1988 17' Tracker Tournament V foam

New member. Recently bought a 1988 17' Tournament V and have some similiar questions for you guys (not trying to hijack, but similiar stuff). Noticed the same hole in the fuel tank compartment. Also noticed the foam material the transdcuer mounts in is completely waterlogged and covered in an oily mung. Should I just try and yank this stuff out? Also, took it for first run yesterday and it seems sluggish although motor (Classic 50) runs great and at full RPM. Boat seems heavy on trailer too. I think I know where this is going, but previous owner replaced all decking and carpet and i have to wonder why he wouldn't do the foam if he was into it?? Is it possible when only doing decks and carpet to not realize foam is saturated? I noticed also the areas either side of the fuel compartment are swelled up (someone mentioned this on another post as a sign of saturated foam). I could only achieve about 22mph at 5000 rpms (once again motor and prop are solid). Does anyone know what this boat should weigh? I was thinking about taking it across a scale. I know what the motor weighs and can estimate the trailer. Does that speed seem right? I had the Guide 16 with a 50 Hp and it would travel in the low 30's and was much more nimble. Doesn't seem like these should weigh that much different. The boat is super clean and the classic 50 is in great shape, but I'm not sure if I'm up for the task of tearing out all of the decks and boxes. How hard is this really?? Is it worth it?? Any help and recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

You should start your own thread if you want help on this. But, IMHO you definetly have waterlogged foam issues. It can appear dry to the touch but unless you core sample it you will never know.

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

fishnfull said:

New member. Recently bought a 1988 17' Tournament V and have some similiar questions for you guys (not trying to hijack, but similiar stuff). Noticed the same hole in the fuel tank compartment. Also noticed the foam material the transdcuer mounts in is completely waterlogged and covered in an oily mung. Should I just try and yank this stuff out? Also, took it for first run yesterday and it seems sluggish although motor (Classic 50) runs great and at full RPM. Boat seems heavy on trailer too. I think I know where this is going, but previous owner replaced all decking and carpet and i have to wonder why he wouldn't do the foam if he was into it?? Is it possible when only doing decks and carpet to not realize foam is saturated? I noticed also the areas either side of the fuel compartment are swelled up (someone mentioned this on another post as a sign of saturated foam). I could only achieve about 22mph at 5000 rpms (once again motor and prop are solid). Does anyone know what this boat should weigh? I was thinking about taking it across a scale. I know what the motor weighs and can estimate the trailer. Does that speed seem right? I had the Guide 16 with a 50 Hp and it would travel in the low 30's and was much more nimble. Doesn't seem like these should weigh that much different. The boat is super clean and the classic 50 is in great shape, but I'm not sure if I'm up for the task of tearing out all of the decks and boxes. How hard is this really?? Is it worth it?? Any help and recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Click to expand...

Your foam is more than likely waterlogged and that adds a lot of weight to a boat which is more than likely the cause of your reduced speed.

I have a 17' deep V Tracker with a 50 4 stroke and get about 32 mph.

Removing the decking isn't hard, I've had mine apart a couple of times. The worst thing will be removing the nasty foam, mainly because it'll be a disgusting mess/job.

The PO probably just did the decking and carpet because he knew he was going to sell it and didn't want to spend the money or time on the foam. There's also no telling what else he skipped over. If you aren't up to the task of fixing your boat right, you should sell it. Your waterlogged foam is a safety hazzard and will cause your boat to sink if it's swamped or in an accident.

If you decide to fix your boat, when you're finished you'll have a very solid and dependable boat that you can be proud of.

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

Looks like I've been moved.

jigngrub - left you a response in the other thread. Can I assume I will have to tear out most of the new carpet to easily find all of the screws/rivots? Have to decide if I make a May trip as-is or go at it now and hope for the best. Leaning towards doing it as it is otherwise in great condition and runs excellent. Thanks for your help.

Also, can anyone tell me if I can unscrew the console and merely flip it over the side (tied off) to remove the floor?

Does anyone out there stilll have the 1988 with the Classic 50 on it (just for an apples to apples)? If so, does it sound like to you I'm crawling at 22mph trimmed?

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

Finding your deck screws depends on how your PO did the carpet, if he did it right you'll be able to find them all. Doing it right means wraping each piece of decking individually and then screwing the finished deck down... unfortunately a lot of people don't do this and screw the decking down and then lay the carpet. In the latter it means all the carpeting has to be ripped up to remove the decking. If the PO did it like the factory install you'll just have to dig around through the carpet pile/nap and find the screws, it's not to hard to find them after the first few. There might be a visible joint in the carpet on your front deck if it is 2 pieces and he wrapped the pieces, most front decks are too large to get out one piece of plywood.

All the boxes are either riveted or screwed down through the top and the fasteners are exposed when the decking is removed. These Trackers are pretty easy to work on and after you take it apart the first time they're a piece of cake to do again.

If you decide to do this, you really should start your own thread and I'll help you as much as I can.

