# My build from then 'til now - Motor swap completed!



## bulldog

These are some pics of my build over that last 2.5 years. I am doing a lot of different stuff to it in the next couple weeks so I'll of course post more pictures.


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## bulldog

More pictures.


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## bulldog

More pics


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## bulldog

Motor Pictures. I bought this motor on a 16' Basscat. The boat was the biggest piece of crap you have ever seen ut all I wanted was the motor anyway. The motor is a 1974 150 Mercury in line 6. It had a pretty fresh rebuild on it when I got it. Runs great now but there were some hiccups along the way. I'll explain later.


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## bulldog

Console and seats.


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## bulldog

Alright there is a quick over view of my build. It came together pretty quick but I have been changing and tweaking all the time. All in all it was fun. This is the second build I have done. The first one was a 1436 with a 650 Sea Doo motor in it and I can post pictures of that if people would like. That boat was just too small so I built this one.

When I got the jet pump for this boat I got it sent to me refurbished from a company out of California. I am not going to post the name of the company because I would like to kick the owners in the face but if you would like to know, PM me and I'll point you in their direction. I paid about $1000 for the pump, I can't remember exactly. It was supposed to come with a brand new paint job on it, which it did not but they did include some paint in the box for me to do it myself. For the first couple short runs the pump ran perfect. After gaining some confidence I decided to take a few of my buddies out on the Missouri river. Needless to say the motor crapped out on me and we had to get towed back to the dock, up river about 3 miles. It cost me $50 and a case of beer. I started to rip in to the motor a little bit to see what was wrong. Long story short - the drive shaft of the pump had an existing crack in it. There are 3 small stainless bolts that hold the main bearing on to the pump housing. When these guys assembled the pump they did not tighten these bolts or add lock tight and the bolts backed out and fell in to the impeller. The impeller broke the bolts up and they ran through and ate the crap out of the impeller, sleeve and cracked the drive shaft which as far as I know high revved the motor which caused the old dry rotted timing belt to break. 

Sounds crazy right? If you have another explanation for all of these things happening all at once I would love to hear your thought. The damage was: broken off bolts that hold the main bearing to the pump housing, broken drive shaft, broken timing belt, ruined impeller and sleeve. Seriously if you have an idea of what you think happened I'd like to know.

SO.....I called the company that I bought the pump from and they basically told me that I was up shit creek and that they have never heard of that ever happening and they have done thousands of pumps yada yada yada. I sent the broken pump back to them at my expense. They then looked over everything and decided that the only thing they were responsible for was the crack in the drive shaft. They supplied me with a new drive shaft and after lots of very kind word exchanged they gave me a new impeller and sleeve and sent the package back to me. I got the pump in the mail and it was completely disassembled with directions on how to put it together. I almost lost my mind as it had been dragging on for a couple months and I was supposed to get this pump assembled. I looked at it as a blessing in disguise because I now know EVERY SINGLE PART OF MY JET PUMP AND EXACTLY HOW IT IS PUT TOGETHER. I could drop my pump, disassemble it and have it reassembled in under an hour probably. Pretty neat little invention.

After all this, the motor and pump has worked very well and that has been the only time I have ever been stranded by it except for when I thought I had more gas than I did. =D> 

Any questions or comments, I'd love to hear them or help any one of you guys or girls out. Thanks for looking!!


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## S&amp;MFISH

One Question Bulldog. Do you have any pics of the wrap being applied? Interested in how the process works.


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## bulldog

I am going to write up a post about wraps tonight or tomorrow so everyone knows how it works.


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## richg99

Great looking boat conversion.

I enjoyed reading your pump story. Just shows what can happen when a small thing ( Locktite) is left off of a big job. Your knowledge of the pump will help for many years, though.

Only thing that I did notice was what appeared to be treated lumber used for bracing under the deck. I never knew that treated lumber was an issue on aluminum boats until I started reading this group a month or so ago. regards, rich


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## Codeman

Very cool rig, love all of the seating.


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## FishingBuds

bulldog said:


> I am going to write up a post about wraps tonight or tomorrow so everyone knows how it works.




Cool, thanks BD and killer job!


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## moelkhuntr

I know how it is to redo a boat and I found out what BOAT stands for (BREAK OUT ANOTHER THOUSAND). I bought a boat from the neighbor last fall thinking it was done. Since then I have put on a NEW E-TEC, changed the seats around,added fishfinders front and back, larger tank,trolling motor,moved battery to the front, added fuse blocks front and rear,now my neighbor is going to carpet it for me when the weather warms up a little, putting in rod holders on the side this week,fixed the mount up front to mount a GOLIGHT remote spotlight. It is a never ending job just to keep up with getting the boat going. But, enjoying each minute of it.


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## fender66

Nice post....I might have to hit you up for some wrap of my "team design" for my boat.


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## moelkhuntr

Those wraps look very, very nice. Anxious to see it in person if you come down to Doniphan. How are they to keep clean. Is there very much maintance to them.


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## bulldog

The wraps are very easy to keep clean. I clean mine just like a normal car or if it is not too dirty I just spray some glass cleaner on it and wipe it off. Very low maintanence.


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## ace man

Do you have a web to look at


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## bulldog

So I took a look at brine's build and I got jealous. I ripped my front deck out tonight, ordered 90' of 1" box tubing with 1/16 walls and 60' of 1" aluminum angle (the kind with the 45 degree inside corner not the round inside corner). Got a price of around $130 for all the aluminum which I thought was a pretty good deal or at least fair. The next purchase will be the foam insulation and the aluminum for the floors and the decks. Brine used a product called ACM. In the sign industry we use a similar product called Alumalite and I can get it for a pretty good price. 

Quick question for you guys, should I use carpet to cover all the floors and decks or use something else? I was leaning towards carpet but I am open for ideas.

I am planning on removing my motor on Friday and flipping the boat over to patch all the leaky rivets. I noticed that a lot of you guys use a paint on Steelflex product. I am using a product called Durafix. I will post a thread on that later in the week to explain what it is and how it works for me. I have messed around with it and I think it is going to work great. It will be a lot of work but hopefully this darn boat will stop leaking.

Finally I would like you all to know that my fiance' wants to know who in the heck this "brine" person is. :LOL2: :LOL2: :LOL2: :LOL2: I basically threw you under the bus brine and showed my fiance' your boat build and she does not think very highly of the fact that I am doing that to my boat because she feels that it was just fine the way it was. I told her the "tinboat" guys told me to do it. She laughed and all is well but I figured I'd share that with ya. Whatever keeps me in her good graces I guess.

Attached is a pic of what the boat looks like tonight. I have to rip the floor out and we are good to go.


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## bulldog

www.vinylimagesinc.com
www.tailgatetakeover.com

We are in the process of redoing the site as we speak so please bear with me here.


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## Jim

Awesome man!

TinBoats.net wrap on my next Tin rig for sure! :beer:


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## moelkhuntr

Those graphics on your WEB sites are mighty fine to say the least.


