Hello Folks,
It's me again, with more rotten wood. I am looking for some help. I started off just wanting to reupholster my crappy back to back seats and this is turning into a big ol CF. My craft is a 1985 Seaswirl Tempo 17 with a 3.0 OMC 400 stringer mechanical shift outdrive. I rebuilt the drive and actually like it (believe it or not) and the engine has unknown hours but consistent compressions, good oil pressure, and gets me on plane in 6 seconds every time (unless I'm pulling a skiier or something). So no complaints about the engine or drive. What happened is probably familiar to most of us; I started out with something minor in mind and it's turning into something major. I have a few youtube vids I posted on my channel I will try to post them here so you can see what I'm up against.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-rFxg6BquU
This is the first vid I took that shows some of the floor removed and the problem I'm really asking about. My problem is my engine seems to be mounted to blocks that have been laminated to a piece of plywood that runs right next to the stringers and then laminated to the stingers with fiberglass. Other than the fiberglass itself there is no other physical attachment to the stringers. Here's another video that might clarify a little:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1qC4OtCNBs
So the plywood next to the stringers was completely rotten, and probably has been for quite some time. I was pulling skiiers last year rolling that thing from idle to WOT all day, with no trouble. My first question would be, is my assumption correct that the only thing holding my engine in there was some fiberglass wrapped around a block, and no real connection to the stringers other than that fiberglass? Why didn't that engine come flying out of there? My boat building ignorance is shining through here. So now I've got a piece of rotten plywood that may or may not even be needed, and also the blocks the engine is mounted to are rotten so some degree. I think I'm looking at pulling the engine, and of course there is a long list of "while you have it out" stuff about the engine, but is it safe to assume this can be repaired? I plan on using the same method as the floor, cut out the old, install the new, fiberglass and all. I'm a little nervous messing around with the engine mounts just because the forces while underway are translated directly through my "repair". I haven't even decided if it's worth it at this point, also. That's a conversation for another day though. The big question is, can it be done by someone like me who obviously doesn't know enough about how boats are built? I know engines, I'm good with fiberglass and I'm OK with woodworking. It's combination of the 3 that are potentially disastrous. Sorry for the long post. I welcome your thoughts. Cheers!
It's me again, with more rotten wood. I am looking for some help. I started off just wanting to reupholster my crappy back to back seats and this is turning into a big ol CF. My craft is a 1985 Seaswirl Tempo 17 with a 3.0 OMC 400 stringer mechanical shift outdrive. I rebuilt the drive and actually like it (believe it or not) and the engine has unknown hours but consistent compressions, good oil pressure, and gets me on plane in 6 seconds every time (unless I'm pulling a skiier or something). So no complaints about the engine or drive. What happened is probably familiar to most of us; I started out with something minor in mind and it's turning into something major. I have a few youtube vids I posted on my channel I will try to post them here so you can see what I'm up against.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-rFxg6BquU
This is the first vid I took that shows some of the floor removed and the problem I'm really asking about. My problem is my engine seems to be mounted to blocks that have been laminated to a piece of plywood that runs right next to the stringers and then laminated to the stingers with fiberglass. Other than the fiberglass itself there is no other physical attachment to the stringers. Here's another video that might clarify a little:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1qC4OtCNBs
So the plywood next to the stringers was completely rotten, and probably has been for quite some time. I was pulling skiiers last year rolling that thing from idle to WOT all day, with no trouble. My first question would be, is my assumption correct that the only thing holding my engine in there was some fiberglass wrapped around a block, and no real connection to the stringers other than that fiberglass? Why didn't that engine come flying out of there? My boat building ignorance is shining through here. So now I've got a piece of rotten plywood that may or may not even be needed, and also the blocks the engine is mounted to are rotten so some degree. I think I'm looking at pulling the engine, and of course there is a long list of "while you have it out" stuff about the engine, but is it safe to assume this can be repaired? I plan on using the same method as the floor, cut out the old, install the new, fiberglass and all. I'm a little nervous messing around with the engine mounts just because the forces while underway are translated directly through my "repair". I haven't even decided if it's worth it at this point, also. That's a conversation for another day though. The big question is, can it be done by someone like me who obviously doesn't know enough about how boats are built? I know engines, I'm good with fiberglass and I'm OK with woodworking. It's combination of the 3 that are potentially disastrous. Sorry for the long post. I welcome your thoughts. Cheers!
.
