86Sunsport-phase2

[csuggs]

Just thought I'd update everyone on my "progress", which has been slow at best. Phase 1 was completed last year at Viper Customs and now Phase 2 in my garage, which consists of motor and trans clean-up, alignment, new prop and more trailer mods. Here are a few pics of where things stand now.

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03106.jpg
Motor nearly finished - still need a new alternator and crank pulley.


http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03111.jpg
Motor mounts all cleaned, painted and with new rubber and hardware.

[csuggs]

Just cleanup and dressup on the engine. It needed oil pan gasket and valve cover gaskets, new thermostat and plugs. I added the new valve covers. I need a new alternator and crank pulley as well. Also the bell housing has a stripped starter bolt hole so I need to get that fixed. After talking with a couple of transmission experts, they talked me out of doing anything with the transmission right now. I think I need a really good alignment and a new prop to take care of the vibration. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on that one because I would sure hate to get everything else done, be ready for the season and find that my tranny was bad. :(

[mapleleaf]

Takes a pretty cool dad to put together a wake boat like that one, looks awesome...

[Okie Boarder]

Looking good Clint. That motor looks nice!

[csuggs]

Thanks Okie. I finished up cleaning and painting the transmission today. Also the exhasut manifolds and some various brackets. We may do something creative with the exhaust - have to see. Also I removed the bell housing so I can take it to the machine shop to be repaired - one of the "blind" starter bolt holes is stripped. More pictures later . . .

[Okie Boarder]

I'm dreading the time when I need to mess with my exhaust manifolds. They're pretty corroded on the bottom side and they'll be a chore to remove, I'm sure.

I definitely like what you've done so far and it will be a nice addition to last years rebuild.

[csuggs]

Here's another quick update - pics of the trans and bell housing all cleaned and painted. I used threaded inserts that I got at Autozone to repair the damaged threads on the starter bolt holes. Also pics of the cleaned and painted manifolds.

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03124.jpg

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03125.jpg


My oil cooler appeared like it could be damaged so I pressure tested it with air and it held 45psi. Then I flushed it with hot water and the psi rose to 50 - I think it will work fine so I will clean and paint the cooler this weekend.

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03126.jpg


Just got off the phone with Discount Inboard Marine and ordered my new prop. I went with an ACME #543 which is a 13x11.5 3-blade which should give me a few more rpms on top end. Can't wait for spring!!!

[Okie Boarder]

Definitely coming along nicely. What type of paints are you using? Are you just buying cans or are you using a sprayer? I'm thinking I want to look into getting a sprayer since we do little odds and ends projects all the time requiring paint. Spray paint cans just don't ever seem to cover right IMO.

[csuggs]

Definitely coming along nicely. What type of paints are you using? Are you just buying cans or are you using a sprayer? I'm thinking I want to look into getting a sprayer since we do little odds and ends projects all the time requiring paint. Spray paint cans just don't ever seem to cover right IMO.

The silver is in spray cans from PCM - I wanted it to match what was already on the motor. The black I'm using gloss engine enamel from AutoZone - again spray cans. I'm cleaning with PPG Prepsol and wire brush where necessary. It may not be a showroom finish, but not bad for what it is . . .

[Salty87]

i'd love to pull my engine and do some touch-ups but it ain't gonna happen anytime soon. my rattle can jobs have lasted about as well as can be expected.

clint...i almost hate to ask at this point...did you use high temp paint on the mani's and risers?

[csuggs]

i'd love to pull my engine and do some touch-ups but it ain't gonna happen anytime soon. my rattle can jobs have lasted about as well as can be expected.

clint...i almost hate to ask at this point...did you use high temp paint on the mani's and risers?

yes i did - :)

[csuggs]

OK more updates and pics. Got the new alternator and installed it today and I think I got it aligned well. The engine is ready to go back in the boat, then I will start on new wiring.

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03128.jpg

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03132.jpg

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03138.jpg

I plan to put the motor back in this week! :)

[cadunkle]

Looking good!!

