 02:31 PM

I always figured the pressure was pretty equal under each valve cover on a pushrod V8 since it's an open path between the two through the lifter valley, so no big thang. However if more experienced gearheads think otherwise, I can always replace the fill plug with the orignial vent tube up to the spark arrestor. No problem to pull either one once a year for oil fill.

I'll check with my mechanic next time I'm over working on the engine at his place.

cadunkle

05-21-2011, 08:14 AM

If that's a PCV you're running (which I recommend, helps to keep the crankcase clean), you should run a breather on the other side. A good sealing engine (rings) will pull vacuum out the opposite valve cover from the PCV. You should have this connected to open air so you get fresh air flowing through the crankcase.

sybrmike

05-23-2011, 12:15 PM

Originally, the valve covers had a total of four holes - one fill plug each, one PCV valve with hose run to carb base, and one open hose ran up to a bracket at the spark arrestor screen. Can't I just run the the PCV-to-carb and hose to spark arrestor and fill from either when needed?

cadunkle

05-23-2011, 05:17 PM

Yes, that is a good way to set it up and will keep any blowby at WOT from making a mess of your valve covers, since it will be sucked through the air cleaner and burned.

sybrmike

06-06-2011, 03:28 PM

Well, I got the valve cover vent hoses properly routed (thanks, cad), and a piece of 5/8 water hose with a molded 90 to reach from the new water pump to elevated intake. But no luck with a longer J-hose - gonna have to cut & splice. I found a muffler shop that thinks they have some 1-3/4" s/s pipe laying around somewhere & they'll cut me a section for a few bucks once they find it. My ebay special Pertronix electronic distributor showed up without a rotor (no wonder it was so cheap). Seller was non-responsive, but local auto parts store was able to match it up to an early 90's chevy truck.

Finally started on the wiring. The gauges were pretty easy since they're out of a 05 Outback & had part of a harness still attached. I'll just cut & splice on the back side of the harness connectors so the new gauge and speedo panels will pull out by just unplugging a few connectors each. The switch panel was a little more challenging. I'm adding "stuff", so had to start from scratch there. Lots of jumpers, but able to reuse a 9 pin connector from the gauge harness - so I'll have the 9 pin and spades for the 12v and ground to disconnect to make the panel plug & play. Oh, and I'll have direct 12v & ground feeds from the second battery direct to the "stereo" switch (the naked one on the bottom left) so that all the sound gear is on the second battery only (to help with any noise).

Keeping with the modular wiring theme, I'm using terminal strips for the transom wiring. I didn't want to make a custom harness so I ran some 6 conductor (signal, led, blowers, etc), 4 conductor (trim actuators), and a 10 ga ground (plus speaker and courtesy lights) wire before I sat the cap down. Still have a few wires to add at the back as I add components (fuel sender, 2nd bilge pump, etc.), but I think I counted correctly & have a few extra lugs just in case. I was gonna solder & heatshrink everything, but I'm running out of time & patience - so just using heat shrink crimp-ons & will wire tie everything once I'm done.

Okie Boarder

06-07-2011, 12:51 PM

Looking good. I'm closely watching what you're doing on the wiring and switches...that is something I would love to do. Keep posting lots of pictures.

sybrmike

06-16-2011, 10:53 PM

Wiring is 80-90% done. I have nav lights, gauge lights, & blowers. Still need to install bilge pumps in wire them in and finish wiring the trim tab switch. I've held off on installing the paddlewheel, depth transducer, ballast intake, & bilge pumps until the engine was in to know how much room I had to work with. Same with the battery cables since I also relocated/added batteries. Reusing the connectors from the Moomba harness is working out good. Each of the panels I fabbed are easily removed with just a few connectors - I just swapped out my "black light" gauge backlight LEDs for red (didn't like the look, plus the depth finder backlight is red & can't get into it to change). Since I changed the dash up & added some load on the switches (extra bilge, trim tabs, etc), I'm just running the gauges & ignition off of the original harness from the engine. Everything on the switch panel will run on separate feed from the battery (except the stereo will have it's own connections to the added second battery.

