Poor Man's Skiboat...Restore?

[thrillhouse700]

Re: Poor Man's Skiboat...Restore?

Cool, I hope everything turns out well. BTW, I like the ice cube tray idea!!

 

[chrishayes]

Re: Poor Man's Skiboat...Restore?

damn, I wish my merc O/B had a head. No matter how long I stare at my inline 6 2 stroke I still cannot wrap my head around how the heck it works

 

[thrillhouse700]

Re: Poor Man's Skiboat...Restore?

Here you go chris, http://science.howstuffworks.com/two-stroke2.htm

2 strokes are fairly easy once you get the idea of how they work, this animation shows it pretty well.

 

[chrishayes]

Re: Poor Man's Skiboat...Restore?

Here you go chris, http://science.howstuffworks.com/two-stroke2.htm

2 strokes are fairly easy once you get the idea of how they work, this animation shows it pretty well.

Thanks bud, that was very nice of you! I am aware of the firing of a 2 stroke, it is just the parts that are unfamiliar...I have been all up inside and around a 4 stroke straight 6 on my jeep but my o/b is just sooooo much different. I mean checking valve leaks is simple and straight forward but how do you check a reed valve? It just doesnt make sense to me. Ill get it someday...

 

[system-f]

Re: Poor Man's Skiboat...Restore?

I put the boat back together last night and cranked her up. While I was waiting for the engine to warm up so the valves could be adjusted she died. My heart sank. I pumped the accelerator while someone looked down the carb throat and nothing. Gas gauge said 1/4 of a tank. We put some gas down the throat and she started right up and died. Put 2 gallons in the tank and got her primed and she runs fine. so:

1. I was out of gas and the tank is smaller than I thought
2. The tank feed tube is damaged


I am glad this happened on shore.

Engine runs great...hitting on all 6 at idle. I still haven't run a compression check. I am convinced a partial rebuild of the top end with at least new exhaust valves will be nice, but not needed this winter. I really want to finish out the season and this job only cost me $35 in parts. Oh, and the valve seats all checked out great.

 

[notsunkyet]

Re: Poor Man's Skiboat...Restore?

Hey there System-F where in Fort worth are ya? i live in NFW by Eagle mtn lake.....

 

[system-f]

Re: Poor Man's Skiboat...Restore?

Down north of Benbrook, but we hit Eagle Mountain ever Saturday and Sunday at the party cove. If you know of anybody that has a cheap 19 pitch 3 blade aluminum prop for a merc for sale let me know, better yet a 4 blade.


I put in 2 gallons and it took a little it took a little bit of running to get gas back to the carb, but she ran steady after fuel was flowing. Ran steady on 1 2 3 5 and 6. I pulled #4 plug and the gap had been closed, regapped it and she runs on all 6 now. Kind of sounds like a WWII Duece and a half out of the water. I'm not sure if I have said it or not, but I am sold on this straight 6 save the manifold weight.

 

[notsunkyet]

Re: Poor Man's Skiboat...Restore?

no no prop here heck i havent even gotten on the water and ive been a boat owner for 2 months now!!!!!!!!oh well im detrmined to get there!!!! ok so is teh the ford straight six or chevy? i see ya absolutly love the cast intake and exhaust lol... save up some cash and hit the PATE swap meet in april and find ya some headers and maybe an offenhauser aluminum intake.....

 

[system-f]

Re: Poor Man's Skiboat...Restore?

I didn't know Pate was still going on since they sold the area and are putting up houses

This is the Chevy straight 6, 250 to be exact. I don't think Merc or OMC used the Ford 6, but they used at least 3 Chevy 6s.

I don't want to do anything performance wise to the boat except MAYBE a 4bbl 400cfm Holley Marine carb since my Manifold is already 4bbl capable.

To my knowledge I cannot run a non marine manifold head since the exhaust has to have a water jacket. You don't want anything super hot in an enclosed area. Besides, the engine has more than enough power as it is.

I did see a guy with a twin turbo charged small block and wondered how they delt with the hot exhaust manifold into the turbo. After the turbo it can be water cooled, but what about an 800 degree piece of metal in an enclosed space?!?! Well they way they did it was the engine was completely out in the open! It still made me nervous, but at least he was turning a prop instead of throwing gas money out the back with a jet pump.

Regardless, stock = dependable and easy on gas.

