66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

[North Beach]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

Clark and Joe. You guys hit the nail on the head. My boat guy told me the same thing this morning.

I have the motor in the shop cooling off and I'm about to start tearing into it. I'm also removing the exhaust manifold to install a new gasket since there is a tiny drip leak there also. If I find damage, I have the stock one from the LL but I'm guessing it's damaged and that's what caused the water filled cylinders. I also have the complete 110 from the blue boat and one I got from Rhodey. Additionally, I think I'm gonna redo all the hoses and the belt. Might as well while It's setting on the floor of the garage

I'll be back later to post progress.

 

[jspano]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

nb
good luck, i guess the more retores you do the more extra parts you have. don't rush do it once, do it right... it's a long weekend

 

[North Beach]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

Well I figured if I'm gonna cruise around in a forty something year old boat I should keep a few parts laying around. So I grabbed up old blue and when Rhodey offered up that spare motor and all the transom and outdrive parts I couldn't refuse.

And the plan is to get this motor right before we drop it in.

So I got the flywheel housing and the rear engine mount off. Note should be made here that when the housing came off the longer of the two starter bolts fell out? Closer inspection revealed that it has snapped off up in the block and there is no way in heck the broken off peice can be reached. It's broken off about 1/4" up in the block. After a long time pondering the problem, I think I've decided to put it back together the way it was. The short bolt holds the starter in place and the flywheel housing holds the long bolt in place which evidently keeps the starter from tweeking.

The next step was to remove the engine coupling assembly. It's fastened directly to the back of the crank via 6 studs. Once I got that out, the flywheel just falls off revealing the two rear freeze plugs. Sure as heck, that's where the leak was. One of the plugs was partially popped out allowing it to leak. Once I popped out the leaking plug, I cleaned the edge of the block with sand paper and then carb cleaner and let it dry. Then I applied some permatex and drove the new plug in with a rubber mallet and a big socket the same size as the plug and it's done.

Then I spent way too much time trying to figure a way out of the starter bolt predicument and finally gave up for the evening. Here's a couple pics for the photo junkies

Tomorrow morning I'll put the flywheel assembly and starter back on and the the exhaust manifold comes off for an inspection. There's a real small leak running down the side of the block and I beleive a gasket may take care of the problem.

 

[jspano]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

good luck with the starter, you can't drill it and tap

 

[North Beach]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

Joe, now that I've had the night to sleep on it, that's exactly what we're gonna do.

 

[fat fanny]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

NB sometimes you can get the broken bolt out by drilling the center out as close to minor diameter of the thread and use a gun tap to cut the excess metal out of the original threads we use this process @ work all the time but you have to be almost dead center to do it right mag drill works great. good luck and have a great weekend.

 

[North Beach]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

Thanks for the suggestions guys. If you look at the first pic in my last post you'll see a small flat raised up area at about 4 oclock from the bottom freeze plug. If you look very closely, you can barely see the end of the starter bolt protruding thru the top of the casing. The bolt comes up from the bottom. We had just enough of the tip of the bolt sticking up to lay a smal nut on top, and fill the center with my wire feed 110 welder. Then we hit it with cold water to cool and shrink the bolt and she screwed right out. Dodged another bullet!!!

So, I dug out my torque sheet from the manual and I'm headed back out to put it all back together. Then I'll yank the manafold off and deal with it. The drain petcock has been removed and the po covered the end of an easyout with teflon tape and shoved her in there I've already removed the easyout and while I have it off to change the gasket, I'll deal with that.

More to come........

 

[jspano]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

great job on the bolt removal. you'll be happy you did it. good luck with the rest

 

[JimbC]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

Not sure how far you have gotten on the put back together NB but you really should be putting this stuff on every bolt, This stuff is great and recommended by any real mechanic. I get mine from NAPA item#765-1674 make sure it's the silver color.
http://www.napaonline.com/Search/Detail.aspx?R=BK_7651151_0282395170#

 

[North Beach]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

Yeah Jim, we keep lots of anti seize in the shop.

 

[North Beach]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

After spending July forth weekend swapping most of the newer externals from the blown 110 to the newer 120 all I had left was the distributor swap, oil change, and bolt her up. When I pulled the distributor, I found water in the oil

So.....I checked the dipstick for at least the tenth time (we checked it repeatedly when we were test running the motor with the hose hooked up) and the oil still looked good???? I guess the water is just danged hard to see on the dipstick????

So.....I popped the drain plug and jeez! Water in the oil! So to recap-So far I've found a blown freeze plug behind the flywheel, a cracked exhaust manifold, and now water in the oil.

So.....I chucked the newer 120 and contacted one of the guys who mechanics at the boat repair shop who has an 89 Glaspar with a decent running 3.0 and a problem getting the title from the PO. We cut a deal and I start the process all over again this Saturday morning.

