New project

[erikgreen]

Well, after working four months on my first boat, a 1973 Sea Ray SRV220, replacing transom, stringers, floor and everything but the engine, I finally gave up without ever getting it into the water. Too much work left to get it done before next year, and I just don't have the patience remaining.

Since I have a good job, I'm fortunate enough to have a little cash for spending, and I found a great deal on another boat almost the same type, a 1983 SR-210CC. The guy I bought it from said the motor was cracked - milky oil. I figured ok, I have the motor from the other boat. I didn't know it would be a ton of trouble to switch them, so I bought the boat for $500. It was well worth that even if the motor was gone.

I changed the oil, saw no additional water getting in, and just about cheered. I took the boat to the lake, actually got to drive it for 15 minutes (a friend drove it too, and we worked on the trim pump the rest of the time - turned out to have low oil). It was GREAT!

Then, on the way home from the lake, the trailer started to sway back and forth hard. It spun around, lost the boat, and almost rolled my truck. $1200 in towing fees later, I'm having the truck repaired so it's driveable.

I don't have a ton of cash left. So, I was hoping that the boat wouldn't take much to repair.... it didn't look bad, just some chips and scratches on the hull bottom, a trashed sterndrive (I have the spare from the other boat) and the hull/cap joint separated on one side for about 6 feet. Plus the cap is split on the same side in one place.. the fiberglass I can fix. But...

I took some pics tonight... found out that the motor is full of milky oil again, so I need a new engine. The motor also shifted off its mounts(!) when the boat went off the trailer... it pulled out the lag bolts that it sits on and shifted to starboard. The mounts are ok, I just need new bolts. But, it also snapped off the ears on the inner side of the transom plate. Again, I have a spare from the other boat, the difference being that the newer boat has power steering and the old boat didn't. I'll have to make that work somehow.

Here's a pic of the sterndrive... the bell housing took most of the force, but when I rotate the prop I hear something clicking inside, like a gear is snapped or something. I'll replace the entire drive with the one from my other boat I guess.

Also, here's a link to the rest of the pics.

http://www.greendragon.org/oops/

I'll keep you guys updated and plead for help and moral support as I work on this. I'm going to order a long block from either basicpower or rapido marine soon. I already have a new set of electric brakes for the trailer, too.

erik

 

[mtnrat]

Re: New project

Before you tow again make sure your trailer brakes are working properly. An electric brake controller would have gotten rid of that sway with a move of the lever.
EDIT; just saw the comment about new electric brakes.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: New project

Erik, It is very fortunate that no one was hurt. How did the trailer get so out of control? That boat should be easily trailerable on a single axel trailer w/o brakes.


You have some significant challenges to repair that fiberglass. Where was that part that cracked through. It looked like the gunwale, but it was hard to tell. Make sure you fix that one up.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: New project

... How did the trailer get so out of control? ....
.....

Sorry to hear erik. The only way I can think of was/is that the axle was mis-adjusted making the trailer tail heavy or that your gas tank was nearly empty.

I had a little 4 x 7 utility trailer built and the builder centered the axle on the box. I had it filled with bark dust for my yard and drove it home. Coming down a big dip in the road, at a pretty good speed, that trailer started to whip something fierce. Thought I was going to loose the whole shebang. Fortunately I let off the gas just I bottomed out in the dip and started going up the other side. The whole thing slowed down enough without having to use the brakes.

I took that trailer back and had them cut the axle off and remount it several inches back of center.

The Searay is one boat that has a bow mounted gas tank, whether the tank is full or empty can make a huge difference in the tongue weight and trailer balance. Fortunately my Gulfstream has an in-floor tank, virtually over the axle, so it does not matter to the balance whether it is empty or full. My little Beachcraft, on the other hand, is like the Searay. I have yet to trailer that boat but have noticed with the tank empty, I can actually jump in the back of the boat and have the tongue raise up off the ground. Just yesterday I took a bathroom scale over and measured the tongue weight. The tank is empty and the TW was only 110 lbs. IMHO, a real disaster waiting to happen if I got it down the highway at 65 mph.

 

[erikgreen]

Re: New project

Yep, we've been discussing the problem here (with my boater friends) and I've come to the conclusion it was due to trailer loading. The trailer had the wheels too far forward for comfort, and because of where the boat sat, the tongue weight was probably negative(!) when I was driving. It's amazing I got it up to 45 MPH.

