# 1989 Bass Tracker TX17



## kalninm (Nov 10, 2017)

So there seems to be plenty of trackers on here for me to learn from. Picked this one up this past summer but haven’t had a ton of time to work on it yet. Got a little done on the deconstruction but that’s about it, although most of the trailer has now been redone, just haven’t gotten around to the boat itself. Honestly the bigger thing I’ve been contemplating is how to put a rod box in that will keep my rods safe and accommodate the longer ones. Anyone have any thoughts? hate the tubes they have in it now


----------



## kalninm (Nov 10, 2017)

Alright I figured it out, from now on the pics should be in the right order and oriented the right way ....... ooops


----------



## kalninm (Dec 2, 2017)

Alright so after a lot of research and debating on different ideas I've settled on a design for the front of the boat, so, it was time to start demo. I took a little time and started popping rivets and tearing out carpet. I already had the front deck off but it was time to dive in a little further. So at the end of the day I pulled out all the pvc rod tubes, the first bit of aluminum that i'll need to reconfigure, and started on the foam. I pretty much expected the bottom of the foam to be water logged but I was hoping it wouldn't be........but it was, so now I'll be spending some time over the next couple weeks tearing out all the foam in the front of the boat.


----------



## kalninm (Dec 6, 2017)

Well one more step down, pulled all the foam out of the front last night, it actually wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I was able to get 80% of it up with just my hands in 6 or 7 big chunks. However I'm still trying to clean out the channels in the hull for the water to drain to the back like it is suppose to do. And moving onto the foam in the back most likely, I know its water logged but I really don't want to rip up the back deck


----------



## Hanr3 (Dec 6, 2017)

Good work so far.
As for the back deck, think of it this way. Next year while your fishing out of your partially remodeled boat, will you be wishing you had done the back, or will be be glad you didn't?
The follow up question, 
Will you ever remodel another boat? Or was this one too much (insert word here) and you don't want to go through that again?


----------



## kalninm (Dec 7, 2017)

The compartments and carpet are just fine in the back but next year i'll replace the carpet to match whatever I do the front in. After seeing how bad the front foam was I know I have to do the back, it's just a matter of removing as little as possible to do so. Also, this is my second rebuild but by far the most in depth, and I definitely see myself building more in the future.


----------



## kalninm (Dec 15, 2017)

Alright so question for anyone watching this thread....
When I bought the boat one of the previous owners had done the hull in bedliner, doesn't look great but isn't horrible. Trying to keep the build relatively low cost and put $ into areas like the decking layout and electronics. Should I try and remove the bedliner or just roll with it. I don't like it but idk the best way to remove it, plus idk what I'll find under it and that is slightly worrying......out of sight out of mind right? lol
Thoughts?


----------



## kalninm (Dec 15, 2017)

One more thing I wanted to get some feedback on is carpeting the aluminum pieces. Carpeting the plywood is a breeze but I'll be reusing some of the pieces of aluminum that were previously carpeted. They have a lot of residue left on them. Do I need to take it down to bare aluminum before I can re-carpet them or can I just take down the major areas of residue? Lastly, to take the residue and bits of carpet off, instead of stripper can I use just a flap disk on a grinder? Looking to start cleaning these pieces up next week.

Thanks


----------



## Hanr3 (Dec 17, 2017)

just about anything abrasive will strip them. Some require more elbow grease than others. 

If the glue is solid, you "could" glue to it, however your carpet will show every detail (wrinkle, line, etc.) that is under the carpet. Best to strip it down.


----------



## kofkorn (Dec 17, 2017)

You can try using a flap disc, but you find it quickly loads up, get a couple of them. I ended up using a cupped wire brush on my angle grinder for most of the heavy glue on my build. Get a good full face shield and a set of heavy gloves. It's not an easy job, but worth it in the end.

Good luck!


----------



## kalninm (Dec 17, 2017)

Alright wire cup it is! While I wait for some responses to my next question guess i'll be doing some grinding off the glue. So here is where im at. Tore off the carpet on the back deck, tore out some compartments and lids to get to the foam which after seeing the front foam is no surprise its saturated. Now, I'm getting some of the foam out but I can only access some of it with what I've torn out. From looking at other builds on this same boat it doesn't look like anyone has taken it apart any more than I have so I have no clue how to get to the rest of the foam to remove it. Pics are below, anyone with experience with this boat I'd love to hear how to get to the rest of the foam!!! Thanks guys!


----------



## kalninm (Dec 17, 2017)

Quick update, tried a wire cup and it did well at evening up a lot of the surface but not necessarily taking the glue off the whole way, the flap disk on the other hand did great but took a while. Going forward i'll probably use the flap disk on the rough areas and then even it all up with the wire cup to save time.... still bamboozled by the back deck and getting to the rest of the foam though......lots of looking at it and scratching my head lol


----------



## kalninm (Dec 17, 2017)

I've been informed I have a lot more disassembly to do.......
Guess I have some more rivets to drill out


----------



## Hanr3 (Dec 17, 2017)

kalninm said:


> I've been informed I have a lot more disassembly to do.......
> Guess I have some more rivets to drill out



Doens't take long to drill them out. Just drill out the ones in the hull. lol


----------



## Bowlershop (Dec 18, 2017)

Using stripper is so much easier than anything else. Look at my build and I took a picture of the adhesive remover I used, made the job so easy.


----------



## Bowlershop (Dec 18, 2017)

This stuff is great. Wipe it on, wait 15min and the glue residue will scrape right off with ease.


