Building a '93 Caravelle 1750 Classic Bowrider

[chevymaher]

This year is strange for the heat. My boat been sitting for the same reason. It is even hot as H@ll when it is raining.

 

[froggy1150]

Monsoon season here. High humidity with thunderstorms. But it's been cool at least.... 104 was the high today

 

[chevymaher]

Since I spoke it is no rain high water and reasonable temps. I hear the water calling today.

 

[tpenfield]

Cape Cod (and the northeast) has been hot for a few weeks . . .
Humidity has been terrible as well. I'd hate to be fiberglassing in this type of weather . . . all kinds of challenges to compensate for.

Great for foaming the hulls though . . .

 

[Reserector_]

Great for foaming the hulls though . . .

Hahahahaha!

 

[Baylinerchuck]

Man, 90’s is perfect for boating in my humble opinion. Just got back from the lake breaking in my buddies new Axis wake surf boat….man that thing is fun!!

 

[todhunter]

Great for foaming the hulls though . . .

I was thinking about that the other day while in the garage. I foamed my hull in the winter and had to burn kerosene and use my heat pump to get my garage up to 89F so I could pour foam. Now it easily gets up over that on it's own.

 

[buxmj]

Yeah I foamed my boat here in Central Florida in mid Dec and had to buy a space heater and also got my infra red paintstripper going, finally got the garage up to temp at 3am. Ironically and painfully I grinded in an enclosed tent in July so yes I have been 6 months out of schedule since the beginning!

 

[Reserector_]

Getting ready to Attack the Crack. I still plan to use the Lock-N-Stitch method to fix the crack in my engine block.
This year I am putting the boat AHEAD of fixing the lawn tractor. Not going to miss another boating season. Last summer was so hot that I just gave up trying to work on the boat.

Yesterday's weather was great, so I vacuumed out the leaves and pumped out the year-old gas.



Hopefully next weekend I will get the manifold off and drill a few holes to check the block thickness at the crack so I can order my "kit".

I ordered another cheap marine stereo as well. The one I installed initially failed after only a few uses. they fixed it under warranty, but the time it took and the shipping cost was not worth it.
The repaired unit never even saw the lake. I think the hard freeze we had killed a solder joint or something. I really with the Chinese would incorporate lead in their solder so their products will last. I lost a chinese stereo in my truck this winter as well.

 

[tpenfield]

What is the cat's job in all of this?

 

[Reserector_]

What is the cat's job in all of this?

Trip Hazard and Chief Mood Improver.
It's Tuffer's boat. I just maintain it.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Trip Hazard and Chief Mood Improver.
It's Tuffer's boat. I just maintain it.

He looks remarkably unphased by the vacuum. Ours would take off at the sight of the vacuum cleaner.

 

[Reserector_]

She trusts me not to hurt her, it seems. She only leaves my side if I start an engine, or if someone else walks up.



...and the attitude. LOL

 

[todhunter]

Tuffer is not amused!!!

 

[Reserector_]

Well, progress is progress. I managed to replace my failed chinese stereo for the second time so I can listen to music while I work. I went with a different brand of junk this time. Maybe I will have better luck.

With that out of the way, I tore down the engine to access the patched area near the top of the block. I need to chip and grind this patch off so that I can drill some small holes and determine the casting thickness.
You can see places where water leaked up and over the top of the patch.


I was losing good daylight and Mrs. Reserector wanted to go on a Valentines date, so that's it until next weekend.

 

[Reserector_]

I got the JB Weld off of the crack and mapped it out. At least well enough to drill a couple of small holes to determine casting thickness. That helps the people at Lock-n-Stitch to determine which pins to put in your kit.

I sent them an email with this photo and the thickness info and requested a quote. I hope they are merciful on me.

 

[Baylinerchuck]

It’ll be interesting to watch how this is repaired.

 

[Reserector_]

I got my materials ordered to fix my 7 1/2" long crack. $355.74 for everything including tax and shipping. That includes pins, drill bits, tap, spot facing tool, cutting fluid and special thread sealant.
They are also sending a thumb drive with all their videos along with written instructions.

 

[Scott06]

I got my materials ordered to fix my 7 1/2" long crack. $355.74 for everything including tax and shipping. That includes pins, drill bits, tap, spot facing tool, cutting fluid and special thread sealant.
They are also sending a thumb drive with all their videos along with written instructions.

There’s two cracks there right ? On below head and one above pan rail ?

Had good luck with this method on mill casting at one of my old jobs years ago was a permanent repair

 

[Reserector_]

There’s two cracks there right ? On below head and one above pan rail ?

Had good luck with this method on mill casting at one of my old jobs years ago was a permanent repair

Yes, there are two cracks. I repaired the lower one by brazing while I had the engine torn down. You have to put a ton of heat into a block to do that.
Unfortunately, I failed to see the upper crack. Now that the engine is back together and in the boat, Lock-n-Stitch makes more sense. No removal or tear-down.
Also, that close to the deck of the block, it would likely warp and require decking to true the sealing surface.
$355 smackers is cheap when you consider all of that.
I have very good access to the repair area. I can sit there with my cat, with one foot in the bilge and go to town on that dude.