My Restoration Thread 2024
(='_'=) reply :
hopefully this is the right forum for this....
as some of you may know because of my previous questions, i am restoring an old bass boat... the boat was given to a friend and me last year, with a broken lower unit, a Johnson (or Evinrude?) 85HP motor that didnt work, no bilge pumps, thorn carpet, thorn seats.... the only thing that worked was the trolling motor.... but it floated and most important, it was free... after some work, we replaced the lower unit, fixed the motor, hooked a bilge pump, and began fishing.... right now the boat runs great, we even use it for skiing when we cant go fishing.... but it is not as pretty as it should be. so, the plan for this summer is to make it beautiful again, so we are going to do a full restore. this is what we have right now:
as you see, its old and small, but for the lakes around here, we dont need much more than that.... this is the only pic i have on my FB account, i will look for more of the current status later....
the plan is:
- recarpet
- fix the upholstery
- paint inside
- paint (or wrap) oustide
- paint motor
- add a stereo and speakers
- add authomatic bilge pump switch
- rebuild rod locker
- install flush pedestal seat mounts
we are also thinking about extending the front casting deck a little bit, but since we also use the boat for skiing and just hanging around in the water, we havent decided what to do yet....
this is the first time my friend or i try to accomplish something like this.... and we have limited time, as fishing season begins by the end of june and we need to have the boat ready by then....
the only progress we have already done was to remove all the old carpet, and we are beginning to remove everything we need in order to begin sanding and preparing the inside for painting, including the trolling motor, hand rails, etc....
i plan on using this thread to post the progress and get comments from people who have already done this....
this is my PB, a little over 5 lb... this year i will try to catch a bigger one, but if i cant, at least i want the boat to look good while trying..
Nitrofreak reply :
You have already made a huge improvement with the girl you put in the boat, LOL !!!
I wish you all the best of luck, a complete restore is difficult but worth the investment, take your time and I promise, you will enjoy the end result.
As far as a wrap goes the bottom of your boat takes a lot of abuse, it may not be a wise choice, the top part (above the water line) however works well.
When you recarpet, use tack glue instead of carpet glue, carpet glue can ease up through the fiber and leave stains if you are not carefull.
I for one can not wait to see your progress, good luck !!!
Shawn Dompierre reply :
I'm in to watch the progress 
Traveler2586 reply :
On 5/16/2012 at 1:09 AM, (= said:this is my PB, a little over 5 lb...
I'd say your PB is a whee bit more than five pounds, and a fine catch.... Congratulations.
Ima Bass Ninja reply :
I am looking forward to seeing the progress. While you are fixing it up don't forget to spend some money on protective measures like a keel guard and transom saver.
(='_'=) reply :
thanx everyone for the comments!!
Traveler, i forgot to mention, those are about 5 pound... each 
hahaha i wish....
Ninja, the transom saver we already have, but i dont know what a keel guard is....
i forgot to mention, i live in Mexico, so, besides English being my second language and me not knowing the terms for some specific words, that has some other implications, like lack of supplies (closest Academy is in El Paso Tx, a 3 hour drive one way).... so most probably you might see some redneck or improvised fixes, but that is mostly because it is difficult and very expensive to get the proper materials or supplies where i live.... but i will do my best to make this boat not only a bass catching machine, but also a girl catching toy... if i could manage to get that girl in the ugly boat, hopefully things will improve with a nicer boat....
one quick question regarding hand rails.... i will remove them to paint or wrap the boat, should i put them back in place or leave the boat without them?? im leaning towards permanently removing them, but want to see some opinions, as we use the boat also for skiing and pulling a tub....
Ima Bass Ninja reply :
This should help ya. They sell em at academy. It will be my next purchase for my boat.
http://www.keelguard.com/
(='_'=) reply :
thanx, ill look for it in Academy next time im there....
meanwhile heres another view of the boat as it was last year, with the tow rig....
hopefully ill take some pics tomorrow of how the boat looks like without the carpet...
Michael DiNardo reply :
Sweet Jeep too!!!
Mike
(='_'=) reply :
thanx Michael!! i have been working on it since 2007, everything was done by myself (bumpers, tube doors, cargo racks)... that proyect is almost over, so now its time to work on the boat...
heres a rough schedule of the new proyect:
1) preparation for paint/wraps (sanding, remove everything that can be removed)
2) analyze if we are going to extend the front deck or add more storage space (for this i will post more detailed pictures of the inside of the boat, for you to help me decide on the layout.... its worth noting that i have never even seen another bassboat, all i know about them is from the internet, so i have a rough idea but dont really know what would be best considering this boat is not only used for fishing)
3) build the storage space if needed. this includes installing stereo, speakers, cup holders, rebuild the rod locker...
4) paint the inside of the boat
5) paint/wrap the outside
6) recarpet
7) Miscellaneous. this includes:
a) fix the upholstery (my grandmother is doing that for me as soon as i get the materials. im still debating over colors. im thinking about gray as a main color, with the details electric green or blue.... what right now is white would be gray, and what actually is red, would be green or blue, including the carpet, what do you think???
b ) paint motor... the lower unit we got is gray and it looks nice, so the motor will be painted the same color and then maybe i will get some Johnson decals to put on it.... im thinking maybe a decal that says something like "85 Starving Ponies", since it WAS 85HP when new....
c) add authomatic bilge pump switch (already got it, really easy installation, so it will be done when we have a chance)
d) install flush pedestal seat mounts (havent got them, but i would really like to have them since the original pedestal mounts take up too much space when not using the boat for fishing)
e) install recessed trolling motor foot pedal (i dont know about this one, since i dont know what is under the deck, maybe a flotation device i dont want to cut into.... i have to check, but i think it would be a nice add on....)
im sure i will learn a lot with this project, and hopefully help someone avoid the mistakes i may be doing...
today i will take some pics of the inside of the boat and post them tomorrow to ask for opinions on the storage/deck....
Shawn Dompierre reply :
Nice, I like this list, under your floor is usually foam, you can cut it out, of course you have to be sure to have enough space to actually put the pedal inside ( don't just make a random hole ) Take your time stand on the boat and see where you'd like to have it.
But in the end its worth the upgrade.
Cheers
(='_'=) reply :
On 5/17/2012 at 8:02 PM, Shawn Dompierre said:Nice, I like this list, under your floor is usually foam, you can cut it out, of course you have to be sure to have enough space to actually put the pedal inside ( don't just make a random hole ) Take your time stand on the boat and see where you'd like to have it.
But in the end its worth the upgrade.
Cheers
i am assuming you are referring to the recessed foot pedal, right?? so, if under the floor i find flotation foam, can i just remove it and i wont have a problem??
and yes, since it´s a small boat, i have to check if i will be able to go deep enough to fit the pedal before i reach the bottom of the boat....
thanx!!
Shawn Dompierre reply :
Yes and yes for the removal of the foam part.
(='_'=) reply :
ok, thanx Shawn!! i was worried about removing the foam.... another thing, i am assuming the tray must have a drain... where should it go?? or i can just make it somehow removable and pour it once in a while....
anyways, yesterday i worked a little bit on the boat after work... i spent 2.5 hours in removing about 30 bolts, they were so rusted i had to cut most of them off.... but i finally removed the handrails and the pedestal bases....
here are some pics of the boat as it sits right now:
one of the front deck:
one shot from the rear deck... i have to replace that steering wheel... it is so small because the PO is about 230 pounds, and a little bit more than 6 feet tall, so he didnt fit with a normal steering wheel...
another one of the front:
one more from behind... here you can see on the lower part of the picture, where the passenger seat is located, and the livewell between the seats:
one from the front deck where you can see both livewells and where the 2 seats must go...
finally, here is a rough (very rough) diagram of the inside of the boat... the decks are not pictured, only the floor space.... i am having a hard time deciding what do to... i would like more storage space and a bigger casting deck, as sometimes we are 3 fishing from the boat, one on each deck and the third one on the livewell in front of the console....
on the other hand, i am worried about the extra weight of the wood needed to extend the deck, and, about seating room for friends when we just go out to hang out in the water.... if the boat was just for fishing i would extend the deck to be flush with the rear part of the console... but i dont know what do do, what do you sugest??
Shawn Dompierre reply :
Hi,
I would build the desk flush to the console (like most bass boats today) The weight issue is all in how you build it and with what type of material.
I would cut into the storage compartment in your front deck and then build the frame like he did.then if budget allows get some aluminum lids made.
Or use plywood, 3/4" is great but 1/2" does the job but needs to be supported. (good for small lids and areas that are well supported)
(='_'=) reply :
thats exactly how i would like to do it, just leave enough space for the seats... when we ride 3 on the boat, the third person sits in the livewell between the seats anyways...
however, since we have the lake 10 minutes from my house, sometimes we will get the boat just to cruise around and have a couple of beers... and on these times we are 5 or 6 people in the boat.... where would i put them?? most of them are girls so i cant just say no to them haha
(='_'=) reply :
besides i have to consider the rod locker, which is on the left side of the boat... if i extend the deck, i have to do it in a way which still enables me to use the locker...
Shawn Dompierre reply :
Here's your new option, create only a rod locker, this will create a "fish and ski" style of boat.
The rod locker will act like a long seat.
(='_'=) reply :
where would you put that rod locker?? the boat already has one, seen in the pictures, on the left side of the boat... it could be used to store rows, ropes, etc, and put the rods on the locker you suggest....
(='_'=) reply :
what do you think about this sketch??
the pink part, what is now the rod locker, could be used to store the oars, ropes, emergency kit, skiis... things that dont get used much.... and the brown part would become the new rod locker... for this i would have to cut into the current storage compartment... i would have to check the lenght to see this configuration would work for 7' rods.... and the rest of the deck (orange area) would have acess doors to several comparments for more gear, equipment, and it would have a cut to put a cooler flush with the deck...
what do you think?? i think for fishing it would serve my needs well, but for skiing and just hanging around with 4 or 5 friends?? is there something im not considering??
Traveler2586 reply :
Question.... How do you pronounce (='_'=) ,,, just in case we meet on a Road Trip or something.
Also, if your going to have friends on the boat you need to think about a cooler, or where to put a carry-on while your running WOT.
Cheers, Eric
(='_'=) reply :
hahaha, its pronounced "Daniel" or as you wish....
and about the cooler, i was thinking on putting one in the space between the front livewell in the deck, making a slot in the plywood to insert one that fits flush to the deck....
Traveler2586 reply :
On 5/18/2012 at 6:31 AM, (= said:hahaha, its pronounced "Daniel" or as you wish....
and about the cooler, i was thinking on putting one in the space between the front live-well in the deck, making a slot in the plywood to insert one that fits flush to the deck....