----------



## kalninm (Dec 18, 2017)

I was thinking about the stripper but I wanted to see how a wire cup or flap disk worked since I had them on hand. Also from the looks of it yours was a lot worse. I just had a few spots here and there with a lot of residue left, most was just a thin film left on it. However if I get to an area being a pain I won't hesitate to go pick up some of that stripper. Thanks


----------



## Jbower (Dec 18, 2017)

Lots of rivets to drill. To get the side panels off the rear deck i requires taking out the rivets threw the side of the boat 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Dec 19, 2017)

Yippy!!! :? 
This part does not excite me... just for the record
We'll see where I get to tonight


----------



## Jbower (Dec 19, 2017)

I’m surprised you go the pedestal center section out with out pulling a side piece. I couldn’t get mine out. I was originally just trying to get the floor pan out of the gas tank area so I could get that foam. Ended up taking a deep cut to the top of my hand from trying to yank it out. I’m learning that everything that should take 5 minutes on this boat quickly turns in to an hour and I work on boats for a living. [emoji19]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Dec 19, 2017)

Yeah I've already torn a hole in the butt of my jeans and my hands look like a cutting board but that's to be expected. If I get out of this without stitches I'll be a happy camper lol, and as far as getting the pedestal mount out, didn't even mean too. Just seemed like the next step so a few bolts and a couple rivets later and it came right out. Now do I pull the bottom pan in the bilge out before or after I pull the sides of the rear deck? I feel like the pan has to come out first but im not really sure


----------



## Jbower (Dec 19, 2017)

Yes pan comes out first because the side pieces drop all the way down to it and rivet to it on the sides. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Jbower (Dec 19, 2017)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Jbower (Dec 19, 2017)

Just by looking at all of the rebuilds on these boats I’m not sure that 2 boats where made the same back then lol. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Jbower (Dec 19, 2017)

Jbower said:


> Yes pan comes out first because the side pieces drop all the way down to it and rivet to it on the sides. You could probably pull the pan and both side pieces as one if you are brave lol
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Dec 19, 2017)

With any luck mine will look like that picture by the end of the night......guess we'll see


----------



## kalninm (Dec 20, 2017)

Well I got most of it pulled out finally! Didn't have to drill out any rivets going through the hull either. Most difficult part was getting the large aluminum pan to come out first, took a chunk out of my hand too but nothing too bad..... little electrical tape and we were back in action. So moving forward tonight I'll be pulling out the bits of remaining foam, and cleaning the foam that's left out from between the hull and cross supports. Anyone have any good ways of getting into these tight areas to get the foam out, I used a coat hanger, knife, and screwdriver on the front but that sucked and would like to find a better way. Also, is there any reason why I wouldn't be advised to take the large aluminum pan in the bilge and cut it in half to make reassembly easier?? I don't see why it has to be one piece?
Thanks!
Also finding out that the guy before me who decided to "fix" it up a bit really really liked 1 1/2" self tapping screws to hold everything down and they are the biggest PITA, plus they stick out if you aren't expecting one to be there and grab you hand or clothing....... I will not use any of these when I put her back together! LOL


----------



## Jbower (Dec 20, 2017)

Wow looks good. I’ve been using a large prybar to bust the foam out or I used a 5 1/2 inch hole saw on a lot of the front to get it busted up and vacuum it out 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Dec 20, 2017)

I used a full size shovel actually and made quick work of the foam, but I'm trying to find a way to at the foam where the arrows are pointing, under those cross beams


----------



## gatorglenn (Dec 21, 2017)

Plumber snake and a drill[emoji106]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Dec 21, 2017)

Well I cleaned out the last bit of foam in the rear, luckily there was barely any under the ribs, nothing like the front. The front took me about 2 hours to clean out, the back only took me a half hour or so last night so that's a plus. Now tonight a little more scrubbing to get some of the oil and other crap of the rear end and then labeling wires. I hate wires :roll:


----------



## Jbower (Dec 21, 2017)

Awesome work. I haven’t really touched mine. I need to pick up another sheet of plywood still. I got some plastic tubs today for storage also 3 bank charger,trolling motor tray and some l.e.d lights came in today. I think I am going to pull the outboard motor off tomorrow and start prepping outside for paint before I go further on interior 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Dec 22, 2017)

While I know it's backwards and will be a pain in the butt if I decide to do it, I don't [plan on touching the outside of my boat this winter. I really want to fish it and that means getting the inside and outboard right. If I have some extra funds or time in the spring/summer then maybe I'll give it a thought but right now its full blown interior work. Which brings me to my next update. My buddy who it pretty good with wires came over to give m e a hand getting started on the wiring. We eliminated quite a bit of wire just by tracing them and ruling them out. However we quickly came to a stopping point as 90% of the wires under the console just weren't hooked up to the fuse panel and we had no clue what should be where. So after a 15 minute search on here we found a wiring diagram for my boat [-o< He is going to spend some time going over that today and we will reconvene tonight to continue on the wiring. We also went to remove the pumps in the back, got two of the three out. The livewell pump was a pain though and the outside of the hole was caked in silicone. After stripping a little of this silicone off we got the pump free, but the fitting that the pump was set into now moves. Never seen anything quite like this before, you can see what I'm talking about in the picture below. Should I remove this whole "fitting?" and replace or just silicone it back up when I put in the new pumps?
Thanks


----------



## Moose6 (Dec 22, 2017)

I would remove that siliconed spacer, whatever that thing is. Previous owner of my boat did the same thing. I removed all of that crap and put in a new pump properly. Do it right the first time.