Here's a link to my resto:

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=509163

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

...btw, if your PO did the carpet right and you can remove the decking without messing up the carpet this job won't take that long. It takes about a day to take one of these boats apart, maybe 2 days for as much as you have to do. Then a day or two to remove the foam. Another couple of days to reinstall the foam, and then a day or 2 to put the boat back together.

You will need to find where the water is coming into your boat to waterlog the foam. It could be you have a leak, or maybe the PO stored the boat out in the weather uncovered without removing the drain plug. I saw a similar thread on another forum with a nearly identical boat to yours with the same problem of water logged foam. The cause was a rodent had gotten in the boat and chewed the speedometer pitot tube to the speedometer below deck and every time the PO used the boat the pitot tube would leak into the bilge and he seldom or never pulled the drain plug.

Or you may have leaking rivets or a screw hole somewhere, all these are easy fixes.

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

I would advise that you slow down and re-group. Since this sounds like a new rig to you........ you are not achieving full WOT RPM's and it could be a prop issue also.

I would eliminate the possibilities of other problems before you tear into the decking.

The other primary thing I would check is if the PO in-fact replaced the old decking....... he may have covered the old decking which I have seen happen.

That classic 50 should be turning 5500 rpms

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

"i have to wonder why he wouldn't do the foam if he was into it"

If you have ever removed wet foam....

Anyhow, having owned a Tracker...loved the boat, hated the leaks. It was an older one, 89 or 90 riveted hull. The leak was in the transom area and it leaked pretty good. Short story...motor broke...sold the boat. My guess is you have leaks. The challenge is that you have to find them after removing all that wet foam. Looks like you have a lot of work ahead of you, but...it can be a good boat for you and something to cut your teeth on. Send some pix and we will send you plenty of advice.

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

Once again appreciate all of the feedback.

About 95% sure it's not a prop issue. the boat has a hard time getting on plane plus it can't achieve greater than about 22mph. I could see a prop issue if I had one OR the other one of those symptoms, but not both. Plus noted that it feels extremely heavier than it should on the trailer (tongue weight). I have it on a trailer rated for 1500# and it squats the springs significantly enough for me to notice the difference from my Guide 16. My guess is these boats may weigh a little different, but not enough to do the things that I'm witnessing.

Fairly certain it does not have any leaks. Had it out this past Sunday and fished for about 3 hours with no accumulation of water in the bilge. Not to say it doesn't a very minor one somewhere, but nothing enough to detect after several hours of use. Looks like I'll be verifying that sometime in the future.

Jigngrub - Thanks for the link and you can probably expect I'll be contacting you. I think I'm going to go ahead and do it. Seems like too nice of a boat to let go when it's mostly just time to repair. I only paid $1200 for boat, motor, and trailer. The motor has great compression and runs like a top. It has had some recent routine maintenance also. I like the set up and would probably look for something else similiar if I got rid of it. Might as well do this one right and keep it. Hope to start soon and will start a new thread.

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

Im just a rookie, but have just completed my front deck and framework removal (Hull repair). What I learned in removing the deck was to Take Your Time. Mine is a 2000 Tracker pro deep V. First two screws I stripped out completely. Slowed down and used an old pocket knife to clean out screw heads (10 yrs of wear), used magnate to removal shavings. I then used a good equal size screwdriver and placed into head and whacked with a hammer. Then used my dewalt to slowly back out. Dig around gently and you will discover a pattern for screws on outer edge and middle. Once I properly prepped my screws it went very quickly. Ref. removing aluminum frame work under deck, again I will caution...Take your time. Had to locate a few hidden rivets, and a few obvious rivets and entire frame lifts off in one piece. So far So good in my journey. Hope yours goes well.

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

Hey fishnfull, how does over 300lbs. of waterlogged foam sound in your boat? That is what came out of mine. I too had a problem with top-end speed, (also using a 50hp johnson) and once finding all the soaked foam I knew why. Once you have the decking off you might as well do the whole thing and ensure your boat is the best it can be. On a side note, the PO of my boat told me that it did not have any leaks. Well, he was wrong and if you don't check you'll never know either. Send some pics, I would love to see your treasure.

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

scubby said:

Hey fishnfull, how does over 300lbs. of waterlogged foam sound in your boat?

Click to expand...

I told her, if she wanted to stay on the boat, she would have to pay for the gas.

:facepalm:

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

if you want to weigh your boat while it is STILL on the trailer...you can do it.....and its pretty close.

I copied from another thread i was involved in:

"The boat stays on the trailer the entire time. Put the scale under the tongue near the end. You can even put a block on the scale to lift the tongue so you can see the dial. Record the weight. Now, slide the boat aft on the trailer 12" to 18". You must measure exactly how many inches you moved it, and record that. With the scale in the same location under the tongue, record the new scale reading. Finally, measure the distance in inches between the trailer axle (wheel centerline) and the point on the tongue where it touches the scale. You have then four measurements:

W1 = first (heavier) scale reading in lbs, W2 = second scale reading in lbs, X = the distance you shifted the boat in inches, C = distance between trailer axle and scale point in inches.

