70's/80's 18ft calglass rebuild and omc 120 to outboard conversion -help needed

Ok I've been putting off a build thread so I guess it's finally time. I started out with this boat after letting my campion go due to a bad hydro shift leg omc 120. The motor still had a little life left in it unlike my new calglass. So after taking my semi good gm 2.5 over into the calglass and it ran pretty good for a few months then I saw the block was cracked pretty bad, the. The bot sat on the back burner for almost a year. I decided to give the omc one last chance as this boat had a electric shift lower unit that was more plentiful in my area. So for months I searched for a good used motor and I found it in this parts boat

...well I thought it was good...
It looked great and clean low hours (500-700), turns out the head gasket went and it apparently sat for long enough that with cylinders one and four water made its way in and rust burnt it's way into the cylinder walls (possibly from rings?). Took it all apart and down to the machine shop only to find out that it would cost $700 before I had a rotating assambaly, barley covered the cost of machining and sleeving and honing and yada yada.



TADA!!!!!!
Outboard bracket, well in this picture it's a..well..workbench but its gunna stop all the problems I ever had with that piece of sh!* omc sterndrive...I never wanna hear that word again....sterndrive....

But of course everything's a journey and a life lesson for me so naturally.....



My freakin hub exploded in one of the worst parts of a highway around here that's one of the dangerous places to drive, at midnight, after a steep downhill right hand curve, at midnight so I wasn't very easily seen until I put my iPhone on strobe. To get people's attention. Anywho after scrapping a sad boat trailer off this wonderful one lane highway with the RCMP lighting up the scene once someone called for them and a wonderful tow truck driver I got the unit dropped off at a friends house. Yada yada boat sat on my front lawn while the trailer was getting fixed for 2 months my neighbours really hate me.


Back to it...rip that mother beepin omc garbage out!


Don't need those motor mounts!!!


There wasn't much left of them

Re: 70's/80's 18ft calglass rebuild and omc 120 to outboard conversion -help needed

I don't understand why omc had to make such a dumb design..


Just look at that hole!


Oh no the transoms wet!






Ya so anyways turns out the floor and stringers were soaked to....

Re: 70's/80's 18ft calglass rebuild and omc 120 to outboard conversion -help needed



I love being covered in fiberglass tyvek suits are the best, to bad it was another self taught lesson

So was the grinder kicking back with a cutting disk on yes I was wearing gloves...thank god







Oh man do my neighbours ever hate me



Transom plate in!!! It's 2 pieces 3/4 and one peice 3/8 pl'd together then pl'd to the hull and "peanut buttered" for now till funds allow me to buy some more resin.

Re: 70's/80's 18ft calglass rebuild and omc 120 to outboard conversion -help needed

Got a little excited and ahead of myself and cut a piece for the floor



I was so excited to see it had a floor again I literally lied down on it for almost a half hour





Ok here's where I require some input I may start another thread for this...I know I'm going from an inboard to an outboard and the boat was not designed with this use in mind so the transom was upgraded from 1/2 inch to 1 7/8 and I'm adding these knee braces that run from the transom plate and intergrate with the stringers (which are designed for these forces apparently) now these are a rough draft be nice to my craftsmanship, I'm more of a steel guy then a wood guy.



TADA! Transom support/rear stringers all smoothed out and screwed together, now I was going to pl it together but I'm gunna soak it in resin and then laminate the whole unit in a layer or 2 of csm before filleting it into place and tabbing it with 1708 after tabbing just the transom (OR COULD I POSSIBLY JUST 1708 TAB THE BRACKETS AND TRANSOM AS IF THEY WERE ONE?)



Now this picture will also show the 2x4 support I will glass to the transom as well to the sides (they also serve as the shelf behind the facia)

Re: 70's/80's 18ft calglass rebuild and omc 120 to outboard conversion -help needed

I'm running thru some plans in my head I know I want the bilge pump down in the bilge I just haven't decided bare or with a door or perhaps hacking a little shelf unit like this together for a battery tray? I'm not sure.





Or maybe some how intergrate it into a seat?



Actually if I could figure out a way to make the new Boston whaler folding transom seats work on this boat I would be in love with that idea..

Or maybe just flat and still have my battery sit on top of it? Only hassle is I I have to access the pump or clear the path for the drain plug I would have to lift it out...maybe not a hassle if it has long enough cables on it?