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## Brine

bulldog,

I'm happy to take one for the team :wink: 

I think the carpet or not is all personal preference. I like the idea of the sound dampening, comfort, and look, but my main reason for not using it is that most of the lakes I fish don't have a boat dock at the ramp which means you're often walking through GA red clay and then into the boat. If the bank happens to be wet, it's a horrible mess on carpet.

Great looking rig, and good luck on the future mod. Please don't let your fiance (congrats by the way) know when I started my build and that I'm still not done. She might never let you back on here again. :LOL2:


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## Seth

That camo wrap is awesome. I like my boat being blue, but my next boat is going to be camo.


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## bulldog

Got the old deck ripped out and this is the start of my subframe. I am using 1" box tubing with 1/16" wall and 1.5" angle with 1/16" wall. All of it is rivetted together with 1/8 rivets but anywhere it is rivetted to the boat I am using 3/16" rivets. It is very solid and I am shocked how light it is compared to the wood I had in there. This is just the start and is approx 70% done. I ran out of angle or i would have finished it today. I'll get some more work done on it tomorrow evening.


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## fender66

Looks great. Where'd you get the tubing?


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## bulldog

Shapiro Steel Supply near Union and 70.


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## fender66

bulldog said:


> Shapiro Steel Supply near Union and 70.


FYI
If you go back.....you can often get a better price if you offer cash direct to the owner.


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## bulldog

Little more of the subframe done. Approx 90% now. I started cutting some of the frame pieces. I bought a $15 miter saw from Craigslist to do all the rest of the cutting and it is working great for a $15 saw from Craigslist with a wood cutting blade. Hopefully I can have this all completed by Sunday. I have two square storage boxes in the middle, one long one in front of the console, and a 7'10" rod locker on the other side. I can't wait to get it done. It is a lot of work that is for sure.


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## Brine

Nice pics on the bow :mrgreen:


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## bulldog

Yeah, I might be stealing your design a little. You inspired me to do it and I'm not sure if I love you or hate you for it. A LOT of work. Tons of little stuff that you don't think about until you are there.


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## S&amp;MFISH

Bulldog,your progress looks good.Can't wait to see the finished product.


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## Brine

bulldog said:


> Yeah, I might be stealing your design a little. You inspired me to do it and I'm not sure if I love you or hate you for it. A LOT of work. Tons of little stuff that you don't think about until you are there.



Steal away, and I'm honored. It is a lot of work. Much more than I anticipated when I started. Looks like you've made some good progress. =D>


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## bulldog

A little bit more done now. Subframe is about 85-90% done and I have about 40-50% of the framing done now. I got the floor done where the driver and front passenger sit. Insulated and all. I am also going to insulate the flooring in the front where the framing is already done for support and I have some extra insulation so why not?

I was breaking down the hours so far:

old deck tear out - 1.5 hours
last Saturday - 6 hours subframe
last Sunday - 2 hours subframe
Monday - 2.5 hours subframe/ frame
Tuesday - 3 hours subframe/frame/flooring
Wednesday - 2 hours frame

Probably another 20 hours minimum.

It never ends. Hopefully I can get this thing done by Sunday night. It is so much more work than you think it is but I feel like I am doing it correctly. Just a ton of little stuff that is going to pay off in the long run.

On a lighter note, it pays off to work next door to a tool and die shop because they have EVERYTHING possible that you could need and eager people to lend assistance and knowledge. Most of all a band saw to cut all the 1" 45 degree angles I needed for support. I cut a couple with a hacksaw and I knew there was a better way. Also it pays off to spend a lot of $$$$ at my sign supplier because I got a couple $90 4' x 8' Max Metal, like ACM, for $20 because the corners were dented. When I say dented I mean someone sneezed on the corner and there was a tiny little dent on them. Great deal.

Here are some pics of the floor insulation and the framing after tonight.


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## bulldog

I forget last Friday was 5 hours for the Durafixing of the rivets.


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## moelkhuntr

Looking nice!!! A lot of self satisfaction in a job like that! =D> =D> =D>


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## bulldog

Put another 6 hours in today doing the framing. Popped rivet #700 also. Here are some pics of the progress.


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## bulldog

Pictures of the storage lockers. Gonna be SWEET!!!!


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## LonLB

Very nice work.....I hoping to go with aluminum on my boat too, instead of wood.

=D>


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## bulldog

I did it in wood last year and it is just too heavy and it gets rained on and warps. Just sucked. Aluminum is more expensive but worth it in the long run and it looks and functions awesome.


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## bulldog

Side note on the aluminum: Get your stock from a metal wholesaler as it is half as much as retail and get your rivets from Harbor Freight as they are 1/3 the price of retail.


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## bulldog

Got a lot of the decking done today. It is almost done completely but I still have about 10 hours of work to do still. Looks awesome!!


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## bulldog

This is a little touch I did to the insides of the storage compartments. I took a wire wheel on a drill and scuffed the aluminum up just to give it a little flair. I think it looks better that just plain old aluminum.


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## reedjj

Did you replace one of the bench seats that you previously removed? If so did you put it back in the same place? It looks like you moved the 2nd bench rearward and put the console where the 2nd bench was originally. 

I am asking because I am trying to figure out how to balance my build. I would like and end product to be a smaller version of yours.

It looks like a professional build. Very nice.


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## bulldog

Thanks. I took the front bench completely out and did not replace it. I mounted my seats to the middle bench seat and to be honest I completely guessed with the balance but with the old deck it was almost perfect. With the new aluminum deck it is going to be a little back heavy but I am alright with that. The best way for you to find the correct balance for your boat is to just try a couple things. There is no real way to tell if it is going to be perfect or not until it gets wet.

Good luck on your build.


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## bulldog

Finished my deck for the most part tonight. I still have to do a couple more small things but it is 99% done. I am going to line the storage compartments and rod locker with the same material that yard signs are made out of. Called chloroplast. It is very light, easy to clean, it will work perfectly, it is easy to work with, I have an abundance of it, it is cheap, and it will make the compartments look finished. 

I have to mount the trolling motor, mount the butt seat holder, mount some sort of handles or something to open the lids and that is about it. More work than I imagined but I love the way it looks and it will be very user friendly for me when I am fishing and that is all that matters.


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## Brine

=D> Looks great Man. 

Since you're on a roll.... how bout a trip to GA to finish mine?


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## richg99

Really, seriously ..a great job. Rich


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## bulldog

I got locking flush mount latches from Cabela's today. Thank God for gift certificates because they were $27.99 a piece and I got 4. Cost me $30 out of pocket. I'll post pics later after they are installed.

https://www.cabelas.com/product/Boating/Livewells-Bilge-Pumps-Hatches/Hatches-Storage|/pc/104794380/c/104743980/sc/104378580/T-H-Hatch-Latch/737202.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fboating-livewells-bilge-pumps-hatches-hatches-storage%2F_%2FN-1100642%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104378580%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253Bcat104794380%253Bcat104743980&WTz_l=SBC%3Bcat104794380%3Bcat104743980%3Bcat104378580


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## fender66

So, how many feet of tubing do you have in this build?