Hi Daniel,
The cooler slot could work. One thing to keep in mind as you plan your project is weight distribution throughout the boat, i.e. gas, batteries, driver, live well water, cooler, seating, anchor, tackle, etc. Start with the current unmovable items, batteries, gas, driver, then offset new items to keep the boat balanced; otherwise the boat may want to steer in one direction better than the other.
Look at your plan; if the gas, batteries and driver balance each other out (and they should); you'll through yourself off balance when you fill the forward live-well, so you would need to offset that in some way.
Do you have a layout of what is under the seating and deck?
(='_'=) reply :
On 5/18/2012 at 7:00 AM, Traveler2586 said:Hi Daniel,
The cooler slot could work. One thing to keep in mind as you plan your project is weight distribution throughout the boat, i.e. gas, batteries, live well water, cooler, seating, anchor, tackle, etc. Start with the current unmovable items, batteries, gas, driver, then offset new items to keep the boat balanced; otherwise the boat may want to steer in one direction better than the other.
thanx Traveler!! that is really good advice, something i had definitely not considered.... if i decide to extend the deck, i will plan the storage spaces to distribute the weight as evenly as i can....
(='_'=) reply :
On 5/18/2012 at 7:00 AM, Traveler2586 said:Hi Daniel,
The cooler slot could work. One thing to keep in mind as you plan your project is weight distribution throughout the boat, i.e. gas, batteries, driver, live well water, cooler, seating, anchor, tackle, etc. Start with the current unmovable items, batteries, gas, driver, then offset new items to keep the boat balanced; otherwise the boat may want to steer in one direction better than the other.
Look at your plan; if the gas, batteries and driver balance each other out (and they should); you'll through yourself off balance when you fill the forward live-well, so you would need to offset that in some way.
Do you have a layout of what is under the seating and deck?
did you modify your post to include this part?? because i missed it yesterday....
here´s a basic description of how the boat weight is distributed:
starting on the rear compartments, the gas tank is centered... on the driver´s side i have the batteries and a small tray with a couple oil liters and carb cleaner.
on the passengers side, we have a bigger storage box, that we use to store our backpacks with extra clothing, so its really lightweight. now, under the driver´s seat there is a small storage space, you can see the empty hole in the pictures... that space we use to store the food, sandwiches, etc.... and on the passengers seat storage, we have a tray full of tools and miscelaneous parts. however these are really small storage spaces so the weight is not considerable.
on the left side we have the rod holder, which normally holds, besides some rods, the oars, so again there is almost no weight in there....
and under the front deck we have another storage space, which holds the straps we use to tie the boat, a tarp, the lights, another backpack, and miscelaneous things, again, not really heavy.... the tackle bags we generally put between the front livewell and the deck, but im thinking a better location would be besides the console, right in the middle of the boat....
Shawn Dompierre reply :
I meant to build a box , your current locker seems like its the side that opens up, I like the idea of the new rod box being used as storage for rods and seating for friends . I'll draw something up.
Shawn Dompierre reply :
Gone to launch
(='_'=) reply :
thanx Shawn... thats more or less what i have in mind... my only concern is that from the seat, to the beginning of the deck, i only have a little more than 6'... so, in order to accomodate a rod locker where you drew it, i need to cut into the current storage area under the deck... and thats no problem, i can cut, however im not sure if i would be able to fit a 7' rod in there, as i need to leave some leg room in front of the passengers side....
now, what i would really like, would be to permanently install the rod locker where you put it, and then make a removeable storage locker between the rod locker and the livewell/console and new storage... this way i would have a full deck for fishing, and a bench for friends...
Traveler2586 reply :
On 5/18/2012 at 10:42 PM, (= said:did you modify your post to include this part?? because i missed it yesterday....
Yes, you must have seen it while I was editing; some times I'll post something, read it a second time or so, and think it isn't clear or doesn't read well so I'll add to it.
Shawn Dompierre reply :
You can accommodate that , cut the existing storage and make the rod locker as long as you can with leaving just enough room for feet.
Shawn.D
(='_'=) reply :
thanx Traveler, i do that also to clarify or correct spelling...
and Shawn, ill check how much space is there in the existing storage... im worried i will not be able to fit a 7' rod, as the floor space right now is only about 6'6" long from the seat, so if i give say, 1 foot for leg room, and the storage is also 1 foot, there is no way i will have a 7' rod locker in there =S
Traveler2586 reply :
Dan, the lid to the rod locker does not need to be seven feet long. The lid to my rod locker is only 46" long, I have a Ranger 185; inside on the forward wall of the locker are tube ports, I think mine are three tubes wide by three row for a total of nine ports. These tube ports are flexible, smooth, thin walled, PVC tubing like you see being buried along the roadways for fiber-optic cables. The idea is the separation of the tubes in the locker wall is even to afford easy access, but the tubing bends to converge at the bow of the boat with some tubes being a little shorter than others. The tubing is under the decking where you don't see it. I'll try to get a pic tomorrow for you.
Cheers, E
(='_'=) reply :
thanx traveler!! i understand what you are saying. i think i didnt explain well. the lid doesnt needs to be 7 feet long, i know that. however, the storage space needs to be 7' long. in order to accomplish this, i would need to cut into the storage compartment AND into the flotation chamber. heres a rough diagram of something i just measured tonight...
the blue rectangle is what i would like to have, serving as a rod locker/ bench... for this, i would have to cut holes (yellow circles) in the storage wall, for the rod tips to go in... i was thinking on putting PVC or some other tubes to protect the rods.... however, in order to leave some leg room, the rod storage compartment was only about 5'5" long, so the PVC pipes needed to be about 1'1" long, entering the flotation chamber.... the red rectangle is approximately 7' long, and as you see, it reaches the end (front) of the boat....
so, tonigh, one of my fishing parters and i were sitting on the boat, having a beer and thinking on what to do.... we noticed that the front livewell is about 2 inches higher than the front deck... so, we thought the following... what if we raise the front deck to be the same height as the livewell, and use those 2" of space between the current deck and the new deck, as the extension of the rod locker... in other words, the "rod locker" would be really thin, only 2" high, but wide enough to accomodate about 7 rods parallel to each other... and, under the rods, we would have enough space to store other things such as skis, rope, backpacks etc... basically the rod locker would be as the red rectangle shown above, and on top of the existing deck... we also thought about making it fixed, and also fixing another storage compartment between the livewell and the deck... this would leave an "alley" from the console to the deck... for this, we would make a removeable storage space, that we can put to fish, making the front deck almost flush with the rear of the console, and remove it for skiing/hanging around, leaving the rod locker as a bench....
hopefully this is somehow understandable... i have to make some drawings to clarify it, im already making a really rough sketch on google sketchup to explain better...
if you could understand my ramble, what do you think??
Traveler2586 reply :
On 5/19/2012 at 11:03 AM, (= said:.........................we would make a removable storage space, that we can put to fish, making the front deck almost flush with the rear of the console, and remove it for skiing/hanging around, leaving the rod locker as a bench....
That's an interesting concept, a modular configuration to fit the need at the time. 
00 mod reply :
It would be really hard to brace the deck enough so that it wouldn't flex and break rod tips, while walking o the deck and rods in lockers. do you want to put rods in boat to leave them or plan on taking ods out every trip. if the later is the case, my buddy just uses rod straps and straps them to the deck, as you would after arriving at lake. hey do not move going down the road, and you eliminate the need for a locker. i will take a picture tomorrow of his setup, to help you understand!
PS.. with all of these pictures you are posting, I will quote traveler here, "your over 5lb PB" is still missing!
Jeff
00 mod reply :
On the way out this morning..... A little cramped but it gets the job done!
Jeff
(='_'=) reply :
On 5/20/2012 at 7:21 AM, 00 mod said:It would be really hard to brace the deck enough so that it wouldn't flex and break rod tips, while walking o the deck and rods in lockers. do you want to put rods in boat to leave them or plan on taking ods out every trip. if the later is the case, my buddy just uses rod straps and straps them to the deck, as you would after arriving at lake. hey do not move going down the road, and you eliminate the need for a locker. i will take a picture tomorrow of his setup, to help you understand!
PS.. with all of these pictures you are posting, I will quote traveler here, "your over 5lb PB" is still missing!
Jeff
i had been thinking the same, it would be hard to protect them.. this is what i have come up with so far, a 2" x 1 1/2" wood block, with slots for the rods.. im thinking on using one on the end of the exsting deck (where this one is drawn) and another block further ahead... i could even join the slots with a pvc pipe, to guide the rods and prevent them from lifting or something.... besides this, i would use the same 2 X 1 1/2" to do a full perimeter...
i am planning on removing the rods and put them in every trip... however, since its a small boat, i would prefer not to have them all on the deck... while fishing, i just have 2 rods on the deck, and the rest of them on the locker, ready to go, with lures tied and everything, but inside the locker, since it gets too clustered with an ice chest, tackle bags, net, oar.... hopefully with this new storage space the deck wont be as clustered, but still, i dont like having too many rods out there, risking braking one or something... when i fish by myself (which i rarely do) i can have more rods in the deck, since i can be careful with them and place them where they dont get in MY way.... but 99% of the time we are at least 2 in the boat....
and regarding the PB, ill try to post a couple of pics from a skiing trip we made....
Ima Bass Ninja reply :
Have you thought about using vertical rod holders? seems the issue is space and vertical ones would eliminate that. You could just bolt them right to the console and have that rod holder space for something else.
something like this:
(='_'=) reply :
thanx for the pic. we had thought about those, but, wont they get in the way while fishing?? probably for transportation it wouldnt be a problem, as i can put the rods in a PVC pipe, close both ends, and put it in the boat.... but, for fishing, i think they may be getting in the way, specially with 3 people on board....
Ima Bass Ninja reply :
On 5/22/2012 at 3:47 AM, (= said:thanx for the pic. we had thought about those, but, wont they get in the way while fishing?? probably for transportation it wouldnt be a problem, as i can put the rods in a PVC pipe, close both ends, and put it in the boat.... but, for fishing, i think they may be getting in the way, specially with 3 people on board....
It really depnds on how much distance you have between the decks and console and the position in which you cast.. Cant really tell by the pics. The best way to tell is to mount some with double sided tape or something and stand on the decks to see what fishing would be like with them in place. If its a problem then you can simply remove them or it they work you can bolt them in place.
(='_'=) reply :
thanx, i guess i will have to do the test and see if it is an option or not...
Shawn Dompierre reply :
Dan, I like your idea with the blocks. they'll protect the rods from the floor and you guys dancing on it all night
Sorry I haven't been "around" I've been working on my own rig and trailer.. Took her out for the first time this year. it was sweet..
