Ski Boat Forum
Repairs and Maintenance => Boat Maintenance - American Skier => Topic started by: Daximus on July 12, 2013, 11:39:55 AM
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Hi all, going to fix/maintain some stuff on my old boat over the next couple weeks. Figured I's start a thread...one, because I'll probably need help, two, it might help someone else, and third...I have nothing better to do today.
On the to do list. Strut bearing, muffler replacement, trans fluid change, oil change, shaft alignment, potential rudder rebuild, little vent hose fix, some wiring odds and ends, and any thing else I run across. I don't have all the parts just yet, figured I had better get in there and see what I need first, so this will be a work in progress.
Getting all of this stuff in proper order before I install the tower, tower sound, and the perfect pass system. Once those go on, it will be impossible for me to spend a weekend working on things like a good boy. I know me.
I'll take as many pictures as my A.D.D. allows. So let's get started...
First off, removing the propeller really sucked. My pulley puller was more adapt at removing car pulleys, not boat props. Ended up with a homemade (read redneck) metal, threaded U bolt, washer, nut contraption. Still it would not budge. A little coaxing with a propane torch and she hopped right off though. Hope that isn't frowned upon, but hey, it worked.
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Oh, and before I forget. Picked this up a Wally World for like $7. Hope it works!
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OK, got some stuff removed. It's 104 out, so I'm taking a break. Hot. I'm going to post some pictures in individual posts, so if anyone feels the need to quote me they won't have to quote 30 pictures.
First off...what is this thing? It flops around like crazy, and I'm certain it needs to be replaced. (Keep in mind, this is the boat that has never had a strut bearing replaced.)
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Sorry for the large picture...thought I re-sized them all. Moving right along...
This is how I found my shaft seal. I have never seen one of these disassembled, is it normal to have rope on both sides of the washer?
Further, look at the damn grove it's put in my prop shaft! Hope that's not ruined.
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I know my strut bearing is bad, it's got a world of play in it once everything else was removed. (first pic) Secondly, I'm glad to get into this, I definitely need to align things.
At 12 o'clock I can't fit a feeler gauge in there at all. At 3 o'clock I'm at .008. At 6 o'clock I'm at .010. At 9 o'clock I'm at .006. I honestly didn't think she vibrated that bad...I can't wait to drive it with a new bearing and an alignment!
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I had to remove the rudder to get teh prop shaft out. It was pretty simple...so simple I wonder what might be missing.
The top of the assembly had a pin, and a 1/2 inch nut/bolt. After those where removed I whacked it once with my hand and out she came. I was expecting some O rings or something? Maybe it's just grease sealed? Hell, I don't know.
It's a little chewed up, rings worn in it from use, but it was still functional last time I was out.
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I'm going to go out on a limb and say this probably a custom muffler, lol.
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That is not a custom muffler, just a poorly done custom fix job.....LOL
Enjoying all the comments and photos. Keep it up.
BJ
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That is not a custom muffler, just a poorly done custom fix job.....LOL
Enjoying all the comments and photos. Keep it up.
BJ
Thanks BJ, I sort of figured as much, lol.
I take on more water than I think is proper, some of it I suspect comes from these crappy old mufflers. Some I suspect comes from the rudder assembly....and probably some other places I haven't found yet. Luckily, I'm a wake boarder, so a few extra pounds of water in the boat doesn't ruin my day. I'm rambling...long day...definite heat stroke. 104 is no joke. :o
So, here is my old strut bearing. Everything has been a challenge today, except for it. Earlier today when I was pulling the prop I hosed it all down with penetrating oil. Now, I'm not sure if this helped, or if I'm just lucky, but once I pulled the set screws the strut bearings popped right out with a little tap at then end of a large flat head screw driver. It's honestly the easiest thing I did today.
Took some measurements. Looks like 1-1/4 OD...my prop shaft looks like 1 inch. Does this sound right to you all?
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OK, got some stuff removed. It's 104 out, so I'm taking a break. Hot. I'm going to post some pictures in individual posts, so if anyone feels the need to quote me they won't have to quote 30 pictures.
First off...what is this thing? It flops around like crazy, and I'm certain it needs to be replaced. (Keep in mind, this is the boat that has never had a strut bearing replaced.)