Everything went OK, but remember, I'm trying to use the 3.0 with my MC1 outdrive. I keep hearing it won't work but I've talked to a couple old timers and the have assured me it will.

We had to change the flywheel cover/rear engine bolt housing since the yoke on the glaspar was 11" from hole to hole and the LL yoke is 15 and change. Got all that done and had a heck of a time getting the engine in and adapting the metal down pipe setup from the 3.0 to work with the old school rubber hose downpipe in the LL. After some serious hillbilly fab work and a lot of cuts and scratches we gave up late Sunday evening when the motor appeared to be in a bind and wouldn't turn over unless we took the plugs out.

Got up this morning with renewed enthusiasm and realized we forgot the double lockwasher/spacers and had one of the bolt/spacer setups on the back motor mounts backwards. We pulled all that apart (including the cursed downpipe setup) did the spacers right, lined up the motor and with a little tweeking of the timing, and she fired right up.

Then we noticed oil running down the shroud that covers the front lower half of the flywheel. Looks like by binding the outdrive shaft up on the connector, we must have damaged the rear main seal.

So we have a new seal kit, and tomorrow morning we're pulling the motor and replacing the rear seal.

FOUR DAYS TILL THE TWO WEEK LAKE VACATION............

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

North Beach........ we MUST be related somewhere in our family history. It seems as if OUR cousin Murphy has cursed us!

I have been going through multiple problems too and I feel your pain.

My attitude is...... anything I fix now will not be a future problem

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

Wow what a saga. I hope you get it all buttoned up. It would seem that Murphy or at least his third cousin CheapBoatKev were hangin' around your shop.

I/O's suck dude, seriously

 

[starcrafter65]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

Ugh, well its probably destiny that you'll end up with an Alpha1....I wasn't brave enough to change the coupler/mounting and just ate the costs for the updated drive ($1200).

Hopefully you got the wiring harness for the dash with that newer motor - not the same as the 2.5...

Good luck - hope all goes well. My transplant has worked well - just a couple loose bolts.

I think Lil Rhody is doing same....

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

NB I sure hope the 3.0 plays nicely with your outdrive...that will be a nice boost in hp for the Limo.

Good luck and kudos for keeping after it like you have been

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

I'd like to see a I6 banger in the LL, but then again I aint spending NB cash...

And Ez....Geeeeesh..I aint Schleprock..lol

 

[starcrafter65]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

I'd like to see a I6 banger in the LL, but then again I aint spending NB cash...

And Ez....Geeeeesh..I aint Schleprock..lol

EZ = sour grapes for the elegance, economy, and sleek look of an I/O

Gonna add "I wouldn't stir my Margarita with an OB to my signature.

 

[J Hartman]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

I spent a good while looking at this thread looking over your restore, I want to say it's an excellent restoration! I hope to get my project under way this winter, maybe I'll get a thread like this of my own! I noticed all the help from everyone here at Iboats.com and It makes me feel great to be part of this wonderful community!

 

[North Beach]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

Bob, I hear you loud and clear!

And it looks like the 3.0 is gonna work just fine with this outdrive. Everything is shifting and behaving like it should.

OK, so we had an appointment at the boat repair shop this morning at 9 am. We loaded up all our tools since we had planned on performing all the hetch and fetch for the mechanic to speed things along.

The SOB called in sick today!!! So the old dude that owns the place loaned me another helper who knew where everything was to fetch for my nephew and I and we rolled up our sleeves.

At this point I?m starting to know how those pit crew guys feel at the end of the day after a race!

We backed the boat into the shop and I called the admiral to have her bring another fan and my kneepads since my knees are basically raw from installing the motor and kneeling on that danged vinyl all day two days ago. I do all my summer mechanicing, grinding, and welding in shorts

We unhooked all the wiring stuff and had the motor out by noon. Then we pulled the flywheel cover, starter, engine coupling, flywheel, and oil pan off. The next step was to remove the rear seal retainer and the rear seal.

Looks like the rusty water draining down from that pushed out freeze plug caused the crank to surface rust in the area adjacent to the seal and roughed up the seal a little. Everything else in the lower end looked good!

Here's a shot of Elzie, the boat shop dude, installing the seal.

So, we installed the new two piece seal, a new pan gasket, and put everything back together.

We also had a small problem with the newer model engine coupler bolts rubbing on the back side of the older model flywheel cover/rear motor mount setup. A few minutes on the inside of the cover with a grinder and flapper wheel took care of this.

Then I gave the help a five minute break to smoke a cig, and it was back to work!

We had the motor back in and ready to tune by 5 PM. Not bad! The boat shop dude climbed in and we hit the throttle a couple of times and she fired right up. A little tweeking to the distributor and the carb and I?m now ready for a test run Thursday at the lake.

Here's a shot of the motor going back in!

THREE DAYS TILL THE TWO WEEK LAKE VACATION............

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

A freaking mazing NB...Just speechless..Good job and turning that around!