 

[notsunkyet]

Re: Poor Man's Skiboat...Restore?

yea pate is at TMS now its still the last weekend in April and man its bigger than it was out at the farm!!!!!!!

 

[system-f]

Re: Poor Man's Skiboat...Restore?

Paint help:

This winter I really want to start making this boat lookng good and that is going to require a paint job. I have read most of the major restores on this board and I am not sure how to paint this thing. I have done plenty of fiberglass work, sanding, filling, etc but I am not sure if I should gelcoat it and what is involved. The gelcoat on the boat is cracked big time and will have to be sanded down. I would prefer gelcoat to paint for durablity, but what can I expect to do at home? I have air, but no paint gun...yet.

 

[system-f]

Re: Poor Man's Skiboat...Restore?

I am taking this weekend off to fix the trailer. Plans are to narrow it by 8", raise and replace the bunks, add two front bunks, prime and paint, and increase the tongue weight. Tonight I built some blocks and have the boat lifted off the trailer.

I was amazed at how little the boat would rock back and forth with only the front and rear support.

Aren't those bunks tip-top!

 

[system-f]

Re: Poor Man's Skiboat...Restore?

I hadn't lowered the tongue yet.

I am convinced this trailer is causing damage to my boat if only cosmetic.

I just need to build some ridged side supports for the boat and then I will cut the trailer out from under the boat.

 

[system-f]

Re: Poor Man's Skiboat...Restore?

Tonight I removed the trailer axle and unbolted the the spring hangers and fenders.

Trailer axle and springs removed. I have to cut and narrow the axle 8"s since the trailer is going to made 8" narrower.

I think this trailer was a universal fit adjustable trailer since everything unblots or adjusts. This is cool since the fender/spring hanger assembly is adjustable but sucks because adjustable bunks are not rigid enough.

The plan is to cut the trailer right at the bend in the C channel and take the tongue section off. Then cut 4" out of each portion of the tube braces on each side. Take it all to the back yard and weld it together. Then raise the bunks 2" and put some solid mounts in. Finally add two more front bunks and a front catch. Grind, prime and paint.

 

[notsunkyet]

Re: Poor Man's Skiboat...Restore?

hey system did you score the platform off of craigslist? for 50 bucks?

 

[system-f]

Re: Poor Man's Skiboat...Restore?

Yup, came off a Bayliner. It has actually been one of the most used mods on the boat. The dog has even learned how to get on the outdrive and transfer to the swim platform.

 

[system-f]

Re: Poor Man's Skiboat...Restore?

I finished my checklist for today.

1. Remove the bunks

Then take measurements for the two primary inner bunks, the other 4 bunks will be installed when the boat is on the trailer.

I am going to add two front bunks that go from the first support in this picture to the second one and rest on the second chine from the keel. I want to be able to coast this boat on the trailer without fear of hitting anything metal.

Here is the tongue assembly. Since the trailer is going to be 8"s narrower this is going to be fun to bend in.

Here I am cutting out the cross members and remove the side channel.

 

[system-f]

Re: Poor Man's Skiboat...Restore?

Here is the main part of the trailer in pieces. The camera angle is from the rear. I will take 4" off each end of these cross members since all of my measurements are from the inside roller support to the outside and I also wanted to maintain the angle of the cross members.

I hope to have this done by the end of the weekend, but that is optimistic. All of this will be welded with a stick welder that is older than me since the super nice MIG I was borrowing has returned to its owner. I hope to have most of the frame welded together tomorrow and the bunk supports fabricated.

 

[system-f]

Re: Poor Man's Skiboat...Restore?

The trailer is back on its tires and all the is left before it is operational is to install the bunks. This winter when the boat is off the trailer I am going to sand blast it and spray it. The trailer is now 6' 10" wide instead of 8' wide so it can fit in the backyard. The beam of the boat at the bottom of the hull is 65".

The trailer in the background is my first full from scratch trailer build. I have built another, but it started out as a boat trailer.

 

[system-f]

Re: Poor Man's Skiboat...Restore?

I started to install the two main rear bunks but the PO had them setup on the second set of chines from the keel rather than right around the keel. So I installed two 8' bunks about 6" higher than the last set with a 16" spread. I primed the trailer with Rustoleum spray over rust primer and it looked great. I liked the color so much I need to find an enamel in this color. Towards the end of the paint spray my compressor ate it so I had to use the truck compressor. Pulling the boat back on was scary, but also much easier than I thought.