[Okie Boarder]

I can't wait to see it in the boat. Great work. I'm jealous!

[Salty87]

wow! i'll say it again because the filter is making me...wow!

[csuggs]

I don't get it Salt. What filter?
Edit - Oh yeah. The filter that won't allow three-letter replies!

[csuggs]

I changed the element in the fuel filter tonight and decided to clean the housing with carb cleaner. Well that took the paint off so I ended up taking the wire wheel to it . . . I guess I can live with it.

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03154.jpg

[SupraMisfit]

Beautiful!

[dshaff24]

Looks awesome clint..

[mapleleaf]

O boy, if I could show my canister...

[csuggs]

Is your starter original? Did you do anything with the carb? Rebuild kit or original gaskets?

The valve covers add a nice touch. Give it a classic look but not over the top.

What's your method for getting it back in the boat?

I did not replace the starter, but I think it was new just before I purchased the boat in '08. I was considering rebuilding the carb, but it ran so good last year that I couldn't bring myself to "upset" it any - I did spray it good with carb cleaner and replaced the mounting plate gasket. My wife's cousin has a shop with chain hoists so I go there to install the motor. Planning on that Thursday afternoon unless I get into something else . . .


Leaf, I didn't set out to "polish" the fuel filter housing, but when I opened the motor cover to see what needed to be done before installing the motor I noticed the fuel filter still mounted and decided to go ahead and change the element - easier without the motor in the way. Then as I cleaned it up one thing led to another . . . . Now I'm considering touching up the bilge paint before putting the motor in. I'll call Jim today to see what kind of paint he used. I just don't know where to quit - but as long as the river is flooded and there are picnic tables and campers floating down the river, I figure I've got plenty of time!

"When the Ohio River floods, campers become houseboats!"

[Okie Boarder]

Really looking good. I think that fuel filter housing looks better how it ended up. Definitely do everything you can in the bilge area when that engine is out. Much easier than when the engine is back in.

[jasonba1]

looks awesome clint

[sybrmike]

Man, that engine looks sharp! What kind of bolts did you use for the exhaust manifolds?

[csuggs]

Thanks for all the compliments guys. I shopped around for replacement exhaust manifold bolts locally but could find none the proper size of 3/8-16x1-1/8L allen-head. So I ordered them from skidim at about $2 a piece!

[csuggs]

A little more progress. I got the motor back in the boat over the weekend so of course I have to supply pics. I installed a shutoff valve on the fuel line - the valve is rated for water, oil, and gas (natural I'm sure) so I'm hoping the seal will hold up to gasoline.

The last pic is of my battery set-up. I'm wanting to install a Guest battery isolator that is supposed to charge the two batteries evenly. One is a starting battery and the other deep cycle. Has anyone hooked one of these up in conjunction with a Perko switch?

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03156.jpg

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03155.jpg

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03157.jpg

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03158.jpg

[TitanTn]

Gorgeous pics as usual Csuggs. You obviously care about quality and finish. Does your S.O. understand/support your passion, or do you get some eye-rolling?

[csuggs]

Gorgeous pics as usual Csuggs. You obviously care about quality and finish. Does your S.O. understand/support your passion, or do you get some eye-rolling?

Haha! She refers to the boat as "the other woman" and my truck is "the other woman's sister". Seriously though, I try to spend time helping her out AND working in the garage - it seems to be acceptable. :D

[Okie Boarder]

Good man, Clint. One thing I appreciate about my wife is usually she will come help me with the boat projects. We work together on other projects for the house and such, too. So, it works out pretty well, all things considered.

[Salty87]

i hope you shut the doghouse so she doesn't get dirty....damn!!

