'86 ADVANTAGE Bubbledeck

[78Southwind]

Great Job! Keep it coming.

[Holorinhal]

This boat has a stock Berkley intake in it and I want to swap it out for the intake from the Kona which is machined for a shoe and ride plate.
I used a propane torch and a floor jack to apply pressure. Make sure you strap the boat to the trailer to keep it from lifting up.







Cleaned up the hole.



Before I set the intake, I needed to add some glass to the inside of the keel at the transom. Reason is that when you add a ride plate to a rounded keel without a full setback, you need to clearance the bottom a little, for the plate to clear at an upward angle. A lot of keels are not that thick, so the added material on the inside allows for the removal of material on the outside, without breaking thru.











I did not want to cover the stringers with the carpet and wanted to Purdy up the bilge and transom. I prepped the stringers, bilge and transom for gel coating.



I had to coat the stringers with two coats of resin to fill in the weave.



I filled in all the low sots and sanded to 220 for gel.








Masked off the boat and any thing I didn't want overspray on.

[Holorinhal]

I got the stringers, bilge and transom, primed today. Tomarrow after the primer has cured,I will sand with 220, and then spray the black gel.










I busted my ass and got the stringers, bilge and transom, shot with color.
I sanded all the pimer down with 220g, cleaned up and wiped every thing down with acetone. Man I love this prestec poly primer. it sands like butter and did not clog up the paper.




Here are the products that I used. Prestec 27x1 clear gel addative, black polyester gelcoat, MEKP catalyst and some acetone to reduce





The clear doesnt look all that clear, kinda rose colored? no matter it is going into black gel.



Mix the clear gel and black, 50/50





mixed catalyst 2% and started spraying. I started with the transom and got a good tack coat on, then went up front to start on the stringers. The gun spit a couple times and then nothing comming out. I am like Holy Shit, the gel has gone off allready!
I got back to the bench and sure as shit the gel was hard and the gun was toast.
It was rather warm yesterday and I found out that 2% was too hot. I backed the catalyst down to 1% and reduced the gel with 10% acetone and had no more issues.







Well that gun was fried! Its a good thing that I have stocked up on these harbor freight throw away guns.





I shot a generous tack coat, let that start to kick and shot two more wet coats, letting each coat just start to get tacky,before shooting the next.
As You can see in the picture above, the transom looks really wavy, because I didnt add any filler on it to flatten it out.
On the other hand, I am really stoked about the way the stringers and bilge turned out. The stringers especially came out very flat and no noticeable waviness.
Its not perfect, but I am happy with the way it turned out.
I still need to sand, and I have some clear coming from Sher-fab, that should be here tomorrow. I will shoot the clear and then it is on to rigging and carpet.










I flow coated the stringers, bilge, transom and front bulkhead, yesterday, with prestec 27x6 clear gel.
I almost killed me to sand on the fresh black gel, But I got it all preped out with 220g.





I got every thing wiped down with lacquer thinner, and started shooting. I shot the transom first then turned to the front bulkhead.
I shot one generous tack coat and two wet coats, letting each coat start to kick before shooting the next.



After shooting the transom and bulkhead, I shot tree coats on the bilge and stringers.










now that that is done, I can get on to putting this thing together.

[Holorinhal]

The gauges that were in the boat were 2 1/8" and mine are 2 5/8", so I had to enlarge the holes.
I backed out the holes with a board, so that I could get a centering hole. I used a 2 1/8" hole saw and used the arbor drill bit to drill a center hole. I then chucked up a 2 5/8" hole saw and used the centering hole, and cut the new hole.










I am running a calgo steering and I have 6" post, but I would like the post to be a little longer.
I have a billet steering helm bezel that went to an obsolete Detmar rack system. The shaft hole is threaded, but is an exact fit to the calgo steering shaft.



I am going to use that as the base,or bezel, for the 6" post, which would give me a 8 1/2" inch post, plus the wheel, for a total of
11".
The Calgo post has 3 bolt holes on the bottom that bolts to the dash, in a fixed position and the calgo slides into the post and You can adjust to what ever length post you want. All I really need to do to make it work is drill the bezel to the same bolt pattern as the post, use threaded rod from the post ,thru the bezel, thru the dash and backup plate and nylocks behind the dash. the bezel even has room to put nuts behind to actually bolt the two pieces together before going thru the dash.
Of course one problem is that the two pieces are not the same color and I would probably want to get them coated.


