X Works

[onesubdrvr]

Thought I'd start my annual "gotta get this boat done for Dora thread"

This time, it's the new X-18

Poodle has been great, he's being a HUGE help, he's got the boat in Miami (if Ratman doesn't have it ;) ), and as of right now, the engine is out, and the drive is off.

What is planned - well, the stringers need to get re-done so I'm pretty sure that's the next step.

I picked up a Volvo 280 drive with tilt / trim / power steering that we're gonna put on it. It'll be nice to be able to "trim" it out. So, if anyone is interested in a 270 with power tilt, let me know.

The engine is gonna come out of the Ragazza and go into the X, should be a nice running package. The only thing I want to do to the engine is paint it (the yellow may not match real well, but it matches the new drive?!?), replace the timing chain cover, valve covers, and of course check the intake and exhaust manifolds (even though they are less than a year old). Also, am going to have to add a raw water cooling pump. If budget allows, I'll replace the cast iron GLM's with Aluminums. Also, I'll have to see if my current risers will work, if not, gotta pick those up too. At least this year I won't be hindered by the machine shop telling me just another couple of days (for 3 weeks on end).

Also going to have to re-wire it - maybe not the most fun job in the world, but not too bad at all, and it'll give me a chance to tidy things up a bit. I'll be taking a good look at all the switches and gauges, and repairing / replacing as necessary. All but the temp guages are Livorsi's, so I'll probably replace that last gauge, and maybe add some blue trim bezels.

That should take care of that end of it. The deck has been off at some time (likely a tank replacement), but, we'll have to see how that end looks next.

The deck is nice and solid, as is the floor. I'm hoping that once the back end is done, that she'll be ready to run, and I can spend some time doing the cosmetics. I'm considering replacing the carpet, and there is plenty of chrome to polish, and a rub rail I'd like to replace, etc. Some of these things may wait until I do my deck-off which won't be for a couple of years.

Here is a couple of pictures of the start product.

Cheers!!
Wayne

<2 months to go

[Cuda]

Wayne, paint the drive and t/a black before installing it.

[MOP]

My turn to step on the submariners thingies! Wayne give us a break! YELLOW hanging of the back of a pretty blue X NOT!

Sometimes I wonder if you stayed down Toooo Loooong!

MOP

[onesubdrvr]

My turn to step on the submariners thingies! Wayne give us a break! YELLOW hanging of the back of a pretty blue X NOT!
Sometimes I wonder if you stayed down Toooo Loooong!
MOP
No Michigan colors??

Silly old boat fixer guy :propeller

Of course not, it'll be white like the old 270, or maybe black,.....I relly like the constrast of the white though

Wayne - struggling for air

[onesubdrvr]

Well,

I made a little progress here today, got the new drive taken apart down to the transom assy, yolk, helmut / etc.

I'll be at my shop in Orlando next week to sand blast the small, non bearing holding parts, and will be spending some time this weekend stripping the paint off the rest of it, so that I can get it painted and ready to put on.

I was really surprised how easy the Volvo is to take apart, and I like the shaft coupling assembly, seems like there is less chance of an alignment issue.

I've got a couple of parts I KNOW I need (the raw water pick - up tube that mounts to where the drive pivots left to right), and the normal bellows stuff, and the trim hoses (while I've got the drive off, I mine as well, even though they weren't leaking, they were pretty stiff). But all the bearings looked / felt good, and well lubricated.

I used strip-x when I painted the Cobra drive to remove the old paint, with good results, I plan on trying it again on the volvo, I'll let you guys know how it turns out.

More as progress moves forward!
Wayne

[LKSD]

LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS.. jAMIE:)

[onesubdrvr]

LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS.. jAMIE:)
At this point, all progress is good progress :biggrin.:

Now if I could just find a 270E Lower!!:boggled:

Parts order coming shortly!

Thanks
Wayne

[MOP]

If you can't find an "E" maybe give some thought to raising the X, I've always wondered if any body up here has done it to a Classic. I would think it would help speed just like any other drive.
Phil

[onesubdrvr]

Well, I'm only 1/2 assed looking for an E, probably with the same results as if I concentrated all my efforts :boggled:

I'm not going to do any transom work right now, and when I do, I'll go with a new style drive, but, if I found an E, it would be "period" correct, and I could leave it alone :rolleyes:

Oh well, one step at a time Wayne, baby steps,....