----------



## kalninm (Dec 22, 2017)

I wasn't sure if it was suppose to be part of the boat that the PO tried to fix or if it was something the PO added, because yes if they added it I would remove it in a heart beat


----------



## Jbower (Dec 22, 2017)

Remove it and replace. It’s a threaded nut which secures the pump. Sounds like you are getting a lot done. I have probably an hour or two left on my front deck framing then I will pull it all out in one piece to paint all the wood. Rear deck is pretty much back together. Been working on lowering the seat bases. I went 2 inches and almost think I could go a little more. Just tryin to get it a little more comfortable that way my custom console I’m building will work out nice 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Dec 22, 2017)

Nice, and I'm trying to get this stuff done so I can get to the fun part of building the front deck and plumbing the livewell which I think we're going to add either a pump out or an overflow since currently it has neither lol. I hate wiring but I know it needs done so trying to do all that currently, after tonight I'll be traveling for the Holidays and won't be back home for 10 days so at least for now trying to get as much done as I can before I leave........but with any luck Santa will bring some parts I asked for :mrgreen:


----------



## Jbower (Dec 22, 2017)

Front deck is fun to lay out but definitely time consuming. I went to Walmart looking for storage tubs. Found one that would fit 3700 cases probably 15 standing up and could still stack some on top of those. Wanted 2 and only had one lol. Got some smaller tubs for way up front not sure what I’ll use them for yet but I’m sure something will go in them. Still need PVC for rod tubes. My livewell only had pump in so I am adding an aerator and probably pump out. I have a bunch of the pumps in stock since I work on a ton of wakeboats and some bass boats in the summer 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Dec 22, 2017)

Lucky! I'm looking at $150 for pumps lol, and I'm going with an open rod locker design I'm not a fan of the PVC rod holders.....here's to a 10 day break lol 
Merry Christmas


----------



## Jbower (Dec 22, 2017)

Go with the tsunami aerator pumps. Cheap and easy. They make a special one for the aerator everything but hose comes in a kit. Then get and extra cartridge to keep in the boat if you ever have a problem in a tournament or something 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Jan 3, 2018)

Getting back on it this weekend hopefully. As long we don't get on a crazy ice fishing bite Saturday I'll b e spending Sunday working on the boat. Got 2 of my four pumps in the mail and a new fuse panel. Plan is to hook everything up to the new fuse panel and hook it up to a battery to see if the switches actually work or not. Ideally they will and then its just the matter of renaming the switches and running the hot wires from the switches to where ever I want them. If that all goes well, then maybe spend some time hooking up the new livewell pump and maybe buy some plumbing materials for the livewell too. We'll see what the weekend has in store but this is the plan of attack as soon as I get to start back up on it.......oh and waiting for my buddy to bring his heater back to my garage, with the high on Saturday at -2 and 15-20 mph winds, a heater is the only way I'll be doing anything in the garage. lol


----------



## kalninm (Jan 8, 2018)

Got all thee wires labeled and mapped out, much better understanding of the fuse panel and the wiring on the boat now. So I'll be doing some small stuff over the next few days, still have some oil residue to clean up, and then replace a bunch of terminals since most of them have some corrosion. Have to order new switches, an aerator/spray bar, 30amp in line fuse and one or two other things. The idea is to get it so all the switches work again and then just reroute the power coming from the switch to whatever I want to control it with and relabel the switches. If it works that easily I'll be a very happy camper. Also, the nut used to secure the livewell pump back in the bilge, it looks like it is pretty secure inside the transom I'm not real sure I need to replace it, I'm thinking clean up the outside, new silicone around it and go. Any thoughts on that? I just don't see the point in making a big hole in my transom if I don't need to lol
Once I get some stuff done where its worth taking a picture I'll take a few but for now just labeling wires and such....


----------



## kalninm (Jan 8, 2018)

Also guys, I need to know what I can use to put down carpet, its an outdoor carpet that is NOT rubber backed and it will be going down on wood and aluminum. Thoughts on this? I'd like to order the foam and carpet stuff next week hopefully, also is 12' x 25' of carpet enough to do one of these, I thought I remembered reading someone used 25' x 8' and had to order just a little more....


----------



## kalninm (Jan 11, 2018)

Alright any idea on how much carpet to get would be great! In the time being however I've continued to clean up my pieces of aluminum. I ordered my last pump, recirc pump for the livewell. Ordered a recirc nozzle as well, and a new switch panel. Then yesterday I ordered rivets (Which I'm 98% sure will fit), 2 part marine foam, and a troll n' tray. Planning on getting the rest of the aluminum cleaned up and wiring with the switch panel and fuse block done over Friday and Saturday. Going to look at carpet options tonight at a local carpet store, if I can get remnants for a good prices I may do all the hatch lids in one color and the rest in a different color. Think it would add something unique to the boat and might be more cost efficient. Slowly but surely making progress, I think now that I'm ordering as much as I can now I shouldn't have to stop and wait for parts again for a while.


----------



## Jbower (Jan 11, 2018)

Sounds like it is really coming together. As far as carpet goes I believe I bought mine from menards it was 6 foot wide and I think I bought 20 feet of it. I’ve done the rear deck and the bottom floor and have plenty left for the deck. Guessing I’ll need more for the front hatches but I’ll get it when I need it. Glue I always use on pontoon decks is Henry 263 and you will also need some contact cement for the recessed edges in your hatches. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Jbower (Jan 11, 2018)

Not hijacking but here’s updates on mine










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Jan 12, 2018)

Thanks, I actually went down to a local carpet store (family owned) last night after work, they had some really nice rubber backed marine carpet for $1.10 a square foot, she dropped it down to $1 a square foot and I wanted to make sure I had enough so I bought 28' x 6' along with outdoor carpet glue that they called around and recommended to me.......they do a lot of boats every summer so I trust them. That's it for me now though. Got the right size rivets and switch panel and pump are coming in today so this weekend's goal is to get the switch panel wired up, bilge pumps installed, and the rest of the aluminum cleaned up. 