[csuggs]

I finally got back to work on my baby over the weekend. I aligned the motor to the prop shaft within about .002" but the motor is now "angled" toward the port side. The front starboard trunion is over-extended by about 1/2".
When I did the alignment I inserted a rubber bushing in the shaft log to keep the shaft centered at the "top" of the log, but I wonder if the shaft is not centered at the "bottom" of the log under the boat, suggesting a bent strut.
Hmm . . . or am I over-analyzing things?

[sybrmike]

I'm facing similar issues. I centered the straightened shaft in the top end of the shaft log as reference when installing my straightened strut. All seemed fine, but dummy me didn't check the shaft clearance at the bottom of the log until after all the 5200 had set up. I still have a very slight shaft contact with the gelcoat below the bottom of the shaft log. It was much worse before with visible wear on the hull and shaft which prompted me to have the shaft and strut straighted in the first place.

I've since gone back with straight edges, dowels, laser levels, etc. & convinced myself that no reasonable amount of shimming at the original factory strut location would allow the log and strut bores to be concentric. So once again, I don't think Supra used exacting tolerances on these things back in the day. I'm just going to sand the gelcoat for clearance and keep my fingers crossed when I install and align the engine in the next few weeks.

Good luck & keep us posted on your fix...

[csuggs]

The prop shaft is coming through the center of the shaft log left-to-right, however it is very close to the bottom of the shaft log under the boat. Evidently the strut and shaft log are not precisely the same angle. This is consistent with the problem I had last year when my prop shaft rubbed the bottom of the shaft log.

First pic shows the wear spot on the shaft log and the second shows the rub mark on the shaft. Third pic shows the shaft location as installed now.

THIS IS A PIC LOOKING FROM THE INSIDE OF THE BOAT THROUGH THE SHAFT LOG. NOTICE THE WEAR SPOT.
http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03019.jpg


http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03021.jpg


***NOTICE HOW CLOSE THE SHAFT IS TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SHAFT LOG OPENING. IT IS ACTUALLY SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN CENTER AT THE OTHER (INTERIOR) END OF THE LOG. ALSO - DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE CHIPPED GEL-COAT AROUND THE SHAFT LOG OPENING??***

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03281.jpg

[csuggs]

I think I've got the alignment to within .002", but my motor is not lined-up with the stringers, shown by the amount of offset on the front motor-mount trunions. Somewhere I read that there should be no more than 3/4" of the trunion showing on either side, but I've got 1-1/8" showing on the starboard side. Could it be that the stringers are not lined-up properly either from the factory or from replacement? I guess I'll never know.

What might be the danger of running the boat with the motor mounts offset? I'm pretty sure it's the rear mounts that take most of the load for propelling the boat so the front mounts just carry the load of the motor?

First two pics are of the starboard front mount, third is of the port front mount.

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03294.jpg

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03301.jpg

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03296.jpg

[csuggs]

Finally, after doing the alignment I installed my new prop. Acme 543 which is a 13 x 11.5 LH 3-blade to replace the OEM 13x13.

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03304.jpg

[csuggs]

I'm facing similar issues. I centered the straightened shaft in the top end of the shaft log as reference when installing my straightened strut. All seemed fine, but dummy me didn't check the shaft clearance at the bottom of the log until after all the 5200 had set up. I still have a very slight shaft contact with the gelcoat below the bottom of the shaft log. It was much worse before with visible wear on the hull and shaft which prompted me to have the shaft and strut straighted in the first place.

I've since gone back with straight edges, dowels, laser levels, etc. & convinced myself that no reasonable amount of shimming at the original factory strut location would allow the log and strut bores to be concentric. So once again, I don't think Supra used exacting tolerances on these things back in the day. I'm just going to sand the gelcoat for clearance and keep my fingers crossed when I install and align the engine in the next few weeks.

Good luck & keep us posted on your fix...

Yeah - I too am convinced that Supra did not use very close tolerances in the 80's. I'm pretty certain that no two boats are the same from that era. . .