Dax,
Rest easy. I don't know what the technical name of this is, but the flopping is normal. It clamps onto the sleeve of the steering cable and you use it to adjust the rudder throw right and left. No need for replacement.
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Dax,
Rest easy. I don't know what the technical name of this is, but the flopping is normal. It clamps onto the sleeve of the steering cable and you use it to adjust the rudder throw right and left. No need for replacement.
Check. That makes good sense. I did notice while pulling the prop that my rudder's operational degrees weren't the same port to starboard. Now I know how to adjust.
Having gone through all this has really helped me out. I'm a hands on learner. The simplicity and durability of these boats is remarkable.
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Oh, and before I forget. Picked this up a Wally World for like $7. Hope it works!
Update: This thing rocks! Sucked out all tranny fluid in like 3 pumps. Highly recommended. Kit also comes with a dipstick sucker for those of you without oil pan drain hoses.
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I wasn't anticipating addressing my rubber fuel line issues just yet, but I bumped the old fuel line where it comes out from my electric pump while changing oil and the hose damn near disintegrated. Fuel everywhere, lol. Don't worry kids, I'm alive, but that dog don't hunt. Luckily I have a few gear heads down the street who had some Holley parts laying around before one of them went Edelbrock. Probably not the best quality stuff, but any fuel line is better than no fuel line.
This is a "Spectre" setup. Looks like cheap Chinese stuff. It can be found at Vatozone (also pronounced Autozone in parts of the country without overwhelming immigration issues). Again, not sold on the quality, but time will tell. It seems sturdy enough and included a nifty little fuel pressure gauge. Don't judge me, the price was right. I traded some old Jeep axle shafts for it.
It passed the initial leak test, I'll run it out with cover off and report back in at a future time.
Question: Do you think I should run the fuel line above or below the motor mount? See picture #3. It probably doesn't matter.
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Next...
I aim to replace some of the hoses, most importantly the water intake hoses pre-impeller. They are showing their age, and in my estimation more important since they are on the suck side of things. So I went of to my local store looking for some non-collapsible hose. This is what I came out with. It's the same size, and seems to be of the same build more or less. The old stuff does seem more collapse resistant, however. I'm not sure if it's due to it just being hardened by age, or if there is super special hose we need to use on the suck side of things. Any input would be appreciated.
I feel like it will be fine, but I don't really know how hard a good impeller sucks, so I'm guessing.
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Dax is there a wire in your 1.25" hose ? If not it will collapse
I'll give a shout Monday
Dan T
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Dax is there a wire in your 1.25" hose ? If not it will collapse
I'll give a shout Monday
Dan T
Not a wire like exists on the old ones. Once I got home and tinkered a bit more I could tell there was a difference. We'll add that to my list, lol.
I have a conference call regarding a big project at 8 cst. I dunno how long it will last, hour...hour and a half, I don't know. I'll call you as soon as I can. Probably around 10am.
Thanks!
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Picture #1: Rebuilt strut seal. Still need's new teflon rope, but at least i figured it out!
Picture #2: Hey at least the tranny oil cooler is clean! Was half expecting a dead mouse in this thing. Happy happy happy.
Picture #3: Pulled out out the crappy muffler for measurements. I got 44 inches end to bend, 2-3/4 inlet, 2-1/2 outlet, and a 45 degree engine side. These measurements were taken after sunday afternoon tequila time (family tradition)...so I reserve the right to change my readings.
Picture #4: Wake tower installation kit! Bandages not included. I've installed three of these, they suuuck.
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Did you say electric fuel pump??? You may want to re-adjust your priorities on this project.
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Did you say electric fuel pump??? You may want to re-adjust your priorities on this project.
Yes, electric. Why?
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Did you say electric fuel pump??? You may want to re-adjust your priorities on this project.
Yes, electric. Why?
Plan on running it switched to oil pressure, for what that's worth.
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We are blessed to have guys like Ron and Dan to help us out. Thanks fellas.
You all have no idea how nice it is to have people so knowledgeable and so helpful (willingly) when it comes to these boats. My last boat was an old Glastron Carlson, great boat, but virtually nobody knows much about them...at least not the way these two guys know these boats. For instance, Ron could tell from my pictures that one of my measurements was an inch off, lol!