I drilled the base to match the post bolt pattern.




The base was a billet helm base for a for an obsolete Detmar rack steering. It is threaded for the shaft, which the hole is the right diameter for the calgo shaft. The only problem is that it has a collar or seat, at the top , which is smaller than the shaft hole.
So I chucked up a burr in the drill press and milled it off. Not the prettiest milling job, but it did the trick.



my ugly drilling job, because my cheap azz drill press sux ass!




And here is how it all stacks up.









I need to make some longer studs from threaded rod, to go all the way thru the dash, but you get the idea.


I installed The base of the calgo steering post on the dash. I used a transfer punch to mark the holes on the dash.



I thru bolted the post to the dash, using ss threaded rod and ss nylocks on the back side.
I reinstalled the gauges, installed the switches and ignition switch. The dash is basically done.

[Holorinhal]

Spent time under the dash and got the wireing done.

[Holorinhal]

Got a few parts back from the powder coater, especially the intake. Now I can get it set.





I took the boat off the dolly and set it up on jack stands, just so I could crawl around under, without any thing in the way.





I measured the two center strakes at the front and the rear and marked the center.




I measured the first set of outer strakes at the transom and marked the center.



I used a laser to shoot the keel center line. The idea is to make sure that all the center marks line up, dead nuts, with the laser and You have a perfectly straight centerline of the keel.











The intake is in and set at 4.3*
Fri day night about 12:30am I finnaly finnished up setting the intake. I got to say this one did not go as smoothly as the one in the Kona.
When I set the intake intake in the Kona, the keel was very thick, and I had to actually cut down into the hull to get the shoe low enough to be in the plane of the keel. On this one, the keel is only a heavy 1/4"- 3/8" and the inside of the bilge was rally un even, so the intake was rocking back and forth on a high spot. I had previously ground and built up , when I mocked up the intake a few weeks ago and had the intake working. I think when I gel coated the bilge, and did some filling, i might have built up a little, and I actually had to grind a little of my fresh gelled bilge, in the rear.
This was the first time I used poxy putty. Is this stuff supposed to be this stiff. I was so stiff that It was very difficult to mix together. I used marine tex last time and it is very loose and easy to mix.
I had to play with the intake a lot to get it right and the dam digital angle finder seemed to give a different reading every time i touched it. I had to keep resetting it and rechecking it, from keel to intake, just because i wasn't confident in the readings. It would read correctly and then I would touch it and it would get off and not go back to the right reading.
Finally I got a consistent reading 4 times in a row and said that was it.
After I had it set and cleaned up and cured, this morning I zeroed the digital angle finder to the keel and checked the intake angle one more time. Bingo it was right on 4.3*


I had to do a little grinding on the fresh gel.



I used poxy puty. This stuff was stiff as hell and hard to mix. I had used marine tex last time and was easy to work with.





I had to jack around with the dam intake a lot, to get it where I wanted it, but I finally goter dunnn.







Drilled all the thru bolts.



I am going to set up an build the engine plates before I flip it over and blend the bottom, so i put the boat back on the dolly, to get ready for the next step.

[Holorinhal]

I got the mock up engine block set up and ready to go.







I pulled out a piece of 3/8" plate, that I had left over from the Kona build and went to work.

I made a template for the front plate, from a piece of sign board.



After I got the template how i wanted it, I transferred it to the aluminum plate and then cut all the straight cuts on a table saw. I also cut a piece of that would be the rear plate.



I then cut the final shape on the band saw.




When I was building the plates for the Kona, I learned about transfer punches and transfer screws. I had tried to order a set of transfer screws, but they were out of stock on the sizes I needed, since then I haven't got around to reordering a set. I was kind of pressed for time, and didn't want to wait for a set to arrive. I checked here in Vegas, with some suppliers and the only place that had any was McFaden-Dale, but unfortunately they only had metric sizes. So I had to get creative, and figure something out. I went to harbor freight and purchased a few sets of cheap transfer punches and cut them down so that they protruded from the holes, enough to get some marks on the plates.






