1990 galaxie california deck repair help

[garrett113]

I have a 1990 galaxie California it is 17', closed bow and has an I/O OMC (Oh My Checkbook). This is my first boat/boat project. My objective for now is to restore this boat to excellent condition without any costly mistakes. I have read a few of the stickies and some other projects and have a general idea of how to attack this. This has turned into much more than originally anticipated. Not sure if I'm going to keep it or not but I'm far to invested to half *** it now. I'm quite mechanical but like many on here that I've seen this is a new aspect that I'm not confident with. I feel I have a lot of experience in other areas to offer back I'm an upholsterer and electronics specialist at my day job but also went to school for mechanics so I have experience there. I love taking on projects like this and appreciate the help and knowledge I've gained from forums like this.Hope you enjoy.











To me it looks like a repair has been previously made






near the engine
URL=http://s29.photobucket.com/user/garrett113/media/boat2.jpg.html]

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under the dash


Ok so the sides where it steps up are still nice and solid. I really don't have the means to do a complete repair job and tear the whole thing apart. Id like to replace the center beam and replace the deck( only where I have cut out)(. My questions for now are how would I go about replacing the center beam? There was no foam is it possible that there never was or could it have been removed and never replaced (no sign of residual foam)? What do you think I will spend on materials to do this repair? Thanks for any help and let me know if there is any other info or picture I can supply you with.

Cheers,
Garrett

 

[garrett113]

Re: 1990 galaxie california deck repair help

[QUOTE
My questions for now are how would I go about replacing the center beam? There was no foam is it possible that there never was or could it have been removed and never replaced (no sign of residual foam)? Cheers,
Garrett[/QUOTE]

Edit: No foam beside the foam coming out from the bow. I stated to scape it to see what condition it was in. it actually didn't seem to be to saturated after about 6 inches.

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 1990 galaxie california deck repair help

Hi and welcome to the Iboats Dry Dock, Garrett...
Have you taken core samples of the motor mounts and transom?

 

[garrett113]

Re: 1990 galaxie california deck repair help

No I have not yet and I'm really wishing I didn't just put the new motor in. The bolts for the motor mounts were super rusted and on one side diidnt thread at all just more or less fell in. So that already is a pretty good indication of some rot. What is the least invasive way to get a core samples from the mounts and transom? What I would like to do is repair that center part really well put it all back together use it for the rest of the season. Then get down and dirty with the remainder of the boat during winter of course safety is important. I'm thinking I could use the hoist to support the engine and build some new motor mounts at least. I can take some samples tonight if you could point me in the right direction

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1990 galaxie california deck repair help

Use a drill and drill into the mounts and check the shavings. If they're powder or wet and damp (as I suspect they'll be based on your description of the bolts) then you've got issues. If your mounts are as bad as you say then your motor is moving and that can destroy your outdrive and that can get expensive in a hurry. I highly advise you to consider inspecting this boat thoroughly and doing the repairs before you do a lot of costly damage. Based on descriptions and pics so far...I'd say she needs to be DryDocked and fixed Right Now. JMHO!!!!

 

[garrett113]

Re: 1990 galaxie california deck repair help

Well woodonglass our worst assumptions were true . I've made the wise decision to go ahead and do it right. I am curious to see how much I will have to invest into this I'm about 4k into the project thus far. ( purchased the boat for 1,700, starting to think I over paid, then the rest on a complete new engine.)
Couple Q's:
- How many gallons of resign do you guesstimate I will need?
-In the second pic you can see where the sides slop down to the deck. What will I need to do about that section? Grind down to good glass or is there something below that that I need to deal with. Sorry if that seems like a silly question.
- what do I do about the area under the bow? There is no "cap" its all one piece and it is all foam inside. When I inspected the foam it all seemed crunchy and dry. What are your thoughts on keep ing that foam?
-when I start cutting out the stringer and transom is there any sort of bracing I need to do? It won't be sitting long plan is to work my butt off and get it done. My goal is 30-45 days.