Still got some wiring issues to clear up, and some fuel delivery issues to work around, but I'm heading in the right direction. New propshaft, strut bearing, and shaft packing on the way!
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First off I know some of you are absolutely going to hate me for this. Fair enough. It's not the end of the world, just 16 3/8ths holes to fill if I ever decide to be a purest.
I primarily wakeboard, my friends primarily wakeboard, my kiddo and all of my friend's kiddos try to wakeboard. I bought this boat to pull wakeboarders. A tower is really nice if you are a wakeboarder. Yes, one can definitely wakeboard without a tower, I've seen me do it, but having a tower makes it so much better. Plus with a tower I have a spot to hang some speakers, and speaker holes are much larger than 3/8ths of an inch. ;)
The way I figure, this boat had been rotting in a garage for the last 7 years. Now, it will be used weekly as intended...towing people around the lake every weekend all summer long for the next 27 years of it's life.
If it makes you feel any better, having this boat has prompted me to buy a slalom ski and give that whole sport a run later this summer, lol.
Sorry for the crappy pictures, getting dark out.
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Its your boat... you do what makes you happy! I think that tower looks pretty good. Most towers look like crap on these boats. If you dont mind me asking, what brand/make/model and price? Also, can you mount a bimini on the tower? One less thing to mount on the fiberglass :)
Looking good - keep it up!!
Joel
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Its your boat... you do what makes you happy! I think that tower looks pretty good. Most towers look like crap on these boats. If you dont mind me asking, what brand/make/model and price? Also, can you mount a bimini on the tower? One less thing to mount on the fiberglass :)
Looking good - keep it up!!
Joel
This tower is from Big Air http://www.bigairpylons.com/ (http://www.bigairpylons.com/)
It is their "ice" tower, costs $599, or $775 with two rack combo like I have. (The racks, speaker cans, and such are where the real money is at.) And yes, they sell their own biminis that fit on or under the tower. $1120 would get you a tower, two racks, and one of their rack mounted biminis. Check the combo area of their website.
I can't speak highly of these guys and gals enough. This will be the third tower from them that I have installed and used. Small company out of Oklahoma USA, got their start 16 or so years ago building pylons and such. Great customer service, great build quality, and great prices.
I've called them two or three times with the simplest of questions and they are always super helpful. I stripped out two of the deck mount bolts installing last night. It was totally my fault, I called them this morning and tried to buy a couple replacements...they wouldn't take my money, just mailed out a couple more bolts to me. Gotta love a company like that.
Warning: Opinion to follow!
Most of the time people choose the wrong towers for their boats, aesthetically speaking. You can't install a big, complex tower on a boat with such an understated design as ours....that's how you get into the tuna boat look. On a 22 foot newer I/O you can install some of those big, complex towers (or the reverse facing ones), and they look fine because the boat sits up out of the water a lot and the hull design is busy. For our boats less is more. Keep it simple...old school.
I don't care much for polished towers either. Some boats can pull it off, but if the only thing chrome on your boat is the tower, it's gonna look out of place. My two cents...
Case in point picture #1, simple boat, simple tower, chrome windshield, chrome tower...looks pretty good to me. I went along the same path of thought, only black windshield, black tower.
Case in point picture #2, complex boat, complex tower...looks pretty good though. That tower would look like hell on my boat, and my tower would look like hell in that MC.
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Finished gettin the tower installed today. Waiting on a bunch of parts now, everything from a driveshaft to Perfect Pass to an L7. Would have taken some pictures but all I did was buff...from 9 am till 9:18 pm this evening. That sucked, bad. I'm not even done yet. I've literally built engines in less time.
The good news is the boat looks great, aside from scuffs, I have no paint issues. Kick ass.
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It's official, the boat is now obnoxious. Got the tower speakers installed, went with Kicker KMT60s...no Wet Sounds or anything, but then I don't need people a mile a way to hear me...just the guy on the end of the rope. That and I only want to run one amp for the whole system. These speakers over perform for the money.
Somewhat temporarily stuffed a pair of 10 inch Kicker Comps in the bow. Not sure I'm going to leave them there...starting to develop a rear seat frame/speaker box idea that fires them down. It's a work in progress.
Kicker 700.5 amp in route, still running things off my old Clarion 6410. Both are great amps...FYI.