(='_'=) reply :
hey shawn!! what are you doing to your boat?? mine hasnt seen the water this year yet =( but hopefully it will be soon...
here is a rough diagram i drew yesterday on sketchup... its very basic but gives the idea...
first, the boat as it is right now...
now, remember i mentioned a permanent storage area and a removeable one?? this is where the permanent storage would be.... you can see the bracing on the perimeter of the deck... this will be to raise the deck 2", making it flush with the front livewell, which right now is a bit higher....
the drawings are not complete, just to give a general idea.... between the deck and the livewell i plan on putting an ice chest, a friend suggets making it permanent, but i think i would rather just leave a space and insert my current ice chest there...
what do you think?? yesterday i bought some cardboard to begin cutting the pieces and see if it will actually work and look as im thinking...
another question came to my mind today... how do you fix the deck to the boat?? should i use a metal angle and screw one leg to the wood block and the other one to the floor of the boat?? or how do you do it??
thanx!
this is how i plan on bracing the rod locker... i think it could be strong enough, using 2x2 for all the supports...
Shawn Dompierre reply :
I like it ,Go check it out.
(='_'=) reply :
i just suscribed to your thread to see the progress... i liked your console, i think i will try to cut mine like that... it would give more leg room and give it a nice look... do you think it would harm something if i cut it like this with a dremel??
Shawn Dompierre reply :
Your going to have to look at how its built. I looked at some of your pictures and I can't see the harm it would do.
I would cut out whatever you feel is in the way and the measure a piece of plywood to match whats left ( be sure to measure accurately you want a tigth fit to support any weight.), clean the inside of the console and then add glue to the wood (PL GLUE) and press in.
Done.
(='_'=) reply :
i get it... i dont think it handles much weight, but ill check it and if we decide to cut, we will reinforce it on the inside with the wood as you mention....
(='_'=) reply :
yesterday i was feeling sick so i couldnt work much in the boat, i just sketched the lower frame and one of the storage spaces and the cooler place....
i have some big pieces of cardboard from which i will cut the templates today, and hopefully by the weekend i will begin building the frames...
(='_'=) reply :
hey. i have one question regarding the fishing seats....
my boat had these ugly and tall pedestal mounts that can be seen here... when i removed the seats, the pedestals would always be there in the way....
so, i want to install recessed pedestal mounts, so when im not using the fishing seats, the decks will be flat.... i have seen some boats have these, where, without the seat, all you see is a hole in the carpet... thats what im looking for:
but all i have been able to find is something like this, where, if you remove the seat, you still have the big stainless steel square.....
do you know where to find it or how to do it?? im thinking about using the system i pictured with the big SS square, and just put the carpet on top of that, but i dont think thats the proper way of doing it....
Nitrofreak reply :
If you wish to do that all you need to do is take a plunge router and mark the area that you want the seat to be, remove 1/16 of an inch of material from the area and the face of the plate will be flush with the surface of the deck, some plates are thicker than that so you may have to shave a little more.
There are a lot of web sites you can use to get those parts, the one I use most commonly is www.ishopmarine.com
(='_'=) reply :
thanx nitrofreak!! i wasnt sure you just placed the base under the carpet like that....
is the base only 1/16?? i was thinking more like 3/8 or so....
Nitrofreak reply :
On 5/24/2012 at 3:03 AM, (= said:thanx nitrofreak!! i wasnt sure you just placed the base under the carpet like that....
is the base only 1/16?? i was thinking more like 3/8 or so....
It very well could be thicker it depends on the supplier, most I have had or installed are not over 1/4 inches thick, if you have to go deeper you may want to think about a steel or plywood backing plate under the floor surface, I am not sure how thick your deck surface is, but you should be ok.
(='_'=) reply :
actually i was thinking about using 2 metal plates to sandwich the fiberglass deck...
on the front deck, i am raising it 2 inches, so i think i am going to install the base on the plywood floor of the new deck, and another metal plate on the bottom part of the fiberglass of the current deck, with 2" bracing underneath, and tightne it all with 2 1/2" bolts....
and on the rear deck, use a metal plate below the deck as well... i think i am fabricating these so i might as well do them onger than 7" to maximize the contact area....
(='_'=) reply :
now, how do i remove about 3/16 of fiberglass material?? i can do it with the wood no problem, but with the fiberglass i have no idea....
Nitrofreak reply :
It's the same process, only thing different is you need to take your time and not remove too much material at one time.
Most all plates come with a sleeve welded into place, the receiver for the chair post, you will need a hole saw for the proper size, try to stay within a 1/16 of an inch of that, you want as tight a fit as possible, but not so tight that you have to drive the plate down, take your time cutting the hole, do not overheat the hole saw, drill and lift, drill and lift.
Lay your plate on the surface, use a sharpie to mark the location by tracing around the plate, use the plunge router to remove the material from inside the mark, I usually take out the line too, it gives the plate a little room around the sides, do not remove all of the depth at once, take about a 1/16th inch layer at a time, make sure you are in an open area and have protective clothing on with a good dust mask or a good resperator, I have a shop vac that I turn on and keep the hose close to the working area, that helps a lot with the dust.
Once the material has been removed and the test fit has been completed, I will mark the holes for the bolt pattern, then slowly drill the holes.
If for some reason you go too fast and end up cracking the fiberglass, don't panic, drill a small hole at the end of the crack, this will keep the crack from extending any farther, then epoxy over the crack and the hole with some fiberglass resin.
(='_'=) reply :
thanx nitrofreak!! i think i get the idea... however, i dont know what a plunge router is... do you have a pic? remember, english is my second language, so i dont know some technical words....
one question... most of the chair posts are 1 1/2", right?? because the ones i had were about 3", really big and ugly....
(='_'=) reply :
here is yesterday´s progress.... i made a cardboard template of the front deck... since i am raising it 2", the trolling motor pedal gets flush with the new deck without having to cut the original deck... only a part of the pedal´s mechanism is higher than the deck, but the pedal itself is flush....
and here it is mounted on the boat...
is is too high?? there is only like 2" from the new deck to the top of the boat... would this be a problem??
Nitrofreak reply :
Not too high, but now I am a little confused as to how you want to mount your seat.
Is the new deck going to be plywood?
If so I have a different idea that may work a little better, you wont need a router.
All you will need to do is cut a hole for the chair's pole to fit through in the new deck and mount the plate on the existing fiberglass deck.
Not sure if this is what you have in mind but, it is a lot less work and having the pole fit down through the deck will also provide a fair amount of stability to the seat.
Shawn Dompierre reply :
Not too high. What materials are you using to build the deck?
(='_'=) reply :
thanx!!
i had tought about putting a mount in the original deck, and another one on the new deck, to add stability... but maybe that is overwill and you are right, i just have to cut a hole on the new deck, which will provide a tight fit on the seat pole, and mount the standard plate on the original deck.... the poles are 1 1/2" right??
and yes, i plan on using wooden 2 x 1 1/2s for the bracing, and 1/2" plywood (marine, if i can find it) for the deck... i thought about using 3/4 plywood but since its a really small deck, and it will be braced on all the outisde edge, the perimeter of the cut for the trolling motor´s controller, and the perimeter of the current storage spaced, i think 1/2" would be fine.... what do you think??
Nitrofreak reply :
On 5/25/2012 at 1:58 AM, (= said:thanx!!
i had tought about putting a mount in the original deck, and another one on the new deck, to add stability... but maybe that is overwill and you are right, i just have to cut a hole on the new deck, which will provide a tight fit on the seat pole, and mount the standard plate on the original deck.... the poles are 1 1/2" right??
and yes, i plan on using wooden 2 x 1 1/2s for the bracing, and 1/2" plywood (marine, if i can find it) for the deck... i thought about using 3/4 plywood but since its a really small deck, and it will be braced on all the outisde edge, the perimeter of the cut for the trolling motor´s controller, and the perimeter of the current storage spaced, i think 1/2" would be fine.... what do you think??
Yes, all of the one's I have ever worked with have been, just make sure you have the pole in hand before you cut the hole just incase the pole is larger or smaller than planned, not all manufactures are the same.
1/2 inch plywood is fine, you can treat the surface of the wood with sealant or even coat it with primer paint to help protect it if you can not find marine plywood.
(='_'=) reply :
thanx nitrofreak... this weekend ill see if i can find the marine plywood, or a proper coating for regular plywood... and i will also begin sanding everything for painting, as well as change a bad fuel hose.... it should be a fun weekend.....
Nitrofreak reply :
On 5/26/2012 at 12:24 AM, (= said:thanx nitrofreak... this weekend ill see if i can find the marine plywood, or a proper coating for regular plywood... and i will also begin sanding everything for painting, as well as change a bad fuel hose.... it should be a fun weekend.....
Have a great weekend and a safe and happy holiday, by the way, with all of the things I have to get done before next week, I would gladly trade places with you LOL !!!
(='_'=) reply :
hahahaha, thanx Freak!! have a great holiday too!!
my target date for finishing the boat 100% is June 23, thats when the fishing season opens here where i live... i dont know if i will make it though...
(='_'=) reply :
here´s a picture of a boat they are selling in my city.... the wraps were put on the same place i want to have mine done.... what do you think?? they dont wrap the keel area, so i would have to paint that area and then have the declas match the color.... for $300 i think they are great, 10 times cheapr than what i have seen in the US.... maybe not such a great job, but i dont complain, what do you think??
00 mod reply :
Looks good! I like the wraps. Keep up the good work!
BTW....ski trip pictures...........slacker!!!
Jeff
(='_'=) reply :
thanx 00 mod...
yesterday i got a pretty good deal on the wraps... a friend of mine has a decal shop... most of his customers are public transport busses, so he has big printers... my friend owns a jeep, and once we went wheeling last year, he lost his winch controller... i told him i could install an in-cab controller on his jeep, he only had to buy the materials, which are really cheap, just some cable and a couple switches... but we never did, he knows nothing about mechanics or electric equipment.... so yesterday i asked him for a quote on the wraps for my boat, and he said that if i made him a winch controller, he would do the wraps.... im even tempted to buy an original controller for $150, but i will check first if i can get the parts on an electric store locally.... i have seen some crane controller carcasses that could work... so, i will only have to get some materials and a couple hours of labor and i will have my boat wrapped for free...
and just because 00 mod asked for it, here´s a pic from one of the ski trips to the local lake, with the girl i posted on first page....
00 mod reply :
Tecate.....mmmmmm! What lake are ya'll skiing and fishing on?