Here you can see the tiny center point that gives you a fairly accurate center punch for drilling the holes.



You just lay the plate up against the points, give the plate a little tap with a mallet, and it transfers the bolt pattern to the plate.
I then went to the drill press, dilled a 1/8" pilot, and then used a center drill of the appropriate size, and finished up the hole.
If you use a small pilot drill and leave the material float the, the pilot will flex and find the center of the punch and the hole wont move on you.





and whalaa! perfectly aligned holes. Sure beats the hell out of trying to measure the holes and having to ream them to fit. Thanks Rex and Busby for turning me on to transfer screws and punches.








I had to put an angle on the matting surface of the plates to account for the angle of the engine to the rails. Since I don't have a mill, I just used a grinder to slightly bevel the bottom edges of the plates.



I finished the edges with a burr, a belt sander and a sanding drum on the drill press.



Since I am powder coating these parts, I wanted to test every thing on the actual engine , in the boat, to make sure there was no additional trimming needed.
I bolted the plates to the engine and set the engine in the boat.





Every thing looked good. The only thing that gave me a little trouble was the two pins on the rear of the block. I had to kind of hog those out a little, but it gets a bell housing over it so they aren't seen.
Here are the plates ready for powder coat.



Now I gotta get the boat flipped over to finish blending the intake, clearance the ride plate, and install the bolts in the intake.

[Holorinhal]

I got the boat flipped over, to finnish blending the intake and clearance the hull for the ride plate.
Kevin, i borrowed a little bit of your idea and built somewhat of a rotisserie. I wish i had one of those nice pipe stands like you have, but a chain hoist works just as well.
I could have just as well put a strap around the pump, but i wanted to go ahead and build a unit that i could use even when the intake is out.
I don't know if any are familiar with Unistrut, but it is a great product, kind of like an erector set , very strong and is infinitely adjustable. The best part is tat it breaks down and is easily stored.
I actually built a dolly out of unistrut, a while back and love it.

Here is what unistrut looks like. You have a choice of unistrut nuts that have a cone that holds the nut in position, or a sprig nut for the 1 1/2" strut.








I cut two pieces that will bolt to the stringers using the existing rail holes. Them three cross members that will support a 2" pipe that is used for the pivot.
One of the great things about unistrut is that they make all kinds of different brackets, so there in not much you cant build with it. Here is what the rig looks like.





I used my handy gantry on the bow eye and a chain hoist that i have rigged in the rafters of my garage, on the rear. Then it was just lift and up and over and slide the dolly under an set down on the stringers.





Got the boat upside down and proceeded to finish up the intake. I cleaned up the counter sunk holes, and installed the bolts around the perimeter.
I like to dip the heads of the bolts in the epoxy and insert the bolts in the holes. This fills the counter sinks and doesn't get it all over the threads. then just push them in and skim out with a plastic spreader.









Since I have a ride plate and the intake is not a full set back, the keel had to be clearanced, where the back cut shoe and the round keel meet.



You have to grind the keel flat to match the step in the shoe, where the ride plate bolts. When I ground the keel down, I broke thru, where the bottom of the transom wood is. There was a void between the fiberglass and the bottom of that wood.




I cleaned up the void real good and prepped to lay up some new glass.



I cut some strips of glass to fit the void and laid it up till it was filled.





after the void was full I laid up a few layers to build back up a solid flat area. and ground it to match the shoe. The step in the shoe is machined with a few degrees in it, so I matched the keel to that angle, so I was sure to have some up angle in the ride plate.









Chris said take it down about .040 lower than the ride plate pad. Here is what it all looks like.







Now all that was left to do is prep the bottom and throw on some flat black paint.










I will roll the boat back over and start rigging out and finishing up the inside.

[Holorinhal]

Started rigging on the transom. I installed a piece of T bolt strut, to mount things on the transom.
I loosiy hung the fuel filter/ shut off valve unit and the duel oil filter.




