Boat Resoration Questions... *UPDATED 6/3/08

[Rebel9921]

I know I had established June 7th to finish my boat but after getting it home last sunday and practically taking most of things off... I dont think I would be able to finish it til at least by September... Now I have few questions... again, the boat is a 1988 Bass Tracker Tournament 1800FS with Mercury XR4 Black Max 150...

1. I definitely will be taking the motor off so that I could replace the transom... I can see 4 bolts... and I know that I will have to take the gas tank out to be able to access the bolts.... but is that all??? What would be the proper steps for taking the motor off???

2. The flooring is definitely a MUST REPLACE... The front deck is all fiberglass... and from the looks of it... seems to be fine... the rear deck is all fiberglass and has Aluminum Lids that makes up the deck... so its all fine... Now only way I can really take the floor off would be to take the top half off... which is also why I would need to take the motor off... What would the proper steps be for this???

3. What would be the best and the safest way to remove the glue residue from carpeting on fiberglass??? Scrapper??? Black Paint/Rust stripper that you could attach to a drill??? There are some areas where the old glue seems to come off easily but some areas where it seems like its more stubborn than a mule...

I might not have to replace the transom but from what I have seen... I figure why not kill two birds with one stone...

I definitely will NOT go with carpeting ( I will install snaps for snap-on carpeting tho)... I am deliberating between Herculiner/Rhino Lining or Vinyl Flooring... With Herculiner... Just basically need to mask off the areas that I dont want to apply on Herculiner and apply it... basically no seams in corners... but if Vinyl would be better... What would be the proper way to do it so that there doesnt seem to be any seams for corners???

Also... what type of high-speed buffer do you recommend... I did some "high speed hand" buffing yesterday and it seems like the gelcoat could be salvaged without wet-sanding...

I am also looking to replace ALL of the wirings, cables, etc etc, along with all switches... It seems like its a bit of a mess and I really want to make everything very SIMPLE and workable...

I was going to take pics of the progress I've done... but the rain is preventing that... hopefully by Saturday... Any thoughts, any feedbacks from ANYBODY on any level will be greatly APPRECIATED... if you got a thought... I want to hear it...

If it makes it easier, heres my email: [email protected] ... Thanks!!!

[eurolarva]

Cant help with 2 and 3 but with 1 your going to need a hoist. Once you get it off you will need something like a modified two wheeler to move it around. You will also need to remove all the steering cables, throttle cables and probably all the electrical harness from the motor. That and remove the gas line from the motor. I am in the process of doing all this with a much smaller motor. Mine is a 45 HP and it weighs around 150 lbs. Good luck

[b1gf1sh1]

hey Reb, got a lil project huh? that's cool, by the time you really get into it you'll get several different views on everything i'm sure, but here's mine, please keep in mind i've not seen it so some may be inaccurate. for the motor i have a 91-92 135 black max so i know the size pretty good. about 450 lbs i think. you can rent a hoist at henjy rental in maplewood. those guys over there are pretty smart and can probly help with the correct way to attach the strap to it and lift it off. mabe chains, depends on hoist. second a cheap stand can be easily made out of some 4x4's designed like a sawhorse. the rest is pretty basic in that you have to disconnect everything.

the floor i've not seen so advice from me is minimal.first how is it attached? once you figure that out it's just going backward from where it ended installation till it started. wish i could see it.

for the carpet, this is freakin tough man. theres like 10,000 diferent glues out there. but with most i've had good luck with cheap lacquer thinner from mills fleet farm or the like. it may discolor your boat but if your covering it up, no biggy. it may also melt your deck if left standing too long, so don't just soak it on and leave. a good way to apply it is to get a few of those flat yellow sponges wet with the thinner and place them over different areas and place something kind of heavy on them for a few minutes, OR LESS if it's melting your boat. try a spot and time it to figure out a time. after the glue softens take razor blade to it and get ONLY the top layer of it off. leave a thin layer so you don't gouge the boat up. then with the scrubby side of the sponge scrubb the glue off. then when it's all a bunch of thin sticky goo and balls of glue take some rags wet them with thinner and clean it the rest of the way. simple, lol. really cruddy work but somebodys gotta do it. also the fiberglass may not melt at all. just test it first.

