Wellcraft Excel 1992 18sx

[92excel]

Re: Wellcraft Excel 1992 18sx

Ok so i finally got the nerve to attempt the engine pull. I have to admit it was one of the things i was nervous about.. but its one of those things..once you do it once you are like. what the heck was i worried about... so i picked up a engine hoist from harbor frieght..

with directions for ROBJ and DON S for providing the link to the engine:
http://www.4shared.com/account/file/...131151171.html
and the drive:
http://www.4shared.com/account/file/...ve_manual.html

AND Now left with:

 

[92excel]

Re: Wellcraft Excel 1992 18sx

Now that the engine is out i wanted to use the engine stand in one of the above post to hold it to but i am confused how to bolt the engine onto the stand. see the image as you see it doesnt seam that it will bolt on..

 

[Robj]

Re: Wellcraft Excel 1992 18sx

Remove the bell housing from the engine. They are the larger bolts at the back of the engine. Once you remove it, the engine will bolt right to your stand. While you are at it, I would replace the bearing and seals in the bell housing.

Good luck

 

[92excel]

Re: Wellcraft Excel 1992 18sx

Thanks rob.. i am learning alot about engines!! lol..

Ok so once the engine was out i got to do more grinding! When I originally drilled my core samples of the transom it seemed solid but we have all heard that before so i decided why not just do it while i am this close.. So I removed the back half of the stringers and began on the transom tonight.

The bottom of the transom was soft so it was getting to where it needed to be replaced so im glad i decided to go for it!

 

[92excel]

Re: Wellcraft Excel 1992 18sx

I got the transom area all ground out although as you can see i did leave part of the transom as it was not rotted. It will have a lap joint much like some people do in longer stringer jobs. This was because i chose not to remove the cap.. i stole the idea from robj.

it was time to build the transom. I started off with cardboard to make sure i had all the right angles and much to my suprise i was right on the money first attempt.. then i cut out the transom using 3/4 ext grade ply.I sanded it to rough it up a bit.

i rolled on some resin on both side that are going to be laminated together:

I let it soak in for about an hour so it would soak into the wood. you dont want the wood to suck the resin out of the glass.. then added the pre cut CSM

wet out the glass and put the two pieces together and clamped and put my upopened resin on as weight. (pay no attention to the fiberglass dust atop the boxes.. its just more weight right.. lol.

 

[92excel]

Re: Wellcraft Excel 1992 18sx

The Hull was swept out and vacuumed out and acetoned a few times.
The transom was installed and clamped into place. the stringers got tabbed in and bedded in PL. Then a tarp was put over the hull and the heater was on to aide set up as temps are still dropping below freezing at night..

The stringers got csm cut to 3 inch followed by a 5 inch widths for initial hold. After a few hours for that to cure.. 1708 biax was cut to length and layed out.

 

[92excel]

Re: Wellcraft Excel 1992 18sx

i got the 1st biax layup all complete..

i plan to do one more biax layup and then cap it with a layer of CSM

I plan to do two biax wraps over the transom.

 

[92excel]

Re: Wellcraft Excel 1992 18sx

tonight i just finished the second layup of 1708 on all of the stringers and bulkheads.. so they are done except to cap them..

i was thinking of one layer of CSM as a cap but could do two or three.. anyone have a suggestion??

transom is the next to be wrapped? is two 1708 wraps good? or should i do more?

 

[jcsercsa]

Re: Wellcraft Excel 1992 18sx

tonight i just finished the second layup of 1708 on all of the stringers and bulkheads.. so they are done except to cap them..

i was thinking of one layer of CSM as a cap but could do two or three.. anyone have a suggestion??

transom is the next to be wrapped? is two 1708 wraps good? or should i do more?

Hay excel , I would do at least 2 on the matt 3 would be better , and 2 on the transom is good and 3 is great !!! think oops said once that 2 would give you 15 years and 3 would give you 25 years !! some thing like that .

Hay wheres the pics ???? John

 

[92excel]

Re: Wellcraft Excel 1992 18sx

thanks john..
the more i think about it i am agreeing with you.. more the better.. and i can do 2 or three layers pretter easy on both the stringers and the transom..

sorry i didnt think glass drying was a good pic.. but ill take some tomorrow after the capping!

 

[sebago_kid]

Re: Wellcraft Excel 1992 18sx

Dammit, man!!!
That is one cool lookin boat!
I love that hull.
Looks like you're doing her justice by making all of your repairs top shelf. Nice work, she'll be absolutely gorgeous when you're done!

 

[92excel]

Re: Wellcraft Excel 1992 18sx

Hey sebago_kid,

Thanks for the encouragement!!

 

[92excel]

Re: Wellcraft Excel 1992 18sx

Tonight I caped the stringers with 3 layers of CSM

i increased the overlap by 2 inches every time.. you can barely see the wood through all the glass.. i guess that means its sealed up.. lol..

and for John, Pics of the wrapped stringers

 

[freddyray21]

Re: Wellcraft Excel 1992 18sx

looks good. I have done those projects before and it's a lot of work.

 

[92excel]

Re: Wellcraft Excel 1992 18sx

freddyray21.. yeah a lot of work.. but i enjoy projects like this.. keeps me out of trouble lol..

 

[92excel]

Re: Wellcraft Excel 1992 18sx

Tonight i got the transom with one layer of CSM over it. then tabbed it in with csm followed by 1708 biax tabbing. I actually took this pic before i tabbed the transom to the port side stringer..

Ok so now i have a question.. i know i read on here that people keep their gas tanks up off the hull.. some use left over rub rail or whatever.. Is there any reason to do this other then to let water drain through that section and reach the bilge? My gas tank has a channel built in see below so should i do as the factory did and just set it in ? Or should i raise it up?

 

[bear_69cuda]

Re: Wellcraft Excel 1992 18sx

You're doing great work dude!

Soon it will all pay off...

But only after creating 10 tons of fiberglass dust! :redface:

But it's gonna rock!

 

[maxum247]

Re: Wellcraft Excel 1992 18sx

Stringers look good, nice job!

max!

 

[bear_69cuda]

Re: Wellcraft Excel 1992 18sx

Not sure what I'd do about the tank... I may want it raised on some type of rubber gasket or bushing. The rub rail idea is interesting. Either way having spacer (if you will) stationary would be best. At the same time if it moved you could get a rattle or possibly wear due to rubbing. The space may be bad for trapping leaves and debris as well. Regardless some type of insulation a good idea, and should keep it quiet and snug. Someone should have better advice than mine... Or at least a better theory

 

[92excel]

Re: Wellcraft Excel 1992 18sx

maxum247.. thanks buddy!

bear_69cuda.. thanks for the response... i have been following your thread and liking how the durabak turned out and you have me inspired! i really dont want to do carpet but snap in is the best of both! since its brand new ply and glass.. i wont have all the prep work you did... so you have me thinking about that! great job by the way!

im thinking it couldnt hurt to prop up the tank anyways..but just wondering what it would gain me..