[wotan2525]

I wish I had better information for you about that shaft log. What a pickle! Mine lined up perfectly with everything in the factory positions once I had the strut straightened, new bearings installed and a new prop shaft and coupler. I've since had my engine out a couple of times and it drops right back into the same spot without need for any adjustment. Good luck and let us know what you figure out. Have you talked to Jason @ Viper about it, yet?

[Blackntan90]

Beutiful!!!

[TitanTn]

I can't say anything of meaning about the alignment as I haven't got into that area of my boat yet, but I will say that "wow, you are using every inch of space in your garage!" In the prop picture you can see the back of the garage wall.

[csuggs]

I apologize that this is so long and wordy but I'll try to explain my dismay as briefly as possible. . .

When I re-installed the motor in February I found that the starboard front motor mount did not line-up with the holes drilled in the stringer and if I tried to force a fit it put things in a real bind. So I left that mount unbolted and just barely snugged the other mounts in with the thought that I would do a "pre-alignment" to be sure things would line-up before drilling more holes in my new stringers. So I did the alignment a week ago and then last night I decided to tighten down the motor and re-check the alignment after a final tightening . . .
You can imagine how disappointed I was when I was unable to tighten 6 of the 8 lag screws holding the rear motor mounts! The front mounts tightened fine (of course the starboard one I had just re-drilled and filled the mis-aligned holes with 4200). I think what happened is that Jim's mis-informed (or maybe just lazy) boys did not pre-drill the holes in the stringer at the rear mounts and instead just ran the lags in with a drill motor (I saw them doing this on other projects while I was at Viper last May). I'm guessing maybe the front mounts were predrilled because it would be more difficult to get a drill motor in that area with the motor in place; and if the front were pre-drilled with the motor out of the way that would explain the mis-alignment of the starboard front mount. Anyways, now I plan to replace the 3/8" lags on the rear mounts with 1/2" lags, which also means opening up the holes in the mount itself. I purchased new stainless lags and washers this morning at a cost of $47 :(

Someone putting a boat together should be made aware that you must pre-drill for lag screws - they don't work like drywall or deck screws. If you do not pre-drill them, the lag acts like a drill by removing wood (too much wood) unlike drywall screws.

Two demerits for Viper Customs . . .

[TitanTn]

That's disappointing Clint. I'm sure it was a sinking feeling when you were spinning those rear lags. At least you have a plan for making it right, but who would have expected the need to go through this after a complete rebuild.

[csuggs]

That's disappointing Clint. I'm sure it was a sinking feeling when you were spinning those rear lags. At least you have a plan for making it right, but who would have expected the need to go through this after a complete rebuild.

Yeah - who'da thought. . . Oh, by the way I try not to use the "s" word when talking about my boat!;)

[Okie Boarder]

When you put the 1/2" lags in as a final attachment, you might put some 5200 on them, too. Something to think about.

[csuggs]

To correct the situation with the rear lag holes, I installed 1/2" lags in place of the 3/8 lags going down through the top of the rear motor mounts. This required drilling a slightly over-sized hole in the mount, and then pre-drilling a larger hole in the stringer. The motor is definitely tightened down now . .

Alignment is done to within .002" and with the new prop I think I'll be in good shape - let's hope!

What's left to do? Hookup and adjust the throttle and shift cables, rewire the motor and under the dash, finish the raw water plumbing, and install a battery isolator. Then I'm ready to test the drive line and make whatever adjustments to the trailer I'm going to make.

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03336.jpg

[csuggs]

Has anyone installed a new PSS seal? My original Lasdrop seal did not use water for cooling but the new PSS one does. The manual says to get the water from the 1" hose that runs from the thermostat housing to the starboard exhaust manifold. Has anyone done this? It seems like it would be better to use colder water to cool the seal, but I do not want to rob water from the motor . . . What about installing a metering valve in-line to adjust the water volume flowing to the seal? Or, am I thinking about this too much?

[sybrmike]

Bummer on the mounts, but sounds like you got it licked.