Jbower, lookin good can't wait to see how your rod locker comes out as I think you'll be on it before me


----------



## Jbower (Jan 13, 2018)

Rod locker is coming along besides I just ran out of 2x3s






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Jan 13, 2018)

Ranger seats??? lol and you're garage is so much cleaner than mine, currently looks like a bomb went off in mine! lol

So I have about 90% of the aluminum cleaned up for carpeting, and got a few more pieces taken off the boat that I've been putting off. Debating on if I want to paint the bottom aluminum pan for the bilge or just leave it. However the real fun began today when I decided to do something extremely stupid. Got my new switch panel and wanted to cut a hold for installing it in the console today. While this is an extremely easy task, in my mind I decided if I just tape the rubber gasket that came with it in place and trace the outside of it that I'd have a good template to cut. Well two things went wrong here. First since my switch panel is 4.5" high and 5" wide it's pretty close, and I managed to cut the hole the wrong way. On top of that since I traced the outside of the gasket the entire switch panel now fits right through the hole. Don't ask me what I was thinking because I honestly don't know. I'm usually very methodical about measuring and checking before cutting but that didn't happen. So, now I'm looking at ways to fix it. I'm thinking if I buy some 1/8" plastic sheet and cut it the right size I could mount that over the front of the console covering up my mistake and giving me a blank slate to mount my switch panel to.... not sure yet though. Attached a link to the plastic I'm looking at using.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Palight-ProjectPVC-Black-Foam-PVC-Sheet-Common-18-in-x-24-in-Actual-18-in-x-24-in/1000088547?cm_mmc=SCE_PLA_ONLY-_-ToolsAndHardware-_-SosScreenGlass-_-1000088547alight_ProjectPVC&CAWELAID=&kpid=1000088547&CAGPSPN=pla&k_clickID=e1953c98-b4bd-430f-bfd1-274998761375&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqN_p_rnW2AIV17bACh1NAAGDEAQYASABEgIFffD_BwE


----------



## Jbower (Jan 13, 2018)

Haha figured you’d get a kick out of the ranger seat. It was a pedestal seat a buddy kept out of one of his old boats. Although I do have a lead on a pair of white and grey legend seats that will go nicely [emoji16]. Man I hate when stupid mistakes happen. That plastic should work. I have a sheet of it in the shop I could possibly mail you a piece of you didn’t want to buy the whole piece or if you want my console and it’s the same you pay shipping and it’s yours. And the shop is clean mainly because I have to work in it everyday lol otherwise it would be a disaster. Rebuilding a etec 225 currently that snapped the crankshaft and also a Yamaha 4 stroke 150 that threw a rod out the side of the crankcase. In other words shops gotta be pretty clean for that.









Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Jbower (Jan 14, 2018)

I was set on building a new fiberglass console but my buddy ran across this online and we had to order one up. Cheap and looks great. https://m.ebay.com/itm/New-2016-G3-Sportsman-17-Steering-Console-Or-Tracker-Boat-Shell-FREE-SHIPPING/282801998072?hash=item41d85008f8:g:6wQAAOSw-kdX0bF4


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Jan 14, 2018)

That looks nice!! However, today I found some spare aluminum and fab'd up a piece to fit over the front of the console. Currently in the process of painting it to compliment the rest of the console, also painting the bilge pan. Got the two bilge pumps installed today, still have to run the hoses though. Planning on installing the bilge pan Tuesday and starting to plumb the livewell as well as re-assembling the rear deck since my foam should be here this week. Once painting is done I'll update with some pics this week.


----------



## Jbower (Jan 15, 2018)

Good deal. Glad to hear it’s coming along. This stuff definitely adds up to be very time consuming. I got my deck framing painted and the deck boards cut out and one coat of paint on them. Nearing the finish besides the finish work lol. I still need to finish cutting the seat bases down I am removing 4 inches so that the seats don’t sit up so high. Also may have a deal worked out on a motor that’s a little bigger than the rated hp but if you go off the coast guard site and go off their calculations it would be in spec I believe. Oh well I have a vinyl plotter and can change the 115 real easy [emoji57]









Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Jan 16, 2018)

Nice! looking good, hoping to get some more done tonight, got some pieces painted yesterday, so We'll see where we end up tonight, if I can remember though I'll post some pics of all of the little things I've been doing


----------



## kalninm (Jan 18, 2018)

Alright so I guess its time for some pics. Mounted both the bilge pumps, the one on the bottom is going to need to be moved unfortunately as where it is both side of the hull come together at a n angle and its not allowing the pump to sit well without breaking loose. The one on the step is the manual "oh $h!t" pump, both are 1000gph. Then we have the metal plate I fab'd up to cover my botches hole in the console, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out honestly and its strong too!. Now last night I tested the overflow hose for the livewell and imagine that it had leaks, so I tore that off and will be going to Lowe's to get a new one tonight (easy fix). After that I ran new wire that will be providing power to the fuse panel, the old wire was 14awg which I didn't like and from reading on here no one else did either, so it now has 10awg. Then vacuumed out the bilge area and laid in the foam pieces I cut last weekend. I then took 1.88" painters tape and sealed up pretty much every crevice the expanding foam would be able to get into, primarily to keep it out of the water flow channels on the bottom. After that I wanted to mock up some of the back and see how easily it would all go back together. Got it mocked up but it appears the plate that seperates the livewell from the bilge, I forgot to clean all the oil residue off of it. So plan for tonight is cut a section out of that plate because I need to have access to cut two more holes in the livewell and mount the pump, nozzle, and hose. then clean up that plate. Replace the livewell overflow hose and from there it'll be time to start throwing down some rivets. Fingers crossed make some progress tonight.


