25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

[BobsGlasstream]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

Last Mohican,
Bummer about the rain.
We could use some at my house. It's as dry as a bone.
Bob

 

[vegasphotoman]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

Heya Matt...sorry to hear about the rain issue! same same here so I used cheap 3/4 schedule 40 sprinkler pipe and made a kinda SPINE...dealy whopper...works well! couple t fittings and some elbows....made a few supports etc....prob is when ya break it down WHERE DO ALL TEH PARTS GO BACK TOGETHER ....get mixed up lol then I spend 45 minutes cussing next times it starts to rain...lucky it dont rain much here! (Vegas) lol

it will be interesting to see what is causing the fuel issue on yours......
our fuel issue (same design boat) was....the pivot pin fell out in our fuel pump, fell into the bilge some years back apparently...so the pump arm was KINDA workinig a little....anyways then the Prev Owner put in a cheapie electric inline pump...plus had like 3 filters and separators and had it going into the 90% broken mech fuel pump too....oh and they cut the press line to the carb and replaced it with fuel hose...anyways...

got rid of it all...one filter/separator...new pump....replaced pickup tubes with polyethylene semi rigid tubing thats made for refrigerator ice cube water feeds (home depot) I had same issue didnt want to pull tanks so replaced the nasty copper pickups and fitting (they were pretty clogged up) had to bend em to get em out... left 2 inches of copper on and slipped the new poly tube on it...holds good and tight. flexes in..no need to pull tank. (tested em in gas for a few days the tubing doesnt get soft or nasty) so good to go!

sorry if this was too log winded!

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

Not a whole lot to post but I did pull the pickup tubes. They are plastic so I was able to flex them enough to get them out. The sock had already been removed. The lines were clear. There were no holes in them. I tested them by blowing through them and then plugging the other end. If there is a hole it is very small. I checked for a sticking anti siphon valve. There is no anti siphon valve so that eliminates that possibility. I also checked all the lines from the tank to selection valve. I still have a couple of things to check but so far no solution. I'll post more when I get more trouble shooting done.

Matt

 

[archbuilder]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

Hmm I will be interested to see what the issue is....its frustrating, I had my share of that this summer!

 

[clockwatcher]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

Slick sleek. I love those boats. You've cleaned it out real nice.

The carb is a quad right? Have you checked the small filter inside the carb?

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

Slick sleek. I love those boats. You've cleaned it out real nice.

The carb is a quad right? Have you checked the small filter inside the carb?

Thanks Clock. The carb is a Q-Jet. That filter is downstream from the gauge. Even if it was clogged it would still show pressure at the gauge.

I believe I have found my issue with the fuel system. It is the water separator. I pulled the fuel line back off at the tank selection valve. I pulled the other end off the fuel pump. I then blew from the valve to the pump through the separator. I could blow through it but I could tell there was some restriction. I then bypassed the separator and installed just a regular inline filter. With my calibrated lung I could tell it was much easier to blow through. Just to double check I put a short piece of fuel line on the separator and blew through it with no other devices or line hooked up. This time by the degree of light headedness I got, I could tell it is certainly restrictive. Still need to lake test it but I am pretty sure this is the issue. Iam taking my little boat out tomorrow so it will probably be Wednesday before total conformation of the issue. Confidence is high though.

(I am just kidding about the calibrated lung and light headedness BTW. )

Oh, almost forgot, I plugged the fridge in. It works!!! It was ice cold in just a minute or two. Not sure if it will work on 12 VDC but it definitely works on 110 VAC

The suspected culprit.

 

[BobsGlasstream]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

Last Mohican,
Why don't you pull the filter off the seperator and blow through it, that would tell you if the restriction was on the mech or the filter.
I'll keep watching for your test run. I plan to put water seperator on mine too. I don't want the same problem.
Take care
Bob

 

[archbuilder]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

I found that if you burn the gas fast enough you don't need the water separator ! Glad you have found it hopefully! Too bad you couldn't make it today, we had a good time and the water was perfect! Looking forward to hearing how it runs!

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

Last Mohican,
Why don't you pull the filter off the seperator and blow through it, that would tell you if the restriction was on the mech or the filter.
I'll keep watching for your test run. I plan to put water seperator on mine too. I don't want the same problem.
Take care
Bob

Good idea Bob. I will do that next time I go out there. When I blew through the separator it was like blowing up a balloon. It took a lot of pressure to get it started then it was a little easier. It was that way with each breath. I am thinking there is some kind of diaphragm valve or anti siphon valve built into the separator. Either way it is much much easier to blow through without that ting in the line. I'll report the results once I take it out. Probably Wednesday. We are taking the little boat today.