that hurculiner is a really tough product to apply professionally let alone by someone with limited knowledge. personally i'd go another route. it's heck on wheels. explaining it would be three pages and that would just be basic. mainly it's hard to get to stick just right on fiberglass. but it's your boat.

you may be able to rent a buffer there too i don't know. i own variable speed makita's, and i suggest variable speed. different products require diferent speeds to get them to optimum temp or keep them from getting to hot. normally slower is better for most stuff. but 3M has a few that require high speed or they turn to dust to quick to work. go with maguires line, or 3M lines only. no others.

on the wireing. change it slow a little at a time. don't just go in there hog wild and rip it all out at once. rip out... change. rip out... change. just to easy to get lost.

anyway, good luck, and don't forget the rivers. they have fish too!! good luck

[Steve Bakken]

If you're going to split the boat, you'll wanna take off the rub-rail. Under this are usually staples that hold the two halves together. When we do it at the boat shop, we have one in front, one on each back corner, and one inside to spot any wiring or cables that were missed so that they dont get damaged. As for a "high speed" buffer, Any automotive buffer should do. You actually want one that maybe only runs at 1000 to 1500 rpms. Anything higher can result in burning right through the gelcoat on the edges.

[Rebel9921]

Yeah Big... 9 years of sitting there suffering every brut of the weather each season... man... I bet she gave a huge relief of sigh when I hitched her up and brought her home...

I have a friend who will let me borrow his Engine Hoist so its not a problem... So I am supposed to make this sawhorse out of 4x4's then bolt the motor onto the stand???

The flooring... Heres where I wish I could've taken pictures so you would have a better idea of why I would have to take the top half off... It seems like plywood was put down, then fiberglass applied on top of it, then the top half of the body was put in place then carpeting was put on... Since I already ripped out the carpeting... I will take pictures tomorrow for sure and make it whole lot easier for anybody that could really help me out big time...

Dont worry... I definitely will be taking my sweet time with this boat... I definitely wont rush into it... and any major work I'll take pics of it then wait for feedbacks...

Steve... I've already taken off the rub rail... and I can see the screws thats basically holding the top half to the bottom half... not staples... Three people operation to take the top half will not be a problem for me... So its supposed to lift off easily or is there supposed to be some prying??? and what do I do to put it back on??? Do I apply a bead of silicone around or what???

Guess its time to buy a real good buffer then... No worries there...

[b1gf1sh1]

 Quote:

I have a friend who will let me borrow his Engine Hoist so its not a problem... So I am supposed to make this sawhorse out of 4x4's then bolt the motor onto the stand???

yes. you can put casters on it so it's mobile. only needs to be a couple feet long. as long as it's built to be stable and not ''tippy'' it's fine. lag bolts after it's put together with deck screws isn't a bad idea. wide stance on the legs. you probly know that anyway. measure the shaft from bolts down and make it a few inches taller. buy a makita variable speed buffer. you won't be sorry. nice and light but still has plenty of power under load. 7 corners ace hardware has the best deal anywhere on the makita's. about 100.00 cheaper than anywhere else and i searched alot. bought two over 10 years ago. only changed cords and brushes, ansd one trigger appiece. really nice unit. have a good one.

[b1gf1sh1]

 Quote:

wide stance on the legs

i should mention just in case... wide means back and to the sides, with the back legs longer than the front and the legs out farther for proper balance. with a slight lean backwards, mabe ten degrees or a little less, front and back legs held together at the bottom by a 2x4 in a square pattern surrounding it.. the motor should be in the middle of it not back of the middle. so it should be bolted forward of the middle. kind of an offset mount. mount board is basicly on top of the front legs and the back legs are for support so it won't tip back. lol, i hope this is easy to understand.

[Valv]

Where are you located ? I have many parts you might be interested and I am liquidating the shop.

[ANYFISH]

rebel, my first question is, as I am not familiar with this boat, is it a fiberglass boat or aluminum. there was a reference to gelcoat and fiberglass in this thread leading me to believe it is a fiberglass boat.