I haven't installed my PSS yet, but don't think it really matters much where you tap into the system for a water source as long as it's under pressure. I think the main mechanism of cooling by the water supply to the PSS is by purging any air pockets around the seal - not by the cooler water temp itself.

It's only a 5/16" hose, so not going to rob much water from anywhere. I plan on using the extra 1/2" FNPT plug near the outlet on my engine water pump.

[csuggs]

Mike - that sounds like a good plan at first, but I'm wondering . . if you tap into the closed loop of the engine when the thermostat is closed, you would then be depleting the water in that loop and only replacing it after the t-stat opened back up. Am I thinking right? I realize that most of us run the boats in warm weather when the t-stat is almost never closed, but it does happen. If you tap in on the "back side", outside of the loop then it wouldn't matter to the engine if the t-stat was opened or closed. I think.

[sybrmike]

Doh, I shoulda thought of that. I didn't take a close enough look at the tstat housing plumbing. Thanks for keeping me from blowing up my engine. Oh well, guess maybe we should just follow the manufacturer's original directions...

[csuggs]

Finished up the shaft seal last night. It was difficult to get a second hose clamp on the shaft log end of the boot because the boot was up against the hull, so I had to install a clamp that was more narrow on the end. Some hose fittings are left off in the pics because I did not purchase them until this morning. The cooling water for the seal is brought in from between the t-stat housing and exhaust manifold.

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/c8cae13c.jpg

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/a47db26a.jpg

[Okie Boarder]

Turned out looking really good Clint.

[wotan2525]

Mike - that sounds like a good plan at first, but I'm wondering . . if you tap into the closed loop of the engine when the thermostat is closed, you would then be depleting the water in that loop and only replacing it after the t-stat opened back up. Am I thinking right? I realize that most of us run the boats in warm weather when the t-stat is almost never closed, but it does happen. If you tap in on the "back side", outside of the loop then it wouldn't matter to the engine if the t-stat was opened or closed. I think.

I can't for the life of me remember where my DSS hooks up -- but it's certainly not where yours is. I'll try to remember to double check when I pick up the boat this weekend.

[oldman]

Ford or Chevy same place, never had a problem with the pss seal.

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj135/Ivarker/P1030791.jpg

[sybrmike]

Congrats on the install - nice upgrade.

[csuggs]

A little more progress. The new strainer is installed (this is an addition) and all the plumbing is finished. Now I will move on to wiring the motor.

New parts this year:

Valve covers and gaskets and breather
Oil pan gasket
Exhaust manifold gaskets and bolts
Spark plugs
Alternator
Belts
Coil
Strainer and inlet hoses/fittings
Prop shaft seal
Prop
Motor Mounts and Lags

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03360.jpg

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03362.jpg

[sybrmike]

Thanks for the head's up on getting two clamps to fit at the rear of the PSS and shaft log. I checked mine & had to grind a little gel off the bottom of the log opening, but now the bellows slides on square & two clamps fit. Thanks again.

Nice job on the strainer. Have you checked to make sure it'll clear the doghouse? Mine was originally tilted at an angle to clear the storage box at the rear of the engine cover (but I've got a big block & things are a little tighter under there).

Man, that engine, bilge, heck everything looks sharp. Great work & inspiration.

Edit - just saw your other post where you checked for strainer clearance. Glad you beat me to it.

[Okie Boarder]

Looks really good Clint!

[87SunSportMikeyD]

You should name her "All Out" cause man you went ALL OUT! :)

[csuggs]

Got her running last night in the driveway - started right up! Batteries are charging and all is good. I still can't run-test it until the river settles a bit from all the rain (more than 8 inches in April!). I still want to straighten-up the "rats nest" under the dash and do some cleaning - that's it!

[dusty2221]

Post some more pics! Your boat is a beauty

[csuggs]

Post some more pics! Your boat is a beauty

OK Dusty - you asked for it ( I love to share pics of my baby!) - these are some from last year (phase 1) rebuild. The pictures are buried somewhere on this forum . .