Oh and welcome to my hell



And here's a few randomly selected videos that were suppose to make there way to my YouTube account but hit photobucket instead.

Re: 70's/80's 18ft calglass rebuild and omc 120 to outboard conversion -help needed

And here's a few randomly selected videos that were suppose to make there way to my YouTube account but hit photobucket instead.



Now with my ingenious clamps I made I was so exited I forgot to make sure it was clamping evenly...sanding pl sucks.



Oh and how could I forget pictures of my stringers that have horrible glass work its no wonder why water penetrated it...now I will be starting a new thread in the very net future unless I can answer my questions thru research about just cutting the cap off and filling it with foam and then fixing the glass work whether before I pour foam in I put fresh glass on the inside or what...on a side note I kick the stringers side pretty damn hard and it didn't flinch, just shows you that the strength is in the glass not the wood.

Re: 70's/80's 18ft calglass rebuild and omc 120 to outboard conversion -help needed



And that's all for today folks I'm sore and tired as heck.

Re: 70's/80's 18ft calglass rebuild and omc 120 to outboard conversion -help needed

Are you going to fabricate a splash-well at the transom??

I'm sure that is also an important part of the structural integrity on an outboard boat,.......

Re: 70's/80's 18ft calglass rebuild and omc 120 to outboard conversion -help needed

Yeah, Splashwell will be needed so the Middle seat will not be practical. I'd plan on tabbing the Knee braces separately using design #1. I think the shelf would be a Perfect spot for your Battery. Have you measured the transom and calculated the height required for the shaft length of the motor or are you using a Transom Jack?

Re: 70's/80's 18ft calglass rebuild and omc 120 to outboard conversion -help needed

Teamster said:

Are you going to fabricate a splash-well at the transom??

I'm sure that is also an important part of the structural integrity on an outboard boat,.......

Click to expand...

No splash well I'm using a bracket that will set the motor back about 28 inches if I remember correctly

With a swim grid and kicker bracket

Re: 70's/80's 18ft calglass rebuild and omc 120 to outboard conversion -help needed

Are you aware of the performance changes that those Motor pods can have on your boat? Have you researched that? It sometimes can can cause significant porpoising and cavitation issues. Just want you to be aware. What size motor are you Planning to hang on her? I also noticed that you have two threads going. You might want to contact a Moderator and have them combine the two into this one to help the members not get confused.

Re: 70's/80's 18ft calglass rebuild and omc 120 to outboard conversion -help needed

Most of the performance issues I've heard of we're just about the weight being so far off the back...and I don't think I'm to concerned about it cause I have a giant aluminum fuel cell that goes under the bow plus my anchor and all the chain that mounts up front worst case scenario is I need to put trim tabs on or throw some lead weights up front right? And if I remember correctly for every foot of setback you want the anti ventilation plate one inch above the keel to prevent these issues yes?

Re: 70's/80's 18ft calglass rebuild and omc 120 to outboard conversion -help needed

You are on the right track however doing all of those things is still no guarantee the boat will perform as you want it to. Keep doing your homework and do everything you can in your design to try to ensure the boat will perform well. That's about all you can do when you are making these drastic changes.

Re: 70's/80's 18ft calglass rebuild and omc 120 to outboard conversion -help needed

I've seen so many boats converted out here to pods, smaller than mine. the research I've done this far has led me to believe this is the right decision however I haven't bolted it on yet and the rear cap is still off. Could you point me somewhere that vouches against a pod and for a surface mount/splashwell plan?

Re: 70's/80's 18ft calglass rebuild and omc 120 to outboard conversion -help needed

It's just my general research on the Web. The overall Design of each specific hull sometimes lends itself well to the pod and sometimes it does not. The COG will definetly change and this must be allowed for as you have discussed. Many people have done this with great results and hopefully you will to. I just wanted you to be aware of some of the issues that could arise. I am in no way saying you should not do it, only wanted to ensure that you were aware of what could occur after the modifications took place.

Re: 70's/80's 18ft calglass rebuild and omc 120 to outboard conversion -help needed

I figured worse case scenario I could add trim tabs or some lead weights hopefully its not to bad

Re: 70's/80's 18ft calglass rebuild and omc 120 to outboard conversion -help needed

I was wondering how the build is progressing ? Also, where did you get your Motor Bracket?