The engine is in! The bay with the chain lift became available, so ditched work early & sweated my arse off in the 100 degree Houston heat. The engine still needs a few hoses (finally got a piece of s/s exhaust pipe so I can splice my J hose), distributor & wires installed, connect fuel lines, & such. The exhaust hose from the riser to the pipes is gonna be a beeeatch - not much room for two hose sections and a 4-3" reducer. I've got the original hoses for reference, but don't know how they ever made the angles work with that stiff hose???

I had measured the shaft location in the strut prior to tearing things apart, so used that as a reference for engine location. Held my breath as I lowered the engine down onto the new mounts, but couplings lined up within 1/4" - yea! Got em eyeballed close now, so time to dig up that alignment thread...

sybrmike

06-16-2011, 10:58 PM

Also, since she finally left the confines of the garage for the first time in a while - I snapped a few quick photo's for Haugy...

wotan2525

06-17-2011, 12:00 AM

Also, since she finally left the confines of the garage for the first time in a while - I snapped a few quick photo's for Haugy...

Ooooh.... looking nice! Everything looks great! The only thing I notice right off is that it seems like that trailer should have a bow roller, right?

mapleleaf

06-17-2011, 12:21 AM

Everything looks amazing, how 'bout we focus in on that there steering cable and the alignment of the steering wheel while its in that position... I"ve got a rudder install this weekend is all
Gawd I want that trailer...not to mention that 22 carat ring you'll have under your doghouse....

haugy

06-17-2011, 08:50 AM

Looks good man, I'm so jealous of your gelcoat. Damn paint.

sybrmike

06-17-2011, 11:33 AM

No roller, Wot. The bar running at an angle from the bow eye to the trailer is hinged down at the base. Disconnect the winch strap hook from the bow eye & the bar will lay flat forward for unloading. For loading, drive the boat up (winch into position if necessary), raise the bar, & clip the strap hook to lock it all in place. Honestly, I only did this twice before starting the rebuild. Worked pretty good both times, but I can see an issue in getting it properly located fore/aft so the slot in the top of the bar slips over the bow eye. I'm thinking of marking the keel at the vee bunk for reference.

Maple - steering's already aligned. New rotary helm (with tilt), steering cable, steering tube, clamp block, & rudder. After the rudder is in, leave the steering cable disconnected from the tiller arm. Loosen the clamp block so the steering tube can slide back & forth. Rotate the steering wheel lock to lock & measure the travel of the steering cable shaft where it exits the steering tube. Mark the center of travel on the cable shaft & rotate the steering wheel to the center point of travel. Align the rudder straight & slide the steering tube in the clamp block until you can attach the steering cable shaft to the tiller arm while the rudder is straight and the cable shaft travel is centered. Tighten the clamp block on the steering tube. You may need to remove & reinstall the steering wheel to be centered now that everything's aligned. Good luck this weekend.

I can tell you from prying, leveraging, & muscling that BB & trans into position - it weighs a lot more than 22 carats, but yeah it's all sparkly :) Hopefully she'll run as good as she looks.

Okie Boarder

06-17-2011, 12:04 PM

Looking really good. I'm getting excited for ya. I remember what it was like in the final stages getting all the loose ends tied up and getting her on the water.

Jetlink

06-17-2011, 07:08 PM

The bar running at an angle from the bow eye to the trailer is hinged down at the base. Disconnect the winch strap hook from the bow eye & the bar will lay flat forward for unloading. For loading, drive the boat up (winch into position if necessary), raise the bar, & clip the strap hook to lock it all in place.

This sounds very much like my setup for my trailer only, I don't have a single winch on my trailer anywhere. I posted a pic in another thread somewhere...thinking it had something about rear tie downs. Anyways, don't have that pic handy on this computer but I can find it if you really are interested. And Sybrmike, it is the best system out there. People usually start bitching at the ramp about people taking along time and honestly, 30 seconds after splashing the trailer, the boat is all the way out of the water.

sybrmike

08-25-2011, 11:48 PM

Sorry got busy with work & didn't realize the boards were back up. Gonna be hard to check in regularly here for awhile, but hope to be back soon.