Jeff
(='_'=) reply :
yes, Tecate was the choice for that day..
the lake is a really small lake near my home, in Chihuahua, Mexico.... its 15 minutes from home, and it is so small, you dont even need the big motor, sometimes we only use the trolling motor.... since its so small, most people dont realize there are bass in there... maybe not really big ones, but since its close i can go after work, and i have gotten fish a little more than 2 pounds in there.... and whats best, only once i have ever seen another bass boat in the lake... during weekends, by noon there may be several ski boats, but early in the morning or during weekdays, i have the lake for myself....
00 mod reply :
I am actually gonna be in Chihuahua for a short time in October.........on my way to Baccarac! you are right on the border huh?
Jeff
(='_'=) reply :
i dont know what Baccarac is, but if you are in Chihuahua let me know!! we can go fishing there, at least for an afternoon or something...
but, im not in the border.. the border Mexico/US is Juarez on this side, El Paso TX on the other side... im 3 hours south of Juarez, in Chihuahua city....
00 mod reply :
I am taking a private plane from El Paso to Lake Baccarac. We must touch down for customs in Chihuahua. At least that is what the head man said!
http://www.lakebaccaraclodge.com/
Jeff
(='_'=) reply :
oh, i had never heard about that lake... i have only been fishing since last year, so i only know local lakes... we are thinking about a fishing trip to Sinaloa by the end of this year, but still have not decided on the location yet.... i will take a look at that lake, maybe thats what we are looking for....
good luck!!! make sure to post your fishing report!!
Nitrofreak reply :
On 5/26/2012 at 4:46 AM, (= said:here´s a picture of a boat they are selling in my city.... the wraps were put on the same place i want to have mine done.... what do you think?? they dont wrap the keel area, so i would have to paint that area and then have the declas match the color.... for $300 i think they are great, 10 times cheapr than what i have seen in the US.... maybe not such a great job, but i dont complain, what do you think??
I'm not much on wraps, although the advertisement on that one looks pretty inviting to say the least !!
The reason I don't care for wraps, they are full of little pin holes, that can make it difficult to clean the scum lines if you put in on dirty or stained waters, unless you clean it right away, if you were to know me, I am not at all lazy, but at the same time, I don't do any more than I have to do either lol.
Sounds like it would be close to an even trade though, a little labor on a winch verses a wrap for your boat.
(='_'=) reply :
i didnt know that about the wraps Nitrofreak, thanx!!
we were thinking about applying a transparent coating to the wrap, to protect it even more.... do you think this would cover the pin holes?? or would we have the problem even with the coating?? because i am like you, im not lazy but dont care for doing any extra work if its not needed....
and yes, a little time on the winch will get me a boat wrap almost for free.... i already have the diagrams in my head, i just have to check if they actually work as i think they should....
Nitrofreak reply :
On 5/29/2012 at 11:26 PM, (= said:i didnt know that about the wraps Nitrofreak, thanx!!
we were thinking about applying a transparent coating to the wrap, to protect it even more.... do you think this would cover the pin holes?? or would we have the problem even with the coating?? because i am like you, im not lazy but dont care for doing any extra work if its not needed....
and yes, a little time on the winch will get me a boat wrap almost for free.... i already have the diagrams in my head, i just have to check if they actually work as i think they should....
Honestly, I think that would be a little overkill, those little holes are there for a reason, it allows the fabric to expand and contract as needed.
So my suggestion would be to not do something like that.
There is a solution that will help though, you can buy Eagle One spay on wax ( clear wax coating ) that will help keep your wrap in good condition and help protect it from stains, that will help more than anything else that I can think of, or at least that is the most inexpencive way to help take good care of it.
(='_'=) reply :
thanx! i have heard about spraying a clear coating to protect it, but i didnt knew about those holes.... ill see if i can find that wax then...
the plan for this weekend is to paint the inside of the boat, as well as the keel... we decided to paint the keel instead of wrapping it, since the wrap would tear very fast.... we will only wrap the sides and the back of the boat....
so, today and tomorrow we will gather the painting supplies, and finish sanding the old paint... we will have to repair some holes and spots where the fiberglass is damaged.... can we use regular bondo?? because there are places where i dont think normal fiberglass resin would work...
hopefully by sunday we will have everything painted, we plan on applying primer on saturday and paint on sunday... so maybe next week we will begin with the storage spaces.... do you see a problem in cutting the current storage like this??
this is for the skis to fit under the rods in the locker... would we have any structural problems if we cut like that?? we plan on using a dremel to cut this and the console....
Nitrofreak reply :
Bondoo, no, it will give up under the constant flexing a boat has, can you get a pic of the holes and let us see them? are they large or small?
As far as the hole you are going to create, there should be no issues with that, especially with where you have it marked out to cut.
Shawn Dompierre reply :
No issue making that cut Dan.
(='_'=) reply :
thanx!! ill post pics of the finished cut, maybe i will do it before painting...
i will also get pics of the holes we need to repair... most of them are because the PO installed hand rails, but he tightened them too much, burying the nut inside the fiber... when i tried to remove the rails for painting, it was really difficult, partly because the nuts were buried and partly because everything was rusted.... so, when i finally removed the bolts, some of them leave a hole, maybe 1/4" in diameter....
besides, there are a couple of places where the original paint, and the current paint, is missing.. so there is a small "depression" i would say, since on some parts you can see the bare fiber, and then next to it, there are 2 layers of paint.... i wanted to fill the depression with something, to make it all the same level.....
Nitrofreak reply :
To fill the little holes you can use a 2 part epoxy, like JB weld, it's cheap and does well for small repairs, you will however have to put something in the hole to close the gap like a peice of wax paper and stuff it tight, or the epoxy will just settle at the bottom or run clean through the hole, leave about an inch between the top of the boat surface and the wax paper you inserted into the hole, it still may settle a small amount and leave a small dimple, you can overfill the hole a small amount to compensate for that since you have to sand that area anyway.
As far as the depressions go you can use sand and fill primer, this will level out the surface by applying several coats over the effected areas if needed, spray each coat, let dry untill it gets tacky, then repeat for each coat over the surfaces that need extra filling, once dry all you need to do is sand to a finished surface.
(='_'=) reply :
thanx nitro!!
i think all the holes i need to repair are thru holes, so maybe i can put a piece of masking tape on the bottom and then apply the epoxy on the top?? and yes, when it dries i will have to sand it....
and i hadnt thought about using primer to fill in the gaps, but that looks like a better idea than using bondo or something, since the gap it is not too thick... what do you mean by let dry untill it gets tacky ?? to apply a coat, and then let dry a little bit, and then apply another one, without sanding or anything, and maybe while the first one is not completely dry??
Nitrofreak reply :
On 5/31/2012 at 6:48 AM, (= said:thanx nitro!!
i think all the holes i need to repair are thru holes, so maybe i can put a piece of masking tape on the bottom and then apply the epoxy on the top?? and yes, when it dries i will have to sand it....
and i hadnt thought about using primer to fill in the gaps, but that looks like a better idea than using bondo or something, since the gap it is not too thick... what do you mean by let dry untill it gets tacky ?? to apply a coat, and then let dry a little bit, and then apply another one, without sanding or anything, and maybe while the first one is not completely dry??
Yes, but it has to be "sand and fill" primer, the primer is very thick and it will fill in low areas with multiple coats and is very, very durable, a little on the not so cheap side but not bad, it's well worth the investment.
(='_'=) reply :
what do you mean "sand and fill"?? is it a type of primer?? or is it a method of application??
Nitrofreak reply :
Type of primer.
(='_'=) reply :
thanx, ill see if i can get it...
(='_'=) reply :
yesterday we had some more progress... my fishing partner and co-owner of the boat went over to my house, as well as a couple other friends, and while having some beer, continued with the sanding.... we noticed some paint was falling appart, so we decided to tear it with spatulas.... we will only sand the keel and the outside, but the upper part of the boat will have to be stripped to remove the old paint flakes.... while we were at it we also removed the markers and the steering wheel, leaving the console ready to be sanded.... i will take pics later tonight....
he also went yesterday to a couple stores looking for the primer, but he couldnt find any... on a fiberglass shop they told him to repair with bondo, so he bought a can of it.... we didnt apply any, since we are still sanding and removing the paint, but i will also use this space to document expenses... so far we have spent $20 in the can of bondo and some sanding paper.... he also got a quote on the paint, they recommended a brand named Imroy or something like that, that is almost $80 per litter.... and he also found the metal flake.... he was told that first we have to paint, and then, mix the flake with a clear coat and apply it, and then apply other 3 coats of clear... is this how you do it??
this weekend we will work hard on preparing the surface and hopefully by next weekend we can begin painting....
Nitrofreak reply :
I am unsure of the name brand, it's new to me.
He ment to use a triple stage process.
Apply the base color, apply the flake using the clear as an active applicant, then clear coat 3 times.
(='_'=) reply :
thanx nitro, yes, thats how he described the process.... i think we will have to put a coat of primer, 2 coats of color, one coat of clear with flake, and 3 coats of clear without flake.... seems like a lot of work, but i think it will be worth it...
regarding color, we are leaning towards a light gray with green details... what do you think?? my friend likes lime green a lot, and i think the light gray, something like the color of a rat, with green details, would look nice... we were thinking about black with green, but it would look like the Monster boat, the energy drink, besides it would be really hot, so we decided against it...
any opinion on colors??? we dont like neither red, nor blue....
Nitrofreak reply :
So you want a rat with chartruse tail ?
Sounds more like a top water bait lol. just kidding, it really depends on the wrap, if I knew what the wrap is going to be or look like then maybe I could give some advice.
If you want a neon green tint then I would suggest like an evergreen or an emerald green base and use the neon green for the trim.
(='_'=) reply :
hahahaha yes, a rat with chartreuse tail is more or less what we want....
and the wrap will be designed the same way, with a gray base, and green details... we want the inside of the boat and the carpet to be gray.... the seats would have some green vinyl but the main color would be gray, the console would be gray as well, and everything will be painted will metal flake... and the outside, we plan on painting the keel with the same gray tone, and then design the wraps to blend with the keel...
(='_'=) reply :
this weekend was very productive... we removed the motor, and also scrapped off all the old paint, only on the are we are going to paint.... on the area that will have wraps, we will just sand it and leave the wrap shop to do the preparation....
for removing the motor, i wanted to use a motor hoist, but i couldnt find one... a friend used to have one but he sold it... therefore i had to use other methods.... as you can see by my profile pic, rockclimbing is another one of my hobbys.... my fishing partner is also a rockclimber, he even owns a climbing gym... and, besides climbing, we are also route bolters, so we have a Bosch 36V cordless drill, and anchor bolts rated for 22 Kn. so, we placed two bolts in one of my house´s structural crossbars, and hang a 2 ton hoist from there.... in less than 10 minutes we had the bolts in place and the motor hanging from them.... my mother was not too happy from having the motor hanging from her ceiling, and i have yet to tell her that it will be there for about a month....
