1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

[T748]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

I'm in. This looks like a great project. With Dilbert there to keep things on track, you should be back in the water in no time!-Tom.

 

[archbuilder]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

thanks, all is normal here, wind, flooding, baseball size hail, tornadoes......as funny as it sounds we were joking today about how you get used to it. Looking forward to your updates.

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Hey Tom...Dil is a chub, and his main concerns are that I get back in safely, for feeding time .

Im over ruling him on the Gantry thing, I stopped by Harbor Freight and picked up 4 air filled casters, and a hoist. I just need some wood and brackets, and with about an hour of labor, I should have a trojan horse gantry, hehe. I figure im gonna need it to put the new motors in, remove the gas tank, and maybe lift the floor sections and set them on the hook. Hell, I might even be able to use it to remove the railing if i brace it, then just lift and roll it forward.

Hopefully i can get the 4 bangers out this week.....

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Ok, so I settled on a rolling gantry design, I just have to determine lumber size. It needs to be at least 12' tall, and 12' wide, to clear the beam and transom. The pneumatic tires should roll on the grass OK i figure.





Im gonna extend the wheel horizontals to 6', to be safe...

 

[Nickypoo]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Cool! Good idea on extending the wheel bases. This would be plenty stable enough statically but maybe not if you're rolling it across grass.

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Cool! Good idea on extending the wheel bases. This would be plenty stable enough statically but maybe not if you're rolling it across grass.

I know, having all that weight up top from the engine and 4x6x12 freaks me out a bit. Its gonna be heavy enough before the engine weight is added, im not sure i can even pull it by hand. I may have to tow it back with the truck.

I may even go with 4x6x8 for the bases, set on edge, but keep the wheels at 6' for the clear span. Then I could attach a brace board, from base to base, the width of the top board behind the blocks, to keep everything true and square as I pull it.

I just have to remove the 12 clamping ring bolts, and the motormounts, and they're free to come out.

Now if it would just stop raining, i could git er done.

 

[Nickypoo]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Yep, I was going to suggest that too. Brace the bottom pieces so they don't twist out of there.

Here's hoping the weather clears.

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Update:

Well, I got about a 1/2 day Sunday to work on things....Got the bulk of the gantry built. I had to enhance the original design with gusseted A frame braces, due to flexing of the long 4x4 uprights. The wood from HD was wet, banded, and HEAVY....its starting to dry a bit now.

I laid it out and secured in square on the ground, then up onto extended saw horses, to assemple it. Everything is being screwed, some glued, lag bolted or thru bolted.

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

These base brackets worked out well, with some pounding with a rubber hammer to get the swollen wood in.



The Harbor Freight wheels worked out real well, they even have small zirk fittings to grease.

 

[NoSkillz]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Those Volvos need turbos!:flame:

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

These little screamers do make a nice street sleeper...

If it werent for the manifold prices, id probably rebuild them. They only have 600 hrs.

 

[NoSkillz]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Intake or exhaust? Really a shame they got wasted.

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

exhaust...they dont make it anymore, and the stainless aftermarket is $2200-2800 each...I would need 2, plus the rebuild parts pricey.

Im getting 2 new gm 5.7 complete engines with1/2 cooling system for $4995 each...run tested and warranteed

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Today I said screw it and worked in the rain...I laid out the A frame boards Sunday to scribe them.



After attaching them, I added gussets to the bottom triangle.



Then I added the upper gussets and mid bracing.

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

A few more braces, lag bolts, and trimming of boards, and shes done.....

I had to run a rope to a pully in a barn loft to hoist the hoist upright..Its a monster, sitting 14' tall overall, but it wheels around easily and is very sturdy...




Almost ready to storm the castle

 

[NoSkillz]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Very nice! The rumble of twin v8s is tough to pass up!

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Update:

Went to work on the clamping ring bolts, all six on the starboard side came out without a hitch as usual. four of the six came right out on the port side. The 12 oclock and 6 oclock bolts wouldnt budge. I didnt want to break them, so I hit them with CRC freeze off, and let them soak for the night. Ill get them to spin tomorrow im sure.

All thats left is the 4 motor mounts, which I dont expect to be a problem. The motors are in the way now, because I have to remove the firewall bulkhead to allow the tank to slide back after I empty it.


this is an old pic and most of the stuff around it is removed already.

Not sure how much fuel was left in it, but gas was cheap back then, so it could be a bunch of terp to deal with...

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Update:

So both red blocks are out, ended up only breaking one of the 12 clamp collar bolts. Also removed the power assisted steering ram and shift cables. The hoist worked out fine, but for a precaution, used a guide rop attached to the barn for "insurance":

Now the steering helmets can swivel to remove the drive hinge pins.

Will post pics when this batch of rain passes.

Time to make some templates and order the resin and stuff. So far the transom still looks great, no softness around the bottom of the keyholes at all, even the rear portion of the stringers are solid. The rot seems to be only around the firewall bulkhead. Im gonna change the stringers anyway, from the aft cabin bulkhead back.

 

[archbuilder]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Wow that looks like a Roman siege engine or something! Glad to hear it worked, looking forward to the updates!

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Update:

Got a chance today to remove some more systems. Got the 2 fuel/water filters and hoses out. Removed the bilge pump and sending unit wiring harness that was snaked under the motor mount blocking out. All thats left of the fuel syste, is the filler hose, and tank.

Once I remove the filler hose, I plan to hand pump the old gas thru the filler neck, to whatever containers I have placed in the bilge.

All the fuel hoses will be replaced with new.

Still need to upload pics later.