My '76 PY Explorer Open project...

weareallnuts

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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Jun 1, 2011
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Recently purchased '76 PY Explorer Open. Thus far have re-wired the trailer, replaced the trailer lights, cleaned the interior, and taken the motor (318 Chrysler) to a machine shop to be bored out and rebuilt. Next step will be to build a motor stand on which I'll be able to mount the motor while I rebuild and then add the intake manifold, exhaust manifolds and transmission. While the motor is out of the boat, I plan to remove the rear seat, gas tank and front pedestal seats, then take it to a shop to have the stringers checked out, and if necessary, replaced. That done, I'll re-do the floor, replace the side storage trays/boards, and decide on seats.
 

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weareallnuts

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
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Messages
79
Re: My '76 PY Explorer Open project...

Progress on my Penn Yan. Have been working on the trailer -- welding repairs to fender; cleaned and painted trailer jack; cleaned, lubed and tested electric winch; removed for duplication the bed tilt jack.

Next up, relocate existing roller bunks (forward) and replace the aft positions with new bunks. Then, fiberglass work on keel, bow eye, and get into replacing the floor, check out the stringers. View attachment 115740View attachment 115741
 

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weareallnuts

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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Re: My '76 PY Explorer Open project...

2/17/2014 -- boat survived the "great Valentines Day ice storm of 2014" -- limbs fell all around it, but none hit the boat. Doxology! Cover is working out well -- hoops (3/4" pvc into 4x4 blocks) are staying place, padding on windshield is preventing tears in tarp, and box on bow keeps that part up and drained. First project this year will be replace bunks (roller bars, 2 each side, 4' long) on trailer, also replace springs, axles, hubs. Will use stainless or galvanized disc brakes on one axle, hydraulic surge actuator.
 

weareallnuts

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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Jun 1, 2011
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Re: My '76 PY Explorer Open project...

Damage from ice storm last week will take a while to clear away/repair. Pine tree limbs everywhere, a half dozen sections of rail fence broken; chicken pasture fence 50% destroyed; wire fence along Shady Lane down in three sections; and more. The boat project is on hold...
 

weareallnuts

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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Jun 1, 2011
Messages
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Re: My '76 PY Explorer Open project...

Clean up continues, slowly...pine branches everywhere. Have cleared corral and repaired fence; cleared chicken pasture and put up temporary fence there. Cleared front part of pasture, throwing the debris over the fence to along the street where FEMA contracted folks will pick up the debris. That's one use of taxes that I support -- emergency relief.
 

weareallnuts

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Jun 1, 2011
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Re: My '76 PY Explorer Open project...

Clean up continues...tree debris lines the road on both sides of the street, in both directions from our drive. Cut up downed oak tree into wood stove-sized pieces, then with help of neighbor with a big backhoe, removed the stump and dragged it to the street. Inspired, cut down four 14 year old river birch trees in front yard -- 2 were damaged by the storm -- removed stumps and dragged them to the street. At this point, I have oak branches in back yard and pine around the pool still to be picked up, then down the lane along back pasture fence. Had to repair the fence to the swamp last weekend, the magoos (quarter horse mutts Gracie and Knightly) found a way across it where a broken oak limb had come down in recent winds. While working last Saturday on the birches, I looked up and could see Knightly grazing in the back pasture. Besides the many sections of fence with rotted cedar posts where they could walk through if they'd a mind to, there are several sections downed by pine trees from the ice storm, so they've been kept in the front pasture since the storm. Spent Sunday afternoon putting up t-posts and tightening barb wire on the section from gate to swamp. For now, they are again contained, although I found two more sections down around the swamp that, if they want to get their feet wet, would allow them to take a runner.

Remaining besides the back yard -- remove the roots from the birches and fill two stump holes; plant a couple of trees; another clean up run around the yard preparatory to mowing (the weeds are flourishing, the grass is coming in); clean out downed limbs/fallen trees in front pasture and haul to street.

The son-in-law (youngest's hubby, auto mechanic, all around skilled handyman) suggested last night that rather than rebuilding the Chrysler 318 that came with my PY, that he order a crate marine motor through his business instead. So, time to research those options. For longevity -- supportability -- and current technology, mercruiser (chevy) or PCM would be options. Part of me wants to stay old school, rebuild that 318, stroke it out a bit.
 

weareallnuts

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July 1, 2014 -- FEMA contracted crews picked up tree debris for third time late April. After that, with the prospect of having to burn anything I collected out of the woods, I stopped working on storm clean up and began trying to get the yard looking half-way decent. Sometime between now and the fall, I will knock down the large pile in the front and burn it. The smaller piles in the front pasture, I can burn those after a good rain and disc-ing around them to prevent spread. Then I'll start clearing the front pasture woods by using the tractor and landscape rake backwards to push the debris out into the open, much as I did along the driveway.

The PY is clean and covered right now. On one hand, there's not really THAT much to do -- re-wire, new floor, build and install a motor, get the transmission checked and rebuild if necessary. All that done, the hull is sound, the trailer is heavy duty and in good shape, needs only new bunks or rollers, a decision about the winch (keep the power winch and wire up the truck, or replace with a heavy-duty multi-speed hand winch). Then, cosmetics -- seats, paint. Looked at that way, it doesn't seem so whelming...Some days, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I'm encouraged to begin working in earnest on it. Others, I'm inclined to give her Boat Angel and help some other PY nut fulfill his dream. This weekend will be a good indicator of things to come -- three or four days to work on yard projects, will I make time for the PY??
 

weareallnuts

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This is the unique(?) mechanism used on the Cox trailer for controlling tilt of trailer during launch and retrieval of the boat. A trailer jack minus wheel with shaft and squared "U" fitting welded on in place of wheel, bolted to trailer frame and to sliding arm on trailer. Crank the winch out, the trailer tilts. Safe and simple. Previous owner welded the trailer down...and the mechanism is obviously rusted out. Easy enough to replace the jack -- found a couple by Bulldog that will work -- and the shaft & U fitting. Seems the real challenge is grinding off the weld that holds the trailer down.