Wayne

but, I did find an advertiser in South Africa that sells overhaul kits, bearings, no gears, etc. for the E lower, so maybe there is hope
http://lidingomarin.bai.nu/_/menu.asp?gruppId=49

[mrfixxall]

Well, I'm only 1/2 assed looking for an E, probably with the same results as if I concentrated all my efforts :boggled:
I'm not going to do any transom work right now, and when I do, I'll go with a new style drive, but, if I found an E, it would be "period" correct, and I could leave it alone :rolleyes:
Oh well, one step at a time Wayne, baby steps,....
Wayne
but, I did find an advertiser in South Africa that sells overhaul kits, bearings, no gears, etc. for the E lower, so maybe there is hope
http://lidingomarin.bai.nu/_/menu.asp?gruppId=49

Wayne theirs was a marina in NH that had a e drive forsale but i for got the name of the marina,i think he wanted 6500.00 for it...I think thats a bit pricy tho...

[mattyboy]

the last price i saw for one rebuilt was 7500, that's a lot of money for a drive
that's if it breaks parts will probably have to be custom made.
Wayne you are one step ahead with adding trim, a more realistic goal might be a nose cone, but remember addding and e drive or a nose cone means that you need another source for water, I have seen nose cones cut to leave the water pickups uncovered but they aren't has sliperry as a full nose cone.
good luck with the project keep posting pics

I am real interested in what mods you have to make to the transom when mounting the new transom assembly for the tilt what holes need to be drilled as such and where the trim pump mounts and the controls, I have toyed with the idea on the 16 the transom work doesn't seem overwelming but trying to get room in the bilge for additional machanics and another belt and pulley on the ford might just be a real PIA

oh and if I find a e drive that's reasonable you guys will be the first to know :p ;)

[onesubdrvr]

Matty,

Maybe Yobeslanding has some pictures before he removed the engine from the 16. I've got the transom (part of it) from the 16 that the drive came off of. When I get it mounted, I can send it to you (if you want), of course I'll post pics as work progresses. Also, I'll send pics of the trim pump assy, it's seems to me to be smaller than a Mercruiser.

I've been looking at the nose cones, and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna go with a Hydromotive, but it'll be one of the last things I do. And, I want to post real and current results when installed on a volvo. I've searched many posts, and read both positives and negatives, so I'm gonna want to do my own comparisons, and provide what I hope is helpful information to others.

Didin't get much done this weekend, had a yard sale yesterday and today, and earned lunch money for like one day :rolleyes:

Oh well, I've gotten a couple of questions on the Ragazza lately, maybe it'll sell soon.

Wayne

[Speed-Racer]

Same color as mine....and one year older. New interior re-done but non x18 style??

Wayne if you need any Volvo parts, I know a Volvo Mechanic that has any part of any year Volvo outdrive...

..And yes the drive is very easy to understand, and alignment is not as important as a Merc....is that good or bad I dunno?

[onesubdrvr]

Same color as mine....and one year older. New interior re-done but non x18 style??
Wayne if you need any Volvo parts, I know a Volvo Mechanic that has any part of any year Volvo outdrive...
..And yes the drive is very easy to understand, and alignment is not as important as a Merc....is that good or bad I dunno?
I'll trade him my 9 year old for an E-Drive lower :angryfire :biggrin:

Just kidding,....Thanks, I hope we can run together some this summer!! I'm gonna try to make it to Dora, then Angel Aide, and we'll play it by ear from there, I can just imagine this, me, you, Poodle, Ted, etc. with X-18's on a run,...sweet!! Hell, we can talke Lenny to draggin his down, and I KNOW there is a TON I'm missing.

Oh yeah, JOE!!!!!! ATTN CUDA!!!, IF the X is ready for Dora, you're gonna have to bring two boats,....... :biggrin: :biggrin:

Wayne

[Cuda]

Oh yeah, JOE!!!!!! ATTN CUDA!!!, IF the X is ready for Dora, you're gonna have to bring two boats,....... :biggrin: :biggrin:
Wayne
So I can whup ya twice?!:uzi: :biggrin.:

[onesubdrvr]

Hey, you just make sure you leave the bilge pump connected to the battery OK? :eek!: , that extra 800lbs of water might slow you down a little :yes:

I really don't want 'cha :bawling: when the X :fire: 's you down,...hey, these things have a mind of there own!! Ever read Christine by Steven King??