So here's some of the latest updates. Finished all the dash wiring and installed the panels and gauges. Wiring was a challenge, but started to make sense after awhile & most of it even worked the first time. I pulled the Supra logo insert from the original wheel and will mount in in the hub of the new MC steering wheel once I get it all centered. Wired up the ballast switch panel with all 10 ga (man, that was tight) to the reversible pumps since I didn't want to mess with relays.777677777778

sybrmike

08-25-2011, 11:54 PM

Installed the gas tank, ballast pumps, depth transducer, etc, etc,777977807781 & finished wiring the engine - IT RUNS!

sybrmike

08-25-2011, 11:59 PM

Shut it off when the temp hit 180 and climbing with a 160 tstat, but quickly discovered I had the tstat in upside down. A few little odds & ends to wrap up & then hope to lake test this weekend if I can find some water down here (all the lakes are dry & ramps closed). Another gratuitous engine shot and one sexy rear end (if I do say so myself)...77827783

TitanTn

08-26-2011, 07:25 AM

Welcome back Mike! It's great to see an update and everything's looking great. I'm curious about the black carpet. Isn't that going to be hotter than Hades in Houston?

I think that rear end just might get some wolf whistles at the ramp. You'd better watch out...

bdumas35

08-26-2011, 09:31 AM

Nice clean job. Looks great Mike.

wotan2525

08-26-2011, 10:43 AM

So jealous of that dashboard. So intimidated by the wiring.

jet

08-26-2011, 10:47 AM

Dude, I am so coping your dash. I knew I was going to change mine over this winter but didnt have many ideas but I do now. lol.

Q&A:
what all do you have hooked up on those buss-bars behind the gas tank??
and can we get a closer pic of the dash and what are all of the switches for?
and what underwated led's did you go with? and have you used them yet? thanks man. Jet My spring upgrade project starts tonight!! lol

sybrmike

08-26-2011, 11:06 AM

Thanks guys, that means alot coming from my Salty brothers.

Yeah, black's a concern with the heat, but I'm a sucker for black & it matches the hull. Plus, it's a cut pile that won't show edges when I start wrapping seat bases (the edges of the floor panels turned out well) and honestly because it was cheap surplus. Also, with my planned new interior layout - I won't have much actual floor space with a full width rear bench and rear facing chaise behind the driver. Hopefully damp black carpet won't be too hot on the feet. Maybe just some additional radiant heat build up in the interior? Trying to come up with a white/light gray scheme for the vinyl with some accent black piping.

Also got the two Optimas installed and wired with battery switch, vsr, and on-board charger - working with 2/0 and 4 ga in such cramped quarters was no fun. I built a divider wall under the port storage area & put the batteries in a cut out behind the observer's seat base. The switch, vsr, and charger are all mounted in the port storage area (pic is from the glove box hole).

7784

Here's the area under the front bilge hatch - front ballast pump, front bilge pump, and relocated fuel filter/water separator. You can kinda make out the paddle wheel pick up bottom right. Took me awhile to get the courage to drill that one and the one for the 1-1/4 ballast intake. After everything checks out on the lake test, I'll tie/support all the hoses/wires.

7785

jet

08-26-2011, 11:27 AM

Yeah, sybr i went with charcoal 20 oz carpet myself. A friend said you might have to wet befor standing on it sometimes but Im like you. I like dark colors. I liked my dark/maroon carpet but I think it dated it and im UP-DATING my the look of my boat right now. Pics coming soon!!

sybrmike

08-26-2011, 12:07 PM

Jet,

I've got 3 buss bars. One for uw led's, fuel sender, rear bilge pump, blowers, and transom nav light (still one spare on the 6x12 ga multi conductor to the helm). One common ground buss (10 ga to helm). One for the trim tabs (4x12ga to the helm). Figured this was easier than a custom harness.

The two top switches are nav (new led bow & transom)/anchor (led on tower) and courtesy (led interiors). Then left to right - blowers, accessory (initiates an auto-up feature of the trim controller on power on or off), courtesy (uw led's with blue indicator light to match the led's), bilge (manual override of the two bilge pumps that are on a common float switch), and stereo (will control power to head unit).