I'm going to try to get the engine out this weekend. Meanwhile I'm thinking I will start grinding to new glass and cutting out the stringer.

Thank you so much for helping me with this guys I will post pics when I can but I don't currently have a computer.All from my phone..

 

[garrett113]

Re: 1990 galaxie california deck repair help

Figured out a way to post pics from my phone.
Transom

That hole suppose to be there?

Close up pic of some glass material I have no idea if its 1708. It is about 6 inches wide and white not the yellowish color it appears in the picture. Can I use this?




Sorry if I'm asking a lot of questions I'm just excited to get it all figured out and I want to be certain I'm making the right moves on my project. Thanks again!

 

[garrett113]

Re: 1990 galaxie california deck repair help

Yesterday a started to grind the fiber glass to get an idea of how long it would take ended up doing about a quarter of the port side.I then started to cut out the board under the dash(new sure of proper term) that seals off the bow, should have it out tomorrow. Then I can see how far the stringer goes up into the bow. For now ill post some pics of the boat from when I bought it a couple weeks ago and current progress of engine build that I'm going to have to pull back out again...

 

[garrett113]

Re: 1990 galaxie california deck repair help

Current progress: got the engine pulled back out and most the transom cleared for grind king minus the fuel lines which is quick and easy.

Here is a pic of my work space 20 by 10 garage with a 22 foot trailer shoved in to fit thank god it fit.

Infamous transom fail pick.

Should I be alarmed by this crack?

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 1990 galaxie california deck repair help

Good progress so far!
You will end up with a much better boat when you are done...
BTW, I added some comments in color below...

Current progress: got the engine pulled back out and most the transom cleared for grind king minus the fuel lines which is quick and easy.

Here is a pic of my work space 20 by 10 garage with a 22 foot trailer shoved in to fit thank god it fit.

If You live in California, you might worry about this crack...^^^...:shocked:...just kidding...well sort of...

Infamous transom fail pick.

Yeah, unfortunately most of the time this is what you find when the decision to go for it becomes reality...


Should I be alarmed by this crack?

Once you get all of the old transom wood out, you might find that you see Daylight through there...Don't worry as it can all be repaired when you are ready for the put back...

Best of Luck and Have Fun!
GT1M

 

[bakerjw]

Re: 1990 galaxie california deck repair help

Well woodonglass our worst assumptions were true . I've made the wise decision to go ahead and do it right. I am curious to see how much I will have to invest into this I'm about 4k into the project thus far. ( purchased the boat for 1,700, starting to think I over paid, then the rest on a complete new engine.)

Don't get down about it. I overpaid for my Stratos that I'm rebuilding at the moment. There were nights where I'd toss, turn and fret over how water logged that it was and that I had the choice of taking a total loss or throwing more money into it. It was really keeping me awake and still will until it is a bare hull and I start putting it back together. My wife and I have had the discussion many times. When this project is finished, we'll have a boat that is rock solid and better built than when it left the factory. We'll know how it's been rebuilt and it will outlast the both of us.

My first shipment of epoxy resin and glass was $1,100. There will be another resin shipment before it is all said and done. Epoxy resin is quite a bit more expensive than polyester resin, but I've worked with it before and am familiar with it. In the end I expect to have an extra $2K into it. But it will then be dependable and what I want.

Hang in there. It can be a roller coaster ride.

 

[garrett113]

Re: 1990 galaxie california deck repair help

Its amusing to read my first few post! Some of the questions I had and my original idea of oh yea I can fix this up in a few weeks and be ready to go.Far from lol. I'm still learn the anatomy of a boat I've come a long way from "the center beam" stringer... and back engine plate, transom... I've also come a long way with taking a couple more minutes to look around the forum for an answer rather then posting a question and updating very 15 min in anticipation of a response. I hope you all can see that I really am all in on this project ( quite literally). Im impulsive and when I decide I want something I want it unfortunately having a mechanical background most the things I want are "diamonds in the ruff"..

