Furrylittleotter's Starcraft Chieftain Revival

[hayko1971]

I have to say I'm also very impressed with your vision and fabrication!

 

[Furrylittleotter]

Don't overthink it. It's just Archimedes' folly!

I am really curious to see how fast it goes.

Neil

 

[Furrylittleotter]

New alternator showed up. Its a brand new "universal mount" 12v 110amp one wire hookup, should charge batteries very quickly when needed. $65 from a big online retailer. I went ahead and got a "Marine" one since 1. they didn't cost any more than a non-"marine", and 2. In case some overzealous Coast Guard type person starts sticking their snout in my engine compartment. Its not like Diesel is going to explode. I guess the spark arrestor material on the back make it "USCG Approved", although I don't see that anywhere. Im sure the fine hardworking men of the USCG will be able to tell its ok when they see it. THe starter is another story. Maybe I should wrap that in spark arresting screen!?


Neil

 

[g0nef1sshn]

serious question, with that being a diesel, have you thought about running a turbo? or two =)

 

[Furrylittleotter]

I dont know much about diesels but THey made this type a turbo on some models later. I dont think it was for power though. I think it was for decreased emissions. THis engine is supposed to put out 100 ft lbs of torque as is, wide open, all day, all night, all week. It is also supposed to runs like 30,000 hours before rebuild which is an unbelievably long lifespan. If it does all that and is otherwise tolerable i I think it will be stay. My next choice would be a Kubota V2203, which is a tidy bit of kit, having about 50 hp and 150 ft lbs of torque. That one could be fully enclosed with shroud as it is water cooled. THis one is oil cooled by air transfer. (air cooled) like an old VW.

Neil

 

[Furrylittleotter]

My adaptor plate for the V drive showed up and I couldn't be more pleased.

It is a gorgeous piece of machine work! It adapts the input flange on the V drive which used to be a Spicer flange (U joint) to what will now be a Porsche 911 Turbo CV flange (same joint used on 930 and aftermarket dunbuggys, etc).

My Cutlass bearing (Propeller shaft strut bearing, aka "Water cooled" bearing)should be here tomorrow and the keel piece is almost ready to install so I may actually get the Propulsion system bolted on the boat this weekend, which would be fine with me.

I also went to Slowe's to get some 5200 because the local Hell Depot does not carry it! GRRRR.

While there I couldn't pass up the $20 air hammer so I got that as well and will modify a chisel to peen rivets.


Here's the adaptor. (originally made for Pantera Cars):

Of course going to 2 stores took all day, but I did get the final end piece made for the keel piece.:

Right now I am cutting holes in a spare keel piece for the rudder and log so I can figure out EXACTLY where to cut through the hull and (hopefully) go through the frames where I want

Neil

 

[Furrylittleotter]

Not a great shot but here is the propulsion system "Mocked Up" on a piece of aluminum channel. Time to cut some holes.

I also made a "Hot Wire" foam cutter out of Heater wire from a Clearance sale space heater and an old Lionel Train Transformer. It work unbelievably well.

THis one is handheld but I may make one that mounts in my Table saw to give me angled capability.

Neil

 

[g0nef1sshn]

I can see clearly now the rain is gone...... the picture is coming together!

 

[Watermann]

I can see clearly now the rain is gone...... the picture is coming together!

Yeap, starting to alright!

I see someone that needs a nice fathers day present... saw horses. Although that grill seems to work out. :lol:

 

[Furrylittleotter]

One of these lines is getting cut!

Less lines, probably make more...

Ruddr packing, that worked out nice!

THis one a bit tighter but still acceptable



The shaft log turned out a bit tighter than I wanted, and I had to cut out an entire frame, but I have everything I need to make it stronger than original. Just have to put it together!

 

[classiccat]

I can only imagine the trepidations you had making those hull-skin and rib cuts! Are you able to tie those "new" rib ends to that monster external channel? Channeling subdeck water might be tricky...but Im sure you already have a plan for that!

Looks like its coming together!

 

[Furrylittleotter]

Yes, I think I will use a bilge pump in the channel.

Every frame will be tied into the new channel and a new brace will reattach the two ends of that cut frame together.

LOTS of trepidation, you are correct!!!

I am positive it will be sturdier than original, but it's still scary. But hey, if it was easy everyone would be doing it.

I just found a truckload of blu foam online so I am off to spend money on what will hopefully be one of the last things I need besides fishing poles!

 

[Furrylittleotter]

The foam was as advertised so I bought all he had:



it is a combination of 2 inch and 4 inch 2' by 8' sheets. I I got it for about 1/3 of retail.

the pile is about 3.3' tall and 4by8 so I figure that is about 105.6 c.ft. if the online buoyancy clams are accurate at 62.4 lbs/ co. ft. that equals 6589.4 lbs of flotation.

Of course, I will not be using it all. I am thinking a 1/3 to 1/2 MIGHT be able to be stuffed in the boat, but we will see.

I will measure the pile when I'm done to see what i was able to fit in!

Neil

 

[jbcurt00]

Nice score on the foam.

Progress on the driveline mods looks great. How hard is it to maintain alignment while fab'n that all up?

Is there much adjustment once everything is mounted.

 

[Furrylittleotter]

Thanks. So far the alignment looks like a piece of cake. I really only have to align the strut, the log and the v drive.

The motor is isolated via the cv joints.

. I haven't fabricated the mount for the V drive yet but I do have the entire mount from the hot boat and the clearance between the struts of that boat was very close to the clearance of the struts on this boat so it looks like a breeze.

The coupling that mounts the V drive to the prop shaft is a long, snug fitting, stout piece so it should pretty much line everything up, then I can fab the mount with it in place, more or less, and I can always shim, so I think it should be pretty straightforward but we shall see.

No work today. More soon.

Neil

 

[Furrylittleotter]

Put a couple temporary bolts in the mockup channel and spun the hull on the Boatisserie to see how it looks:

in case you are wondering it looks BADASS in person:

I added a couple supports so I can climb in and trial fit the V Drive THese are thick tanks that came on the pump trailer the motor came bolted to:

Wicked, Mon!

A couple of braces up front as well, it is rock solid in this position!

Back to work, anxious to make some progress this week.

Neil

 

[g0nef1sshn]

Your craftiness and skill far exceed mine, and I get anxious just waiting to see your updates! The refresh button hates me for this. Awesome looking engineering going on over there.

Whats the total draft you think youll be able to get with that set up loaded? I like skinny water for hunting reasons, but thats gonna be a deep water boat.

 

[astor]

lookin great. plenty of clearance to the hull and even looks to have enough room to change the prop without dropping the rudder. I'm liking this project, keep up the great work.

I had the same question about draft as g0inf1sshn, I run in pretty shallow waters at times and that looks to add another foot.

 

[hayko1971]

BADASS indeed! :lol:

 

[dozerII]

Great job on the engineering of the drive, it's coming together real good.