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## bulldog

I have 92' of 1" box tubing and 83' of 1.5" angle. I also used about 4' of 1.25" box tubing with 1/8" wall on one spot that needed to be stronger than the rest.


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## Codeman

Looks great and you got done quick.


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## S&amp;MFISH

That looks slick bulldog. Really nice job.


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## bulldog

Codeman said:


> Looks great and you got done quick.



I have about 45 hours in to it and it has been on my mind since I started it about 2 weeks ago so I am pretty glad it is getting close to being done. I still have some stuff to do. It just never ends but I'm still having fun. Once fishing season comes around all the hard work will pay off.


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## bulldog

I got my latches mounted yesterday and they look great. My review on them would be that they function well and look well and they were VERY easy to install. Probably took 5 minutes per and that includes lining them up and drilling the holes. They seem solid and will keep people out that want to steal your stuff but if someone really wanted to get in, I am willing to bet they could. I'd give them an 8.5 out of 10, losing 1 point for the cost - $27.99 per and .5 point because they don't mount as flush as I would like. I'm probably nit picking that last one but all in all I'm happy. It will give me piece of mind knowing that my stuff is locked up. I'm like a lot of you guys and I have a couple expensive combos and a ton of tackle that is worth some $$ so having locks is great.


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## bulldog

Here is a picture of the console and the rear of the new deck. I just put the finishing touches on the sides and back of the deck tonight. I'm trying to make it look as clean as possible. My boat has a lot of digs and dents so everything I am building I am trying to make look clean I guess to make up for that. You can see the exposed aluminum cross members. This is a pretty big stretch to not bend for 1" box tubing so I used 1.25" box tubing with 1/8" walls on the bottom and a 1" on the top. It does not flex at all even with a 235+ pound man stepping on it. 

All that is left to do in this picture is to mount the Hot Foot. If you don't have a Hot Foot in your boat, you are missing out. I have heard both sides of the argument and I have owned boats with and without and IMO a Hot Foot is the way to go and I will never own another boat with a console without one.


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## bAcKpAiN

The boat looks incredible! If you don't mind, what do you think you spent in aluminum for this build?


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## bulldog

I think around $300 plus the decking so about $400 in aluminum. It used more than I thought it would but I wanted to build it strong.


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## cathprod

Looks great! I am planning for an alumuminum deck like yourself and was trying to figure out how to support the large hatch lids so that there was no give if standing right in the middle of one. I like what you did but was wondering what the framing underneath the lid sits on while closed? I couldn't tell in the pics.


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## bulldog

To make sure the compartment doors did not fall through, when I built the sub frame I used 1.5" angle and the actual framing was done out of 1" box tubing. This way there is .25"-.5" of the compartment doors that sit on the 1.5" angle of the sub frame when the doors are closed. The only part of the doors that do not sit on the sub frame is the edge that has the hinge, that is supported by rivets every 2.5-3". 

I really planned this thing out with very little planning and just committed to an idea that actually worked but I'm glad I did it the way that I did or else you have to add support to the lids and that is just a waste of expensive aluminum.

I hope this helps and if you need pics, just let me know and I'll get some taken.


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## cathprod

If you wouldn't mind taking a couple pictures that would help because I am having a hard time visualizing it. No rush though because I am still in the demo stage. Thanks!


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## bulldog

Alright here are some pics and an explanation:

The sub frame of my build was made to match up to my cross members already in the boat as the supports of the boat itself. So this left me with little choice in to where my middle storage units were going to go or how big they were. That was decided by how far apart the cross members were. I built my sub frame according to Brine's build pics. That is really all I had to go off of were the couple pics in his build up. I knew that the actual frame was going to be built out of 1" box so I figured If I built the sub frame out of 1.5" angle, I would have some place for the frame to rest on along with a small ledge for the doors of the storage lockers to rest on. 

Here are some pics and if you need more, don't be shy as I am more than happy to help.


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## cathprod

Perfect! Thanks bulldog, I also figured out how to zoom in to the pictures of your subframe and that helped. I could not originally tell that what was angle and what was tube, but with these pics and zooming in to the others I'm pretty sure I got it. Would you be nervous if I jumped up and down right on top of a hinge? Just wondering how strong you think those rivets are. The 1987 Alumacraft I am working on has broken rivets everywhere and will probably make me go a little overboard when rebuilding so as not to have to worry. Any reason you didn't have that hinged part of the hatch door on top of angle as well?


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## bulldog

cathprod" Would you be nervous if I jumped up and down right on top of a hinge? Just wondering how strong you think those rivets are. Any reason you didn't have that hinged part of the hatch door on top of angle as well?[/quote said:


> I am almost 6' tall and about 180 pounds and I am the runt of my family. I am fortunate enough to have a 6'3" 240 lb brother that works with me and is more than happy to try to break my stuff. If there was any part of the build that i questioned, I would just have him jump on it. Like I mentioned, he does not mind trying to break my stuff and I think he has actually enjoyed it for the last 28 years. The hinges hold up very well with very little flex. The piano hinges have holes for screws or rivets probably every 2" so they have plenty to keep them held together.
> 
> As far as the hinge placement, I did it this way for two reasons. 1)I did my last build like this and i thought that was the way they were supposed to go. and 2)I just thought it looks cleaner. I would imagine that either way you do it, it will be strong. I can tell you this, if you put the hinges on top of the angle, it will be easier to install. How I did it you have to attach the hinge to the compartment door and then basically guess where to drill the holes for the rivets on the frame.


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## Ictalurus

Bulldog, amazing job on the boat. Completely awesome!!! =D> =D> =D>


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## cathprod

Sounds good. I look forward to popping my first rivet on my first deck job once I make it to that stage. If it turns out half as good as yours it will be ten times better than what I ripped out!


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## bulldog

Bought a 46" tall, 6' long and 72" wide 3 pole bimini top today. It has 1" double wall aluminum tubing, UV and other anti mold treatments to the gray canvas and a 7 year warranty. Did I mention the 7 year warranty? $129.00 shipped. I've been looking for one for a long time and this is a great deal. Can't wait 2-6 days for it to arrive!!


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## S&amp;MFISH

Not trying to be too nosey,but can I ask where you found it?


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## bulldog

Nosey? Is there such a thing on this site!?  I found it on Ebay. Called and talked to the store and they sent me a sample of the canvas as I think that that is the most important part. The build of it is all stainless bolts, nylon fittings, and aluminum 1" support rods which is very important. Very good product. I'll let you know how everything looks and goes together when it comes in.

This is the exact one I bought:

https://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380315054554&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT


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## fender66

bulldog said:


> Nosey? Is there such a thing on this site!?  I found it on Ebay. Called and talked to the store and they sent me a sample of the canvas as I think that that is the most important part. The build of it is all stainless bolts, nylon fittings, and aluminum 1" support rods which is very important. Very good product. I'll let you know how everything looks and goes together when it comes in.
> 
> This is the exact one I bought:
> 
> https://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380315054554&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT



Great post bulldog. I'm really looking forward to catching up with you very soon, and in person.


