1984 Ski Supreme Restoration

[Friscoboater]

Re: 1984 Ski Supreme Restoration

Oh man that looks nice. Way to go man.

 

[iqxoqlms]

Re: 1984 Ski Supreme Restoration

Major set back today. Got the engine fired up finally. As it sat in the driveway idling it developed a tick - then a rod knock. Engine has to come back out and be torn down for assesment and a rebuild.

This had been fun...up to now.

 

[Friscoboater]

Re: 1984 Ski Supreme Restoration

You are kidding right? How can that happen by just sitting?

 

[MTribe08]

Re: 1984 Ski Supreme Restoration

That SOB Murphey...always something....hang in there.

 

[iqxoqlms]

Re: 1984 Ski Supreme Restoration

The day started with a no-start condition. I discovered that the ground to the solenoid was bad, corrected that and got the engine to turn over. Then - I had no spark. I checked that and found the connection at the master plug wasn't good so I wasn't getting power to the + side of the coil. Solved that and she popped right off! Put the garden hose on it and fired it up. Ran good - little rough at first but smoothed out and idled nice once the choke came off.

After about 5 - 7 minutes of idling it began to "clack" occasionally - an internal noise that concerned me. Oil pressure was 60 - 70. I shut it off and restarted it a couple times. The "clack" noise was intermittent. Took it off idle to about 1500 RPM a couple times - no changes. Then, at idle, it began to bang loud - like a rod bearing had failed. That noise is familiar to me and definetly terminal.

I never heard this thing run before today, but know the owner and have his word that it ran great last time out last year.

Motor is coming out in the morning - going on the stand and will be torn down to find the problem(s).

I'm drinking doubles tonight.

 

[iqxoqlms]

Re: 1984 Ski Supreme Restoration

Yesterday morning the engine came back out.

We took the pan off and pulled a couple of connecting rod caps. I seems that one of the bearings spun. The "clack" noise I heard was probably the small bearing pieces racing around inside the oiling system causing clearance problems. The subsequent knock was the rod where the bearing had spun - closing off the oil journal, starving it of oil and quickly trashing itself.

Tomorrow evening we'll tear the entire motor down to assess the full extent of the damage and determine what is the overall condition of the internals of this engine. I am in so deep now, I'll likely do a complete rebuild. Break out another thousand (or two).

My kids felt so bad yesterday that they actually came out to the garage and helped with some wet-sanding.

More updates to follow - I am certainly in too deep to abandon the mission!!

 

[tinkeringwackyone]

Re: 1984 Ski Supreme Restoration

fliipin murphy, keep the faith... you can do it

 

[Friscoboater]

Re: 1984 Ski Supreme Restoration

Man, I am so sorry. I feel your pain.

 

[Walkenvol]

Re: 1984 Ski Supreme Restoration

Terrible break on the engine troubles.

On the bright side, after the good work you've done on the boat along with an engine refresh the only thing left that isn't of new quality will be the velvet drive. A like new comp ski boat for 1/5th the price of a new one.

Did that help?

 

[iqxoqlms]

Re: 1984 Ski Supreme Restoration

Walkenvol: I had the same thoughts while trying to rationalize this situation...I couldn't buy a new boat for 4 or 5 times what I will have into this one. And, once I am done, I could never have bought a used boat like this with as many new parts and reconditioning for what I'll have in it.

But you did remind me...the Velvet Drive can still fail. Aaaahhhhhh!

Engine tear-down is tonight. Parts to machine shop in the morning. In the meantime I am installing the carpet on the inside of the hull sides and getting ready to install the stereo components. Chances are the boat interior and exterior will be done by the time the engine goes back in.

Thanks for the encouragement guys. That (and the doubles) is helping.

 

[MTribe08]

Re: 1984 Ski Supreme Restoration

Walkenvol: I had the same thoughts while trying to rationalize this situation...I couldn't buy a new boat for 4 or 5 times what I will have into this one. And, once I am done, I could never have bought a used boat like this with as many new parts and reconditioning for what I'll have in it.

But you did remind me...the Velvet Drive can still fail. Aaaahhhhhh!