Still need to mount some speakers in the actual boat somewhere. I don't want to cut anything, which makes that a tall order. The speakers on the tower fire backwards....leaving passengers hearing mostly bass. I'll figure something out.
Got my perko switch installed, cleaned up a few odds and ends.
Buffed the hell out of it. She cleaned up pretty well too. I need a proper buffer before I do that again.
Anyways...this is what happens when I'm waiting on parts, lol! Come on Thursday!
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New strut bearing in. New driveshaft and coupler in. New rope packed in the box! We might hit the water this weekend!
Still need to align the engine though. Good news is a have one helluva pry bar now!
I have some more pictures, but the camera is acting funny so I'll have to upload them later. Thanks again to Ron for answering all my dumbass questions...he is a man of supreme patience!
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The boat is looking AWWWWWWWEEEEEESSSSSSSOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEE 8)
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The boat is looking AWWWWWWWEEEEEESSSSSSSOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEE 8)
Thanks man!
Just aligned the engine, I'm at less than .002! She wasn't out that bad once i got the new shaft and bearing installed. A little to the right and a little low in the arse. Hole in the hull was aligned perfectly, prop sits exactly one inch behind the strut. I'm a happy guy!
Gotta reassemble the rudder, going to go look for a new o-ring locally tomorrow. If I can't find one the old one will work. Cleaned up the mufflers, patched a hole. they still need replaced, but they will hold water for the rest of the season. Steering clamp needs replaced, but like the mufflers I think it will last out the season.
If all goes well, I'll be getting wet tomorrow on the test run!
Pics coming, camera is still pissed off.
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Almost forgot, look what else showed up today! Holy cow this thing is big, that's a standard sheet of paper beside it. Kicker 700.5 Marine (KM), mine tested out at 985 watts. Red Dragons. It's a 5 channel amp capable of powering a tower setup, 4 in boat speakers, and up to three subs depending n how you wire them. (2 ohm mono sub load, 2 ohm stable on the other 4 channels as well). It will power an entire boat for any normal human being.
Can't say enough good things about Kicker either. I've been a Kicker fan forever, and there is a reason. The KMT60 I installed on the tower sounds amazing, but when installing it a busted one of the cast aluminum rack mounts by over tightening like an idiot. I called, just wanting a replacement...we went through my address and all that etc. When we got done they said "OK, we'll get it on the way". I responded "what do I owe you? What about shipping?" Their response, don't sweat it, must have been a bad casting. (Keep in mind, I didn't have a warranty as I bought it from a non authorized distributor (Amazon). Not many companies like that anymore.
Oh, and when you call, you get a human...from...Oklahoma, not India. Keep that in mind when you start debating how decent the Boss and Pyle stuff "might" sound. Shop local kids, shop local.
Dax
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Well, the camera lost a few pictures, but here is what we got.
Ski pole, gone! (And for sale if anyone needs one)
New prop shaft, aligned at less than .002!
Steering coupler still needs replaced. After I disassembled it it was pretty worn out.
Got the cooling stuff back together. Cleaned up and rubber coated the mufflers. (It didn't work, they are still kind of leaky)
Got a little ore room without that darn pole, I really hated that toe buster.
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That darn "ski pole" and "toe buster" is called a "pylon"... sorry, but I gotta give ya grief for removing that!! This ski boat is made for slalom skiing... I understand your a wakeboard kinda guy so I'll cut you some slack... but today only ;) LOL! If I didnt faceplant & peel my eyelids off of my face EVERY TIME I've tried to wakeboard I'd probably like it much better!!!
Seriously, the boat is looking great! Your doing a marvelous job!!
Joel
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That darn "ski pole" and "toe buster" is called a "pylon"... sorry, but I gotta give ya grief for removing that!! This ski boat is made for slalom skiing... I understand your a wakeboard kinda guy so I'll cut you some slack... but today only ;) LOL! If I didnt faceplant & peel my eyelids off of my face EVERY TIME I've tried to wakeboard I'd probably like it much better!!!
Seriously, the boat is looking great! Your doing a marvelous job!!
Joel
Hahaha, I deserve all the grief you can give me. Happily, the pylon has already found a new home! In an American Skier running about Florida from this very forum. So instead of breaking my toes, being in the way, and collecting dust on my boat it will be pulling slalom skiers as intended.
Every story needs a happy ending. ;D