Are you sure that the cocpit floor is seperate from the deck (top half)? Many fiberglass boats have one piece decks. Laquer should take off your glue, may discolor some but you will be covering it up when done anyhow. Is there any other work you are planning on doing to the floor other than recovering it? If not don't bother with taking the deck a part.IMO

As far as replacing your transom many if not all transom boards are laminated (glassed)into the hull. If so, this should only be done by a professional as all of your torque from your motor is passed through your transom. If it isn't rotting I wouldn't mess with it.

Any good buffer and pad will do, it will just take time buffing. I warn against going high speed as you can damage your gelcoat even worse, just take your time and most scratches can be removed and a will give a great shine even with old gelcoat.

I work at Larson, Glastron, and Seaswirl boats in Little Falls so if it is indeed a fiberglass boat, I may be able to get some good qualified advice for you if you have other questions.

[Rebel9921]

Valv... who are you asking, me or B1G??? As for me, Im from Bloomington... I am planning on asking you about those resin replacement transom wall thingy you posted a while back...

Any... yes its a fiberglass dual-console 18ft... Like I said I was going to take pics to give you guys a better idea but rain is preventing me from doing that... and it rained again today... so hopefully tomorrow that will change...

[Valv]

 Originally Posted By: Rebel9921

rain is preventing me from doing that... and it rained again today... so hopefully tomorrow that will change...

You're kidding right ???

This weekend I will be home, you are welcome to stop by

[trackerbrent]

Here is some picturs Rebel. Same boat. I chose not to split my boat in half. I am going to try Seacast pourable transom. I do not know how good it is. I decided to take a chance. Alot of guys on a bass boat forum say it pretty good. I am doing it to save time. My knee braces and stringers are solid. I am ready to pour it in, got all the wood out. That was horrible, but necessary for the stuff to bond to the existing fiberglass. I will post how it goes, if it will help you out Rebel.

Boat with motor removed and in nice warm garage.

Here is the transom cap cut out and wood removed.

Here is the engine puller I made. I used a cheap harmonic balancer puller and an I hook. 3 bolts in to the flywheel. Cost about $20 and then I borrowed a buddies engine hoist.

Here is the engine stand I made in the corner of the garage. I just made it out of scrap lumber, bolts and screws laying around. I lagged it to the wall studs. Very solid. My garage is a mess from this project and still having my sleds in there too. Hope this helps. Being I have the same boat, let me know if you have any questions.

[Rebel9921]

Brent... Thanks for the pictures... the Engine Puller definitely is a great idea... I'll do that... Also, the rear deck seems shorter than mine??? And where did you get the windows??? I definitely need a pair of windsheild for mine... Seems like there isnt no difference in graphics...

Now to give everyone a better idea of what Im talking about regarding the flooring... Heres what I have done so far with removing the seats, the carpeting, the lids, etc etc...

The flooring...

Now for the screws that seems to attach the top half to the bottom half... I've inserted arrows pointing to the screws...

Now for the rear deck... I removed all lids except for the one that covers the gas tank and the oil tank or whatever that is...

Im currently working on stripping the carpet off the lids... First I try to "tear" the carpet off by hand or pliers then I strip the remains (glue, etc etc) off with drill-powered paint stripper... the lids are aluminum so no worries about that... I'll take pics soon...

[Rebel9921]

Any new ideas since I posted pics to give you all better ideas???

[lots of luck]

Rebel shoot me an email @ berts31 (at) hotmail.com

Jason

[Rebel9921]

Lots... Sent you an email...

[Steve Bakken]

Rebel, as for the screws, this should be all you need to remove. As for how difficult it is to pop off, it depends. All boats are different, but we've never had one that won't come apart. Just take your time and work it with some pry bars. Use wide ones so you dont damage the fiberglass. It should come apart.

[Rebel9921]

Yep... Spent most of the saturday taking the top cap off... the hardest part was separating the splashwell from the transom on the inside... apparently it was caulked or glued... but managed to pry it all off... now you can see the flooring...

Now I have a question... I am considering buying those resin replacement transom from Valv... Would those be good for knee braces too???

Also... the resin transom is 1 3/4 inches thick... and the current transom is 2 1/4 inches thick Would it be suitable???

