our project

[piquet95971]

Today was another day in the friends' workshop.

I decided that it would be better to do some of the changes there rather than struggling along at home and achieving half as much in twice the time.
Today we lifted the engine and cross bolted the engine mounts and trimmed off a couple of bolts that hold the turning fin in place just in case they are too close to the sump.
I dont need a bilge full of oil!

We also checked the shaft alignment again and found the the back of the engine needed to be lifted a tad. As we had removed the adjusting bolts to get some more adjustment down on the rear engine mount it meant using the gantry and winch. While it was suspended on the lifting sling we tightened the cross mounting adjusters on the mounts. Let the winch off and it was spot on.
We then nipped up the bolts between the two drive flanges. They still need final adjustments to get the mating faces perfect. I'll probably leave the final adjustments until I get the boat in the water and recheck them again. Checked exactly how much we had to shorten the shaft and it was 17mm.
Pulled the shaft out, cut the shaft with the small grinder with an SS thin kerf blade fitted. It ate it and ended up exactly as we wanted. We cleaned up the end, shortened the key and all is ready for the install tomorrow.

I brought the "project" home, plonked it in the driveway and then went shopping.
Name stickers and rego numbers ordered.

All will be revealed in due course
I have to get a different pulley for the waterpump so that it has clearance from the deck beam at the front of the engine compartment then may have to reroute some of the cooling plumbing.

I was going to take the carby and air cleaner/spark arrestor with me today but I left it at home. I think/fairly sure I may have to cut a hole in the engine hatch as there is not much clearance between the top of the carby mount and the underside of the hatch.Will have a look at that tomorrow. I dont want to cut a hole if I can get away without it.
update tomorrow

[rayza1]

Sounds like it's getting close, can't wait for the finished product.

[piquet95971]

Have to cut a hole in the hatch. I thought that I would. will leave it till it gets closer although I will have to cut the hole before the last coat of varnish is applied.
been fiddling with the cooling system removed the pipework as a couple were blocked
more later

[bootlegger]

Why dont you get the name and rego painted on instead of stickers.

[piquet95971]

Dave, I had thought about getting them sign written but was talked out of it by SWMBO. I think she just wants to see it in the water!

I have installed the new Rolco exhaust S bends today. They would be fine if the exhaust outlets were down low but they are almost halfway up the transom, already installed the outlets, so I have adapt some s/s tube to make them work for the position of the outlets.

Have to visit hospital again tomorrow for another round of blood tests. There were some anomalies in the last lot a week ago so they have to be repeated. A bit stressed.

I am planning on getting some new wheels and tyres for the trailer. One tyre has some stress cracks in the sidewalls. They are old and have been sitting round for a while so they gotta go.
The new ones are the white caravan wheels with light truck tyres. So they should last a while.

I'm also going to install a roller under the boats the front to support it. It seems as though the front bounces a bit while being towed.
I'm hoping to get a sprayed coat of varnish on the deck this week. Still have to finish the final wet and dry rub down first.

I'm reasonably happy with the way the whole thing looks especially going back and looking at what I had to start with.
Chat soon
Peter

[bootlegger]

Its pretty easy. Find a decent signwriter. Drop the boat off. Come back a couple of days later and its done.
Stickers are horrible.

[piquet95971]

This weekend I cut the foam to size and also the curvature of the deck camber. I have organised to drop the foam, the vinyl and the piping off to the upholsterer next Wednesday.

This weekend just gone I have glued the rear seat framework together and put the first coat of varnish on the framework. The cavitation plate was finally bolted on to the transom. I also found an eyebolt for the stem, shoved it into place then crawled up into the bow under the deck and bolted it into place. Would have been so much easier if I had been able to find it before the deck was completely nailed in place.

I have worked out that I can't use the Rolco exhaust S bends that I had purchased before Christmas as they can't be made to suit the higher than usual position of my exhaust outlets without cutting them which will ruin the look of them. So if you need some brand new still in the plastic polished aluminium Rolco exhaust S bends then drop me a line.

The 45* exhaust extensions/droppers can be rotated on the end of the exhaust manifolds.the pipe for the port side will have to be rerouted and may have to be extended but that will be easy enough. The water inlet to the stbd dropper will have to be redrilled in one of the other positions, then tapped out to suit and the old hole have a plug screwed into it. I have some one piece s/s exhaust flanges that will now be used. I have taken the measurements and will get some s/s tube bent up for the exhaust pipe and then fit them and get them welded up to the solid flanges.
Then get some rubber tube and decent worm drive clips to attach the pipe to the outlets in the transom.

[piquet95971]

Visited the upholsterer today only to find that he wasn't home.

Revisit him tomorrow afternoon with all the makings.
After arriving home today I found the reinforcing plate for the inside of the transom for the rudder head. So it was duly fitted in place.

Yesterday I cut the hole in the engine hatch for the top of the carby and the air cleaner. I varnished the instrument panel deck beam and trim piece.

I am still to adjust the position of the engine to get the gearbox flange and flange on the prop shaft absolutely right. It is 5thou out vertically an 3thou out horizontally.
I hope to get it right before the weekend but there are so many things that need to be done and they are all so interlocked

[piquet95971]

Yesterday was spent just running round for the boat. I have bought some new Caravan tyres and wheels for the trailer and had to go the other side of town.
You know the white "Sunraysia " type. OK, they were probably made in China but what isn't these days. I know the tyres are Chinese but seeing as how we don't manufacture tyres here any more and that they are Light truck tyres they should be OK.
Probably never wear them out.

Also dropped off the makings for the seat cushions off to the upholsterer. Probably be about a week to get them done. He is a pensioner so any small cash jobs help him out. His work is not the absolute Gold Plated Rolls Royce but it is really quite good.

[piquet95971]

This afternoon I spent time contemplating, standing back and looking at some of the things that I have done and looking at what I have to do next. There are a couple of things that I'm not all that happy with but I don't think there is a great deal that I can do to change them now.

I'm not all that happy with the engine hatch the way that it has turned out but will probably leave it for now get the damn thing finished and eventually make a new hatch that I will be happy with.

It's probably me being pedantic more than anything else.
Tomorrow I will go and buy a new shiny air cleaner instead of the slightly tatty corroded one. Bling always make you feel better.

Will also get some more varnish for the deck. Hopefully the weather on Sunday will be OK for spraying the deck and coaming.
More updates soon.