7786

The switches for the two reversible impeller ballast pumps are in a separate panel just above the throttle.

7787

The controller for the trim tabs is behind the steering wheel where the 12v outlet used to be. I'll do a complete write up on the trim tabs once I verify operation.

7788

The uw transom led's are 27 watts each with glass bezels and s/s rings. For less than half the price I could find comparable state side, I took a chance and picked them up off of ebay direct from China. The seller's no longer listed, but it was a good transaction ("dear customer, please ignore the value listed on the customs declarations form"). Haven't had em in the water yet, but damn they're bright. The blue has some "blacklight" to them and florescent colors really pop.

Salty87

08-26-2011, 12:44 PM

good for you sybrmike! damn it, i'm jealous...everything looks great. i'd love new switches and don't forget about the hydraulic plate.

you can't win on the carpet color. anything is going to be hot in this weather.

csuggs

08-26-2011, 01:20 PM

Beautiful job man - I love it! Hope all goes well with your lake test

Okie Boarder

08-26-2011, 05:48 PM

Looking really good...thanks for the update. That removable floor hatch in front of the engine is brilliant. ;)

Where are all the ballast bags going to go?

sybrmike

08-26-2011, 06:18 PM

Thanks Okie, but not too brilliant actually. I wasn't thinking when I mounted the fuel filter/separator and it interfered with a block I glassed on the underside to keep the panel from shifting reward. A little quick cut on the block with the chop saw and a lot of prying (my glass skills were better than anticipated) and it clears now. Still gotta go back and seal up the end of the block where I cut.

I've got two 400# sacs for the bow under the play pen (one port & one starboard, but I can offset if needed since I reconfigured the bracing so it's all open under the playpen seating now). One 400# sac in the rear ski locker. Two 450# X-2 sacs under the rear bench (1/2 full with seat down, 100% full with seat up as sun deck, can fill either one or both). And I'll have an extra fill line tee'd off the front pump to fill a 750# surf sac beside the engine. I'll use manual valves on each sac for flexibility. Probably never fill them all at once. Only have two pumps (I'm cheap & usually not in a rush while at the lake), but I calculated around 15 minutes to fill a normal load. I can always add more pumps later if needed - but that's a ways off yet...

sybrmike

08-29-2011, 12:13 PM

Good news - She runs! Hauled the Salt up to Lake Bryan (small power plant lake) yesterday with some friends in a chase boat (just in case) since all the major lakes in the area are drying up. Thanks rtpaxton2 for the lake level updates and advice. She fired right up & I idled at the dock forever - double & triple checking gauges, levels, bilge, etc. Only had to bump the idle up a bit to keep from stalling when put in gear. Putted around the lake for awhile at 15-20 mph just to get a feel and check things out one more time. Finally stretched her legs a bit - and WOW! The combination of that 454 (rebuilt carb, air gap manifold, mildly worked heads, electronic ignition, etc.), the new 541 prop, updated rudder, light weight (for a Salt - no foam, no interior, only 2 people) - she accelerated like a drag boat and handled like a go cart. I never opened her up all the way, but was getting 10 mph on the gps and speedos for every 1k rpm at 30 and 40 - so probably a true 44 - 46 mph top end. I did get the dreaded "click, click" at the starter once and towed in. Tightened all the connections at the batteries, switches, starter, etc. & she fired back up. Played around with the new trim tabs & they do a good job of adjusting the bow attitude, but as expected, only a little list control since both tabs are centered on the hull. Did look like they might help shape a surf wave at low speed, but have to check that out more later - the little one was anxious to go tubing behind "her new boat". Pulled her a good long time & then stopped to switch gear so I could get a slalom pull.

Bad News - I then whacked my knee on the raw fiberglass edge of the storage pod opening in the walk thru. Laid it open real good over the knee cap & couldn't stop the bleeding, so had to abort the boat test. Wrapped it up, loaded up, headed home, then a trip to the ER - 4 internal stitches, 3 staples, 1 tetanus shot, and antibiotic scrip. Sore as hell today, but should be able to start on the interior this long weekend. I didn't take any pics (thought I'd have time later in the day), but I think my chase boat took a few so I'll post when available. Getting closer, I can't wait.