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

I found that if you burn the gas fast enough you don't need the water separator ! Glad you have found it hopefully! Too bad you couldn't make it today, we had a good time and the water was perfect! Looking forward to hearing how it runs!

Thanks Arch. If the weather up there was like it was here yesterday you guys had a great day for it. Sorry I couldn't make it. Keep me informed on your gatherings. Hopefully we can make one next season.

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

Fuel pressure issue is fixed!!!! Made a run across the lake and back non stop yesterday evening. The fuel pressure never fell below 5 lbs. The water separator was definitely the issue.

The trailer is fixed as well. I had a stuck equalizer on one side. I tried everything to get it unstuck. PB Blaster, heat, hammer, floor jack under the low side of the equalizer, pry bar, soak it with old brake fluid. I stopped by a repair shop on the way to the lake last night. Curt buzzed off the nut and pried the bracket apart. Still it was stuck. As one last attempt he put a jack under it and it moved!!! This winter I will probably replace the springs, hangers and bolts.

I am still having an issue with using the key to start the motor. It will turn over no problem if I short the solenoid but the key only works about 25% of the time. It is a new key switch and I have re-terminated all the connections. Today I am going to run a new wire. I am also going to take the alternator and starter to be rebuilt. The alternator is not putting out quite enough voltage and I figured since I am there I may as well do the starter. It's not that expensive and that way I know it is good.

Sorry there is no pics. All this stuff is pretty boring mechanical stuff.

 

[QC]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

It is a new key switch

New after the problem started so you changed it to this one? Or new and have always had this problem with this key switch? If the latter I would also change the switch . . .

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

New after the problem started so you changed it to this one? Or new and have always had this problem with this key switch? If the latter I would also change the switch . . .

I had the issue with the old switch so I put a new one in thinking it would fix the problem. It did not. The new switch is from Cole Hersey so it is not a cheap one. The only part left in the starter circuit that is not new is the wire from the switch to the starter.

I dropped the starter and alternator off at the rebuilder's this morning. I should have them back tomorrow.

My new Sunbrella cover from iBoats came in today. I also installed my battery trays. I'll snap some pics of the cover and trays this evening.

Progress is slow and steady at this point. I will be taking her down to an annual GTG at Plowmans the first Saturday in October. Performance Boats Magazine will be there shooting for an article on the gathering. Maybe she will make it as a background boat in one of the pics.

 

[QC]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

Just wasn't clear in your post, sounds like the switch has been eliminated to me.

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

No pics tonight. The cover is not even remotely close to fitting the boat. Hopefully iBoats will take care of me on it. Will post up when there is more progress.

 

[archbuilder]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

I hate electrical issues.....they can be the worst to figure out, especially if you have had some hacker doing wiring on it! Looking forward to the pics!

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

Electrical doesn't bother me too much. Most of the wiring is actually intact and original. What had been hacked I already removed. It wasn't much. I got my starter and alternator installed today after the rebuild. The voltage is up and the switch is working more frequently now. I am still having issues with it not working every time though. I am pretty certain there is high resistance in either the wire feeding power to the switch or the wire returning to the starter. I'm sure it is just corrosion from being a 35 year old boat. I plan to re-wire most of it as a winter project. For the rest of this season I will just keep a bumper button on board.

 

[BobsGlasstream]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

Last Mohican,
Just had a thought about your electrical problem. I had the problem years ago and it turned out to be a short in the shift interrupt switch. In my shifter.
Just a thought, I had to write it before it died of loneliness.
Take care
Bob

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

Good thought Bob. Since my boat is a jet that switch is bypassed though. I'm pretty sure I have the starter issue fixed. I replaced the primary wire feeding the switch. It had a couple of places in it where the insulation was a little discolored. Looks like someone probed it at some point by poking it through the insulation. It has worked every time since I replaced it. Sun is peaking out here. Will be hooking up to the truck and going to the lake shortly.

 

[vegasphotoman]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

Hi Matt
glad to hear ya got your fuelie issues solved! CHECK OFF LIST >>>> FUEL ISSUE >>> CHECK!

New issue list! Electrical short

sorry fo rthe small hijack...but.....

well so ya'll know......We are officially moving this week.... out of our house of 18yrs so I will be probably MIA for a few weeks until we get new internet and settled into a new place....

man! I just spoke with a guy who bought a 23ft sleek like mine $400 with trailer/jet etc..he pm'd me his Ph# he got it 60 miles out of vegas in Laughlin......what a bargain!
and there was another one for $500 here locally with mercruiser i/o wish we were already moved I would have bough em both! Were gonna start a sleekcraft resto biz... I hope...in the future!

Rock on and happy boating Matt, hope to talk to you soon again via phone sometime