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## bulldog

Yes sir!!! We'll have to get together some time soon. Spring is just around the corner!! =D> =D>


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## S&amp;MFISH

Thanks Bulldog.


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## georgiaken

I have been following your build since back before I even joined...the craftsmanship is second to none...

Nice Job!


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## bulldog

georgiaken said:


> I have been following your build since back before I even joined...the craftsmanship is second to none...
> 
> Nice Job!




Thanks!! Lots of work and even more hours.


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## Decatur

Great build! One question I have is if the bulk of your tubing has 1/16" walls?


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## bulldog

All tubing and angle is 1/16" and it is very strong.


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## Decatur

Thanks for the reply. I've been debating as to whether 1/16 would be strong enough.


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## bulldog

It is. You have to use a little more supports as you would if you used 1/8 but ti works just fine for me. It also depends on how thick your decking is going to be.


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## Decatur

Thanks! I'm a big dude and want it to be sturdy. After I get the money and my plan set in stone, I'll have to post it up and get opinions here as to which route I should go.


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## bulldog

I got my bimini top earlier this week and opened it up today. It seems like a very good buy. It is about 60% pre-assembled and looks like it is built well. I'm excited to get it on and ready to go. Pics to come later.

I also got the 1/4" plate that I am going to use for the trolling motor mount. That was an expensive piece of aluminum. $37 for an 18"x24" piece. I have to have it though. I made the template tonight and should get everything cut and bent tomorrow so I can get it all put together before Saturday morning when I go fishing for the first time with the new deck. I'll take pics as I go.

On the down side, I found a crack in my boat where the transom meets the boat. The guy that did the transom said it would crack exactly where it did. I'm wondering how much that is going to cost to fix. Atleast $100 I would think.


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## S&amp;MFISH

Bulldog, when I needed an 8-9in weld to repair the rear corner of mine I took it to Contractors Welding,they put a nice tig on it for $35. Everyone I talked to recommended them. I dropped it off around 10am,and they had it ready in about an hour or so.The only problem is that you have to take it to them.But it is a nice weld. They are on Thornton Ave in Rock Hill,near the police station,off of Elm.


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## bulldog

Thanks S&M. The crack is about 1.25" but it is in a bad spot so I want to get it fixed sooner than later. I'll give them a call.


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## JonBoatfever

what does this hot foot thing do? :?


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## bulldog

A Hot Foot is just a foot throttle instead of a hand throttle. It is the same as driving a car. When you are in the stuff and you're white nuckling, it is always better to have 2 hands on the wheel. Same thing in a boat. I love my Hot Foot and I really can't imagine running the skinny water I have run without two hands on the wheel, in some cases. I'm sure you can adjust to one hand on the wheel but........

Here is a pic of one in a bass boat.
https://vicssportscenter.com/fishingboats/upload/tn_photo_3470.jpg


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## Lil' Blue Rude

bulldog said:


> A Hot Foot is just a foot throttle instead of a hand throttle. It is the same as driving a car. When you are in the stuff and you're white nuckling, it is always better to have 2 hands on the wheel. Same thing in a boat. I love my Hot Foot and I really can't imagine running the skinny water I have run without two hands on the wheel, in some cases. I'm sure you can adjust to one hand on the wheel but........
> 
> Here is a pic of one in a bass boat.
> https://vicssportscenter.com/fishingboats/upload/tn_photo_3470.jpg


It's like a car but when you try to stomp on the brake and it's not there :shock: . 
You can run skinny water fine with one hand, just gotta be quick :mrgreen:


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## bulldog

I did some work to the rod locker tonight. Built everything with yard sign material(chloroplast) and golf bag tubes($1.29 a piece). It looks great, is very stable and added little to no weight. Literally under a pound. There is enough room for 8 rods which is more than enough and is 7'10" long. I'm more than happy with the results.


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## bulldog

Here are some pics of my storage. The small one is for I'm not sure and the larger one is for my tackle.


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## bulldog

Some pics of the bimini top. I love this thing. The only bad part is it is very hard to fish out of the back of the boat with it up. Built solid and cheap!!


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## moelkhuntr

Bulldog, you have that looking sweet. You have done some very nice and intricate work. NICE JOB!!! =D>


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## bulldog

moelkhuntr said:


> Bulldog, you have that looking sweet. You have done some very nice and intricate work. NICE JOB!!! =D>



Thanks!! I finally see some light at the end of the tunnel. Getting close to being done with the front deck. Just hard to find the time being so busy with work.


----------



## fender66

Very nice. I wish I had a rod locker too.


----------



## bulldog

fender66 said:


> Very nice. I wish I had a rod locker too.



I know a guy that could help you build one!! :LOL2:


----------



## fender66

bulldog said:


> fender66 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Very nice. I wish I had a rod locker too.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I know a guy that could help you build one!! :LOL2:
Click to expand...


We do need to get together sometime soon.


----------



## Brine

Nice work bd. Looks great. 

I don't remember seeing in your build, what did you line your hatches with?


----------



## bulldog

I also got a crack in my boat welded yesterday. It was a 1.25-1.5" crack where the transom hits the top rail of the boat but i wanted to get it fixed before it got too bad. S&MFISH told me to go to Contractors Welding in Rock Hill. I did and they are second to none. They re-gusseted the sides so it should not happen again. Charged me $65 but to me that seemed fair and it was a problem that could have turned in to a huge issue if not fixed. I dropped the boat off before I got to work and it was ready for me to pick up during my lunch break. I can't say enough about these people. A little hard to find but they know what they are doing.


----------



## bulldog

Brine said:


> Nice work bd. Looks great.
> 
> I don't remember seeing in your build, what did you line your hatches with?



The white on the inside of the hatches is just the paint that is on the ACM. They call it "sign ready". It holds up to the outdoors for 5 years so it should hold up inside my hatches for at least that long.


----------



## S&amp;MFISH

Hey Bulldog, looks like they fixed you up real nice. I was really impressed with what they did to mine,now I'm even more impressed. I'm glad I could help.


----------



## bulldog

Gotta drop the boat off at the mechanic. I have a shifting problem and a bad fuel pump. Ever since I got my jet I have not been able to shift from reverse to forward smoothly. I have messed with it for the last time. I wish they would just put a shift linkage on the outside of my pump as opposed to using the existing shift linkage though the shaft of the motor. It would solve all the problems but apparently they don't advise doing that application on larger motors. How do you guys have your linkage?


----------



## bulldog

I got my fuel pump rebuilt and the mechanic said all is good to go. I have to pick it up tomorrow. He said for such an old motor he is very surprised how strong it is. Put a smile on my face but I am still looking to repower this year or next with something newer and 4 stroke. I really like the newer Evinrudes and I have not heard very good things about the newer larger Mercs.