Heres the hull... you can notice brown streak lines coming down on the transom... my best guess is that the transom core is SOAKED... and definitely will be replaced...

Other view of the transom... should be able to notice the brown drips...

Front view... Floor has been glassed onto the hull... Im in the process of cutting the fiberglass out... cutting approx 1" from the hull just to be sure I dont cut into the hull... Probably will sand it down...before putting new floor in... also am thinking of glassing in wood for the new floor to be screwed in... see the white thing on the transom in the back of the hull... that gave me so MUCH trouble separating from the top cap in the splashwell area

Now this is where the rear seat pedestal goes in... the wood inside is ROTTEN and will be replaced...

Now for the top cap... see the white thing on the inside of the top cap on the splashwell... that used to be attached to the transom wall...

Other view of the top cap...

and another...

[overdalimit]

I hope you got that boat for next to nothing! What a HUGE job! I wouldn't attempt that in a million years. I would never finish it. I wish you the best of luck on your project my friend!

ODL

[Rebel9921]

Its a LONG story about how I got this boat... It was covered in other post I made earlier... heres the link... http://www.fishingminnesota.com/forum/ub...ded#Post1273526

The boat was at a Marine store for storage for past 9 years... I finally got her home at the end of April... so the damage has been done... This is turning into a huge LABOR OF LOVE project for me... Failure is not and will not be an option here at all...

I will keep on going til shes 100% done and operational... Im hoping to get all the work done thru the summer including new transom, new flooring, new floation foam, new extended casting deck, new cables/wires, etc etc before first snowfall... then I can spend the winter working on rebuilding the motor... then when spring comes... mount on new trolling motor and a complete Lowrance GPS/Sonar system, along with mounting the motor back on...

In some ways, she deserves all this TLC seeing how she suffered 9 years up at the Marine place...

[Peachy]

Wow!!!!! U sure got alot done!!!! :-) Keep it up! Lil Mayhem is definitely basking in all the TLC u are giving her!

[marine_man]

Wow... looks like a lot of work, but glad to hear you're fired up to do it!

Good luck!

marine_man

[b1gf1sh1]

lookin' good man. just make sure you sign that sucker with a BIG R somewhere to show who the ''artist'' was. happy to see your motivated. i had a hard time just motivating to fix my trailer lights lol. sheesh.

[Rebel9921]

Marine... Im definitely fired up to finish her... Its the rainy weather that depresses me...

BIG... I did consider having the whole hull repainted Confederate Flag... but that would be overkill... I'll just put a nice sized decal on the back of the transom...

All the kidding aside... I'll definitely be ordering a pair of new decals saying "LIL MAYHEM" and put it on the bow... and switching the "Bass" in "Bass Tracker" to "Musky" so it'll read "Musky Tracker"...

The main reason for me being so motivated with the boat is that I want it completely SLIMED as soon as Im done with the project... Theres nothing sweeter than having completely restored something... then to have people drool over it... then accomplish something you set out to do with the project... I know its a LONG HARD SLOW process... but in the end... its all worth it!!!

[Rebel9921]

Here are the updated pictures...

Imagine it... this hull is all FIBERGLASS except for the transom...

The tunnel has been cut open... all floatation foam has been removed... I must have removed anywhere from 300lbs to 800lbs thanks to the foam which has been saturated FULLY with water...

Next two pictures are of the birds eye view of the transom... theres an opening in the tunnel wall which I will close off...

Rear view of the hull... all foam has been removed...

See the dark spot inside the tunnel... thats actually a hole... the hole that has been allowing the water from the bilge to go into the tunnel, saturating the foam with water... Imagine, I found a mouse nest in one of the tunnel... Also I will be adding a crossbrace where the tunnels ends in the points

This shows the poor fiberglass job... the so-called "cross brace" was actually taken off without any cutting...

More views of the hull...

Next step is to grind/sand the fiberglass... smooth out the tunnel walls (inner)... then add new plywood for the transom, stringer, and add 5 crossbraces for added strength... also I need to cut and grind down more of the floor edges all around the hull... Once thats all done... I'll be adding one or two layers of glass saturated with epoxy resin for added strength...