----------



## Jbower (Jan 18, 2018)

Looking great. [emoji1303]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Jan 19, 2018)

Alright got the back all riveted back together......I need to order more rivets lol. Livewell drain/overflow hose was replaced as well. The sheet of aluminum that separates the bilge from the back of the livewell also shed some weight. Increases the opening at the top and cut a hole in the bottom to make more room for pumps and hoses. Pretty excited to see the back deck come together like this! Foam also came in yesterday so hopefully Sunday will be foam day. Then I'm waiting on carpet glue which should be in next week, then we can carpet the side panels and put those in. Once those are in a whole new world really opens up. Then we can finish wiring, build the floor for the center and start on the front deck. However for now I'm more than happy to work on some foam and get the back deck solid. Just one pic for an update but its all riveted together this time!


----------



## kalninm (Jan 24, 2018)

Got the compartments behind the seats riveted back in. About half the foam in before I ran out and had to order more, and the bottom pans to the compartments under the seats as well riveted back in. Also got the center floor cut out, spar urethane is going on in a couple days so it'll be ready for carpet. Waiting on more 2 part foam and carpet glue. Have a little more cleaning up of carpet and glue residue before I can start carpeting, and I'll probably do some more bilge and livewell plumbing over the next day or so since I now have those parts


----------



## kalninm (Jan 31, 2018)

Alright been making some slow progress, got all the foam board pieces cut last night for the cockpit floor, and I have two more coats of Spar to put on the plywood for the cockpit floor. Got a few hoses hooked up and some more pieces silicone in. Second shipment of foam came in yesterday, so Thursday's big goal is to finish up the 2 part foam in the back and figure out how I'm going to successfully mount the automatic bilge pump. Then this weekend will have some carpeting and assembly being done so I can move forward with wiring. Also would like to finish up all the plumbing in the back this weekend. So come next Monday I should have another round of pictures!! hopefully with some real progress!!!


----------



## kalninm (Feb 2, 2018)

Finally finished the foam in the back deck!!!!!!!!!! Lots more to do this weekend, plumbing, carpeting, etc... but the foam is done! now just need to spend some time cleaning it up tonight.


----------



## gatorglenn (Feb 2, 2018)

kalninm said:


> Finally finished the foam in the back deck!!!!!!!!!! Lots more to do this weekend, plumbing, carpeting, etc... but the foam is done! now just need to spend some time cleaning it up tonight.


Did you keep the foam away from the transom. My biggest problem was the very back corners have the cut out to drain water to the bottom hull. But in reality it drained on top of the foam. Sat and saturated the foam. So Iam putting a divider between the foam and the transom blocking. So when my wife takes her dips in the lake. Coming back into the boat. That water will run to the corners and down on its way to the hull bottom. Won’t touch any foam. Hopefully [emoji106]


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Feb 2, 2018)

I used some scrap plywood to make a divider and rags to plug 90% of the holes so I kept it pretty well contained but i definitely have some back there but not much at all, definitely not enough to stop the flow of water that was my biggest goal while doing this was to keep all drain channels open. 

P.S. it did ruin the rags and I'll be pulling the plywood dividers out tonight as I clean the rest of the overflow up


----------



## gatorglenn (Feb 2, 2018)

kalninm said:


> I used some scrap plywood to make a divider and rags to plug 90% of the holes so I kept it pretty well contained but i definitely have some back there but not much at all, definitely not enough to stop the flow of water that was my biggest goal while doing this was to keep all drain channels open.
> 
> P.S. it did ruin the rags and I'll be pulling the plywood dividers out tonight as I clean the rest of the overflow up


[emoji106]


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Feb 5, 2018)

So I'll be updating with a bunch of pictures in a little bit but I just wanted to chime in, I went to remove the plywood dividers and they aren't going anywhere. The foam has such a hold on them that they aren't coming out till they rot out. On the plus side they are hidden away and don't impede anything but wanted to give you a heads up cause mine won't budge.


----------



## kalninm (Feb 5, 2018)

So this weekend I made some actual progress! First of all tried my hand at carpeting, while I wish I had a few more clamps it went pretty dang well! I got the center floor, both side panels, the front of the leg section by the seats and the base of the seat area set. The base seat area needs a lot of work this week but we got the major areas set and we'll do all the edges this week. Had to get creative in adding weight to the carpet while it set up too.I also finally came up with a new way to mount my pumps that'll work better than before, got them mounted and finished the plumbing to them!!! After that we were able to put the back deck back together, and rivet in the side panels in the middle of the boat. Then I decided to do a little work on the live well, as if cutting two additional 1" holes in it wasn't enough I then drilled out the rivets holing the divider in the livewell as in my opinion its too small a livewell for a divider and I could just see my fish getting injured on the sharp corners. I replaced those rivers I drilled out with large headed pop rivets and silicone. Also got all the lids carpeted and the handles put back in the hatch lids. Hopefully next weekend the back deck can get carpeted and we can start working on wiring and the front deck.


----------



## gatorglenn (Feb 5, 2018)

kalninm said:


> So I'll be updating with a bunch of pictures in a little bit but I just wanted to chime in, I went to remove the plywood dividers and they aren't going anywhere. The foam has such a hold on them that they aren't coming out till they rot out. On the plus side they are hidden away and don't impede anything but wanted to give you a heads up cause mine won't budge.