I have been pricing out shift linkages and they are a little expensive so i'm going to just take the reverse gate off for the mean time until I get fed up with that then I'll get it all fixed. I've just been spending too much $$ on this boat recently and if my fiance' finds out she's going to whoop me good. Apparently we are supposed to be saving for a wedding or something crazy like that. :? 

I can't wait to get on the water this weekend. 72 and overcast on Sunday. Sounds to me like the top water bite will be on at the upper Meramec.


----------



## fender66

> Sounds to me like the top water bite will be on at the upper Meramec.



Very true...if the water isn't too high and muddy.


----------



## semojetman

If your still thinking of repowering afriend of mine is looking for a motor for the boat he just bought.


----------



## possom813

Did you pop-rivet the entire frame, or did you weld some of it?

It looks good, real similar to what my basstracker is going to be....eventually #-o


----------



## bulldog

I pop rivetted everything. I think it was 700-800 all together. My right forearm is enormous from the hand opperated gun.


----------



## bulldog

fender66 said:


> Sounds to me like the top water bite will be on at the upper Meramec.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Very true...if the water isn't too high and muddy.
Click to expand...



Supposed to be at 2'-3' out West. Lower than I have ever fished it. I'm excited!!


----------



## bulldog

possom813 said:


> Did you pop-rivet the entire frame, or did you weld some of it?
> 
> It looks good, real similar to what my basstracker is going to be....eventually #-o




Put a link of your build in your signature. That boat is one of my favorite styles. I'd love to have the 18 footer with the inboard 175 horse Merc.


----------



## possom813

When I actually start the build I'll get a lot of pics and link for ya, right now I'm just trying to get it seaworthy so I can go fishing :lol: 

First lake test is tomorrow afternoon.....hopefully I'll post good news after that.


----------



## bulldog

bulldog said:


> fender66 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sounds to me like the top water bite will be on at the upper Meramec.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Very true...if the water isn't too high and muddy.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> 
> Supposed to be at 2'-3' out West. Lower than I have ever fished it. I'm excited!!
Click to expand...


Well the water might have been 2'-3' but I got a 2-3 sheets to the wind at a wedding Saturday night so I did not make it fishing. Maybe this weekend but I have another wedding this Saturday. I'm going to go a little easier for sure. At 28, I'm getting too old for this. :LOL2: The hangovers are starting to last for a day or more instead of just an hour or so.


----------



## fender66

The water is really muddy....IMO, not worth fishing. Might be different down river a bit (or up), but I'm not hopeful as backed up as it is. I will be out of town fishing Pomme deTerre in a tourney with my youngest daughter all weekend. Hope we stay dry. Let me know how the Meramec goes.


----------



## bulldog

I got my rear floor done this evening along with new side bunks for my trailer. The old bunks were dry rotted and junk. New ones are awesome!! The new rear floor is solid and looks great. I'm going to build a deck of some sort on top of the rear floor with a livewell. I have an idea in my head but now I just have to get it done.


----------



## fender66

Very nicely done.


----------



## Brine

Awesome bd. You've put together a great rig thus far.


----------



## bulldog

Thanks fellas. I am getting everything pretty much wrapped up with the build. I'm working with my insurance company right now to get it insured for what I believe it is worth and that is like pulling teeth. They just look at the year and model and can't believe all the things that are done to it. They want to insure the boat on a separate plan that the trailer and the motor on a separate plan than the rest and then another plan for the tackle, trolling motor, fish finder ect. I have a feeling this is going to be a long running problem but maybe everything will work out well.

Thanks again for the kind words.


----------



## fender66

Man, my insurance company asked me how much I wanted to insure boat, trailer and engine for (separately) and we went from there. I also have an additional clause on top of that to cover my electronics and fishing gear in the event of ANYTHING happening. Push some buttons on their calculator and give me a total for a year. Simple as that.


----------



## Seth

fender66 said:


> Man, my insurance company asked me how much I wanted to insure boat, trailer and engine for (separately) and we went from there. I also have an additional clause on top of that to cover my electronics and fishing gear in the event of ANYTHING happening. Push some buttons on their calculator and give me a total for a year. Simple as that.



This is how mine was as well. They just asked what I wanted it insured for and that was about it.


----------



## bulldog

Called a buddy of mine that does insurance and it litterally took 15 minutes to get covered. I think the first person I asked just had no idea what they were doing. I have great coverage and it is very affordable. Goes in effect today and I could not be more satisfied. What a relief. Seriously.


----------



## reedjj

Man I love that boat. I remember looking at this thread back when I first joined tin boats. I've been through your thread a few times. But, I cant find what kind of boat it is.

What kind is it (was it) and what's the size?


----------



## bulldog

It is a 1983 Lowe 1848. It is really about 18'6" long with a 48" bottom and 71" across the top. This boat was just sitting on my dad's farm rotting away and I asked him if I could use it for a "project". He said sure and the rest is history. It would prbably be sitting there still if I did not grab it. He has not seen it since the aluminum decks were put in so I'm pretty excited to show him soon.


----------



## reedjj

He's gonna want some money for it after he see's what you have done..LOL!


----------



## Ranchero50

That wrap turned out really nice. Do you have any full hull pics of the boat on the water?

Second question, what's the average retail value on doing something like that?


----------



## bulldog

Ranchero50 said:


> That wrap turned out really nice. Do you have any full hull pics of the boat on the water?
> 
> Second question, what's the average retail value on doing something like that?




I will post some pictures of the boat on the water after this weekend.

The wraps run from about $500 for a Camoclad wrap installed up to around $2000 for my wrap not including design time. My wrap is 100% custom and from scratch with about 10 hours of design time. I have seen similar designs on boats but I wanted to take it to a new level. We even made every rivet look like they were aged and oxidized. Lots of little things you don't notice right away. The whole goal in designing something custom is to put a lot of detail in it so that every time you look at the wrap you see a little more detail and design aspects. Design rates are $45 per hour for tinboats.net members.


----------



## Ranchero50

Price makes sense. I was mentally figuring how much time it would take to measure the hull so the rivet lines were parallel and it would turn out looking as good as it does. I like the sharks mouth detail on the front and the girl looks fine too. It looks much better vs. a leaf pattern camo.

Jamie


----------



## bulldog

I bought a new to me fish finder. It is a Lowrance 522ci gps, 2 years old and looks like it is brand new. Works well and I have been shopping for one for a long time. I still have to move the Humminbird to the front but in the pictures you can see what it is going to look like. I'm very happy with the purchase. Thinking about getting a Navionics chip but I'm going to use it like it is for now. 

You like all the gauges in my console? The only one that works is the tach but the rest of them sure look good. :LOL2: I had to fill the holes with something right? I thought about flush mounting the Lowrance in the console but the steering wheel will be in the way too much. That would look sweet though.


----------



## bulldog

I found this pic of my boat before I did anything to it. I wrapped my truck in camo to match the boat as a joke that went a little too far. I had that wrap on for about a year. This is before I extended the trailer also. I am happy I found this.