(='_'=) reply :
after removing the motor, we began scrapping off the old paint.... i quickly discovered that 3 friends and a case of beer is the only way to go... we began with all the boat being like this:
and after a weekend of scrubbing, scratching, and drinking, we ended up with this:
maybe today we will take the boat to the carwash and thoroughly degrease it and wash it, and tomorrow we will begin with the sanding.... then we will apply bondo to the required areas, and sand again... if everything goes according to schedule, by weekend we may begin applying primer....
Shawn Dompierre reply :
Nice progress!
Nitrofreak reply :
Looks like a lot of work, but it also looks like a lot of progress, don't rush it, but I can't wait to see the rest.
And your mom will get over it...sooner or later lol.
Just remember to fix the holes for her.
(='_'=) reply :
thanx!! it was a lot of work, 4 people working half saturday and all sunday, from 9:30 am to 8:30 pm... im glad i had friends willing to help, and they dont even fish, but they arent scared of work and are always willing to have a beer with us....
about the holes... in fact i think i am going to leave the bolts in place.... you cant even see them from the front of the house, only if you know where they are... and, its always usefull to have a small crane in the garage, i dont know what else i may end up lifting there... we removed the motor on saturday, and by sunday my mother was almost OK about it, she even helped us scratch a little paint yesterday night......
00 mod reply :
Looking good, and glad your mom didn't freak out!
Jeff
(='_'=) reply :
more progress this weekend (took pics but havent upload them yet)....
we finished applying the bondo to all the dents and nicks it had... we also covered old bolt holes with it.. and we sanded it down until we got a smooth surface.... we also prepared a "painting cabon" in my house, using some big tarps we had laying around in order not to spray my garage.... hopefully today my friend will come home to primer the boat while i am at work... after that we believe some more nicks will show up, which we will bondo, then sand all the primered area, and hopefully by the weekend we will be painting the boat...
(='_'=) reply :
after painting we will begin with the construction of the storage spaces and deck extension... so, i have been thinking about the rod locker, and, using an idea someone mentioned here in the first pages, i came up with this setup.... i would use 1.5" water hose, the same i used to connect the drains for the water wells... this hose would be fixed to the original deck, maybe with a slight bent as can be seen in the drawing... i could also use 1 1/2" PVC pipe but only if i can accomodate it to be straight....
then, the new deck would sit on top of the piping, of course it would be properly braced.... so, i would open the lid of the locker, and i would see this holes, hoplefully i can accomodate at least 7 pipes in there.... so i would slide the point of the rods, and the hose or pvc will serve as a guide so the rods dont hit eachother or get tangled or something....
what do you think? would it harm the rods to have a slight bent at the top for a while?? the rods would be there only while fishing, when i get home i would get them out of the locker....
thanx!!
(='_'=) reply :
i was hoping to get sme input on the rod locker... hopefully someone will comment later...
anyways, we did a good improvement today.... my friend primed the boat while i was at work, and then i changed all the fuel lines... since i had to remove the carbs to change the lines, i also cleaned them...
here are some pics of the primed boat.... one of the tarps we used to cover the garage came from a bridal show or something...
now, on the motor, i found this fuel line that was cancelled:
i couldnt see where it goes, and i dont know there it should be connected on the other end... any ideas?? the boat works as it is right now, with that line cancelled, but i would like to put it in its place if i can do it....
Nitrofreak reply :
Nice progress so far !!
As far as the rod locker goes, the one concern that I would have about putting the rods in a tube such as that is, if a rod should fall or come loose from it's holder at the other end then the load on the rod tip could break the rod.
To me, it would make much better sence to just cover the rods with a protective sleve, rather than have them shoved in a tube, and a bent tube at that.
(='_'=) reply :
thanx!! it would be practically impossible for a rod to fall from its holder on the reel side, since the locker would be the size of the rods, and it would have 2 supports, one behind the reel, and one in front of the second guide or so, to give support to the lid...my main concern was using a bend tube... maybe i should just make the lid open all the way to the front... i worry about having a 7 feet lid, how difficult will it be to open it one handed....
(='_'=) reply :
On 5/19/2012 at 7:52 AM, Traveler2586 said:Dan, the lid to the rod locker does not need to be seven feet long. The lid to my rod locker is only 46" long, I have a Ranger 185; inside on the forward wall of the locker are tube ports, I think mine are three tubes wide by three row for a total of nine ports. These tube ports are flexible, smooth, thin walled, PVC tubing like you see being buried along the roadways for fiber-optic cables. The idea is the separation of the tubes in the locker wall is even to afford easy access, but the tubing bends to converge at the bow of the boat with some tubes being a little shorter than others. The tubing is under the decking where you don't see it. I'll try to get a pic tomorrow for you.
Cheers, E
hey Traveler, could you send me the pic about your rod locker setup?? i drew the red tubes above based on this post, but a pic would be great to clarify...
thanx!!
Nitrofreak reply :
On 6/13/2012 at 9:44 PM, (= said:thanx!! it would be practically impossible for a rod to fall from its holder on the reel side, since the locker would be the size of the rods, and it would have 2 supports, one behind the reel, and one in front of the second guide or so, to give support to the lid...my main concern was using a bend tube... maybe i should just make the lid open all the way to the front... i worry about having a 7 feet lid, how difficult will it be to open it one handed....
Just like in the above post you had copied from traveler's post, you do not need a 7' door, 5/8 to three quarter the length of the rod will work just fine.
If traveler is not able to post a pic before, I will post one from my boat for you in the morning.
(='_'=) reply :
sorry Nitro, but im not following you on this one...
in your post 101, i thought your opinion was that this was not a good idea, to put tubes and put the rods inside them.... the way i view it, if i dont want to put them inside the tubes, the only way would be to have a 7' lid, and lay them horizontally on the locker.... having a smaller lid would require some sort of guide for the rods to slide into, this is where the tubes enter the picture....
but on this last post, yo mention a smaller lid is possible... can you elaborate on how can i use a smaller lid, without using the tubes or some guides to put the rods into??
a pic would be great also...
thanx!!
Traveler2586 reply :
Dan, Sorry I took so long on this, I can be a real JA at times.
Here are the shots of my rod locker. One observation I just made is it looks to me like the tubes are different sizes, I did not notice that before taking these photos. Also, the tube in the upper right is open, the camera just got a shot straight down the tube to make it look as it does. The hold downs are very useful to protect your reels. I would suggest you do something along this line in your setup. I don't think the rods will break if their not held down, their just too flexible, but I do feel your reels will suffer. The rubber strap they use is the same as the deck rod straps, just a round rubber strap with a screw fitting at each end. You could contact Ranger Boat Parts Dept. at 1-800-724-7273 and describe the straps, I know they have them; you may even be able to get the rod holder frame, tubing, front end plate and end-caps too. I have emailed pic's to them to insure we're talking about the same parts. Just a tip...
You can see my LED bling in the upper right
It really works very well to see the holes at night.
I have seen the other end of these tubes up in the bow of the boat, they're thin walled flexible PVC tubes with end-caps on them. If you ever see a road crew planting orange tubing in the ground for communications cable check it out I think it would be similar to what's in the boat.
Traveler2586 reply :
On 6/4/2012 at 10:38 PM, (= said:my mother was not too happy from having the motor hanging from her ceiling, and i have yet to tell her that it will be there for about a month....
I think I would lay the motor down on a wagon or something; your hoist looks fine, but I think the weak link is the fitting on the motor, a month is a long time to hang a motor. Play it safe and lay it down, or make a motor stand out of some 2X4's.
(='_'=) reply :
thanx!! great pics!!
that is exactly what i was tryng to picture here:
on the first pic you can see the tubes, supposing the front deck is removed, this is what would be under it... right??
and with the front deck in place, you would only see the holes... since i am building this on the space left between the original deck and the new deck, i can only have a row of rods...
and for the reel side of the locker, i was planning instead of the slot, on putting something like this (this is drawn on the front, but it would be behind the reels)
and, i had also thought about a bungee strap, or maybe velcro, to secure them down.... i have those C clips i could also bolt to a wooden block and put it to hold the rods in front of the second guide maybe....
(='_'=) reply :
On 6/14/2012 at 2:17 AM, Traveler2586 said:I think I would lay the motor down on a wagon or something; your hoist looks fine, but I think the weak link is the fitting on the motor, a month is a long time to hang a motor. Play it safe and lay it down, or make a motor stand out of some 2X4's.
thanx, as soon as it is painted (hopefully soon) i will look for a way to lay it down.... right now we have it hanging there because it is easy to work on it that way....
Traveler2586 reply :
On 6/14/2012 at 2:20 AM, (= said:thanx, as soon as it is painted (hopefully soon) i will look for a way to lay it down.... right now we have it hanging there because it is easy to work on it that way....
I think your rod holder with a bungee would work fine.
IMHO, I would get a safety support under your motor; you could build a cheep wooden stand that would allow painting and working on the motor as well. Remember, Murphy is everywhere, give him a chance and he will frack you every time.
(='_'=) reply :
hahaha, thanx, ill keep the motor thing in mind...
now on the holder, the rear part is not a problem... where i am having issues is on the front part... if i want to install the tubes like you mention, they wont be straight, specially the ones on the left, would have a slight bent to follow the contour of the boat.... when i put a rod in there, it would bend a little on the tip... so basically they "converge" at the front of the boat, not much, but enough to say they are not 100% straight....
Traveler2586 reply :
On 6/14/2012 at 2:43 AM, (= said:hahaha, thanx, ill keep the motor thing in mind...
now on the holder, the rear part is not a problem... where i am having issues is on the front part... if i want to install the tubes like you mention, they wont be straight, specially the ones on the left, would have a slight bent to follow the contour of the boat.... when i put a rod in there, it would bend a little on the tip... so basically they "converge" at the front of the boat, not much, but enough to say they are not 100% straight....
100% correct. The end-cap would prevent the rod tip guide from catching on the end of the tube. The slight bend will not hurt the rods at all.
(='_'=) reply :
thanx Traveler!! i have some water hose about 1" thick left from when i installed the bilge and livewell pumps, ll do a test to see how it fits....
so, now that this rod issue is almost solved, i will go to the next issue.... regarding the rear deck, originally only the lids were carpeted.... however i like the look of a big carpeted deck...so i would like to carpet also the part between the storage spaces.... something like this:
however as you see in the pic, the gas hose is right there... i believe if gas spills in the carpet while putting gas in the tank, as it usually does, it would ruin it... so, how would you do it?? i would like to put something like a pan or something, because when gas or oil spills there, it eventually goes to the rear of the boat, and, when we catch a wave, it would wash it down to the water... this contamination is something i would like to avoid... any ideas??