For the present, I will leave as is. Once the boat is rebuilt inside and I have occasion for floating it off to test water tight integrity and water test the motor, I'll re-visit this part of the trailer. A lot will depend on how easy or difficult it is to launch and retrieve the boat. I plan to put heavy guide posts at the rear of the trailer to help with retrieval. But I'm not a fan of "drive-on" retrieval, so being able to tilt the bed in a controlled (read that, "safe") manner and use either a manual or power winch to pull the boat onto the trailer, seems like a good idea. It may turn out that it's only an issue with a manual winch, that with a power winch, it's easy-peasy to retrieve.
 

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weareallnuts

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Replaced tarp yesterday, 12x16 covers only from stern to windshield. But after cleaning the pine straw and shreds of the old tarp from inside the boat, this will due until I find another 12x24 tarp. No go at Lowes, HD or W-M...I think it's at Target or Northern Tool. Hoops continue to do the job, the tarp stays up, water does not collect.
 

weareallnuts

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Found that I can purchase through O'Reilly's Auto Parts, new marine 302 Ford, even a 318 or 340 Chrysler in correct rotation. So, my plan is to take the present block to machine shop in Charleston and have it checked out for cracks; if none, decision time -- bore it out minimally, buy pistons and stroker kit and turn it into a 340; OR, buy a new engine from O'Reilly's... In the meanwhile, will start on interior -- plan for removing, replacing and routing the wiring; and cutting out the floor. Leaning toward either 3/4 treated plywood with black marine carpet, or plywood covered by fiberglass and some kind of no-slip surface.
 

weareallnuts

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Reading and researching, thinking along lines of replacing the Chrysler 318 with a 360 for greater low end torque; will try to find RV or truck motor which, I understand, has a tougher block than the automotive model. What I'm reading indicates low end torque from a larger engine at lower rpm will be more efficient than a smaller engine working harder, running faster. And within the limits of prop and hull design, it will be faster too, if that's important (which it is not, for me -- skiing, tubing, cruising is what I'm after). And getting a 360 engine will be simpler than stroking out a 318 or 340. The 360 is apparently the motor of choice for boats and auto racing (back in the day).
 

weareallnuts

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Today, hope to clean off the front deck (which is exposed because the tarp covers only to the windshield) and add a second smaller tarp to cover the front deck. Also hope to work on the Grumman 18 Fish N Ski a bit -- drain the gas tank, surface lube the motor, put the trickle charger on the battery to the end of starting the motor soon on new 3 gal tank. Have found water pump impeller and carb kit on two websites), will order soon to get this one going, use it alot this year after the kids move away...
 
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weareallnuts

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Past two weekends, removed tarp from boat with intent of spring clean up, to replace tarp with longer one to cover entire boat. Got into re-thinking the hoop set up I use to keep the tarp up and arched, prevent water from pooling on it. Had used 1/2" sch 40 conduit into 4x6 block sections, three spaced through the boat. This has worked ok for three years, but the hoops can fall over and with the weight of the tarp/tension of the bungee cords securing it, hoop closest to windshield flattened out across the "u." Thought that if used a bit larger diameter conduit for the hoops, it would solve the flattening problem. So, I bought 1" thinwall conduit for the hoops and 1 1/2" thinwall conduit for two lengths of conduit along the floor with T's to connect the hoops. Put in extensions from the t's to couplings to make the hoops taller, then ran a conduit along the top of the hoops as a ridge, I could solve the fall over problem entirely. When I put it together, I didn't like that the hoops rose and sides were so far in from the gunwhales, and that hoops were so tall (easy to fix). SO, different tack, tried putting the conduit lengths into the storage tray along the gunwhale. Removed the hoop extensions. Now the hoops are a few inches above the windshield, but are closer to the sides of the boat, will do a better job keeping the tarp up with less tension on the tarp (which flattens the hoops). Also added a short section of conduit on each side gunwhale section to the foredeck, two t's on each, to put short low hoops across the foredeck. Keeping that section of tarp elevated has always been an issue. See pics.
 

weareallnuts

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On Sunday, after taking pictures, started removing misc stuff from the floor and around the console to the end of tearing out the carpet and exposing the floor. Hope to continue on that after completing the clean up / hoop project (now that pine pollen, aka "yellow rain," has ended, it's time to clean up and cover up).
 

weareallnuts

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Hoop project
 

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weareallnuts

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starting on floor
 

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weareallnuts

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Completed the hoops project for the tarp; only the t's are glued into the sections, hoops are just dry into the t's. Seems to be working fine.
 

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weareallnuts

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and the tarp fits great!
 

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weareallnuts

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started on the floor -- tearing out the carpet, reveal the damage. Note the fiberglass from the side of the boat overlaps the floor. Anyone have suggestions on hos to work with this?? Cut the fiberglass overlap and then re-do it when I do the floor??
 

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