Engine Pics

[Jamesbon]

Okay Fellas, nevermind the "crack house" looking engine room paint, but here they are. When I do a full restore the engine bay will be included.

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1229726&a=9073806&p=32082571&Sequence=1

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1229726&a=9073806&p=32082572&Sequence=0

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1229726&a=9073806&p=32082573&Sequence=0

[GeneD]

I think this engine compartment needs the GeneD gelcoat/splatter job!
Put me up for a week, and let's bang it out!
Maybe, the week before the big race?

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GeneD
007
Melbourne, Florida

[CDMA]

The stringers that go up the inside of the hull re interesting. My 18 does not have them and I seriuosly thoight of adding them. I guess it is used ont he GT because of the incresed freeboard. Huge engine bay. 3 feet makes a tremendous difference. Hey Nate I think a blown BB desereves to be there. Also how do you find your steering. I have essentially the same set up and I find it horribly sloppy. Not really when running but upon reentry. It is so bad
I am thinking of external steering over the winter. I don't mind the extra torque on the wheel but not knowing which way the boat is going to go upon landing has freaked me out a few times. The bay looks bad with the paint but it looks solid. Are the stringers strong? I used bildge coat grey form interlux on mine...looks great. Stuck like epoxy and was really easy to use. I was worried because there were so many different types of materials I was painting over ( new epoxy, olg glass, old original gelcoat) but so far it had been on there and not flaked at all...very impressed.

Chris

[Jamesbon]

I'm down with that, but how do I remove the crusty peely stuff in preparation? While it's peeling in a lot of places, it's also bonded fairly well in others. It's not gelcoat or...?? ......when I use Castrol's Super Clean, it reacts with the engine bay paint and makes it slimy.

[CDMA]

Nate,

I hade the exact same issue. Peeling paint. I got 90% of it off just by sanding. It really was great cause it leaft a really good surface for the new paint. If I had it to do over I would try some sort of blasting. There are some really cool new blasting abrasives on the market from Walnut shells, to corn, to good old fashioned sand. That would give a better result with less effort I think. You would of course have to remove the engine and spend a few hours or days later witha shop vac and a hose but I think it would be the way to go.

Chris

[Jamesbon]

Chris,
When the $$ find their way into my pocket, a BB and Arneson will find their way into my Donzi. Hoping to do an Arneson first though in conjunction with the existing engine, but it'll be a while.

My steering is okay at best. I find myself tightening, lubing, and tweaking it yearly. The torque on the steerting wheel is pretty bad with the new prop, HOWEVER, I was adjusting the torque fin the wrong way on my trial run. So I'll let you know what I find this weekend. That little fin can make quite a difference when adjusted properly.

External steering and a lower SPD E drive would be a pretty hot set up.

The stringers used to pull towards each other with the weight of the engine, so I fabricated a one piece motor mount that fits between both stringers and spreads them to their original location. This did wonders for the aging stringers. I'd eventually like to add the solid aluminum plate mounts that fasten to the front of the engine, but I think I'd also have to get a new bell housing that's designed to support the rear of the engine.

Was the Interlux a two part coating?

[GeneD]

Grinder.
Hey man, I have the same thing too!
I made the mistake of painting the underside of the deck with the bilge grey epoxy paint, then painting the inside of the hull with the same thing I painted the topside of the deck with. It is just not holding up with the engine oil and stuff.
Gelcoating a bilge is easy once the prep is done. And I just love the splatter job. It looks so clean and professional. I just did one recently on my buds Mako, white with blue splatter. Looks great!

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GeneD
007
Melbourne, Florida

[Scott Pearson]

I used Zolatone 20 series in my motor compartment and under hatch and deck. Its made for Automotive, Industrial and Marine. Its a polychromatic coating with a flat background color under accenting fleck colors. This coating system provides an unusual decorative and camouflaging effect. Its durable, Flexable and simple to maintain and repair when needed.

It comes ready to spray and you do need a 2.0 or larger tip to get it out a gun.