Nitrofreak reply :
Thats the fill port?
If you put a catch tray there you have to avoid it all the time when fishing from the back, at least I would assume.
Whats your thoughts on moving it to the gunnel?
(='_'=) reply :
yes, thats what i was thinking about the tray, it would prevent the deck to be completely flat, which is what i would prefer...
whats the gunnel?? i dont even know the marine words in spanish, in english is harder haha
Traveler2586 reply :
The "Gunnel" is the top of the boats sides.
What kind of fuel tank do you have? If it's the common red plastic removable tank you'd need to adapt a fill tube fitting (1-1/2" I think) to it. If the tanks fill cap is mounted on the deck then it may be possible to move it to the gunnel, just make sure the new fuel lines you use on the boat and motor are rated for Ethanol gas.
Traveler2586 reply :
On 6/14/2012 at 3:46 AM, (= said:thanx Traveler!! i have some water hose about 1" thick left from when i installed the bilge and livewell pumps, ll do a test to see how it fits....
Just make sure the inside of the hose is smooth.
(='_'=) reply :
On 6/14/2012 at 7:54 AM, Traveler2586 said:The "Gunnel" is the top of the boats sides.
What kind of fuel tank do you have? If it's the common red plastic removable tank you'd need to adapt a fill tube fitting (1-1/2" I think) to it. If the tanks fill cap is mounted on the deck then it may be possible to move it to the gunnel, just make sure the new fuel lines you use on the boat and motor are rated for Ethanol gas.
i get it... that would be a good idea, i dont really like having it on the center of the boat, since the gas hose always leaks a little bit, so some gas drops always spill on the boat.... besides, i have to climb on the boat to fill the gas, i would much rather have the fill on one side.... however, it is not the small red fuel tank, this one is a big metallic tank, for about 70 liters (18 gallons).... right now it is bolted to the center of the boat and i would like to keep it that way to keep the balance.... so i think i can move the fill cap and use a big hose.... why does it have to be rated for ethanol gas??
a better question would be, what is ethanol gas?? i dont really think here in Mexico we have that gas...
and yes, the inside of the hoses are smooth, and i close them with a PVC endcap or something...
Nitrofreak reply :
On 6/14/2012 at 9:49 PM, (= said:i get it... that would be a good idea, i dont really like having it on the center of the boat, since the gas hose always leaks a little bit, so some gas drops always spill on the boat.... besides, i have to climb on the boat to fill the gas, i would much rather have the fill on one side.... however, it is not the small red fuel tank, this one is a big metallic tank, for about 70 liters (18 gallons).... right now it is bolted to the center of the boat and i would like to keep it that way to keep the balance.... so i think i can move the fill cap and use a big hose.... why does it have to be rated for ethanol gas??
a better question would be, what is ethanol gas?? i dont really think here in Mexico we have that gas...
and yes, the inside of the hoses are smooth, and i close them with a PVC endcap or something...
Ethanol is basically Alcohol in this case most mixtures are a by product of corn, it has good qualities and bad, 99% bad in my opinion, when used in two cycle engines it has a tendency to reek havoc on fuel related parts and in some cases mechanical issues have followed.
The content ethanol level or percentage will dry up fuel lines, gaskets, oil mix in some cases will not suspend very well alowing internal engine componants to run un-lubricated or less lubricated.
In short it makes things go BOOM !!! if your not careful.
(='_'=) reply :
thanx!! i knew what ethanol is, however... here in mexico they dont sell it, at least not that i am aware of... there is a fuel monopoly in the country, we only have ONE brand of gas, so, theres nothing we can do about it....
anyways, i will use fuel hoses, not any regular hose....
thanx!!
(='_'=) reply :
more progress was done today... it is already painted!! i am waiting for the first clear coat (with flakes) to dry... then we will apply the second clear coat...
heres a pic before the flakes:
(='_'=) reply :
and here´s a close up of the flakes....
(='_'=) reply :
unfortunately its getting dark so most probably i wont be able to take pics after the second clear coat is applied... but tomorrow morning i hope to take it out to the sun and take some better pics...
Bigbarge50 reply :
I have nothing in terms of knowledge to share, but I just wanted to add how great this thread is. When I move on to a new boat, this stuff will be invaluable. Watching the thoughts all laid out on paper with pics and drawings, then the execution really has been a lot of fun. Great stuff fellas.
RobertBG reply :
I've read this whole thread and i have to say congratulations (I know it isnt done)but you guys are realy going to enjoy this boat to the fullest.This buld up is right up my alley,I'm from the school of if you want it then build it and I'm sure it'll convince others to rescue another boat from the weeds somewhere.
great job,good work and hopefuly good fishing.
(='_'=) reply :
hey bigbarge, thanx!! as you see, we dont really know what we are doing, neither of us has done it before... but thanx to forums like this one, we have been asking a lot of questions, doing research, and then doing as best as we can... when i began this thread i wasnt sure if it was going to be a "how to do it" or a "how not to do it"... i figured out it could be usefull for someone, so, here it is.... hope we can be of some help!!
and Robert, thats right... we could have paid for someone to do it, but im sure we wouldnt enjoy the boat as much, even if the final result was better than ours... we have always been of the idea that what we have to learn how to do, we learn by doing it... thank you for your comments!!
(='_'=) reply :
so, here are some pics of the painting proces....
after we primered the first time, we saw a lot of new dents... so we used some kind of putty to cover them... this putty is like bondo, but much thinner, so it covers smaller dents better....
after we finished applyng the putty, we sanded everything with 400 sandpaper... this left a smooth surface... then we applied another coat of primer, thicker than the first one... after this, we sanded everything again, but now with 1000 sandpaper.... this left a REALLY smooth surface.... of course, after each sanding, we had to wash the boat... so basically yesterday we washed the boat like 4 times....
anyways, enough with the talking, here s a pic of the second layer of primer:
and here are some of the first paint application:
here are some of the before and after of appling the flakes:
before:
after:
a little flake will go a long way... we bought $20 worth of metal flake, and it was maybe less than 2 tablespoons.... the seller considered it was enough.... we didnt even used all of it, we left some for when we paint the motor, and here is how it looks:
so, we have maybe $120 USD in materials.... and a lot of labor, most of it done by ourselves, however, a couple of days we had to "hire" some friends, fortunately they charged in beer.....
yesterday we also got the material to recarpet the seats... this work will be done by my grandmother and my GF, so again, free labor..... i dont have pics of the cloth yet, but we choosed 2 different gray shades for the textil, and 1 darker gray for the vinyl.... as soon as i have one seat, i will post the before and after.....
(='_'=) reply :
the flake is mixed with the clear, and then applied to the base paint.... after that we applied another layer of clear coat.... we will put a second layer of clear coat later, when we are ready to paint the motor....
another thing i forgot to add: the darker color gets really hot... today i touched the bow, which had been on the sun all morning, and it was hot, almost too hot to touch... hopefully this wont be a problem, i have seen pics of some dark boats before so i think this wont be an issue... the boat will always be covered anyways, exept while in use....
also, you may have heard that on a paint job, "PREPARATION IS EVERYTHING"... i cannot emphasize this enough... after we applied the putty, we thought most of the dents were covered.... with the next coat of primer, we discovered some more of them, but we considered they werent enough to justify appling putty and sanding and primering again... mistakenly we though the paint would cover them.... IT DOESNT.... we dont really care much about it, since we removed maybe 90% of the dents, including all the big ones.. but there are a lot of really small dents that are noticeable, specially if seen with the proper angle and light.... so, if you want a perfect job, you have to be very patient, and remember once again, PREPARATION IS EVERYTHING.... anyways we are really happy with the end product, but if we had taken more time (which we dont have, fishing season is in 10 days) to prepare the boat, we would have had a perfect looking boat....
Traveler2586 reply :
Really good pic's. Is that "Carnival flake" it looks good.
Can you smooth out the smaller dimples by sanding the clear coat? Don't rush, this boat is going to last you for years; the start of fishing season may be raining or something else may stop you from going. So take you time and do what you need to do. Bottom line - great job so far.
P.S. Can I have that drop cloth in the background when your done with it??????
(='_'=) reply :
thanx Traveler!! the thing is that the flaws are not dimples, but nicks, dents, or depressions that would need to be filled with putty or bondo....
and yes, ill store the cloth for you haha
(='_'=) reply :
now, what do you propose for the bottom part?? as you can see on the first pics, the boat has some defined protruding edges, which limits what we can do as far as wraps... today we are going to remove one of the bunks, to take better pics of the entire boat and see what we could do, we are not sure if we should wrap it, or paint it.... i would prefer wraps, but we dont know what to put in them...
Traveler2586 reply :
On 6/18/2012 at 10:49 PM, (= said:now, what do you propose for the bottom part?? as you can see on the first pics, the boat has some defined protruding edges, which limits what we can do as far as wraps... today we are going to remove one of the bunks, to take better pics of the entire boat and see what we could do, we are not sure if we should wrap it, or paint it.... i would prefer wraps, but we don't know what to put in them...
I would keep it simple, just a solid color - white, cream, or something like that. It's likely to get scratched if you fish close into submerged wood, rocks, or old docks. You'll want something easy to maintain. Some may tell you to use a dark color on the under side of the hull so when the fish look up all they see is a dark shadow, I don't know if that really works or not.
(='_'=) reply :
well, by "the bottom part" i meant the part that is not painted.... so actually it would be "the outside"... i think we are going to paint the part marked in red, and wrap the rest.... this part we would paint with the same color we used for the inside.... also the keel would be painted with the same color.... the bottom of the boat, what you cant see unless you lay on the floor, maybe we will leave as it is....
here is the pic of the boat as it is:
one of the front to view the bends of the boat....
so what would you do?? i have a full color wrap work for free, but i dont know what to put on the wrap....
Tattoo25 reply :
Ive got a boat almost exactly like that one. I love that thing. I did a lot of work on mine also. Found it in the woods. It had been laying there for 12 years. I got mine looking nice but i didnt have the time to do all the stuff you did to it.
(='_'=) reply :
we dont have the time either!! haha, we have to create the time... i work from 7 am to 6 pm, so we have been working from 6 to 10 pm, and on weekends... it is hard, but worth every minute!!