As far as boat progress goes after removing the engine again, I have since pulled the gas tank. They were mounted on both sides held in with fiber glass. I'm so happy I decided to go ahead and restore the boat may have gotten away with out doing it but honestly I didn't want my first time of being out on the lake with my very own boat to be a burden or a tragedy.. which the more digging I do the more I'm convinced it would have been just that, a disaster. Every thing from fuel lines with clamps sitting in the middle of the line .. not clamping... to well the obvious rotted structure. Oh the latter added ski pole set up was a disaster waiting to happen. It looked like at was only migivered about 8 and a half times just to stay bolted to the "repaired deck" a piece of half inch ply from the back yard and a layer of cloth to "seal" it..
Anyways.. after removing the gas tanks and also the " transom like" board under the gauge cloister sealing off the bow.sorry still haven't learned that one yet..
Progress has been slow as I've reached my point of unsertanty. I've been reading and reading but its hard for me to move forward and start removing stringers, transom any the the " engine bay" I think.. engine mounts. I besides that it also hard for me to get into a garage that is 105+ with a painters suit, resperater and goggles.. I've tried it out a couple time and done some trial bringing for a few hours its miserable but tolerable, I'm tough and determined so at this point the only thing stopping me is the fear of not taking the proper steps in deconstruction.
My next step is to take some measurements of the existing layout as it just in case I need to refer back.I suppose my only other concern to move on is to be re ashered that I don't need to brace the hull before removing stringer and transom. I saw in oops post that he did, but what he was doing is a hole nother ball game I'm not even going to be removing the cap. To be honest I've look eked and it appears to be all one piece, no cap. So is bracing needed?
Thanks,
-The Rambler

Apologizing in advance as some of this may be hard to read( cell phone auto correct/ let's be honest I didn't get first in the spelling B.). My computer recently broke and I'm doing most/all my research and posting from my phone.

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 1990 galaxie california deck repair help

Hi Garrett,
I can't tell from the pics posted, is the trailer a bunk style or roller style?
If it is a bunk style, then you might be able to get away with it the way it is or you might have to add an extra support or two...
If it is a roller style, you definitely want to improvise some kind of "Bunk Style" support for the hull to prevent it from deforming when you start removing structure...
I completely hear you on the heat issue in the garage...I worked under a blue tarp with zero air circulation under a cool 90? Florida Sun and the temps inside the tarp were getting close to 130?...
The best advice I can give you is the day before you know you are going to be in the heat, drink water like it is the last time you are ever going to have some...this will PRE hydrate you, then when working, stop every few minutes and get a drink of water...hard to do, but absolutely necessary to keep from ending up in the ER or worse...
Try and beg, borrow, buy a couple of fans to help move the air...
If possible, work in the early mornings and late evenings...
Definitely take a ton of measurements and pictures, especially pics with the tape measure in them.
You may need them later on and you should not rely on memory.
The removal of the old structure can be accomplished using a combination of several different tools;
Reciprocating saw [sawzall] with long flexible blade...used carefully can get under the stringer and follow along the hull...
Circular saw, can be used to make shallow cuts in the transom to help break it apart and out...
Oscillating tool, really good for tight places...
Rotary tool { Dremel} for getting into little corners and details...
4.5" Grinder with 24 or 36 grit sanding wheels
Hammer
Chisel
Pry Bar
Drill motor with wire wheels
Make sure you wear gloves,. safety glasses and a respirator...