Here's a few of the interior.

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC02200a.jpg
http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC02209a.jpg
http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC02206a.jpg
http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC02207a.jpg

[csuggs]

Exterior pics . . . the last is my fav!

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC02193a.jpg
http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC02195a.jpg
http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC02198a.jpg
http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC02748a.jpg

[Ptownkid]

God I love your boat...I can't wait to get started on the cosmetics of the Saltare i have...but it may be a while.

The only issue I see is that kneeboard...real men stand!

[csuggs]

Last week when I ran the motor I noticed a leak at the thermostat housing so I re-sealed it and ran it again - all fixed. I checked the new PSS shaft seal water line and it looks as if there is plenty of water coming out around the shaft, with still plenty coming out the exhaust.

Next step - take care of the rats nest under the dash!

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03455a.jpg

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03462a.jpg

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03463a.jpg

Hopefully I will get to lake test the motor and tranny this weekend, hopefully.

[TitanTn]

That's a pretty clean rat's nest! At least the wires don't look to be 20 years old.

I'm sure it'll look incredible when you're done.

[Hagman]

Truly a tastefully dun restoration. She is one gorgeous SUPRA. I have enjoyed looking at all of your pictures. But you haven’t posted any of the power plant that I’ve seen. Come on show us the motor. PS I did notice that there is a missing cup holder. I know shut up Hagman

[TitanTn]

Truly a tastefully dun restoration. She is one gorgeous SUPRA. I have enjoyed looking at all of your pictures. But you haven’t posted any of the power plant that I’ve seen. Come on show us the motor. PS I did notice that there is a missing cup holder. I know shut up Hagman

Search his other threads. He's shown lots of pics of the motor and it's just as nice as the rest of the boat.

[csuggs]

For Hagman - thanks for the compliments. Are you talking about the missing cupholders on the motor box? If so, we left them out intentionally because I was never crazy about them there. I've got a couple of make-shift cupholders in the back next to the seat that seem to work ok, but I'd like to do something more permanent, maybe.
Here's a pic of the motor you asked for - Stock 351W dressed up a little.

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03156.jpg

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/DSC03155.jpg

[dusty2221]

Absolute beauty man, thanks for posting those again!

[Okie Boarder]

So with the PSS spitting water on the shaft does that allow you to put it in gear out of the lake?

Definitely looks top notch, Clint. I'm interested to see what you end up with under the dash. A dash redo is definitely something I want to do to mine.

[sybrmike]

Congrats on the seal plumbing. Good luck with the wiring (although it doesn't look too bad) - I'm still a bit intimidated by the wiring job ahead of me. I still wouldn't run it in gear out of the water. The seal face may not get enough water & the strut bushings are still dry.

[Okie Boarder]

Good point sybr...I didn't even stop to think about the strut bushings.

[csuggs]

No, I did not pit it in gear for the reasons Sybr stated.

[Ptownkid]

Yeah...learned that one the other day, about 3 seconds and squeallllllllllll.

Haha, they are fine though.

[csuggs]

Finally got to run the boat yesterday!! Yay!!!!!!
Everything went pretty well. I ran with the motor cover off and the rear floor section removed so that I could inspect things as we went along.

THE GOOD
1. Real happy with the prop! I barely had to give it gas to pull up wakeboards, much less throttle than my previous standard 13x13's (even the 4-blade!) Top end was about 3mph faster - up to 43+
2. Alignment seems to be good - no vibrations!!!
3. New PSS shaft seal never dripped a drop
4. Motor is running strong, starting good, sounds good, looks good . . . . .

THE NOT-SO GOOD
1. When I ran the motor at WOT I found a leak at one of the valve cover gaskets, and I forgot to pack my tools. So I wiped up the mess and kept her below 2500rpm. Easy fix. (note to self - put tools back in the boat!)
2. Fuel is leaking somewhere from the fuel filter. I had it all apart over the winter so probably didn't get something sealed. Should be an easy fix as well.
3. The new PSS shaft seal boot seems to have a wobble in it a around 800-1200rpm. When it wobbles it kind of makes a "clicking" sound as well. When I run at cruising or towing speeds, no wobble, no noise. Not sure about that one. Anybody got experience or suggestions?