(='_'=) reply :
more progress was done this weekend.... i began working on the deck extension, finally....
since we use this boat for both fishing and skiing, i was wondering how to create a rod locker, and deck extension, and yet keeping the boat able to carry more than 2 persons... so today, after some thinking, and moving the cooler and 2 tackle bags around for a while, we came up with the solution....
we are going to create a rod holder on the left side.... then, on the center, we are going to put the 2 tackle bags... this will leave a small space on the right side, where we are going to keep our burritos =)
all these will be permanent... and, we will make the space between the rod locker and the console and livewell, just big enough to fit an ice chest... since we can also step on the chest, and it is the same height as the deck, the chest will be part of the deck.... when we go fishing, we will put the ice chest there, since we jump on the boat in the morning and generally get down until dark... and, for skiing, we will remove the ice chest, and the rod locker will work as a bench, while the livewells will work as ice chests....
what do you think?? nothing is written in stone yet, we can change the design if you have a better idea...
here is a small diagram of the deck... i would like to do it in Sketchup at least, but my brother is out of town with my laptop so im using the one from work, and i dont want to download the program in this one.... so this will have to do for now.... anyways i plan on building this tomorrow, i will take pics of the progress....
Addicted to Smallies reply :
On 6/17/2012 at 10:04 AM, Bigbarge50 said:I have nothing in terms of knowledge to share, but I just wanted to add how great this thread is.
X2. I don't think I can help with your questions since I haven't done this myself, but I love this thread. If I had the space (and the time) I would definitely do a restoration like this myself. Love following your progress on this thread and just wanted to say "great job" and "I'm jealous." :-)
(='_'=) reply :
thanx addicted!!!
and it doesnt matter if you havent done this yourself ( neither do i hahaha)... im sure everybody here has more experience than me regarding bassboats (besides mine i have never been on another one in person), so i appreciate all your input!!
Nitrofreak reply :
Really nice progress so far, it's looking really cool !!!
As for the wrap, I would suggest loud colors since you went with a dark color base to make the boat pop out.
As for graphics, it all depends on personal preference, like, do you like flames etc...and apply those to your wrap.
At the keel you can do a bat wing, leaving the bottom white and bring the dark color down as far as you can and pin stripe it with like a neon green or something, like this,
That way you won't have to paint anything under the boat.
(='_'=) reply :
thanx!! thats more or less what we had thought about in the first place, but, wont the wrap tear down on the first outing?? here in mexico we dont have boat docks and many lakes dont even have ramps, we have to load/unload on a shallow shore, so the boats take a lot of abuse... thats why we decided against wraps, we thought they wouldnt last long...
Nitrofreak reply :
I may have missed something here, are you wraping the sides or painting the sides?
(='_'=) reply :
i am wanting to paint the part marked in red, as well as the keel:
and wrap the rest...
Nitrofreak reply :
Maybe this will give you a little better idea of what I was after.
(='_'=) reply :
On 6/25/2012 at 11:31 PM, Nitrofreak said:Really nice progress so far, it's looking really cool !!!
As for the wrap, I would suggest loud colors since you went with a dark color base to make the boat pop out.
As for graphics, it all depends on personal preference, like, do you like flames etc...and apply those to your wrap.
At the keel you can do a bat wing, leaving the bottom white and bring the dark color down as far as you can and pin stripe it with like a neon green or something, like this,
That way you won't have to paint anything under the boat.
here, did you mean paint the bat wing, or wrap the bat wing?? because at first i understood you were suggesting to wrap it, but now i think maybe you are saying to paint it??
Nitrofreak reply :
On 6/26/2012 at 6:24 AM, (= said:here, did you mean paint the bat wing, or wrap the bat wing?? because at first i understood you were suggesting to wrap it, but now i think maybe you are saying to paint it??
Yes, Paint the bat wing with the color you chose for the top, then pin stripe it in a neon green, the carnival flake will blend well with the vibrant or loud color of neon, either red, green, or blue neon will work for the pin stripe.
Once you choose your wrap, if you choose to do so, you can also seperate the wrap into sections and allow room for a pin stripe or two to continue down the complete side of the boat, ending them at the rear.
Nitrofreak reply :
Sorry, all I have is a cheap paint shop on my lap top, but hopefully this will give you the general idea of what I am talking about.
(='_'=) reply :
thanx!! i like that neon green... however, i already have the material to upholster the seats, i have 3 different shades of gray, and the carpet will also be gray... would the green look good if there is no green inside the boat??
Nitrofreak reply :
It does not need to be on the inside at all but it would be better to stay with one theme, so you can still paint the bat wing if you wanted to and pin stripe it with a real light gray color
00 mod reply :
The most important part of this whole layout is the Burrito storage space! LOL NICE
Jeff
Shawn Dompierre reply :
Looking good ! Don't stop. I started tournament fishing with my buddys new tr177 and now I have no time for my own boat hahaha...
Ima Bass Ninja reply :
On 6/26/2012 at 10:49 PM, 00 mod said:The most important part of this whole layout is the Burrito storage space! LOL NICE
Jeff
Agreed... You can't have a serious rebuild without a complete burrito storage space. 
(='_'=) reply :
oh no i havent stopped!! in fact i have been working so hard i havent been able to upload pics... last night i completed 90% of the frame for the storage space, ill upload pics today (hopefully)....
and the plan for today is to wrap the rear of the boat, re-install the motor, and if time allows, wire everything back in place.... i plan on working all these evenings, and all saturday, and hopefully be fishing by sunday morning.... i know the outside will not be painted yet, but i think by sunday i may be able to have every functional part of the boat ready... painting will have to wait, since my friend is the one who paints and he will be out of town for 10 days starting tomorrow.... but hopefully by when he comes here i will have everything ready....
and yes, a mexican fishing boat would not be complete without a burrito storage space.... =)
(='_'=) reply :
more progress!! yesterday night i wrapped the transom and installed the motor... i used a gray wrap, and on that i will put a couple of stickers or something, i havent decided yet.... and as you can see, we have not painted the motor yet....but my friend, the painter, is out of the city for 10 or 12 days, and i dont want to wait that long.... when he comes back we will remove the motor, paint, and reinstall....
here it is... the wrap was $3 USD for enought material to cover the transom and a little spare....
i also have about 95% of the storage space wood frame completed but i dont have pics of it right now.... tonight i will begin wiring everything back again, and tomorrow i hope to finish wiring and take the boat for a test ride on the local lake... if it works, tomorrow night ill continue on the storage space, and sunday morning i get to go fishing....hopefully....
Nitrofreak reply :
Lookin really good !!!
Good luck with the rest of it and I can't wait to see the finished product.
(='_'=) reply :
thanx Nitro, neither can I !!!
DON1937 reply :
Restoration threads are enjoyable. Your's is very thorough. Thanks for posting and keep it up!
(='_'=) reply :
thanks Don!!
today i did more progress on the boat... i didnt even went to work so i could begin earlier.... at 8 am i was already out looking for materials... i saw this picture once some time ago, and really liked it, since i used to have all the wires and cables just laying there.... here is the pic i saw on te Nitro website:
tomorrow i will post the pic of my boat, since tonight its too dark to take good pictures.....
besides fixing the cables, i also wired what i could.... i have the livewells ready, the pumps and the plumbing are done on both of them... the fuel pump is also ready, and i removed and cleaned the gas tank, im thinking about relocating the tank to put the filler hose on the side of the boat instead of right on the middle...
after that, i worked a little more on the storage space, specally on the rod storage... i got room for 5 rods. for this, i bought 5 pieces of 1 1/2 cable duct, and closed them with a PVC endcap crazyglued to the end.... i got this picture when there was still some light left.... on the right 2 spaces i can fit 7 feet rods, the other 3 are 6´8" max.
now for the bad part.... i couldnt get the starter to run... i dont know what am i missing, but i tried all afternoon and couldnt get it to work... i believe the problem is on the ignition, since im pretty sure i have the wiring properly hooked on the motor (there are only 2 cables)... but i couldnt do it.... and another bad thing, i cant find the steering wheel!! i looked everywhere, twice at least, the closets, the garage, and i cannot find it... i was thinking about getting another one anyways, but i think with the steering wheel there is a base or something to cover these bolts:
so, thats the progress for today... tomorrow i will get some better pics (not cellphone like today) and upload the progress.... i dont know what to do tomorrow, i guess i will try to finish the storage space and maybe this week carpet the boat....
oh, more progres, i gave my grandma the seats and the materials for her to do the upholstery.... =)
Traveler2586 reply :
On 7/1/2012 at 2:00 PM, (= said:
You could get more rod length in the tubes if you removed part of the brace on the right side of the right hand tube and started the bend of the tubes at the start in the rod locker. The end of each tube could hit the inside of the starboard gunnel with the left hand tube ending at the bow point.
(='_'=) reply :
im not sure im understanding... i already had to remove some bracing, so i wouldnt want to remove much more... besides i dont think i will need to store rods more than 7´ long, and with this setup i can store 3 rods that lenght ( i dont have any yet)...
Scorcher214 reply :
Ya know, might I suggest a burrito stora....OH, you already have that alright, good.
(='_'=) reply :
i had been absent from the forum for a while, due to personal issues that left me with almost no spare time... however, on the small time i had i kept working on the boat.... the storage is almost done, and more progress will be done this weekend... so i think i will be uploading pics by next week....
Shawn Dompierre reply :
Good, I was wondering! I can't wait too see some pictures.
GLADES reply :
Where are the pics???? I have following your restoration..lurking quietly
(='_'=) reply :
i dont know how much time it took for me to say this, maybe 2 months since i started, but i feel really proud to finally announce....
SHE IS ALIVE!!!!
but first, a little update...
this past weekend i had to go to El Paso, so i left the boat with my friend for him to work on it a bit... when i came back, i was really surprised.... he had painted ALL the underside of the boat, there is not one spot missing paint.... i dont know how he did it, but he did... he painted the motor as well... and, he had replaced all the original carpet... we still need to trim the edges and some minor details, but the boat looks great... today i took some pics with my phone, so they are not of very good quality, but here is one to give an idea... i will post more hopefully this weekend....
maybe one month ago, i decided to replace all the fuel lines, im not sure if i mentioned it at that time... anyways, while at it, i installed this as well since it was missing and the fuel hose was directly from the fuel pump to the carbs...
also, while replacing the fuel lines, i decided to clean the carbs, so i completely took them apart, cleaned them, and put them back together.... last time i used the boat, it was taking some time to start, i dont know if it was because the weather was really cold, but it was having problems....
so, this weekend while at EP i went to Academy and bought me this:
and today we finally had time to try it.... so we connected the fuel lines, got some fuel, and wired the ignition switch.... if you saw the post titled Electric Help needed, you will see i was also having problems with that switch, but we figured them out last week....
anyways, i pushed the Choke button, cranked the engine, and the motor turned on at the second try.... i let it run for about 5 seconds, but since no water was coming out of the motor, i turned it off.... i tried turning it on again, this time without the choke, and it turned on as fast as a new car.... again i turned it off quickly, since therw as no water coming out...
so, i have some questions.... shoud it Pee right away?? or would it have peed eventually if i had left it running for more time??? hopefully this weekend we will try it at the lake, but i would like to know how the device works in case we need to work on the boat at home....
so we still have some work missing, we need to finish the storage spaces, upholster the seats, install flush pedestal bases, replace the steering wheel, install the fishfinder, install the stereo and speakers, reinstall the trolling motor, replace lower unit fluid.... so this is not over yet, but it is fishable now!!!
