No word back from the shop about the Sea Ray. I was expecting a call on Wednesday to get an idea of price and timeline. The rough estimate was one week.
I'm going to wait until Monday to call if I don't hear anything before then. Trying not to be impatient but the appeal of having a boat that will actually run is quite exciting. Looking forward to the interior work with mixed emotions. Excited it will be usable but nervous about potential delays and problems.
The project boat in question...
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Engine Shop!
Been busy the last few months visiting family, Christmas, and a week long ski vacation. As it had months ago, reality set in that I wouldn't be able to devote the needed time to finish the boat motor in a reasonable time frame. The boat was purchased early 2009, the transom was rebuilt at the end of 2011, and the motor has been an on again off again project most of that time.
I loaded up all the parts and dropped the boat off with my marine mechanic. Can't remember if I mentioned him before or not but he did the rebuild on my ski boat motor which had some freeze damage like everyone had here recently. My guy said he did about 30 motors alone!
The prep work for loading up the trailer was very interesting and thought it might be worth sharing my insights. I literally took everything out nailed down in the boat and moved it to the garage. It is amazing how much stuff was sitting in there. With everything out the interior project looks much less dubious that it did previously. I will try to do a better job of photo/video documenting some of the work from here on out when possible. It seems like I get started on a project with that intention but get side tracked doing the actual project at hand.
In writing my notes for the finishing parts of the restoration I'm realizing some parts for these Sea Rays cannot be bought readily. Some I will fabricate and some I may need to find a boat junk yard to salvage some pieces for. I'm sure they have such places but no idea where.
Friday, December 2, 2011
November Update
Not a whole lot has happened on the boat recently. I have a guy lined up to do some work on it but trying to find a time when he is available has been tricky.
One thing I don't think I have touched on is the importance of documentation. Photos, notes, videos, etc.
When I first began disassembling the motor, thinking it was just the heads that needed replacement, I didn't do a good job of documenting. We took off the heads there were some bolts and an hold gasket. Those few things became a larger assortment of bolts. What went where? What is this? What is that? Trust me... document.
Luckily some items I put in a zip lock bag and labelled it. This has been helpful even on parts I intended to replace. Its not easy to find 30+ year old bolt kits so you find yourself hunting around for certain sized bolts at your local hardware store and its helpful to have a reference.
Even keeping old parts is helpful. I wrote down the part number of a few items but found myself looking at the parts and comparing them to online pictures to be sure I actually got the correct item. Some part numbers have different versions/revisions. Fuel pump is a good example.
Lastly, never underestimate what you should take a picture of. When I notice some rot on the helm seat I took it out to fix it and the rot was bad enough the seat fell apart. Since I didn't have good reference photos I couldn't figure out how to get the back seats to work like the original one did. Ultimately, I decided to buy a new helm seat rather than struggle with recreating the broken one.
One thing I don't think I have touched on is the importance of documentation. Photos, notes, videos, etc.
When I first began disassembling the motor, thinking it was just the heads that needed replacement, I didn't do a good job of documenting. We took off the heads there were some bolts and an hold gasket. Those few things became a larger assortment of bolts. What went where? What is this? What is that? Trust me... document.
Luckily some items I put in a zip lock bag and labelled it. This has been helpful even on parts I intended to replace. Its not easy to find 30+ year old bolt kits so you find yourself hunting around for certain sized bolts at your local hardware store and its helpful to have a reference.
Even keeping old parts is helpful. I wrote down the part number of a few items but found myself looking at the parts and comparing them to online pictures to be sure I actually got the correct item. Some part numbers have different versions/revisions. Fuel pump is a good example.
Lastly, never underestimate what you should take a picture of. When I notice some rot on the helm seat I took it out to fix it and the rot was bad enough the seat fell apart. Since I didn't have good reference photos I couldn't figure out how to get the back seats to work like the original one did. Ultimately, I decided to buy a new helm seat rather than struggle with recreating the broken one.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Engine Oil
The stamp on the valve cover of my engine says it uses SAE 30 oil. I found that its hard to find this weight oil locally and ended up ordering some from Summit Racing.
One key issue here is older engines that use flat tappet cams need a higher Zinc (ZDDP) content than modern engine oil. This is an anti-wear additive that is essential to keep your cam from being damaged. Newer engines use roller cams which allow them to use a lower ZDDP content in the oil which is important because ZDDP is hard on catalytic converters.
I've read several online discussions and posts which suggest that oils have come a long way since some of these older engines were designed and that while SAE 30 works it is recommended you user 25w-40 (the standard 4-cycle engine oil) in your 4-cycle instead. That is good news since 25w-40 is easier to find.
Bad news is you still need the ZDDP but there are products and additives that provide the extra Zinc which might be easier to procure than SAE 30.
While I wouldn't tell anyone to do this without doing their own research it is something I am going to try and look into more closely.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Nothing New
It has been hotter than hell in TX recently, regularly over 100 degrees out. Once it cools off I will get back to the motor.
One interesting event we had rain last week. I forgot about making sure the engine was covered but luckily it was.
