86Sunsport-phase2

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/a...s/DSC03106.jpg
Motor nearly finished - still need a new alternator and crank pulley.


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

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. :(

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

Looking good Clint. That motor looks nice!

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 . . .

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.

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/a...s/DSC03124.jpg

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/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/a...s/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!!!

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.

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Originally Posted by 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.

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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 . . .

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?

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Originally Posted by 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?

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yes i did - :)

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/a...s/DSC03128.jpg

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/DSC03132.jpg

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/DSC03138.jpg

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

Looking good!!

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

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

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

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/a...s/DSC03154.jpg

Beautiful!

Looks awesome clint..

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

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Originally Posted by ngavdba

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?

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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!"

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.

looks awesome clint

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

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!

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/a...s/DSC03156.jpg

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/DSC03155.jpg

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/DSC03157.jpg

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/DSC03158.jpg

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?

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Originally Posted by 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?

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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

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.

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

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?

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...

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/a...s/DSC03019.jpg


http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/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/a...s/DSC03281.jpg

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/a...s/DSC03294.jpg

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/DSC03301.jpg

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/DSC03296.jpg

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/a...s/DSC03304.jpg

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Originally Posted by 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...

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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. . .

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?

Beutiful!!!

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.

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 . . .