(='_'=) reply :
today we did more progress.... at first, the plan for today was to remove the upholstery of the seats, to make the wooden parts and begin the upholstery work tomorrow... we are going to do 2 of them, and have the other 2 done by a shop... my grandmother was going to do them but the fabric was too heavy for her machine...
anyways, while my friend removed the upholstery of one, i began wiring an automatic switch on the bilge pump... it is one like this:
i wired it on a 3 position switch, automatic on one position, OFF on the middle, and ON on the other position.... however, i noticed that while on Auto, the switch sometimes would be on the OFF position but the pump was on... it seems the internal moving parts are getting stuck... this i didnt like, maybe i will change the switch sometime soon....
anyways, after i finished, i noticed a loose wire below the console... i followed it and it was loose on the other end also.... so we removed it... one thing let to another, and when i noticed, 2 hours of cable pulling had passed and we had removed almost all the wiring from the boat... so right now there is only the harness going to the starter switch, the harness going to the panel which has only 4 switches, and thats all... i took a picture of all the wiring we removed, i will post it later... there were lots of wires hooked only to one end... the lights didnt work anyways, and neither did the front switch panel, besides the trolling motor.... so maybe tomorrow we will wire the trolling motor again, and then we will build a harness for the lights, switches, and navigation lights... this was a task we didnt want to do, because it was a real mess, but somehow we began without noticing, and now, the hard work is done, rewiring again will be easy....
(='_'=) reply :
this weekend we did more progress... we actually have the boat ready to go fishing tomorrow..
so, now much description here, just pics...
these are all the cables we removed from the boat....
now here is the motor:
and finally the boat, al cleaned and ready...
yesterday i installed the fishfinder i got from a member in here:
whas do you think?? as you can see, there are still some things missing... we need to put the lights on... we also need to install the switches on the fron panel... recarpet the interior of the original rod locker... upholster the seats (a friend is doing the work, hopefully we will have them by mid week)....
and after this we need to finish the additional rod locker and storage space.....
so there is still some work to be done, but it will have to wait, because tomorrow we are going fishing!!
Traveler2586 reply :
Looking gooood
fishinkeebs reply :
Great job so far man. Excited to see it all coming together
(='_'=) reply :
thank you!!
heres a question.... where would you put an stereo and speakers?? we have been thinking about putting the stereo on top of the console, and making a console extension with fiberglass... but nothing is decided yet....
Jig Meister reply :
awesome man!
(='_'=) reply :
thanx Jig!!
today i tried to place an order from marineengine.com for an impeller, some cleats, a steering wheel, some flush pulls for my locker lids, and some other parts... the order total was $102, and shipping was $49... of course i didnt place it... i placed the order for the impeller, O ring, and oil seals from boats.net, and the total came to $40 shipped.... does anyone buys from marineengines?? supposedly they had 9.95 shipping on items less than 20 pounds, i dont think my order was more than that....
Shawn Dompierre reply :
Nice! Best part is looking forward to fishing
(='_'=) reply :
finally, after about 2 months, it fished again!!
this last weekend we took her to a lake 2 hours from home, where i caught my PB last year, a 20" bass just over 5 pounds, pictured on the first page of this thread.... we went there for the weekend, and fished hard both of them, on saturday from 9 am to 8 pm, and on sunday from 630 am to 6 pm because we had to come back home....
at the end, i had caught 16 bass and my friend had caught 10... but best of all, we both caught Personal Bests!! i caught a 5.5 pound, 20 1/2" bass, and 3 casts after he netted my fish, i was netting his, a bass just over 4.5 pounds, 19 3/4" long.... we also did a double, catching both at the same time, and over all had a lot of fun...
now, the bad part.... the boat is having trouble to start... in the morning when we launched, one of us had to put some carb cleaner on the carbs while the other one turned the key... after 3 or 4 tries, the motor would start... then, after letting it run for a while, we could turn it off, and then it would start with the key sooner than a new car, without even pushing the choke... but if we fished on one place for too long, and the boat was off for long periods of time, it would struggle again, and as soon as we sprayed carb cleaner into the carbs, it would start, at the first time, every time... then again, we could run to several places, and the motor would turn on every time... we had to use the carb cleaner maybe 3 or 4 times through the day, first at the beginning of the day, and then maybe 3 or 4 hours after that....
so, what could be the problem?? when the motor turned on, it would run great, we could achieve hat-blowing speed, and the motor had a good sound...
pics of the fishing trip to come...
oh by the way, we also had our seats upholstery done by a friend, they didnt come out perfect, but she nneded the job and charged 1/3 that the best quote i got from real upholsters, plus she had them in 2 days, while all of them wanted at least a week... and, i also made some home made flush seat bases for free..... pics of that to come also....
Fishing Rhino reply :
Did you try squeezing the primer bulb to make sure the carb(s) was full of fuel? It sounds like it's a fuel problem, and the engine is not getting fuel after sitting without running for a few hours.
Do you have fresh fuel in your tank? Stale fuel might run and start an engine that is warmed up, but not a cold engine.
(='_'=) reply :
yes and yes....
i actually removed the fuel tank last month, cleaned it, rinse it, and let it dry... then we put 10 liters last sunday to test it, and 40 liters on saturday morning on our way to the lake....
and, the bulb, early in the morning i squeezed it until it was really hard, but after it, i didnt squeeze it... then the boat wouldnt start at mid day, we just tok out the carb cleaner, i didnt try squeezing the bulb again.... but i had already donde that in the morning, with no effect...
Traveler2586 reply :
On 8/7/2012 at 6:06 AM, Fishing Rhino said:Did you try squeezing the primer bulb to make sure the carb(s) was full of fuel? It sounds like it's a fuel problem, and the engine is not getting fuel after sitting without running for a few hours.
Do you have fresh fuel in your tank? Stale fuel might run and start an engine that is warmed up, but not a cold engine.
I agree with Tom, I had this problem once and found fuel was draining back down to the fuel tank through the squeeze bulb. But didn't you just get a new bulb? Is it facing in the correct direction? The arrow points to the engine, but if it's in wrong I think it would block fuel flow. Check hose connections, an air leak into the fuel line will kill the syphon effect.
(='_'=) reply :
well, i replaced the bulb last year... i replaced the fuel lines, and all the connections are tight.... and yes, if the bulb was facng the wrong way it wouldnt allow fuel to pass, as it acts as a check valve....
also, even though i didnt fill the bulb during the day, i made sure it was really full at the beginning of the day, and even then, i had to spray carb cleaner on the carbs for the motor to start.... last week, when i first started the motor after all year without using it, i spent almost 1/2 hour cranking and pouring cab cleaner, until it started.... but once it started and left it run for a while, i could trn it off and then it would turn on again really easy....
now, the first time i start it for the day, it will take several sprays... after than, it if doesnt turns on, it will only require one small burst of carb cleaner....
i will check the spark plugs, but i replaced them lately so i dont expect them to be dirty or burnt... and i think ill replace the gas filter also...
any other idea??
thanx!
Busy reply :
Do your carbs have floats? You could check your float level and the inlet. Those floats do wear out. Had a fourwheeler once that when cold loved the carb cleaner and ended having to change the float even though it looked fine.
Some of the gas in your bowl will dissipate fairly quickly as it sits and that is normal. If your float level is too low after the dissipation it will be harder starting. I think this is less likely seeing as how you have two carbs, just tossing an idea out there. Too much gas in the bowl if also a bad thing.
(='_'=) reply :
thanx, i will check on that... i have got stuck floats on other motors, but not on this one... how do you check the level??
also, here is a pic of the fish i caught on sunday, my new PB.... catching it made all the work on the boat really worth it....
Busy reply :
At cranking RPM a slightly low float might not create the pressure you need to get the gas to the engine. Cold motors need a richer mixture to start (thats what the choke is for). I would make sure your chokes are working first. At running RPM you would not notice a slightly low float because the pressure is great enough to get the fuel to the engine. You said you cleaned the carbs out, you may have bent the tab on the float a bit accidentally especially if you pulled on the float too much to clean the bowl instead of taking if off the pivot pin (hinge). There is a tab on that hinge that you bend SLIGHTLY to adjust your float level. I really think you need a manual. You will need to measure your float level from the bottom of the bowl and it needs to be where the manufacturer wants it. Adjusting your float level is not a way to compensate for a rich or lean air:gas mixture. Usually, but I cannot say ALWAYS, the float needs to be even with the bowl body WITHOUT the gasket on it. If your float pin is visibly worn you will want to replace the float.
If your engine is a 2-stroke I would not spray carb cleaner in it to start it. There is no oil in the carb cleaner to lubricate your pistons. If you need to, pre-mix some gas and oil to use as your starter fluid.
Like above though, I would also check the primer bulb, and make sure there is no air leak before the bulb. Also could check your fuel pump and replacing the fuel filter wouldn't hurt.
Edit: Some carbs have a window on them so you can see the fuel level in the bowl. If yours doesn't, you can run a clear tube off the the drain on the bottom of the bowl and hold it up next to the bowl to check the fuel level, but this won't help you unless you know where the fuel level should be.
Traveler2586 reply :
When you cleaned your carbs, did you remove the high and low speed needles when you blew out the jets? If so, you may need to adjust the low speed jet, just counting turns when replacing the needles will get you close but not exact. Also, if you didn't blow out the jets they may have some build up in them restricting the fuel flow.
llPa1nll reply :
Great work! Heading down the home stretch, keep up the good work.
00 mod reply :
Any updates?
Jeff
(='_'=) reply :
On 10/14/2012 at 2:59 AM, 00 mod said:Any updates?
Jeff
unfortunately, fishing season got in the way.... the boat is running great, but all the spare time we get, which is not much, is used for fishing... we have been out only 3 weekends since July, so as you see, we dont have much spare time, and the little we have, we fish.... but we WILL add the deck extension, decals and everything, and, in the future, fix or most probable rebuild the trailer...
oh, i forgot, the most recent update was that i replaced the steering wheel, no pics of it though....
(='_'=) reply :
did a little more progress yesterday....
since days are getting shorter, most of the times darkness will come with us still in the water.... so i got some LEDs and installed them as courtesy lights. i installed one under the console and 2 were temporarily installed in the original rod locker, when we modify it we will move this lights to another place, but for now, it works where they are....
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