ski Brendella help

[Billdc]

I just became the owner of a '91 Ski Brendella. Yes, I know you have never heard of it before and that is the problem because I am not finding much online. This is my first ski boat and I am not much of a mechanic to begin with. To start with it has a PCM 454 with a werner transimission. Electronic ignition.
It sat uncovered with the center plug out for two years. When I started cleaning yeasterday the leaves were piled high but dry, even behind the fuel tank that I removed for cleaning. When I tried to remove the rear plug the entire fitting was loose and the the top screw did not have any bite. The lower two screws held but I removed the fitting for cleaning. both Pitot's were broke so I removed one and later when I was powerwashing I noticed water coming out of one of these screw holes. I'm afraid the stringers may be rotten and do not want to get into that.
After fresh fuel and cleaning some contacts and a new key switch it started and ran fine with 15-20 at varing speeds(I reinstalled the rear plug and found a replacement for the center plug). We got it back on the trailer and it would not turn off. Even after disconnecting the new switch, so we just turned the idle down until it stalled. So a mobile mechanic is on his way to take a look at the electrical next week and give me his opinion on the stringers/transom rot.
What other problems should I be looking for?

 

[salty87]

Re: ski Brendella help

she needs some wax, huh? lol

ski brendella started by mike brendel. iirc, their name changed to calabria after mike left and started mb boats. mb boats is alive and turning out very nice boats.

your boat is similar to most of the inboards of the day, very much like the supra comp.

i've got an 87 supra...454 with borg warner velvet drive transmission. a very bullet-proof package.

you'll want to replace the impeller and check the drive shaft thru-hull. some thru-hulls are dripless designs and some use packing and drip a bit to lube the shaft. the impeller is rubber and the vanes will lock in place if it doesn't move for a long time. you'll want to check the risers and exhaust manifolds too. make sure the passages are clear and not rusted shut.

other than they you're really just looking at a 454. check the hoses, give her a tune up, change the oil and transmission fluid...and keep an eye on things.

ps...not much tournament inboard activity here. if you need help or have questions, the supra board is very helpful. supraboats.com/bbs. lots of owners of boats from 80-90s with the same engine/tranny package.

pps...several brands switched to composite stringers in the early 90s. supra was 92....cross your fingers, you might get lucky. you can probably get more detailed info from a place like wakeworld or wakeboarder. you'll find some previous owners there who can answer specific questions. ski brendalla was bigger on the west coast

 

[Billdc]

Re: ski Brendella help

Thanks Salty,
Impeller and hoses are on the list as it ran up near 180* last night when we ran over 3K RPM. Risers and manifolds were replace about three or four years ago. A friend is willing to reupholster the seats and trim and give me a good deal on painting the exterior, he did his Ski N two years ago and it looks great. He is helping me with this boat but he tends to fix rather than replace boats, he says his mid 80's boat has over 10K hours and has probably been rebuilt a few times, and looks great. I don't know if I have that kind of finances or fortitude to commit to a second boat. I'll check out some other sites

 

[DBreskin]

Re: ski Brendella help

Bill, are you a two boat family now?

Before you put anything into the new-to-you boat, be sure to check for rot as you mentioned above. I'd hate to see you put a lot of effort into this boat just to see the stringers and/or transom collapse. If you saw water weeping out the pitot tube screw hole you can be pretty sure there's a lot of trouble waiting for you. A little probing now might save you a lot of grief later.

I hope we'll see you at the Spring Splash April 15!

 

[Billdc]

Re: ski Brendella help

I thought I would resurrect this thread because it has the boat info already. I am starting to reinstall parts after the paint and flooring are finished. I have a few questions that I think would be universal for inboards.
1) I removed the thermostat and saw that there is some fine sediment in the bottom of the housing. Also noted some in the bottom of a elbow in the line. Is this normal? I have a raw water filter to install, but I think this sediment would have passed thur the filter anyway. This boat was used in a muddy river, is this just normal build up and do I have to flush it.
2) Has anyone replaced switchs and a fuse panel with a combo unit with switch and breakers for wet conditions? something like this
Amazon.com: Blue Sea 4378 WeatherDeck Water Resistant Circuit Breaker Panel - 8 Position - Grey: Electronics

 

[salty87]

Re: ski Brendella help

that's great, bill. got some pics?

got a pic of the sediment you're seeing? fine stuff will just pass through. if you don't have a strainer on your water intake, it's a good thing to add. you shouldn't really have that much sediment though unless you're getting into skinny water. if so, go run in the deeper water.

i kept my oem dash. the only time i can think of it getting wet was when someone spilled something on it.

 

[Billdc]

Re: ski Brendella help

Salty I would have to pull the assembly to get a pic of the sediment. It is very fine, but I was concerned with the water pump. The impeller looked good when I pulled it so I am keeping it as a spare so I am not stranded IF something happens with the new one. The raw water filter is in the boat,not installed but sitting there. I ran the boat once and we had 6-8' of water, but I know it can get very muddy after a rain and did not know if that would cause something like this. After looking at the cost of the breaker/switch units vs just a new fuse panel I think I will keep the original switches and change out the panel.

 

[juelichj]

Re: ski Brendella help

I just recently purchased a 91 Ski Brendella Super Comp and the fuel sending unit appears to be bad, how difficult was it for you to get the fuel tank out and how did you do it?

 

[spdracr39]

Re: ski Brendella help

I just recently purchased a 91 Ski Brendella Super Comp and the fuel sending unit appears to be bad, how difficult was it for you to get the fuel tank out and how did you do it?

You need to start a new thread. Hard to get answers when you question is lost in an old one like this. You could also try PMing the original poster. Welcome to the forum !!

 

[Chief Mooie]

Need Advice - 1998 Bendella Calibria 20" open bow V-8
1. trying to remove the access panel to the Fuel Tank Area on the floor the tow pylon is in the way. How do I remove it ?

2. While partially lifting the floor panel I can see that the pylon support sub frame has cracks on the welds, can this be pulled out without affecting boat frame or engine mounting?

 

[GA_Boater]

18 years!

Closed.