1969 Sea Ray Rebuild (and mods) [SPLASHED Sept 2017]

[CrazyFinn]

A bit more progress - two steps forward, one step back...

Pulled apart the upper drive, installed all new seals.





New intermediate shift shaft. Got the drive assembled, installed, filled with oil. All seems to be going well.

Connected trim rams, filled system with oil. Trims up just fine, down - not so much (until my dad stands on the drive). Ordered re-build kits for the rams...

Getting closer though! Just need to connect the lower shift cable to the shift linkage, dump some gas in the tank, and I "should" be ready to test it on a hose.

 

[CrazyFinn]

Got the shift cables connected, rolled the boat out of the garage. Poured some gas in the tank, hooked up a hose on muffs. Got in the boat, cranked it over, and IT RUNS!

The real test of course will come when the boat is in the water (after I get the trim and a couple of other issues solved), but it's looking promising. Water is pumping through fine, gears seem to shift ok (with no prop installed yet), tach works, alternator is charging. A few little bugs to work out though. Engine revs then dies when I open the throttle - either a carb adjustment or fuel delivery issue (it started raining before I could troubleshoot more). Oil pressure gauge worked ok for a few minutes, then pegged at the top as soon as I turn the key on (even if engine isn't running). Either the sender or the gauge died. I have other gauges laying around, so that should be easy to figure out.

 

[CrazyFinn]

Let's see if this works... Took a short clip of the engine running.

 

[CrazyFinn]

I was out for the day yesterday, but told my dad he could start working on figuring out the spacing for the teak on the engine lid. Came home last night to this:



The pieces of plywood are just spacers he made to get it all even until it's fastened down. This is the port side of the boat - but the teak strips will continue (with a break at the seams) all the way across the engine lid.

 

[archbuilder]

Wow you are making great progress! Looking forward to seeing the splash!

 

[mickyryan]

great looking boat

 

[CrazyFinn]

Working at two paying jobs gets in the way of getting as much done on the boat as I had hoped, but I guess it helps having money to do it when I can!

Despite that, I took the day off work yesterday, managed to get the trim rams rebuilt and back on the boat. Now the trim works both up AND down!



Also replaced the fuel line with a brand new 3/8" ID from the tank to the filter. I had replaced everything else, but tried to get away with the original copper line that was in the boat when I got it - I think it was compressed a bit too much at a couple of bends and causing a fuel restriction. Will see if it helps once I get it back into the driveway and on the hose.

The rear deck/engine lid is looking good:



Started re-wiring the lights on the trailer last night, but I'm going away for a few days starting tomorrow, so it will still be a while before it is ready for the water (but it's getting close).

 

[kcassells]

Are you using any type of gaskets to make a lid seal? Just wondering.

 

[archbuilder]

nice progress as usual!

 

[CrazyFinn]

Are you using any type of gaskets to make a lid seal? Just wondering.

I haven't yet. If I get too much water in there, I might. The edges of the lid are located so any water that does get through can't drip on anything sensitive, and I'm not planning on boating in the rain any more than I have to. It is something I have been thinking about though!

The simpler option that I might put in place is to create a channel just under the lid that re-directs any leaking water out through a thru-hull.

 

[CrazyFinn]

A bit more progress... I have the trailer lights wired and ready to go, new license numbers on the boat, trailer properly registered and licensed.

The drivers seat is bolted into the boat, everything else seems to be "ready to run". I still need to attach the battery tray and properly install the battery.

Taking Friday off work to install a new alternator in my van (the alternator bearings were screaming when I started it up last week), and then pulling the boat out of the garage to test it on the hose.

If all goes well and it seems ready, I'm planning to haul it up to the in-laws cottage on Saturday and get it in the water - and see what happens! If it starts - and keeps running - I'll try to get as many photos/video as I can.

I figure if I don't get it in the water this weekend, it might not happen before next spring. I have to work every other weekend this month.

 

[CrazyFinn]

It floats! Still working on some fuel issues (either fuel pump or carb) at the dock, but I drove it across the lake from the launch ramp. Shifter and gearcase seem to work perfectly.

 

[CrazyFinn]

So... it seems like I need to re-build the carb. Only thing I haven't re-built... starts fine, idles fine, shifts fine. Won't rev up over 2000 rpm...

 

[CrazyFinn]

Overall, a successful weekend! Just got home, and the boat is back in the garage. Will order a carb re-build kit tomorrow, as well as a new oil pressure sender. Other than that, everything worked perfectly.

A few pics...

On the trailer on the way to the cottage:



In the water, running. Even if it didn't have the speed, it was sure a great feeling!


Tied up at the dock beside my father-in-laws boat:



Took my father out fishing in the boat last night. As I mentioned in my opening post in this thread, I started the whole process because I was looking for a boat to so I could take my dad out fishing. I took him along for the splash, he got the first ride in the boat with me, and we even took it out fishing for a couple of hours in the evening. This was my view on the way back:


Tied up at the dock this morning before we pulled it back out of the water:

 

[jbcurt00]

Congrats on the splash

title amended

 

[archbuilder]

Nice work, congrats on the splash!

 

[CrazyFinn]

Just went through this thread and fixed/added the missing photos that were hijacked by photobucket... Hope I got them all.

 

[CrazyFinn]

Just for fun - realized I had a picture from the same angle on the trailer when I first bought it and was hauling it home... So I combined the two pics as a before and after. Doesn't show the real work I did on the inside...


A short video cruising across the lake Saturday:

I still have some cosmetic stuff to take care of inside the boat - a few pieces of trim to install, get the seat cushions finished, and need to install vinyl on the floor (so I don't wear through the glass over the plywood). Re-building the carb as soon as I get the parts... Other than that, I'm not planning to do much more to it at this point, other than hopefully get it on the water as much as I can next summer.

Just want to thank everybody on these forums for the encouragement, as well as all of the ideas and help I gathered from reading what everybody else is doing to their boats! Great group of people here...

And I have that 24' boat sitting in the yard just waiting for me to get started on it.

 

[Baylinerchuck]

Congrats, looks awesome!!

 

[chevymaher]

Yes congrats. And it is your fault I am going though all this now to I hope you know. You made me look. Before that ignorance was bliss LOL.