Thanks, That’s good to know. Iam going to use the pink foam. Stand it up and cut ot fit. Then tape it in around the edges. It will be pressed by the foam, tight to the transom aluminum blocks. Leaving that 2” space clear to bottom of the hull. But that is just one area of many. Right lol. I have the longitudinal stringers, so the square pockets they create down both sides will be my main issue to drain.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Feb 6, 2018)

That would have been smart, if I knew I wouldn't get the plywood out I would have used foam good idea


----------



## Jbower (Feb 6, 2018)

Looks great man. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Feb 12, 2018)

Got a little more done with the carpeting this weekend. After looking at some of the other builds here it seems like I've taken a bit of a different approach to the carpeting. Just wanted to share how I've attacked it and what I've learned so far. 
1- air temp makes a difference, being that I'm doing this in the middle of winter up here and using a kerosene heater to heat the garage it makes a difference, If i'm not sweating its not warm enough, and if I don't go back out after an hour or so to heat the garage back up for a bit after I'm done, I'm going to have a better chance of crappy results
2- It may take longer for large amount of glue to dry but when you're carpeting a large surface with a lot of small changes in height, such as the back deck of my boat, on those changes in elevation don't be afraid to put down A LOT of glue! Otherwise odds are you won't have a great bond, it's almost like using it as a bondo to transition some of the elevation changes you're carpeting over. after it gets set up and tacky...2-3 hours later, go back and work those large deposits of glue around in the areas by pressing with your fingers. The glue is already tacked to the carpet so you shouldn't get any lift but this will help distribute the excess glue around those areas
3- Plan everything out as best you can and measure 4 or 5 times to make sure! If you're unsure of how something might lay down around a corner or something, get a newspaper and make the corners cut you want to and lay down the newspaper to see how it's going to work
4-Equally distributed pressure especially all the way to the edges and adequate glue is a must! Also, let it sit longer than it calls for, I've had two separate times now where I either didn't have pressure all the way across an area or took it off after just a few hours because it was tacking up. Both time on an edge that was folded, both times I had to apply more glue and re-clamp it and let it sit for a while. They both came out great but needed extra attention because I screwed up.
5- Lastly, do it in sections if you're unsure of yourself. I've done almost all of my pieces now in multiple sections, especially if it's a complex piece or I don't have enough clamps to do all the edges. Take your time with it, I'm doing my back deck now and It's 1 large piece with one filler piece in two corners. I opted for the one large piece because it minimizes the number of carpet seams on the deck and therefore minimizes how many areas there are for it to lift up. However just doing this one large piece, I've broken up and is going to be 4 different sections, I have sections 1 and 2 done, 3 is happening tonight and 4 is going on Wednesday which should complete the back deck carpeting. 

Hope this helps someone, this is the exact approach I've been taking and to be honest I'm extremely happy with how it's been coming out so far. Here is where I am with the back deck so far, I'll probably update again later this week.


----------



## Bowlershop (Feb 12, 2018)

Looks great. I am very close to starting carpet on mine and I’m hoping it goes well.


----------



## Jbower (Feb 12, 2018)

That rear deck is a learning experience for anyone lol. Keep up the good work. Can’t wait to see it finished 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## gatorglenn (Feb 12, 2018)

Looking great


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Feb 13, 2018)

Bowlershop I saw you started back up on yours, can't wait to see it finished!

Thanks guys


----------



## kalninm (Feb 17, 2018)

Alright guys I need some help here. From day one I wanted to have a rod locker that can hold all my rods on this boat, that means holding 3 8'ers. There is plenty of room down the middle but what I'm concerned about is what we ran into last night. We cut the first half of the front deck and started mocking stuff up for the rod box. I cut a hole in the front deck divider and laid an 8' rod in it. Looked at where the back end of the rod box was going to be and it was quickly apparent that the opening section for the rod box would be too far forward for me to be able to easily put rods in and get rods out. So I have an easy fix in my head but I need some input. The second picture shows the hole I cut for the rod box. Would it be okay if I cut the top of that hole out and added more reinforcement a little farther toward the front? Or would I be asking for trouble?
Thanks


----------



## gatorglenn (Feb 17, 2018)

I would not cut that out. Unless you will be putting one in no more than a foot back. And it would need to run all the way across from rail to rail. That bulkhead is more for the hull then the deck. JMHO 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## kmfw160 (Feb 17, 2018)

Make sure you knock a dent in the rivets with a center punch so your drill doesn’t walk. 

I highly recommend Aircraft Paint Stripper to remove any and all paint. That stuff removes everything!


----------



## kalninm (Feb 17, 2018)

Alright so after many hours of sitting in the boat drinking beer and looking at it with a dumb stare I think I've settled on a plan. The bracing divider I was asking about is staying but it's getting another hole in it. We'll see how much work I get done tomorrow but in the next couple weeks I should have a completed front deck! Then on to wiring, little add on's, more trailer work, and some motor stuff. All of that is relatively simple though. The next few weeks will be the next and hopefully last big hurdle!! As I make progress on the rod box I'll update and explain the plan but for now I'll leave it a mystery. Hope everyone is having a productive weekend!


----------



## Jbower (Feb 19, 2018)

kalninm said:


> Alright so after many hours of sitting in the boat drinking beer and looking at it with a dumb stare I think I've settled on a plan. The bracing divider I was asking about is staying but it's getting another hole in it. We'll see how much work I get done tomorrow but in the next couple weeks I should have a completed front deck! Then on to wiring, little add on's, more trailer work, and some motor stuff. All of that is relatively simple though. The next few weeks will be the next and hopefully last big hurdle!! As I make progress on the rod box I'll update and explain the plan but for now I'll leave it a mystery. Hope everyone is having a productive weekend!


I’m not sure how far back you are taking your deck but I have about a foot maybe a foot and a half extra room with a 7’6 rod on my locker and it slides right in no problem 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Feb 19, 2018)

Pics to come later this week.......hopefully lol
All will be revealed


----------



## Jbower (Feb 19, 2018)

You need to watch your front deck where the panel goes with the trolling motor plug. The plug sticks out a bit and when raising the deck it puts that carpet filler panel at enough of an angle that your trolling motor plug will not fit. Pulling wires threw isn’t hard if you forget. That is if you are doing a trolling motor tray 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Jbower (Feb 19, 2018)

Also you will need to make sure you have access threw the hole for the trolling motor tray to get to the nuts for your trolling motor. It’s a long reach but the only way you can do it 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Feb 26, 2018)

Yeah tackling that whole beast this week/weekend. So question here, the stock wires to run the trolling motor is 10gauge, the plug I got for the trolling motor came with 8 gauge, is this going to be an issue, is it going to cause a loss in power or anything crazy like that? I understand it is not ideal but is it something I can live with?