The 20 series can go over Ferrous metels, Aluminum, Plastics, Fiberglass, Wood, Ceramic and Glass. Its easy as hell to apply.

Good luck!

(NJ)Scott

[GEOO]

Nate, I like the Cooling system. Who's heat exchanger? You gotta love the sound of those Stainless Marine Pipes!!! I have a front engine cradle and rear bellhousing engine mounts on mine too. I rolled gelcoat in my bilge, easy to do and very durable. GEOO

[GeneD]

Rolled gelcoat, that's the way I do it too!
But you gotta add the finishing touch of the splatter job!

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GeneD
007
Melbourne, Florida

[Ralph Savarese]

Gene D how do you think rolled jell coat would work on the hull bottom?

[BigGrizzly]

Good job I especially like the full cooling system this keeps the salt out of the hedder and sends it out the collector pipes only way to go!!

Chris you don't want to add the ribs. when I was younger Mike Fenamore did this to his barrel back like GeneD's , it actually cracked the deck and put spider cracks up the sides -- no flex.
Randy

[This message has been edited by BigGrizzly (edited 11-01-2000).]

[GEOO]

Nate, What type of thermostat do you run? Does your thermostat housing have a by-pass when the thermostat is closed? I didn't have any coolate circulate in my system when the thermostae was closed and it caused problems. GEOO

[Tito]

Good Job! Now how about pictures of the rest of the boat?

[GeneD]

Mike Fenamore...now why does that name sound familiar?
Ralph, no way. Don't you want a nice smooth surface on your hull bottom? I've 'heard' that the ripples might catch air and reduce wetted surface, but...
Naw, it's not for you big fella.

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GeneD
007
Melbourne, Florida

[Jamesbon]

GEOO,
I think it's a Mercruiser, well at least it was painted factory black when I found her at my favorite marine salvage yard. I have a few plastic tee's plumbed in the mix of hoses that I'd like to get out for fear of them breaking. It'd be nice to find flexible hose with an assortment of different diameters on the ends.

Yes, the Stainless pipes are pretty d*mn load. I'd have it no other way!

What bolt holes on the block does your front engine mount use?

There's not really a coolant by-pass, well sort of. I drilled two 1/8 inch holes in the 160 degree thermostat to permit a small amount of coolant flow during warm up. She warms up fast though. What problems did you experience with no by pass? I capped off the bypass ports in my thermostst housing with a 1/2 inch piece of aluminum. I've also noticed she runs hotter when on the hose as compared to being in the water. The temp. stays constant no matter how hard or soft I run her. (well, within a few deg. 170-185)

BigG,
Thank you very much! I'm hitting the old post office today. Yeah, salwater only see's the raw water pump, heat exchanger, then out to the stainless risers. It's bulletproof. I'm guessing the coolant tank will go before anything else.

Tito,
There's a few under the post "maiden voyage," and more under my Registry entry, "GTX2100021."

Thank you all so much. Weather you know it or not, you guys helped me tremendously on this last endeavor!!

[RickR]

Lookin GOOD!!!!!
What are you using for the intake spacer?
What kind of intake?

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RICKR
mailto:riggerb@aol.comriggerb@aol.com</A>

[GEOO]

Nate, Glad to hear you drilled holes in the thermostat. I didn't and the back of the block would overheat from lack of circulation or air pockets during warm up. GEOO

[Jamesbon]

RickR,
It's an Edelbrock Victor Jr. Vortec. The Vortec version is designed for GM's new style heads. Hence the GM Fast Burn heads I'm using. The space is just an aluminum 2" carb. spacer.

It's basically all set up to produce peak power above 4K RPM, which is what I'm after. I'm surprised, even with the higher pitch prop, and all this top end stuff, she still plains easier than ever before, even with 50 gallons fuel and 3 people aboard.

I think the small oil leak's coming from my failure to use a gasket between the fuel pump push rod plate and block. Off to the auto parts jount for lunch. I plan to take her out Saturday for more break in time.

Anyone know where a 15 X 25 nibral left hand prop for a Volvo is?