Engine tear-down is tonight. Parts to machine shop in the morning. In the meantime I am installing the carpet on the inside of the hull sides and getting ready to install the stereo components. Chances are the boat interior and exterior will be done by the time the engine goes back in.

Thanks for the encouragement guys. That (and the doubles) is helping.

Keep yer chin up...this is a tough brake for you, but this little boat is going to be awesome when its all done. I was looking through my local adds for a boat like yours and I found this one..looks really similar.
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/boa/1667993888.html

 

[Walkenvol]

Re: 1984 Ski Supreme Restoration

Don't worry much about the velvet drive. Mine failed a couple years back. If memory serves, remanufactured units were apx $1,200. Local transmission shop thought they could handle mine for half that. After 4 tries they eventually got it right but I was removing and reinstalling each time. Could get it in or out in 15 minutes by the last time I did it.

 

[iqxoqlms]

Re: 1984 Ski Supreme Restoration

The engine is dismantled and it revealed its secret.

Atrophy was not the cause. The rod bearing damage was not some fluke.

You see...a 2 cent, 3/8 washer caused the damage. It appears, at some point, a simple washer made its way into and through the carb, through the intake, past an intake valve, into at least two cylinder bores, etc. There was a piece of it driven into the top of #8 piston...signs of it on #4 piston and a big piece of it that fell on the floor as we rolled the block during dis-assembly.

I am guessing this washer was on the bolt that holds the spark arrester on the carb at one point. When it fell in I have no way of knowing.

A 2 cent washer just cost me well over a grand.

More double brandys tonight.

 

[Friscoboater]

Re: 1984 Ski Supreme Restoration

I had that happen to me years ago. Man that sucks

 

[seamorewaterVIP]

Re: 1984 Ski Supreme Restoration

man some would say go play the lotto but I think in this situation it would be the unlucky side of fate. So here is my question-- How in the world did it(the washer) get past the rings to do the damage to the rod bearings? or do you think it was the shavings not to mention how it moved from cyl. to cyl. I once spent three months building a 383 stroker for a 66 chevy after all the work was done I took it on its maiden voyage and little did I know that I had a wiriring issue with the ignition and after it was broke in I was running a 1/2 mile and about half way the engine died (from the ignition problem) for about 3 or 4 seconds the it refired when it did it blew three cylinders into the oilpan. Point of the story is just be glad that you arent spending the time and money on the engine for the second time. hope that helps with the current situation you have found your self in.

 

[iqxoqlms]

Re: 1984 Ski Supreme Restoration

The damage to the rod bearing is minimal actually. #4 and #8 are scored from small debris getting into the oil system. #8 piston has a piece of the washer imbedded. #2 piston has more damage than #8 - but no fragment remaining. I originally speculated that a bearing had spun - but that is not the case.

I am chalking this up to being hasty and careless as I removed and installed the engine.

Well...off the the machine shop!

 

[iqxoqlms]

Re: 1984 Ski Supreme Restoration

It has been a while since I have updated progress. It has been slow waiting for the engine to come back from the machine shop so it can be reassembled and reinstalled. In addition to the ingested washer we found; one cracked head, cracked exhaust manifold and the need to redeck the block, bore .030 over, complete valve job, and resurface the crankshaft .010 over. The builder is a marine performance guy so he is balancing the engine as part of his work. It should be nice...but was not an expense I wanted.

I have worked on the interior and sound system a bit. The floor is complete and awaiting a coat of KiwiGrip which I'll apply after the engine install.

We have also completed wet-sanding. This thing was a mess. In areas I started with 220 wet! We progressed to 400, 600 and 1000 on the entire hull and cap. Removed the windshield for better access.

Here is a shot of the side with water on it. Compounding and wax should produce a good result.

Slow but sure I am getting there. Apparently boat restoration follows the rule of pi (pi = 3.14159265)...whatever you expect it to cost multiply by pi. However long you expect it to take multiply by pi.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1984 Ski Supreme Restoration

Wow that came out NICE!

 

[MTribe08]

Re: 1984 Ski Supreme Restoration

I agree...that Gel Coat came out very nice!

 

[Walkenvol]

Re: 1984 Ski Supreme Restoration

Looking forward to some updates!