----------



## Jbower (Feb 26, 2018)

Probably depends a lot on what trolling motor you are running and the amps that it draws. I’m running a bigger 24 volt motorguide and upped my wiring to 8 gauge. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Feb 27, 2018)

I'm running a 45lb. thrust 12V


----------



## Jbower (Feb 27, 2018)

I’d imagine you’d be fine with what you have 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Feb 27, 2018)

Thats good to hear lol, really didn't want to have to run new wires for that just yet


----------



## gatorglenn (Feb 27, 2018)

Go on line minnkota has a wire chart that shows amperage, size of wire needed for the run length. Most 12v TM draw more amps then 24v . Most manufacturers now days run 6 gauge so it will work on both and not get too hot with a 12v unit. My boat had 8 gauge in it. I switch to a 24v and the run length is right. My wires don’t get near as hot as they did with the 12v.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Feb 27, 2018)

Why you gotta crash my party gatorglenn???? Just kidding, thanks for the info I'll take a look at it and reevaluate my plans just to be sure


----------



## kalninm (Mar 5, 2018)

So to solve the rod storage dilemma, we cut two holes in the divider up front but kept it in tact. Then I used 3/8" plywood and made a false floor for the front of the boat. The rods will slide in from an opening in the back of the front deck and they will be held in place by a mesh net and a velcro strap. The velcro strap will hold the butt ends down, and the mesh net will drape down from the bottom of the front deck and attach to the top of the center floor to ensure the rods don't slide back. This solution may mean it is not locking storage but it will hold way too many rods, probably 15-20 without an issue and it will also hold my 8' rods without issue. Then this Saturday I had some time, I got the hole cut for the trolling motor foot pedal tray, and installed the pedestal seat base for the front deck. Also got the second half of the deck cut out and fitted and installed the trolling motor bracket up front. Continued to clean up the seats a little bit, and carpeted the front piece of the deck along with 2 of the 3 remaining aluminum pieces that needed to be carpeted. Once my aluminum rails come in this week I'll cut out an opening for a storage compartment on the back piece of the deck and use the aluminum as rails. Then it'll be time to carpet the last few pieces and work on the remaining wiring.


----------



## kalninm (Mar 9, 2018)

Piece 1 of 2 for the front deck is carpeted, and came opt great. Also the aluminum transition piece that goes from the back of the bow to the very front of the front deck......yeah carpeted the wrong side of that so I have to redo that one tonight. Got everything measured out and cut the opening for my hatch lid in the second piece of the front deck and even got my Aluminum Z bar cut out for the edges to hold the lid. I'll be attaching the Z bar pieces to the inside of the lid hole and sizing up the actual lid and carpeting both pieces tonight. Question though, For this hatch lid I wanted to go with just a nylon pull strap to open the compartment lid. Whats the best way to do this? Nylon strip stapled to the underside of the lid or how should I attach the nylon to the lid so it doesn't come off? Oh and Lastly, got my electronics on this week!! Found a guy in a Facebook group updating his graphs and offloading his for a very good price, I got two Humminbird 998c SI units plus transducers, mounts, gps pucks, and the linking ethernet cable, so I can't wait to get those installed!


----------



## Bowlershop (Mar 9, 2018)

I used a pull strap for my lids as well. I pop riveted them to the doors. I’ll add a pic when I get a chance.


----------



## Bowlershop (Mar 9, 2018)

Here’s what I did.


----------



## kalninm (Mar 9, 2018)

You can pop rivet right into plywood???


----------



## kalninm (Mar 9, 2018)

And where did you get the straps?


----------



## Bowlershop (Mar 9, 2018)

Drill a 3/16 hole into the plywood deep enough to take the rivet(if your using 3/16 rivets). I used a wide head rivet so it doesn’t pull through the strap. The rivet will expand in the whole and be held in place firmly. You could use screws as well if you want. I got the straps from farmland fleet. All they are is small tow straps and I cut the loop ends off and used them. It was $3 for 2. Each strap has 2 ends so I had a grand total of $3 invested into my 4 lids.


----------



## kalninm (Mar 11, 2018)

Thanks for the info! However I found a left over lid latch to use. So been working on wiring and look at where I want to mount my electronics. My console doesn't currently have a windshield, I found some online for over $100 but I'm not about to do that. So to mount my unit at the console I have two options. One, use a ram mount on the side rail to the right of the console, or two, use the gimble mount and mount it straight to the top of the console. I think the top of the console mount would be great but what worries me is hitting it while casting. Any thoughts on this?


----------



## kalninm (Mar 12, 2018)

Worked on wiring most of yesterday, finished installing the switch panel and the fuse panel. Decided to hook up the battery and test it out. All the accessories and the switches work as they should, but then we hooked the motor up to the battery. Made sure that was working, hit the trim, and the trim worked, then we went to make sure the starter would kick and nothing. Tried the trim again and nothing. After some tearing apart it appeared as though we blew a 20amp fuse in the motor. We needed to figure out why though so while this probably isn't something we should have done, we put tin foil around the fuse and put it back in. Power was restored but shortly there after my console developed a smoking habit. After some more looking around there was one wire that was getting extremely hot. After we made some calls to some more electrically minded people we found that one of the wires we grounded was actually a hot wire that shouldn't be hooked up to anything!!!!! Low and behold we tried again now with our slightly melted purple wire just dangling and no longer grounded, and this time no fire and the voltmeter worked!!! So obviously some wins and loses, all the accessories work and we've established all of our hot wires, and have everything working again. Downside some of the stuff we tore apart to look for a wiring issue needs to be put back together which isn't much fun. Also downside, while the trim buttons work to make the hydraulic pump run it isn't lifting the motor. Before winter it was very low on fluid so we topped it off and it was running like a champ, it was also running great before we put it in the garage and nothing has been leaking. So now I have no clue why the trim doesn't want to work. So, in the end, I have a few more wires to run and connect, for nav lights, and graphs both of which are simple, but the major wiring part is done, however I have more assembly to do and a new problem to fix. I guess it's about time I ran into some issues with this build lol.