Wayne

[Cuda]

I might have to leave the extra weight in the boat to make it fair. Kind of like when they make a horse carry extra weight.

It's funny you should mention Stephen King. I'm in the middle of reading one of his books right now. It's not a horror book though, it's called Rose Madder. A friend of mine ran into King at Publix in Sarasota last week. :)

[onesubdrvr]

Running into Steven King would be Surreal,....kind of like his Cameo appearances in his films,.....that's pretty cool.

Anyway, back to the matter at hand, don't worry about the water, Just run what 'cha brung and hope you brung enough ;) :beer: :wavey: :outtahere

Wayne

[Cuda]

.
Anyway, back to the matter at hand, don't worry about the water, Just run what 'cha brung and hope you brung enough ;) :beer: :wavey: :outtahere
Wayne
Don't you worry about the mule going blind, you just load the wagon! :)

[Lenny]

"draggin mine down"

Now THAT'S a tow. :eek:

[onesubdrvr]

Don't you worry about the mule going blind, you just load the wagon! :)
I'll load the wagon, just don't put it infront of the mule! ;)

[18FOOTER]

Wayne, How 'bout some updated photos. I'm jealous watching the progress! Sure like having some space though.:wavey:

[onesubdrvr]

Wayne, How 'bout some updated photos. I'm jealous watching the progress! Sure like having some space though.:wavey:
Bob,

not much in the way of photo's right now, the engine is out, drive is off, so that's about it, working on getting the stringers / gussets repaired, and working on cleaning up the replacement drive to put on.

I'll keep 'ya updated though

Wayne

[onesubdrvr]

Matty,

Here's a picture of the transom cut-out, I believe that only 2 additional holes were drilled (for the hoses to the ram). I'll have to get the trim pump later when I can get to it.

Poodle / JW, the 2 pieces that I know I need (an I may be able to scavenge from the 270 drive) are the water pick up shown, and the plastic bushing inserts for the pivot point.
Oh yea, and a transom seal kit (bellows, gasket, O-rings / etc.), and what ever else poodle tells me I need (other than a labotomy)

5th picture shows model / s/n, the boat it came from was the yellow one with all the H/M stickers, can anybody trace the s/n to tell if it was a h/m drive? or is there another way to tell?

Thanks
Wayne

[mattyboy]

Wayne Thanks but I am more interested in what you have to do to get it mounted in the old 270 cut out
the water pickups should be the same ( in fact I think I have one laying around here some where mine is capped off) just be careful the helmets and tiller arms came in different sizes in the 270-280 that can be a PIA most stuff is interchangeable but every once in a while the changed sizes on things

there would be a tag on the bell housing from H/M
and to my knowledge H/M was out of the marine business when the 280T came around and they never put their serial numbers on them they just reused the volvo number, the serial number you are interested in should be a tag ontop of the drive that will tell you model and ratio, the only way to match it would be a build sheet or a H/M registration

[onesubdrvr]

Wayne Thanks but I am more interested in what you have to do to get it mounted in the old 270 cut out

Got 'cha

When I'm at that point, I'll make sure I take my camera with me, and take lots of pictures of Poodles and my's fancy work.

Wayne

[mattyboy]

found it if you want it let me know i can paint it yellow too ;) :p

[onesubdrvr]

found it if you want it let me know i can paint it yellow too ;) :p
Thanks Matty!!! I'll let 'cha know, like I said, the one off the 270 may still be good.

Yellow,....hmmmm, naaah, white will be ok :p

Wayne

[LKSD]

Wayne,
I guess Matty has the water port you need. I have to check about the bushings. I cant get into Volvo's parts system tonight. There is a 50/50 chance on the availability. Let me know if you want me to look into it further.. Jamie :)

[onesubdrvr]

Wayne,
I guess Matty has the water port you need. I have to check about the bushings. I cant get into Volvo's parts system tonight. There is a 50/50 chance on the availability. Let me know if you want me to look into it further.. Jamie :)
Thanks Jamie, but don't worry about it just yet, let me get with Poodle, and get an official "what I need" list going. That way, it's only one stop so to speak.

Thanks, I'll be in touch,
Wayne

[onesubdrvr]

Well, as of right now, the new drive is 75% stripped and prepped for paint.

Definately going with white, it matches much better. I'll post some pictures as soon as I'm done painting it, slow but steady wins the race??

Oh well, time is my mortal enemy

Wayne