A final note, you may find that removing the cap will give you much better and easier access to the upcoming repairs...
Leaving it on might make access to certain parts of the rebuild very difficult, if not impossible...
Removing it is not really that much more difficult, and you could hang it from the ceiling using some ropes, wood and pulleys...but you will know if you absolutely have to or not...
Good Luck and Have Fun!
Gus

 

[garrett113]

Re: 1990 galaxie california deck repair help

So progress has slowed down as I try to figure out how im going to go about doing the rest of this rebuild. I wanted to try to do the rebuild with out removing the cap one reason was space the second is that the garage im in is temporary I will be moving out of it in a few months. Here is the pic so you can see what im talking about.




iIf you look in the pic you can see the corner of the transom, you can see about a finger wide gap between the transom and cap. seems like it may be very difficult to re glass that after installing the transom with out removing cap. Iv never worked with the kind of fiber glass so im not sure what type of space ill need or if it will be possible. Do you guys think ill be able to work with that gap? If not what about building the new transom so there is no gap then tabbing etc to the cap. would that be a possible solution?

If all else fails im going to have to get things in order to remove the cap which could be several months before im in a situation to make that happen. If I do remove the cap im going assume ( see pic again) that I will have to remove the outer trim/bumper (you can see the rivets in the pic.. drill the rivets out, remove trim, cut through the tabbing all the way around.. Is that how a cap is suppose to be removed?

Sorry if this information is already out there but I don't get access to a computer very often so I try to post when I get the chance. I can check back for responses later on my phone. My prioritys are quit screwy right now lol the boat has officially consumed every part of my life. But still no regrets yet trying to keep a positive outlook I know it will all be worth it in the end.

 

[bakerjw]

Re: 1990 galaxie california deck repair help

lt looks like a strip of glass was used to hold the cap to the hull. That can be easily removed. My cap was secured to the deck in spots like that. It peeled right off. What you might consider is popping the cap loose and leaving it in place. It doesn't appear to be that heavy of a unit so it can be lifted up to give extra clearance when working and dropped back when done for the day.

 

[garrett113]

Re: 1990 galaxie california deck repair help

Hey guys! Good news, I have moved and boat project has been started up again. I've been working on building a cradle incordorated into the trailer which has two bunks on the bottom and a couple rollers in the center that do not actually contact the boat.. I may be going over board due to the fact that its a rather small boat but the wood was cheap and better safe then sorry.
I'm on my phone right now so I can't easily post pics.

Couple quick questions,

will the boat keep its shape after the new stringer and transom are in place with out the cap. I ask because after I replace the transom and stringer I want to take the boat off the trailer/cradle rotate and do repairs to the bottom. Would that work or will I need to attach the cap first?

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1990 galaxie california deck repair help

You can make some temporary braces to aid in keeping the hulls form. When you're ready to flip it we'll show/tell you how.

 

[garrett113]

Re: 1990 galaxie california deck repair help

Im very excited to announce that I will be getting my fiberglass resin this Saturday! from a local shop. when I spoke to the fiberglass guy at the shop though when I told him I needed epoxy resin he said "NONONONO you don't need that i've been doing this for 20 years, your boat is polyester that's what you need." now based on my research here on the forum I had the understanding I needed epoxy because it provides a better bond when doing repairs. Now keeping in mind that this is a smaller vessel, do some of you more experienced folk think I need the epoxy or poly?


More good new I finally got a computer so I can start posting pics and will also really help with obtaining the info I need to move forward with the project.

built a cradle integrated into the trailer, went to cut off cap after removing trim and a million rivets. only to realize the front half overlaps and the cap is glassed to the hull all the way around so id have to climb into the bow and grind it all from the inside. currently working on a new plan. going to a repair shop Saturday so I should have a better idea by then.

more pics and updates coming soon!

 

[garrett113]

Re: 1990 galaxie california deck repair help

is it possible to change the title of my thread?

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1990 galaxie california deck repair help

PM a MOD, they may be able to change it for you

Your research @iboats suggested epoxy? I think most recommend poly, I do, it's what you boat is made of & in most builds epoxy is un-necessary. If you plan to re-gelcoat rather then paint, you can't use epoxy, gelcoat won't adhere to it properly.