----------



## fender66

I don't see a boat or truck in that picture. All is see is trees and leaves in front of a building. :LOL2:


----------



## dave shady

okie not fair! Lets see a pic of "HER" off that trailer that is like a censored strip lol

Great Job!!!!!


----------



## bulldog

dave shady said:


> okie not fair! Lets see a pic of "HER" off that trailer that is like a censored strip lol
> 
> Great Job!!!!!



The rebellous side of me want to keep the pasties off and have a naked chick on the side of my boat but then I have neighbors with kids and I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I have heard of wraps on vehicles with naked chicks and the bikini's were magnets. Pretty clever.


----------



## bulldog

Got the boat back from the shop today with a new coil and it runs great now. I can get 5500 rpms out of it now which is great because it has been gradually going down to as low as 4700 and then it just crapped out. Today I GPS'd it at 32.5 mph with 20 gallons of gas and probaly 300+ pounds of tackle and other bs in it. 24 v Trolling motor, 4 batteries (2 for the trolling motor and 2 others for as starting batteries hooked up as a 12 volt system), tackle out the wazoo, tools, gas, bimini, new front decks, ect, ect, ect are just some of the items I have in it. Bottom line, it is heavy, a lot heavier than I thought.

I think if I take all the weight I do not need out, by myself with a light load of gas I will get 38 out of it which I will be happy with. Empty and bare with no decks and no extra weight, just a bare hull, maybe 42-44. All in all I wish it would go faster but it jumps out of the hole just fine and really rides well in shallow waters. I'm happy.


----------



## fender66

bulldog said:


> Got the boat back from the shop today with a new coil and it runs great now. I can get 5500 rpms out of it now which is great because it has been gradually going down to as low as 4700 and then it just crapped out. Today I GPS'd it at 32.5 mph with 20 gallons of gas and probaly 300+ pounds of tackle and other bs in it. 24 v Trolling motor, 4 batteries (2 for the trolling motor and 2 others for as starting batteries hooked up as a 12 volt system), tackle out the wazoo, tools, gas, bimini, new front decks, ect, ect, ect are just some of the items I have in it. Bottom line, it is heavy, a lot heavier than I thought.
> 
> I think if I take all the weight I do not need out, by myself with a light load of gas I will get 38 out of it which I will be happy with. Empty and bare with no decks and no extra weight, just a bare hull, maybe 42-44. All in all I wish it would go faster but it jumps out of the hole just fine and really rides well in shallow waters. I'm happy.



Great that you have it back and it's running well for you. Speaking from experience.....that is all you need IMHO. Fishing and Fast are two different worlds when it comes to boat engines. Especially jet pumps. :wink:


----------



## Codeman

I GPS'd mine last night on the river with just me and a tank of gas. Screaming 24mph down and 22mph up. LOL I need more power, I just don't think a liner and impeller is going to pick it up much.


----------



## bulldog

Just a few pics from early spring that a buddy of mine just sent me. Upper Meramec in Cuba, MO.


----------



## moelkhuntr

bulldog, that boat & motor looks sweet.


----------



## red450r

Bulldog, I just noticed the whale tail. Did you notice much difference in planing out with vs without the tail?
Nice build btw


----------



## fender66

red450r said:


> Bulldog, I just noticed the whale tail. Did you notice much difference in planing out with vs without the tail?
> Nice build btw



i have the same tail (I think) and swear by it. Works with planing out as much as it does with porpoising.


----------



## red450r

fender do you have any idea where i can order one? Its not practical for me to drive to trout


----------



## fender66

red450r said:


> fender do you have any idea where i can order one? Its not practical for me to drive to trout



Troutt will ship. I don't know of other places that have them. Mine came on my boat and I've not had to shop for them.

Post this question in the JET forum and someone might have an answer for you.


----------



## moelkhuntr

trouttandsons.com shows the whaletails on the special site of their website.


----------



## optaylor823

Will a whale tail work on a tunnel boat?


----------



## fender66

optaylor823 said:


> Will a whale tail work on a tunnel boat?



Hmm...I don't think so. I believe what you would need to be equivalent is trim tabs....maybe.


----------



## red450r

S&M fish is running a whale tail on a tunnel boat by one of the pictures he uploaded in the "whale tail" thread.


----------



## fender66

red450r said:


> S&M fish is running a whale tail on a tunnel boat by one of the pictures he uploaded in the "whale tail" thread.



Didn't realize that his boat was a tunnel hull. It could be that it's effective with a tunnel hull. I'm not sure. I would guess that it would help with any porpoising, but this is NOT my area of expertise. I'm sure someone else has a better answer.


----------



## Lil' Blue Rude

More power lots and lots of power. :lol: Not alot of people use wail tails on the river i run, but we're all speed freaks and a wail tail will slow you down a bit on top end. Plus I love the way a jet drives, I don't want it to be anything like a prop. :mrgreen: If we need a better hole shot we do some motor mods and we try to gain some more low end torque.
I think balancing the weight is one of the best things to do for a heavier boat. I'd think a wail tale or trim tabs wold make a diffrence too. I'd almost go with trim tabs instead of pods just because I think it would be easier,cheaper and if it didn't help you could always but some pods on later.


----------



## silver99gt

bulldog said:


> Just a few pics from early spring that a buddy of mine just sent me. Upper Meramec in Cuba, MO.


Right in my home town!


----------



## bulldog

silver99gt said:


> bulldog said:
> 
> 
> 
> Just a few pics from early spring that a buddy of mine just sent me. Upper Meramec in Cuba, MO.
> 
> 
> 
> Right in my home town!
Click to expand...


Minus all the darn floaters, that is my favorite place in the world to fish. I love it out there. It is so beautiful and pristine. I love smallies and this is one of the only great smallmouth fisheries that I know of. I heard from someone about another spot I'm trying on Sunday so we'll see. Hopefully I'll see you at the Poker run August 13. I have to see what is going but I'd love to make it.

About the Whales tail, I don't think it made the biggest difference on my jet. I'm going to take it off and see if it makes any difference some time soon. I had a trim tab/splash gaurd welded on the back and that made a WORLD of difference.


----------



## bulldog

Hit a nice boulder today in the river and put a nickle sized hole in the back of the boat. Gotta get it welded. Ran a new part of the Meramec and got in to some boulders. I did not even hit it that hard but it was enough. Leaked bad all day.


----------



## red450r

been there don that x2 man


----------



## fender66

bulldog said:


> Hit a nice boulder today in the river and put a nickle sized hole in the back of the boat. Gotta get it welded. Ran a new part of the Meramec and got in to some boulders. I did not even hit it that hard but it was enough. Leaked bad all day.



Wow...that sucks. And we talked about that very thing yesterday afternoon. Did you at least find any fish?


----------



## bulldog

Not a bite. My buddy lost what seemed to be a big fish. Never saw it but it was puting on a big fight. We hit the Big River in Byrnes Mill also and did not catch anything. Mid Summer fishing is tough.


----------



## Canoeman

Battle scar's give these rigs charater.. 