We will probably get back out either today or tomorrow, or maybe both after making some adjustments.

[DAFF]

What no polish on the hat stand !!! Nice and classy job. The older Sunsports are almost a timeless design.

[csuggs]

What no polish on the hat stand !!! Nice and classy job. The older Sunsports are almost a timeless design.

Haaaa! I knew someone would pick up on that sooner or later. It'll get polished sometime . . . .

Ran her again on Monday and now I have carburetor issues. I think that it is flooding when I shut it off, like maybe the gas is dripping into the intake because if I shut it off and restart it immidiately, it will start back up. But the longer I let it sit, the harder it is to start - like it's flooded. Also the motor back-fired three times on Monday (never had that happen to her before) :(

So I ordered the Holley carb renew kit from skidim this morning and will have it on Thursday or Friday. I hope that takes care of the problem . . . .

[sybrmike]

Have fun with the 157 parts listed on the exploded diagram. It's not too bad really - clear a nice work area, stay organized, & take your time. Most things will only go back together one way & are pretty obvious.

[csuggs]

I got the Holley rebuild kit and talked myself out of doing the rebuild myself since I know a guy that can do it for me. He's one of these "old school" retired hot rodders that builds engines for drag cars. He has a beautiful '55 Chevy big block and has built drag racing engines for several people I know - so naturally I thought of him for my carb. I should get it back today or tomorrow! :cool:

[haugy]

Holy hell man. That's one good looking boat. I feel like I could have surgery on the engine.

Really, top shelf man.

[csuggs]

After installing the rebuilt carb I ran the boat on Thursday and the flooding issue is resolved. Also the choke is working for the first time since I've owned the boat! But there was some hesitation on the hole-shot and an occasional "pop" backfire. Other than that it ran out great.
Went out again today with a drag racing buddy and he diagnosed the problem (I hope) while we were driving the boat with the engine cover off and spark arrestor off. Apparently I'm not getting enough extra "squirt" in the primaries on the hole shot, causing it to go lean and hesitate for a second. He made some improvements fine tuning the carb, but still there's some hesitation. So on the way home I visited the guy that rebuilt the carb and we installed a bigger squirter - from a 25 to a size 32. So now when I throttle-up hard I should get plenty-o-gas! Can't wait to find out tomorrow!!!

[TitanTn]

I think my squirter might be undersized too. :(

[csuggs]

OK so the bigger sqirter on the primairies may be a little too much. The hesitation problem is gone, but now it seems to be flooding again. . .

Any suggestions?

[Jetlink]

I recently swapped out my carb and it was also having the occasional hesitation going from idle and giving it some gas. Turned out I had to adjust my throttle cable a little bit more. Not sure if that will help your problem or not. One other possibility I can think of might be your timing.

[TitanTn]

I recently swapped out my carb and it was also having the occasional hesitation going from idle and giving it some gas. Turned out I had to adjust my throttle cable a little bit more. Not sure if that will help your problem or not. One other possibility I can think of might be your timing.

Could you comment in a little more detail about how you adjusted the cable to remove hesitation? Thanks.

[Jetlink]

I will try although it is easier with pics, I just dropped the boat off this morning for an oil change. I managed to find an old pic of the old carb, as you look at the picture, on the right side of the carb as you look at it, you should see the linkage I am talking about, red shield over it. Where that meets the carb is the linkage. Disconnect that and look for any disparity between the idle position on the carb and the idle position for the throttle cable. There is a small nut and the linkage that are threaded on that. Adjust as necessary but make sure to tighten the backing nut when you have it adjusted properly. If you cannot get it right, the bracket that holds the throttle cable can be removed and I drilled holes to move that bracket right to where I needed it.

