looks fantastic!
how hard is the pinstripe on the hull? that's a long run to keep 'straight'.
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looks fantastic!
how hard is the pinstripe on the hull? that's a long run to keep 'straight'.
Thanks guys. I'm really proud of it and the fact that I didn't break the bank to get it done. Anyone can throw money at a problem and fix it, but I like to torture myself with my own cheap labor.
It's not too bad if you use a reference line. I used some painters masking tape and laid it down directly below where I wanted the pinstripe. It's easier to keep the thicker tape straight. You then come back and lay down the pinstripe along the edge of the masking tape. Although I was nervous about getting the line straight, I think it turned out pretty good.Quote:
Originally Posted by Salty87
Thanks for the inspiration! The boat looks fantastic!
Well, it time for more restoration. I'm in the middle of a complete engine rebuild.
I had a sticky lifter this past summer and since I've never really done anything to the engine, I decided to just do a freshen up on the whole engine. Bearings, seals, gaskets, lifters and a cam. Of course I was going to have a machine shop go through the heads.
It's turned out to be providential that I tore the engine down as far as I did. The boat had new exhaust manifolds on it when I purchased it. And now I think the old manifolds failed and let water back in the engine. I had two pistons that were disintegrating from water damage. That in turn scored the cylinder walls. I also had some cracked valve seats.
So the block is getting a .30 over bore, crank is being turned, heads completely gone through, etc. I've got the parts coming in next week and the machine shop will press in the cam seals and the pistons onto the connecting rods. I'll then bring everything home and start the assembly process.
It's going to be a lot of expense and time, but in the end I'm looking forward to a basically new engine and seeing what the performance is. Does anyone know what type of horsepower I should see from the slightly larger displacement? I'm not thinking it'll be much, but since I likely wasn't getting full power before, I think I'll definitely feel a difference.
http://unumemarketing.com/boat/engine_rebuild.jpg
Performance increase from a few more cubic inches will be negligible. In stock form you're looking at .73 HP/cubic inch so at .030" over you're looking at maybe +4 HP at most. You won't feel the difference.
Are you considering any performance upgrades while it's apart? Head porting? Intake? Cam? Carb? I know you said you have new manifolds so probably no plans to upgrade those. If staying near stock HP levels I don't think you'd get much HP per dollar on better manifolds or headers unless you were needing to replace them anyway.
Thanks, I kinda figured that was the case. I'm not really planning any performance changes. Quite frankly, I don't think my engine was performing up to even stock levels and it was fine. I don't need any more performance - I'm not racing anyone, and most of the time I'm trying to be gentle on the throttle so I'm easier on fuel.
So I'm not doing anything with the cam or carb. I might be getting a different intake - we'll see.
If the goal is a good performing engine that's easy on fuel it may be worth keeping in mind many things that improve performance or HP per cubic inch will also increase efficiency or reduce BSFC. I'm not sure what factory compression ratio is on these, but higher compression gives greater efficiency. Volumetric efficiency can be improved with head porting, intake, carb, exhaust. Not sure the specs on the original cams but something with more lift and more aggressive lobe profiles while maintaining a wide LSA can improve efficiency as well. Polishing chambers can help to prevent detonation and helps to run the most ideal timing curve.
What pistons are you using? What is the compression ratio? Have you picked a cam yet? What octane fuel are you planning to run?
I enjoy engine builds and have done a few torque and efficiency builds. I like shooting for best fuel economy in builds like this. Even for a low cost stockish rebuild there's a lot that can be done for minimal cost to improve on both power and economy.
Thanks for that info. I think the factory compression ratio for this engine is 8.0:1.
I agree that porting, intake, etc can help with efficiency as much as power. It just all takes money, and I just don't have the discretionary funds to put into something that I use on a very limited basis. This build is already costing me way more than I was hoping for. My machine work is already in the $700 range and the rebuild kit is $550. I know this is still fairly cheap for a 7.4 rebuild, but regardless of good intentions it all takes cash.
Here is the rebuild kit I purchased: http://www.mabbcomotors.com/catalog/..._1980-1990/840
Rob what are they using for the ZDDP additive?
Great question, and based on our earlier oil conversations I'm specifically using a ZDDP oil from now on. I'm not sure if you're referencing what assembly lube I'll use during the build, or if you're asking if I'll use an additive or oil with ZDDP. My plan is to make sure I always use oil with the ZDDP included. Do I need to do something more during the build?Quote:
Originally Posted by michael hunter