I ripped my last rig open 3 times last year, glad i had a portable bilge.


----------



## bulldog

My bildge is a 500 gph unit and I will be upgrading to an 800 or better very shortly. The one I have works well but it is just a little too slow if there was a real emergency. Also, when I was screwing it in place I broke the plastic holder that holds it upright so I have to hold it down and flat in order for it to work propperly. It will be fixed and upgraded like everything else that breaks or goes wrong. :wink:


----------



## Ranchero50

That's just a two worm hole, I had about twenty in mine last year so I could make it home.

Love tap...
Jamie


----------



## bulldog

Ranchero50 said:


> That's just a two worm hole, I had about twenty in mine last year so I could make it home.
> 
> Love tap...
> Jamie



It is so funny to me that you judge the size of the holes by how many plastic worms it takes to make them stop leaking enough to get the boat home. Good stuff there!! =D>


----------



## silver99gt

bulldog said:


> silver99gt said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> bulldog said:
> 
> 
> 
> Just a few pics from early spring that a buddy of mine just sent me. Upper Meramec in Cuba, MO.
> 
> 
> 
> Right in my home town!
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Minus all the darn floaters, that is my favorite place in the world to fish. I love it out there. It is so beautiful and pristine. I love smallies and this is one of the only great smallmouth fisheries that I know of. I heard from someone about another spot I'm trying on Sunday so we'll see. Hopefully I'll see you at the Poker run August 13. I have to see what is going but I'd love to make it.
> 
> About the Whales tail, I don't think it made the biggest difference on my jet. I'm going to take it off and see if it makes any difference some time soon. I had a trim tab/splash gaurd welded on the back and that made a WORLD of difference.
Click to expand...

Yes the floaters around here are insane. And if you dont give them the rideaway then you're looking at a nice fat fine from water patrol. If you can zip up the Huzzah creek from the meremac its some pretty nice smallie fishing in there. Water is clear as day. i love fishing that area. Seems like the farther you get to stanton on the river, the bigger the fish get for some reason. Just about all the BIG bags from the Rafting company Open invitational either come from hwy 30 or stanton. That tourney is a pretty large one, last one was around 60 boats and you could put in at any major launch from stanton to hwy O in cuba


----------



## bulldog

Picked my boat up from Valley Park Welding today and could not be more pissed off. I took it there out of convenience knowing that Contractors Welding does the best job I have ever seen. Now I am no professional welder but the welds they put on my boat are huge and clumpy and look like crap. Also while I was there I saw them load a Bobcat bucket on to a man's trailer and put a 10" wide dent about 2" deep in the fender of his nice Cronkite Trailer. AND did not even tell the owner of the trailer and he drove away with a huge dent in his trailer and did not even know it. I'm pissed, plain and simple and I will never take anything I need welded to any company besides Contractors Welding in Rock Hill, MO. Lesson learned. I'll post a pic tonight when I get home.


----------



## fender66

That really sucks. Did you tell them how dissatisfied you were? Wish I could offer some words to make you feel better...but I know what it's like to have your boat hurt.

Hang in there.


----------



## red450r

That is a really bad place to have weld clumped up. My first hole was in the same place. A piece of aluminum stock was put in the hole and i got charged $75. Im starting on my tunnel soon so ill get the crap work out of there then. Hope you can spread the word so they dont do that to anyone else.


----------



## Brine

Sorry to hear bd :evil: 

Maybe an angle grinder/flapper disc will clean it up the way you want it?


----------



## bulldog

I did tell them what I thought and they told me it took them an hour to move the boat around and there was two welds that they did and they would not budge on the price. I showed him the welds that Contractors Welding did then showed him his weld and he did not say much after that. It is a night and day difference. I have welded aluminum 2 times in my life and if I knew it was going to turn out like this I would have went to my buddies shop and done it myself. I probably would not have done any better but atleast I would have had an excuse. I'm a porfessional sticker sticker not a welder. I'm not too sure why it bothers me so much because it is on the bottom of the boat and no one will see it but I am disgusted.

I'm going to take a grinder wheel to it and pretty it up. It is just a matter of time before I put another hole in it and when I do, I'll have Contractors Welding fix the old one as well.

Other than that I had a great day and put a train horn on my brothers truck after work. It is so flippin loud. My ears are still ringing. I gotta post a video. :LOL2:


----------



## Brine

Oh Man, I'd love to have the train horn on the boat. 

Now that would be funny!


----------



## Ranchero50

Wow, how did they manage to put that much aluminum on that ugly? I could have mig'd them in a heartbeat and I'm just a dumb printing press mechanic.

Jamie


----------



## linehand

There is no prep on that weld. Paint needed to be removed around it. Definitely got polluted. Careful grinding it down. Probably porous.


----------



## fender66

> Careful grinding it down. Probably porous.



I was thinking the same thing. At this point, I'm betting you don't even know if it's water tight. Be careful with it. Worst case scenario is you leave it until you can get it fixed.


But seriously....it took them an hour to move the boat around?

Too damn bad. That has nothing to do with quality.


----------



## bulldog

fender66 said:


> Careful grinding it down. Probably porous.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I was thinking the same thing. At this point, I'm betting you don't even know if it's water tight. Be careful with it. Worst case scenario is you leave it until you can get it fixed.
> 
> 
> But seriously....it took them an hour to move the boat around?
> 
> Too damn bad. That has nothing to do with quality.
Click to expand...


Yeah, I'm just going to leave it alone until I need soomething else done and then get it fixed. All in all, lesson learned. When you find a good welder, stick with them. 

I'm going to go on the Mississippi Saturday night to go cat fishing in front of the Arch. I'm planning on fishing about 2 miles up river from the Arch and drift fishing down or maybe find some rock dikes or something if the drifting does not work. There are some huge fish out there and I'm going to do my best to catch them. I'll post some pics of how it goes.


----------



## bulldog

Been a while since I posted anything on the boat. Blew up the motor the last time I was out so I'm currently looking for a good powerhead. I bought a partts motor for close to nothing but it will need too much work to get running so it is going to be scrapped. I've found a couple of them and just waiting on my questions to be answered before biting the bullet and buying one. My ultimate goal is to have the motor rebuilt by Spring, put a coat of paint on the trailer, and then sell it and get something newer. I would love to find a nice inboard but I would also not mind finding a 1652 or 1752 with a 60 or 90 jet on it. Something in 4 stroke and is a little better on gas. Mainly newer. I've had lots of problems with my motor and every time something goes wrong I replace with newer and better parts and it has gotten expensive. Good news is the next buyer will get a motor with almost every part new, refurbished, or rebuilt. I'm just ready to move on. 

There's where I'm at. i'll keep you posted on the new powerhead.


----------



## bulldog

I bit the bullet today and bought a new to me block for my motor. The guy wanted $650 plus $100 shipping and I got it for $525 out the door. I have some work in Louisville, KY late this week so I'm going to pick it up on my way. All the other motors I have found have been over $1000. He said it was the cheapest he has ever sold one, (of course he did).

