1987 Power Play XLT-185 - floors, stringers, and upholstery

[Reserector_]

Good idea taping that joint.

 

[todhunter]

Tonight I got down 1 layer of CSM with waxed resin down over the kick panel, wrapping over the top edge. I think this is the last glass I've got to lay before the cap goes back on!

I'm planning to spend the next week or so pulling the engine on my truck and repairing or replacing it. I've gotta have it running so I can pull the boat around to where the cap is currently stored.

 

[buxmj]

Looking great Tod! Good luck with your truck, hope it goes well with no bloody knuckles and not too many choice words!

 

[todhunter]

Well, I was hoping to carpet the bow this weekend, but I unpackaged my 20' x 8' roll of carpet to find out it was only 4' x 8'. Hoping the vendor can get me sorted out early next week.

 

[chevymaher]

Wow that was a set back.

 

[todhunter]

Looking great Tod! Good luck with your truck, hope it goes well with no bloody knuckles and not too many choice words!

Well, unfortunately it's been lots of choice words, and a few scraped knuckles, but I got the engine out of the truck. New engine should be here in a week. Hoping to wrap up the truck and be fully back on boat building by the first weekend in April.

 

[buxmj]

My dad was an industrial arts teacher and I got more of the woodworking knowledge, the mechanical stuff has always frustrated me a lot. Changing out an engine would frustrate the hell out of me. Hope the install goes well!

 

[todhunter]

I'm making some progress on the Suburban, but still waiting on the new engine to show up...hopefully later this week. My tiny workspace is in disarray with car parts everywhere, so no boat progress to report. I did get in touch with the carpet vendor and they are going to send me the 20' I ordered and let me keep the 4' they sent.

 

[todhunter]

I'm starting to think about drilling the holes for my tansom assembly.

It's a Mercruiser Alpha One, Gen 1, if that matters. What diameter are the holes supposed to be drilled to? I could pull the transom plate out of storage and measure the stud diameter, but I'm not sure if the holes are supposed to be a tight fit on the stud or if there's some wiggle room - I'm honestly hoping for the latter, since I'm planning to make my own one-hole jig and move that jig for each hole.

 

[chevymaher]

I made a jig when I did mine. I just measured the size the hole was in the glass on the hull.

 

[todhunter]

I made a jig when I did mine. I just measured the size the hole was in the glass on the hull.

Not sure that will work on mine. My holes filled in with resin / squeeze out. What size drill did you use, and is yours a Mercruiser?

 

[chevymaher]

It is a mercruiser. And i do not remember what size it was.

 

[tpenfield]

@todhunter - I think we should put you in charge of schooling newbies on wetting out fiberglass cloth.

 

[todhunter]

@todhunter - I think we should put you in charge of schooling newbies on wetting out fiberglass cloth.

Haha, I appreciate the kind words. I still get bubbles sometimes.

 

[todhunter]

Well, looks like I'll be rebuilding my tow rig's engine instead of putting in a new long block. After a week with no updates, I got in touch with the vendor and they now tell me it's going to be 30-60 days when it was originally advertised as 1 week. Unacceptable, so I think I'm going to ask for my money back. At least I'm getting my education on SBC 350's, right?

I can't wait to get back to boat progress...

 

[Reserector_]

Matt, do an online search (images?) for merc installation drawings. That stuff is out there. I used some to figure out my front engine mount. I feel certain they would have a dimensional drawing for the opening.

 

[todhunter]

I'll look. Thanks for the suggestion, Mark.

 

[todhunter]

Hoping to wrap up the tow rig's engine in the next week or so and then get back on the boat. I started tinkering with the gimbal housing this weekend - got the gimbal bearing pulled and got the special tools ordered that I need to continue disassembly. I'm planning on new gimbal bearing, bellows, seals, gaskets, etc. and maybe some paint touch-ups in a few spots.

 

[Reserector_]

No special bearing puller needed at this time. Just drive it out from the engine side. I think I drove my new one in with a slide hammer rig. Or was it a long bolt used to PULL it in? Meh. The point is that you don't exactly need special tools if the housing is off the boat.

 

[todhunter]

No special bearing puller needed at this time. Just drive it out from the engine side. I think I drove my new one in with a slide hammer rig. Or was it a long bolt used to PULL it in? Meh. The point is that you don't exactly need special tools if the housing is off the boat.

Yeah, I had already bought the puller tools months ago, so I used them, haha. The special tools I ordered this week are the 12-pt driver to remove the bell housing from the gimbal ring and a deeeeeeeep 9/16" socket to remove the lower shift cable from the bell housing.