1985 Rampage Center Console Rebuild

[project 85]

alright, i just bought a 1985 Rampage CC with a mercruiser and a volvo penta 280 DP/PT outdrive. i've had it a for a week and have realized it has a seized motor, needs some electrical support and i have some rotted rear stringers. i am looking at a repower and think i have that figured out, as far as what and how much.

my problem now is these rear stringers. the boat has a midship engine and a jack shaft/drive shaft to the volvo outdrive. so when i pull the motor and i remove the drive shaft i should have plenty of room to work. my only concern is i do not want to cut the deck to get behind the stringers. i can post a picture tommorow of the rot. i was thinking i can cut out the bad part, fiberglass the area i just removed, still on the boat. fiberglass the new wood that is going in and then gussy plate it in and fiberglass over that? just to make it all waterproof and fiberglassed. not sure if there is an easier way.

any help or suggestions would be great, thanks in advance

bill

 

[oops!]

Re: 1985 Rampage Center Console Rebuild

hi 85...welcome to iboats

the problem is, you can make many different plans on how to do the repair.

but once you dig into it.....you find much more rot that you expected.
boats rot from the inside out. by the time you see or feel the rot on the surface.....the inter sections are already gone.

you will never know how bad it is till you start ripping.
as you do the demolition, the repair strategy will come.

 

[project 85]

Re: 1985 Rampage Center Console Rebuild

rewiring some stuff today. what a pain in the arse. looked like a rats nest under the centerconsole. lots of learning to do with this boat. hope the headaches are worth it.

 

[project 85]

Re: 1985 Rampage Center Console Rebuild

gonna post some pictures today. found a motor the other day to replace my seized motor. also talked to my boat guy about doing some work on my outdrive. from talking to him i guess what i've been call a jackshaft/drive shaft is really an aquashaft. has anyone had one of these set ups before? is there anything i need to look out for?

the boat guy also has someone who can repair my rotted stringers. still on track for a may first launching, keep your fingers crossed.

 

[project 85]

Re: 1985 Rampage Center Console Rebuild

has anyone ever used git rot or another rot epoxy? i see west marine has the git rot and there own west marine version of it. it's surposed to pentrate the rotted wood and make it strong and like new structurally and all that. has anyone ever used this stuff before or know of anyone who has tried it. i have some pretty punky wood stringers and west marine says this stuff will give the wood the strength and support my floor needs. i had a guy from a marine repair place check out the rotted stringers he thought it wasn't a big deal structurally. he thought it was why my deck had some cracks in it and that fixing it would stop the floor from cracking.

any input would be great, thanks
bill

 

[rickryder]

Re: 1985 Rampage Center Console Rebuild

i had a guy from a marine repair place check out the rotted stringers he thought it wasn't a big deal structurally.he thought it was why my deck had some cracks in it and that fixing it would stop the floor from cracking.

any input would be great, thanks
bill

Bill you need to find a new marine guy...... The stringers ARE the structure of the boat....... Only way to get rid of rot is to cut it all out and replace the wood and reglass the stringers..... I can't see how someone can say It's not a big deal....Does he have x-ray vision and can see no rot below the deck??? Only way to know where the rot has gotten to is to core sample the stringers and transom... only way to get to the stringers is rip up the deck.... My boat has just a few soft spots on the deck around the helm seats and ski locker....Feel free to read my resto thread and see what was under the deck.

BTW Welcome to the Dry Dock..... We'll help any way we can