I needed to find a place to mount the hydraulic diverter pump. I was going to mount on the stringer with thru bolts. but on the bilge side there isn't enough room between the jet pump and on the side with the tank the rise of the hull causes the bracket bolt holes to be too far to the top of the stringer. My only option was to mount to the transom, but I didn't want to just rely on screws into the wood, to hold it. So I needed to fab up a bracket.
There are some holes in the transom that were previously used for swim steps. I am going to have to plug them with bolts any way and I don't want to drill any more, so i am going to utilize them.

These are the holes that I will use.




Here is the bracket I fabed up.





Ooops! I screwed up and drilled the holes with the wrong spacing.
Good thing they wont be seen with the diverter pump in place.





I used spacers to stand off the back up plate and support bracket, to clear the thru bolts to the main mounting plate.









I got the carpet done.
I am a marble setter and work at a casino, running the tile and carpet shop. so I have to do a little carpet at work, but I gotta tell you, that doing carpet in a boat, is nothing like doing it on a flat floor. It is hard work, crawling around on and over the stringers, trying not to step on the carpet, and not getting glue all over the place.
What's more is that tying to install carpet in a boat with contact cement, sprayed from a spray gun, when it is warm out, is a straight up pain in the fu@#&%*#ing ass!
The carpet sticks as soon as you lay it back down, and god forbid if it is not in the right place or has a wrinkle in it.
I used the contact cement, when I did the Kona, and that was a nightmare then and for me it didn't stick very well after a while. It is probably due to the heat here in Vegas, drying it out too fast.
I started, today, with the contact cement and quickly abandoned that idea and went to the Depot and got some spreadable outdoor glue.
Any way, I got it done and am really happy with the way it turned out. I really like the way the carpet looks with the gel coated stringers.











I finally got My rail kit back from them slow ass powder coaters. Now I can finally get the engine in the boat.

[Holorinhal]

I got the transom plates fabed up.
I made a template, from a piece of sign board. I got a rough shape and then jus refined it until it fit nice and tight.



One thing i had to deal with was the hand hole cover. The hand hole cover has the depression in it that had to be covered. I asked a bunch of questions in another thread, and as usual, i got some great feed back from people on these forums.
I ground the hand hole flat and then made a cover plate from 1/4" aluminum.











As you can see above, the hold down bolts aren't out enough, so I notched around them. I tested my templet from the left to right side of the pump and it was pretty close. I had to do a little adjusting , but not much. I transferred the shape to a full size template, and commenced to cutting plates.



I got the plates in place and started drilling holes. I was care full to use all the existing holes from the Berk cover, so that it could be reused if needed in the future.





Got all the rest of the holes laid out. I want to try and keep every thing in the plates. This boat has enough holes in it! I t don't need no more.



I finally got every thing hung and situated, on the transom, the way i want it, after hooking things up and changing things around a dozen times.






Finally I got the motor set in the boat!







I am glad this thing is, for the most part, finished. Building two boats in less than two years, has taken a lot out of me.
Even tho i pretty much used every thing i could from the Kona, I was still throwing $100 dollar bills at this thing,like i was throwing dollar bills at a stripper in the Spearmint Rhino!
I ended up fabricating a new bracket for the oil cooler and moving it foreword some.
I will say this. I am definitely going to find a block mounted oil cooler and remote oil filter. I want to be able to pull the engine in and out with only having to connect fuel, water and spark.



Here is a little bit of the hose routing. It is a bit of a spaghetti bowl. I am definitely not happy with that and will be cleaning that up a bit.





I wanted to keep all the thru hull fittings in the transom plates and with the set back that i have the fittings for the water inlet were too close, so i routed the line around the pump. That was an expensive piece. A two ft pice of braided hose and two 90* hose ends! But it worked well.





I had to fix the blown out fender. The blown out piece was long gone, and I needed to recreate the part of the fender and the step pad, so I needed to take a part from the good fender.
Since the paint on the fender, was peeling and chipped, I did not know if the part would release with just waxing the fender, so I used wax paper to cover the fender and lay up the fiberglass against. This really is not the best way to go about it. The glass likes to lift from the mold and tends to not stay in place, because there is no sticky or suction to hold it down. None the less I got the general shape out of it and after I trim it up, I can always fix what I do not like about it.

I started out with the good fender and wrapped it with wax paper. Then I cut the Csm to fit and draped it over the fender.