History on the motor is it is a 2 owner motor. All original with 57 hours on the meter when they pulled it off the boat. I have enough pictures to support the story and the compression is good accross the board all within 4 pounds. They even pulled the head off and took pictures of the top of the pistons and the walls of the block for me. 

I think I got a good deal. I'll be doing the swap myself with a very knowlegable boat mechanic. REally should not be too hard, pull a part off the old and install it on the new ect ect.


----------



## fender66

Congrats....can't wait to fish with you. :LOL2:


----------



## bulldog

fender66 said:


> Congrats....can't wait to fish with you. :LOL2:



Agreed. Maybe a month maybe more.


----------



## fender66

It will be longer for my boat to be ready.....I'm sure of it.


----------



## bulldog

It will all come together. I'm just guessing with the month estimation. Who knows. I'll document everything on here.


----------



## bulldog

I picked my new block up this weekend. I got it from a place called Southcentral Outboards. www.southcentraloutboards.com The owner James Foster was a very nice guy and has quite the opperation going on. He is in St. Elmo, IL and very hard to find but he has about 2000 outboards in stock and a lot of parts on Ebay. Nice guy with a good operation. Here are some pictures of the block.


----------



## bulldog

Couple more.

You can tell the seller has pride in his packaging. So far I'm happy with this seller.


----------



## fender66

Looks good from the pictures. Nice find.


----------



## bulldog

fender66 said:


> Looks good from the pictures. Nice find.


Thanks. I'm going to order some gaskets I need tomorrow and then maybe start the switch this weekend. We'll see. I'm really wanting to get out and catch some fish. I did not get to go as much as I wanted this year.


----------



## Lennyg3

bulldog said:


> fender66 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Looks good from the pictures. Nice find.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks. I'm going to order some gaskets I need tomorrow and then maybe start the switch this weekend. We'll see. I'm really wanting to get out and catch some fish. I did not get to go as much as I wanted this year.
Click to expand...



What motor are you running on your sled? I actually contacted that company you got your stuff from tonight hoping he can find me a set of 125 carbs. (fingers crossed)


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## Canoeman

Lennyg3 said:


> What motor are you running on your sled?



id have to say from the first set of images an older inline 6 Tower of power 150..


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## bulldog

My motor is a 1974 Mercury 150. When it was running at 100%, it is a beast of a motor. After I get the motor put back together and get the bugs worked out, the boat is getting put up for sale. I am going to buy something a little shorter, a little wider and about 25 years newer. I'm ready for another project and I really just want something newer. May consider just repowering. All depends on what I can get.

I like projects. I'd really like to get some sort of inboard jet. I just came accross the 2072 Sea Ark Predator with the 200 horse Sport Jet this weekend and I think I'm in love. My fiance would kill me though.


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## bulldog

Ordered my gaskets today from OPC Marine. $17.50 plus tax. Not too bad. After get it all put together they are going to go over everything, adjust the carbs if needed, set the timing and do a complete once over for me for $180. I'm happy with that. I think I might try to get the swap going on Sunday. Pretty early to make any plans.

I can't wait to get it going again. If there is anything I have learned in life it is that nothing ever goes to plan so I'm interested to see what goes wrong with the swap. :LOL2:


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## bulldog

Motor swap has started. Going well so far. I'll post pics soon.


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## hotshotinn

I cannot wait till you post some more pictures of your boat.i like it and would like to see it if i lived closser to you.Like them 6 cylinder inline 115 and 150 hp Mercury


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## bulldog

hotshotinn said:


> I cannot wait till you post some more pictures of your boat.i like it and would like to see it if i lived closser to you.Like them 6 cylinder inline 115 and 150 hp Mercury



Are you down South Missouri? I'd love to come down there and run those rivers some time. 

It will be for sale soon enough. :wink:


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## bulldog

The outboard shop gave me the wrong gasket kit. Piece of $$)$#*(#$*$&$^*%#@*#$%&*$&^*#$%&#$^&*&^@$%#@^!!!!!!!!

I'll get everything I can get swapped, swapped then I have to wait until tomorrow or later to finish up. Sucks, but like I said, something always goes wrong.


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## bulldog

Alright, I got the motor as far as I could today becasue of the gasket issues. Here are some pics of the swap.


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## bulldog

I was extremely interested in the damage to the old powerhead so i disassembled it. It took all of 10-15 minutes to have it broken down ito parts. Look at how fried the #1 piston is. All the cylenders were dripping wet with oil and gas but the #1 was dry as a bone. The #3 piston had a very slight amount of scoring on it as well. #1 and #3 are the top pistons of the middle and top carbs. Makes me wonder if there is any corrilation.

This is what the inside of a tower of power looks like. If anyone has this motor and wants more pictures, I have tons more.


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## Canoeman

Yea # 1 was toast.. 

Thank for all the pict's, i got an 84 115 inline 6 merc i'll be rebuilding some point this winter.


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## fender66

Looks all too familiar to me.

Nice post John.


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## bulldog

Canoeman said:


> Yea # 1 was toast..
> 
> Thank for all the pict's, i got an 84 115 inline 6 merc i'll be rebuilding some point this winter.



I have a ton of pictures and I tore the whole old powerhead down to parts and bolts so I know how everything works and goes together. If you want I can put all the pictures on a disk and send it to you. There are about 60-70 of them.


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## bulldog

Motor block swap completed!!!!!! Really, not as hard as you'd think. I am taking the boat to OPC Marine tomorrow to go over everything and set the timing. I just want to make sure everything is how it should be so I don't blow anything up. Should have it back for a Christmas eve fishing trip. BOOOOYAAAAAA!


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## bulldog

I dropped the boat off at 12:30 pm yesterday and they called me by 4 to come pick it up. OPC rocks. Picked it up today and they said everything is in great working order. They even gave me paperwork to say jusy that. I'm off on Friday so that will be the first water test with the new block. I can't wait. I might even catch a fish.


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## fool4fish1226

Good luck with the motor and catchem up


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## fender66

bulldog said:


> I dropped the boat off at 12:30 pm yesterday and they called me by 4 to come pick it up. OPC rocks. Picked it up today and they said everything is in great working order. They even gave me paperwork to say jusy that. I'm off on Friday so that will be the first water test with the new block. I can't wait. I might even catch a fish.



I'm jealous again....dang, I need to stop doing that!


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## bulldog

Took the boat out for the test run with the new motor. Man o man. This boat has never run so well. Ever. I got 5600 rpms out of it and it sounds completely different. I am happy as can be with everything. Truely am. She's better than ever. I can confidently sell this boat knowing that it is 100% and that is a better feeling than anything. Also I got a $250 Bass Pro Shops 100mph parka for $100 off craigslist today. Merry Christmas to me!!!

Gonna go shooting and fishing on the Missouri on Monday. That will be the second test.


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## Canoeman

Great news man!

always nice when a plan come together..


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## fender66

Great job John. =D> =D>


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