Maybe it's the pain pills, but I'm still smiling.

Okie Boarder

08-29-2011, 12:38 PM

Awesome...that is quite a nervous and exciting feeling isn't it. I was like you...boat on the ramp on the trailer running for about 30 minutes before I felt I was ready to let her off to float on her own. Hope the cut heals quickly.

TitanTn

08-29-2011, 01:14 PM

Sorry you had the injury. Isn't it odd that you were injured, in a benign way, just in walking throughout the boat as compared to all the times you could have really been injured during the rebuild.

Glad everything checked out and that your knee was taken care of.

sybrmike

08-29-2011, 09:58 PM

Thanks for the well wishes. Still hurts, but still smiling from the outing.

Some pics as promised.

7830783178327833

jet

08-30-2011, 11:33 AM

She FLOATS!! thats all that really matters. lol. Jet

Okie Boarder

08-30-2011, 03:27 PM

Nice! I'm not sure about that thing you're towing though. ;-)

sybrmike

10-10-2011, 06:58 PM

After a much needed break from the boat, recent rains got me motivated again (there might eventually be water in the lakes sometime). Finally getting going on the interior. Stripped everything off the doghouse & glassed over some cracks. Also replaced the rotten wood around the perimeter & put some spreader bars across the sides while it sets up since the sides were bowed in a bit. Fabbed a new glove box liner and ski locker out of 17 oz and coremat since the originals were cracked beyond repair. My limited experience vacuum bagging shows, so I've got more fill & finish work to do on the inside surfaces (wouldn't ya know the backsides turned out great:(). Ended up having to tear apart the forms I made to get the parts off, so sorry - there won't be any more production pieces coming off the assembly line.

808280838084

Blackntan90

10-10-2011, 08:49 PM

Nice! I have always wanted to replace the glovebox with a teak one. I have some teak ply that a buddy gave me a few years ago- still wrapped in plastic from the day it was bought, he found it in his garage when he bought his house and said I should have it 'cause I'm a boat guy. So now I need to find some teak hardwood to make the lip of the box- after visiting the local hardwood shop, I will not be buying teak any time soon! I have been looking for people throwing away wood patio funiture, dumpster diving, and visiting the local Re-store in hopes I will find enough to get this project started. It seems odd to me that for all the teak that is in these boats, they put some cheap plastic boxes and hatch frames in them also. Keep posting pics of your work- it is very inspiring to alot of people!

jet

10-11-2011, 09:56 AM

Sybr, I am burned out too! Help me! I worked 7am-11pm for 4-months this year, plus all the other crap that I do. Any xtra time was spent riding with my friends but my cars, my boat and house projects have suffered. I have all of this fun new shiny stuff to put on her and Im just not motivated. Help! Jet

sybrmike

10-12-2011, 03:55 PM

I'll be up in Dallas later this week - want me to swing by & kick you in the a$$?:p Seriously, there are times when life will take priority & breaks are necessary. When facing a large task (like my complete rebuild) - just break it down into smaller steps. Or simply choose one off your existing multiple to-do list. Either way, just pick one & get it done. The satisfying sense of completing even just one small step can be enough to keep or get you going again.

Even after the excitement of the successful lake test, I had a hard time getting started again after my time off with the knee because I knew the daunting task of rebuilding the interior was next. But just like setting that first stringer or building that first dash panel, pulling the glove box of of the mold inspired me to tackle the ski locker next. I know that getting the doghouse & ski locker set will allow me to move to the rear bench. etc. etc.

Yea it's gonna take time (hey, I've got a life and family too), but like any good rehab program - one day or step at a time...

Thanks B&T - your beautiful, like-colored, little sister to my Salt (along with some other great boats here) has been an inspiration all along. Good luck with the teak glove box. After pricing teak, I struggled with what to do with the bow storage hatch since it's pretty trashed too. Think I've settled on a combo of old and new. I'm building the hatch out of black starboard (still pricey, but cheaper than teak & matches the black on the hull well), but will add the teak trim pieces that are salvageable from the original for accent. Maybe you can figure out a similar combo of materials for the glovebox?