Ok, I know I said I had the pic, but right now I am having issues getting it to upload. I will try again later.

[cadunkle]

OK so the bigger sqirter on the primairies may be a little too much. The hesitation problem is gone, but now it seems to be flooding again. . .

Any suggestions?

25 to 32 is a HUGE jump. 2-3 sizes in a single change at most. 32 your lean stumble will be gone but likely replaced with a rich bog. It'll just feel down on power, waste gas, and likely have a dark or whitish smoke out the exhaust on quick acceleration. Also going too big on the discharge nozzle you may need to swap the 30cc pump for a 50cc pump to avoid a lean stumble at a higher RPM or throttle opening. But runnig a larger pump, discharge nozzle, or pump cam than necessary will waste a lot of gas especially if you have riders that fall a lot.

[csuggs]

Well, we'll see what happens. I can always change the squirter if necessary. I think my latest problem had to do with inproperly adjusted float on the primary bowl. The guy that rebuilt the carb did not know of the angle at which the motor is mounted and I think we leaked fuel through the venturi's last time out. The boat ran great at first, then we stopped to eat and threw out anchor. While anchored we hooked to the back of another boat (stern-to-stern) and everyone in my boat ended up sitting the rear, so the motor was probably sitting at about 20+ degrees for about 40 mins. When I went to start the boat I could smell fuel pretty strong so I knew it was flooded again.

I took the carburetor back to the shop today and Cleo (55 Chevy Rat Rod), my carburetor mechanic, lowered the primary float. Also I talked to Vince at skidim and got his .02 cents on making adjustments. Tomorrow night we'll go on another trial run to see if we did any good . . .

Considering getting a 12 degree wedge plate from Holley if we cam't get it work any other way.

[csuggs]

I think we finally got a combination on the carburetor that works - yay!

We lowered the primary float so that it has less tendancy to flood. Ran the boat through its paces last night then shut down and let it sit for a while to see if it would start easily and it did great! I also replaced all the spark plugs because I think they got fouled last time it flooded so bad.

The bad news - when my son and I went out for the trial run we only figured on a boat ride, not wakeboarding so we didn't take any of the boards. Check out how smooth the water is in the pics - we were the only ones on the river and it was glass. Figures.

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/181c0024.jpg

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/6ee1c60f.jpg

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/csuggs/cc25d6ea.jpg

[TitanTn]

Congrats Clint. Glad you got it figured out. I never get tired of seeing pics of your boat or motor.

[csuggs]

Thanks Titan and others for the comments and compliments. . . I love my boat! :D

Phase 2 of my Sunsport project is nearly complete with the exception of some wiring and general tidying-up. Yeah, yeah, I know, you never really get finished . . .

Last night I re-packed the wheel bearings on my trailer and came to the conclusion that I would like to make one more modification to my trailer. That is to replace the tandem 3500# axles with a single 6000# axle with 16" tires and wheels - and use an ez-lube axle with spindles drilled for lubricating both inner and outer bearings. I'm sure I could sell my tandems without any trouble.

[cadunkle]

Why the change to a single axle? I've always preferred double axle for better handling and less issues from a flat tire. Just curious.

[csuggs]

Why the change to a single axle? I've always preferred double axle for better handling and less issues from a flat tire. Just curious.

Less maintenance I guess. And you have to change a flat on a tandem just as you would on a single. Also the single axle is a little easier to maneuver by hand in the garage.

[Seabeejamie]

Ive just ratchet strapped the axle up and removed the tire, changed the flat at my convenience. (tandem axle that is). Man that is beautiful....maybe you should consider plexiglass for an engine cover? LOL. And that glass water you are running on.....perfect....

[csuggs]

Got over a pretty big hurdle today. See "Holley 4160 Issues" thread on this forum. Finally I can get back to "enjoying" my outings and maybe finish a few things on my project!