One interesting event we had rain last week. I forgot about making sure the engine was covered but luckily it was.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Get a manual!
Engine was out and I went to install the exhaust (its a U shaped piece that has to be in before the engine) of course I got concerned bout how many lines were supposed to run from the outdrive and into the boat.
As it turns out, it should be 2 hoses (one from trim up and one trim down ... IE an in and out hose for the hydraulic fluid). These hoses need to be in place and secure before installing the exhaust on these older boats because otherwise you can't access that area again.
I ended up buying a Clymer manual for that model year range (mid 60s - 80s) which has provided a fair bit of detail that really helps the re-assembly process. [How many hydraulic lines wasn't included, I had to scour the internet to figure that out.]
I'm also finding manuals to be lacking in terms of bolt sizes and lengths. That has taken some research and trial and error to resolve. Best advice I can give is label everything in a zip lock bag and keep it all together!
As it turns out, it should be 2 hoses (one from trim up and one trim down ... IE an in and out hose for the hydraulic fluid). These hoses need to be in place and secure before installing the exhaust on these older boats because otherwise you can't access that area again.
I ended up buying a Clymer manual for that model year range (mid 60s - 80s) which has provided a fair bit of detail that really helps the re-assembly process. [How many hydraulic lines wasn't included, I had to scour the internet to figure that out.]
I'm also finding manuals to be lacking in terms of bolt sizes and lengths. That has taken some research and trial and error to resolve. Best advice I can give is label everything in a zip lock bag and keep it all together!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Engine in and back out!
So the gantry was built a while back and the engine was placed in the boat. Since it has been about 2 years since I started this project I couldn't remember all the details of the tear down of the engine, etc.
After the engine was in the boat there was some question if there were some type of rubber stops on the engine mount to reduce vibration noise. I ended up finding some steering wheel bushings that looked like they would work.. but... ultimately found that they were not required. The front engine mounts on this boat just had two screws on the top and two on the bottom to hold the engine at the proper angle. If anyone reading this blog is curious the bolts I needed were 3/4" fine thread (16 threads).
Getting the engine lined up to drill the new motor mounts was relatively easy... the bolts that attach the bell housing to the outdrive basically get you aligned correctly left to right and front to back. The only real adjustment was getting the engine level and at the correct angle for the outdrive shaft which is done by adjusting the aforementioned bolts.
In my mind this was the correct thing to do (getting the mounts drilled) before finishing engine assembly. But as it turns out these older Mercruisers use a "Y" (mine looks more like a U) shaped exhaust pipe that has to be installed BEFORE the engine (there isn't enough clearance to just slide it under the engine). So the engine has to be taken back out, the exhaust pipe installed, and the engine can go back in.
One trick I've found is stacking two 2x4s and laying them across the boat (under the rails) provides a simple yet effective mini-gantry to lift and position the engine. This was extremely useful when trying to get the engine level on the mounts.
One issue I am seeing in my future is that with the exhaust manifolds installed and hoses it will be difficult to access the valve covers to adjust the valves (if needed). It would have been better if the engine was on a test stand. I can't remember if I mentioned or not but the engine was originally a long block but the guy who was supposed to finish building the motor for me stripped it down to inspect it first and when he refused to work on a manufacturered motor... I got it back in pieces. Otherwise, this would have been less of a concern.
It isn't fatal but may take a little more time to adjust the lash on the valves if needed.
After the engine was in the boat there was some question if there were some type of rubber stops on the engine mount to reduce vibration noise. I ended up finding some steering wheel bushings that looked like they would work.. but... ultimately found that they were not required. The front engine mounts on this boat just had two screws on the top and two on the bottom to hold the engine at the proper angle. If anyone reading this blog is curious the bolts I needed were 3/4" fine thread (16 threads).
Getting the engine lined up to drill the new motor mounts was relatively easy... the bolts that attach the bell housing to the outdrive basically get you aligned correctly left to right and front to back. The only real adjustment was getting the engine level and at the correct angle for the outdrive shaft which is done by adjusting the aforementioned bolts.
In my mind this was the correct thing to do (getting the mounts drilled) before finishing engine assembly. But as it turns out these older Mercruisers use a "Y" (mine looks more like a U) shaped exhaust pipe that has to be installed BEFORE the engine (there isn't enough clearance to just slide it under the engine). So the engine has to be taken back out, the exhaust pipe installed, and the engine can go back in.
One trick I've found is stacking two 2x4s and laying them across the boat (under the rails) provides a simple yet effective mini-gantry to lift and position the engine. This was extremely useful when trying to get the engine level on the mounts.
One issue I am seeing in my future is that with the exhaust manifolds installed and hoses it will be difficult to access the valve covers to adjust the valves (if needed). It would have been better if the engine was on a test stand. I can't remember if I mentioned or not but the engine was originally a long block but the guy who was supposed to finish building the motor for me stripped it down to inspect it first and when he refused to work on a manufacturered motor... I got it back in pieces. Otherwise, this would have been less of a concern.
It isn't fatal but may take a little more time to adjust the lash on the valves if needed.
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