The formula is Boat Weight = C (W1-W2)/X

A couple of notes. The result, like any measurement, is sensitive to the accuracy of the input data. In this case, the most critical is the distance you slide the boat. One inch error out of 12 inches will really make a difference in the result. Slide the boat as far as you can and still have a readable load on the scales. Notice, too, that by subtracting the two scale readings, any constant error in the scale is canceled out. "

I used this formula to weigh my boat. the measurements are critcal and needs to be made as prcise as possible!!!

i bought a trailer from under a Deep V tracker 17 footer...that a tree had fallen on while the owner was restoring it.. the foor had been removed and it was easy the foam was soaked!!!!!!! he was running an 80 merc.....a fifty seems small

that trailer is nice!!! torsion springs!! sits so low..


bob

bob

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

Bob -Thanks for the calculation. That's really interesting. I won't need that anymore. I started into my boat this past weekend and found what I, and most everyone else already knew. My boat is loaded down with saturated foam. I will be starting a new thread to document my findings and to track my repairs. Thanks again!

As to some of our previous discussions, the carpet does indeed cover all of the fasteners. The PO did a great job with the carpet. Unfortunately I will have to tear it all out. It appears he dropped carriage bolts throught the wood, carpeted the wood, then through bolted...at least the front deck. The main deck was screwed first, then carpeted. He did a great job tucking the carpet on all of the edges. you wouldn't have known the difference.

The carpet glue on this thing is a bear!! It was very frustrating. I still only removed enough carpet to get to rivets. Did some reading on using solvenst to soften the glue and remove the carpet. I'll have to do some testing. A friend suggested using an angle grinder with a metal cup brush. said it works liek a champ but is extremely loud and messy.

I got the rear portion of the boat mostly apart this past weekend. I removed one of the rear sides and tore out the large portion of foam used for floatation and support. Should get the other side out by this weekend. Hope to get to the main deck this weekend. With any luck, I'll get it out and even start on the midship boxes and seats. I'll get some pictures up soon. Guess i need a new thread? Thread police?

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

fishnfull said:

Guess i need a new thread? Thread police?

Click to expand...

This one's all yours so feel free to continue it.

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

Re: 1985 Tracker Tournament V 17

For the carpet glue on the wood, use a belt sander with a 30 grit belt. For the carpet glue on the metal hatch covers, use a paint stripper like CitrusStrip and let them set for 24 hrs. then scrape off the excess and use the angle grinder with the wire cup brush for any residue and to roughen for adhesive bonding.

After you sand all the glue off, you need to seal your plywood with epoxy resin. I just sealed the side that was going to be vinyled on mine.

You can get the resin and pumps here:
http://www.uscomposites.com/epoxy.html
I used the 635 with the 3:1 medium hardener, I was able to get 4 coats on all my wood with the 1/2 gallon kit. Don't forget to buy the pumps for easy 3 to 1 measuring.

If you're still interested in the vinyl, I found the best price online and great customer service here:
http://www.defender.com/category.jsp?path=-1|10918|311409&id=311410

Re: 1988 Tracker Tournament V 17

Re: 1988 Tracker Tournament V 17

Thanks for the links. I was looking at US composites for the foam also. I'll just make one big order from them. Those Nautolex prices are great. Definately can't beat that. 95% confident I'm going that route. Have some cleaning up to do on my drop in box flanges.

Thanks for the tips on removing the carpet. Looking like I'll have as much time in carpet removal as I do boat disassembly! It will be right though. I may go ahead and cut new wood everywhere. It'll probably save me time and headache in the long run. Good advice on the sealing. I was thinking about sealing the wood anyway, even the bottom side just for piece of mind. Maybe what I'll do is seal the top with the resin and do the bottom with some type of commercial wood sealer. See any problems with that plan?

Once agin, appreciate all of the help. Will get some pictures up this weekend. Got the rest of the rear removed this week. Going after main lower deck this weekend. Hope to have all old foam out by the end of this weekend and start on reconstruction plans (and carpet removal of course!).

Re: 1988 Tracker Tournament V 17

Re: 1988 Tracker Tournament V 17

Replacing the decking will save a lot of time over removing the glue, a lot of time!

I prefer to leave the underside of my decking bare so it can breathe, it's only going to get wet if the boat sinks or I leave it uncovered with the plug in and it fills with rain water.

Re: 1988 Tracker Tournament V 17

Re: 1988 Tracker Tournament V 17

Anyone have a feel on the density foam required for the rear of the boat that also supports a person (side box areas). US Composites lists the 2 and 4# for boat restoration projects. Sounds like they think the 4# is adequate for "moderate" loads. Assume that means me!

Also, can anyone see a particular reason not to use something like the water noodles or sheet foam under the main deck vice the pourable? Sure seems a lot easier to deal with than re-pouring every cavity with foam. Figure as long as it's closed cell, whats the difference other than the messy clean up of pourable.

Have all decks removed and most of the foam out. The only foam I salvaged is the stuff in the nose area. The only reason it survived is because it is up off the floor a bit on some type of vinyl/plastic sheathing material.

Re: 1988 Tracker Tournament V 17

Re: 1988 Tracker Tournament V 17

I'd go with the 4# pourable, it'll be a better build.