72 Thunderbird Formula w/twin 165hp Mercs

[Mark72233]

Thanks for the encouragements Corjen & Wood, I do appreciate it but I am still drinking a beer as soon as I get home from work :very_drunk:. Wood did you ever get that package?

 

[archbuilder]

Hang in there Mark, your getting there! Sounds like you have quite a inline 6 collection!

 

[sphelps]

Yep you'll get it ! All of us hit the restoration wall at some point .. Or maybe the bottle .. :joyous:
Your probably getting more done than ya think !

 

[kcassells]

Mark,
Fixin up a boat with a beer just kinda seems natural. Goes hand in hand.:fish2:
Keep up the Great Work!

 

[WOEISMEIGOTTA470]

...By the time I am done with this boat I will be an alcoholic.

A-MEN to that!!! Haha! Progress is progress, and projects like these always take longer than hoped...looking good though Mark! You now have got me thinking about filling in my i/o transom bolt holes...but that's more work :facepalm:. I should've done that earlier, maybe I'll at least just do the lowest bolt holes because those aluminum/zinc anode bolts have the highest risk of leaking in water.

 

[Mark72233]

Finally got both transom and gimbal plates installed. I still need to install the gimbal bearing on the starboard side and the seal on the port gimbal ring so I can finish installing that. Here are some Than and Now pics.

 

[Guest]

Hello Mark:

I'm a fellow traveler who read your entire post on this boat about 2 days ago.

Then it just stopped, and I wondered if the boat was ever finished. Great Job! those 165's will sip fuel too.

Godspeed!

 

[Mark72233]

Welcome aboard CaptErich, no I work on this thing about every day a little here and there. I am hoping for a splash day around January 2016 and then spend the rest of the cold months tweaking her so I will be ready for Spring. The 165's do sip fuel. This boat was my dads since about the late 80's and it had 165's than as well. I remember putting 20 gallons in the tank and running 20 miles out to go diving and still having fuel at the end of the day. Cant beat it for trolling out in the Gulf of Mexico for Kings either. We just shut down an engine an alternate between them every hour or so at trolling speed I think I could go to Cuba and back.

 

[kcassells]

I'm still looking for those "shovel nose Lobsters" you said you would send me?

 

[Mark72233]

Once I get this thing back in the water, get some new dive gear and some good bottom spots you can come down here and I will take you out and you can get your own. Yes that's a lot of ifs and when

 

[Woodonglass]

I think I could go to Cuba and back.

Ifn' you do brunged me back some SEEEEEEGARS!!!!

 

[mr300z87]

Nice work. I was driving to work the other day (hr each way :crazy wondering how those 6 bangers were coming along as you have not posted in a while. Glad to see some progress.

One note regarding your post up there with the truck 250s I thought I read some place that there is an extra boss cast in the front of the Marine block for the engine mount was not on some of the Truck blocks. You might want to do some comparing before you get to deep into a rebuild also post or search in the Merc forum on this. Being a Mopar kind of guy these Chevy motors are foreign to me so I am no expert. BTW I always did like the inline 6 cylinder design and am looking forward hearing them run.

 

[Mark72233]

mr300z87, thanks for checking in and yes I read somewhere that there are differences but I think it is between the car inline 6 versus the truck inline 6. Differences like I think the car has timing gears with a chain and the truck like the marine application are just gears. I think the cams are different also with the duration and lift. Comparing the blocks I have they are all the same. Looking at blocks being sold as complete engines I see where it has the option of one with or without the ear sticking up on the right front where I bolt my power steering unit onto the block. I will keep researching just to be sure especially before I spend $335 on a rebuild kit and I have to get the cylinders bored out .030 over standard.

 

[Guest]

Those 165 MerCruisers are one of the best sterndrives ever. With all the time and toil you have put into your Dad's boat, I'm sure you'll freshwater cool them (weren't they already?) My Dad was looking into a 26 Stamas with twin 165's but the engines needed majoring and the sterndrive units needed to be replaced. The owner was asking way too much money for what had to be done, so we passed.

That was before I got all stupid on Hiliner 222's (my dreamboats as a kid). I have a stern drive (Gypsy) "cabin" model (See below) that I restored and repowered, then I became a real glutton for punishment and bought the same model in the center console. (Adventurer) that I was a sterndrive model but converted OB for fishing. That boat needed the full treatment much like your Formula, so I really understand the toil involved, but like a salmon swimming up stream, people like us just have this urge to push on.

I sure wish I had joined this page sooner, I sure would have liked Okie's guidance when I was doing it.

Can't wait to see that Formula in the water

 

[Mark72233]

Thanks again CatErich, on the engine I am not going to have a closed cooling system. 2 main reason are initial cost is pretty high and the advise I got was if your block is not new or near new don't put in that system because the rust particles that are already in the engine will plug the water passages in the system over a short period of time. I am used to flushing out the engine after every use and it will be a trailer kept boat so I am hoping to get at least 5-7 years out of the manifold and elbows before I have to replace them. The blocks should last 25+ years with proper care, the ones that were in the boat lasted over 30. As far as the help from the folks here on iboats you can't beat it and I will have to agree that that Woodonglass fellow is a really big help and this project wouldn't be as far along or as enjoyable as it's been without his guidance and support.

 

[archbuilder]

Hey Mark, nice before and after pictures! That is a lot of boat, but just keep plugging away at it!

 

[Mark72233]

Thanks Arch, I get envious when I look at these smaller boats and wish my first restoration would have been a 16 footer and not a 4500lb 23 foot with twin engines. But then I look at some of the other bigger boats like GWPSR and knottyBouyz 28 footer and I realize it can be worse

 

[archbuilder]

Mark, remember its all self inflicted, or addicted,,,,,one of the two! I was thinking tonight,,,,,might as well paint the trailer......like i have a shortage of other things to do / pay for lol! But in the long run it pays off, I think you will be very happy with the work and decisions you have made for a long time. Its too much work to cut corners, I always remind myself that I want to do this, once, not twice! You have done an excellent job, I'm sure your Dad would be proud of it!

 

[Corjen1]

The before/afters look fantastic!!!

 

[Mark72233]

Well the pic doesn't really show much but I was busy this weekend. Painted both of my Gimbal housings and some other pieces and parts for the engines. Installed the second Gimbal bearing. Pulled out the 4 sets of trim cylinders and disconnected all the hydraulic lines and cleaned them all up trying the find the 2 best sets of lines. I attached the best lines to the 2 little manifolds that attach under the transom housing with the 2 lines that run through the transom and the 4 lines that are outside that connect to the trim rams. Attached the thru transom copper tubes and the exhaust, driveshaft and shift cable bellows for both engines. Attached the short 5/8" water supply line and bell housing on the starboard engine. I am still waiting on parts so I can finish up the port side. I hated dinging up the paint on the bell housing and gimbal rings but I can always touch them up later. I also straightened up the garage and all the different parts bins trying to find parts I know I have somewhere.