I've decided to fix up the trailer with some decent electric brakes (it had none) and that'll make me replace the hubs/bearings too. A couple new tires, fenders, and lights and it'll be better than new, and should be plenty strong for my boat. I will also adjust the rollers and tires to hold the boat better. I'd get a new trailer, but it would cost the same and might need the same repairs.

The major hull crack is in the gunwale, but on this boat it's part of the top cap. I'll be fixing that with some grinding, fairing, and two layers of epoxy and roving as backing. Most of the hull scratches I'll grind back, add a bit of cloth as needed, and fair with glass balloon filled epoxy. I have some interlux prekote and brightsides I can use to seal it, this is a trailered boat. It'll look patchy until I paint the whole hull though.

The big thing is that I need to buy a new transom plate with the power steering cylinder, and remount the engine. Of course, I have to pull the engine to do this, and I'm going to try to pull the heads at the same time and see if I can get by just replacing a gasket or head, or if it's the block that's cracked. If it's the block, then I'll have to get a 350 long block and move everything over.

Fortunately I have a ton of repair supplies from my first boat project, including a spare sterndrive (I think the actual sterndrive from the 888 and the 228 are the same) bell housing, and gimbal so I should be able to repair the sterndrive with parts on hand, plus a few gaskets.

With luck, in two weeks I can have the hull repair done, and get a new transom plate and re-install the drive. Then I just need to do the engine. I might be able to get on the water for august :\

Erik

Edit: Forgot to mention, the tank is an aluminum belly tank... it's in absolutely perfect shape, too, one of the nicest things about this $500 boat

 

[usda]

Re: New project

I apologize, but I am sorry I read this...even sorrier I looked at the pics...god almighty...how I would hate for this to happen to me and my fixer upper project...a 19 foot 1973 Seaswirl...that even towing with my Chevy Suburban, still kind of gives me the creeps...and my top speed, so far has been just 40 or 45.

I moved the boat wench forward to give extra tongue weight...but I can still strain, a little and left it up...does that mean rear weight, stern drive and all is still too heavy?

Crying out loud...at least you've got a job...me retired on pennience...depend on my wife still working for my shelter and food. And my skills are no where what yours are....gives me the willies, the shakes, the nightmare I can do without...

Sorry I read this...but wish you tons of luck and let us know when you finally get it together....

Oh and congratulations...on looking over the pics, I did not see a rope with noose hanging from the rafters...that might have been my first response.

 

[erikgreen]

Re: New project

For the tongue weight, you want about 10 percent of your total trailer weight. If you can just barely lift it, I'm guessing it's 150 pounds or so? Which would mean if your boat/trailer weighs more than 1500 total, you're light on the tongue.

I started fixing my hull yesterday. I ground out the damaged gel coat and started filling with epoxy mixed with glass microballoons for thickness, and some chopped glass fibers in the mix for the two deeper gouges. Today should be some sanding and coat number two where needed, then I'm going to coat with interlux prekote and eventually repaint the hull.

I'm also rebuilding the trailer at the moment. For the boat, after the hull gouges are done, then comes the main crack in the top cap. Then I replace the sterndrive and bell housing with my spare parts. Then I pull the motor and replace the mounts, and then I still need to find a replacement motor.

Pics as I remember to take 'em.

Erik

PS: Forgot to mention - $2000 later, I got my truck back last Saturday. Still dented, but drives ok.

 

[erikgreen]

Re: New project

I've been working on the boat and trailer. I almost have the gouges in the hull bottom fixed, pics of that soon.

Today I pulled out the engine, which before the accident was already cracked, and got a good look at the snapped motor mounts, which I knew would need replacing. I also found that one of the short hoses between the Y pipe and the manifold riser had a tear in it... no big surprise, and I have 4 spares, plus a whole spare Y pipe.

Here's some pics of the pulled block, with a couple good shots of the mounts.

If anyone can identify the little glass bowl with the "if you see gas here replace fuel pump" sign in it by name that's supposed to be on the starboard side of the engine, I'd appreciate it, so I can get a new one. You can just barely see the "cover" the glass bowl hangs from if you look just to the left of the bottom of the white colored water separator in the first pic. The glass is in my bilge atm

I'm going to either find a used 350 or buy a reman long block soon, and transfer over all the bolt-ons from this motor.

Erik