pontoon - tritoon conversion

[alilley]

first of all, some one tell if i am either totaly crazy, or going nukin futz for think about this, or would it be a descent project, if so how much of a p. i. a. would it be?

so here the thought. neighbor has a pontoon (sundancer i think) styling from mid 90's i am guessing apox 22 footer with a 40 hp on the back. this pontoon has been hanging in the dock for the last 4 years that i know of for sure (who know how long before cuz thats when we moved into this place). i have been given a lead on a v hull that is a complete boat and trailer but there is no title to any of it. motor is locked up as well which is a inline 6 cly.

so train of thought here buy said pontoon. Have a welding shop build me a toon to bolt under the decking. replace the inline 6 with v8 (i know the gears are not right for a v8 i figure with the heaver boat, and enough prop it should do ok for some time) and drop all that into the "new log". i have even considered haveing a "wall" infront of the motor area and using the fuel tankout of fiberglass boat putting it in the center toon as well but move it to about the mid point to aid in balancing and help compensate for the heaver motor in the rear.

my goal for for said project it to have a toon that we (family of 5, 3 kids ranging from 13 - 5) can all fish, ski, tube, have fun, and me and mrs. can go out on evening cruises. plus something that the kinds cna help out with on the building.


PLEASE some tell me if i am totally insane for thinking about doing this!!!!!!

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: pontoon - tritoon conversion

Crazyman:

You'd be throwing good money after bad. Obviously a 40 hp 22' pontoon boat is underpowered, and unsuitable for your uses. It'd be a good project only if you could purchase the boat at an advantageous price. The boat is worth relatively little on the retail market with such a small engine.

But, a good 40 hp motor is easily sold--if you don't have use for it on a fishing boat.

Buy the boat, sell the 40 hp engine, and apply the proceeds toward a good, used engine that's 100% of what the boat's rated for. Then, apply aluminum underskin to the underside of the deck, and put the correct prop on it. It should then do anything you want out of it--including pulling tubes and skiers.

 

[The Rooster]

Re: pontoon - tritoon conversion

"alilley", I can understand and appreciate a good project or rebuild, especially involving the kids, but you're talking about major reconstruction here. IMHO, you would need a factory tube built to handle the 1000#'s a V8 w/outdrive weighs. Not even sure what's involved w/ having the boat reclassified by Coast Guard for new weight limits, or your insurance companys opinion of this. Also, the cost involved. Unless you're dying to run 40-50+mph in a toon, I'd agree w/ Bamaman1. Underskin the old toon and maybe add the max. hp outboard. Should be 90-130 hp range for a 22'. Don't mean to rain on your parade. Good luck !!!

 

[5150abf]

Re: pontoon - tritoon conversion

I don't know what kind of weld shops you have locally but unless they have a marine engineer on staff this project isn't going to happen, you simple can't just build an I/O pod and a tube, there is a ton of very specilized equipment involved .

I am with Bennington marine and I am in charge of the tube line so I have actually made @ 100,000 tubes over the last 23 years and I can tell you making a tube, even with all the equipment, is a challenge not to mention coming into brackets, keel, a nose cone ect ect and on ONE of our tubes there is over 83' of weld probably not something you are going to want to pay by the hour for.

I am all about the DIY project but I really think this one is well beyond the scope of any local weld shop and even if they could pull it off you wouldn't know if it would work until you got it in the water, our R&D department, with years and years of experience, takes 2-3 or more shots at getting something new to work, if it will work at all, so for someone with no experience to hit it the first time out is pretty astronomical.

So yes, your suspicions are right, you are totally insane but if you decide to go ahead wiht it post pics.

 

[oops!]

Re: pontoon - tritoon conversion

hi....got your pm.

5150 has good points

..let me think on this one for a bit....

it is do-able if the welding is correct....but at 2k for the toon.....6k for the motor and drive. 1k for the controls and wiring and gas tank......it is not cost effective.

but i can post a build plan for you.

 

[alilley]

Re: pontoon - tritoon conversion

oops... i dont know price of the toon yet as it has been hanging in the dock across the cove for the last 5 years not touched the water. i do know where a glass boat is sitting that the motor (inline 6) is locked up and could be gotten very cheap. i also happen to have a 5.0 chevy motor sitting at mom and dads that i could convert over to a marine motor (drill water jacket and tap for drain plugs then get a marine dist carb and fuel pump unless go electric, could use the altnator and i think starter off of i6 motor) and a friend of the family has a set of v8 exhaust manifolds sitting arround i could get for about the cost of scrap. in all and all i dont think i would have that much wrapped up in other then the cost of the center toon ...... on that note i was just informed that a friend if the family that has a radiator shop can weld alum and is very good at it. i dont know if he would feel up to a project like a toon or not....... YES i am still kicking this around