----------



## Jbower (Mar 12, 2018)

Purple wire is accessory power for your gauges. Obviously you don’t have to use it if you are running a power from something else. I don’t remember what outboard you have the trim probably has a leak in one of the seals. You could check the manual let down screw and make sure it is tight also 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Mar 19, 2018)

Alright finished up some wiring finally!!!, and decided it was a bout time to start assembly. Spent a few hours, got the gps puck mounted at the dash as well as a few other extras done. Then wired up some LEDs under the deck and console for some added light when needed. Also, got all new bulbs for the back lights on the dash, cleaned up the contacts and added some dielectric grease and wouldn't you know it all the little back lights started working again! Can't believe it was that simple. Same goes for the navigation lights that came with the boat, cleaned up the contacts, new bulbs, and dielectric grease and BOOM let there be light!!! Any how, after a few issues with the console we got that in too. Because we decided to put the side walls on the inside of the floor rather than on top it changed the angles for the sides making it much more difficult to get some things to fit but also giving me an extra foot or more of floor space. Got the console in place and secured it with the aluminum mounting piece on the port side. Then cut a small section of "Z" bar aluminum and riveted that to the sidewall of the boat and used it as a lip to level off the console. Finally we cut a 2x4 at a 45 degree angle and slid it up to the very very front of the console. Screwed into in from the bottom of the deck and then screwed into it from the console to suck the console to the floor and secure it more thoroughly. It was a pain but actually worked great. All the wires under the dash are now either loomed or taped and everything is hooked up and tested. Here are a couple pics, still some stuff to tie up on the bow and all the way back in the bilge, but it's getting really close.


----------



## kalninm (Mar 27, 2018)

Turn out my POS Motorguide is shot, got a year and a half of use of it and never registered it, so no warrenty, but completely stopped working, Dad rebuilt it with all new seals. Used it maybe 10 times last season before i put it up in the garage to put on the tracker. Same issue when I hooked it up this past weekend. Not too thrilled, it must have a crack in the housing somewhere though. So I ordered a 45lb. Minn Kota Edge yesterday that I'm picking up on Thursday. Also got some little things buttoned up this past weekend but the big one was mounting the Ram Mount for my 998c SI, Reinforced the outside of the console with aluminum and the inside with 1/2" plywood and bolted it through. It's pretty sturdy but I'll have to keep an eye on it this year to make sure no stress cracks develop. getting close though, after Easter I should be able to button up the rest of the actual boat in a weekend.


----------



## captpetej (Mar 28, 2018)

Looking good!

on the pull straps (if you do decide to use them): I just use stainless staples to attached them to the wood lid, works good 

Question: Whats supporting your deck on the opposite side of the console? I didn't see any sort of frame work there, just curious.


----------



## kalninm (Mar 28, 2018)

I was going to run a carpeted 2x4 from the floor to the bottom of the deck as a vertical support but honestly after getting it all in place there is almost no movement there when I stand on it. That corner however is supported a little by the aluminum wall panel. There is a cut out at the top of the wall panel for the deck to slide into, I'm going to leave it just as it is though plenty strong enough.


----------



## captpetej (Mar 28, 2018)

kalninm said:


> That corner however is supported a little by the aluminum wall panel.



think thats what I missed, cool! 

Been working on deck supports on my own project (probably overthinking it a bit), trying to keep weight down... so I've been looking at what other folks are getting away with. It's a broad spectrum...lol

Nice project btw!


----------



## kalninm (Mar 28, 2018)

yes it is a broad spectrum and I almost always over engineer my projects but this came out very nice, just a tiny bit of flex in the plywood


----------



## Jbower (Mar 28, 2018)

captpetej said:


> kalninm said:
> 
> 
> > That corner however is supported a little by the aluminum wall panel.
> ...


I really don’t think that weight can hurt these boats much. I have a deck all the way to the Console,framing completely out of wood with 4 storage compartments and a center rod locker and still had to put my 2 trolling motor batteries up front to help with porpoising and it’s still not enough. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Mar 29, 2018)

That makes me feel great lol, I have zero weight in the front, but I do have only a 50 on the back of mine


----------



## kalninm (Mar 30, 2018)

Got the new one mounted up last night and all I can say is wow, it feels so much better, smoother, and more solid than the Motor Guide ever did. Obviously time will tell, but initial reaction was that the Minn Kota was well worth the $$$


----------



## akboats (Apr 11, 2018)

Your boat looks great man cant wait to do one of these.


----------



## kalninm (Apr 12, 2018)

Doing some work on the motor this weekend, new water pump, thermostat, spark plugs, rebuilding the carbs, and then running it a bit. I did finish the rear deck and bilge, I have all the battery trays and gas tank straps installed and all I can say is..... I have no clue how I thought I may be able to fit a 10 gallon tank in there. Three batteries, and onboard charger, all the pumps, and a 6 gallon gas tank make for a snug fit. I still have to mount both transducers up and put the lid for my compartment up front on but other than that it's pretty much there. Will get some new pics up this weekend.


----------



## gatorglenn (Apr 12, 2018)

kalninm said:


> Doing some work on the motor this weekend, new water pump, thermostat, spark plugs, rebuilding the carbs, and then running it a bit. I did finish the rear deck and bilge, I have all the battery trays and gas tank straps installed and all I can say is..... I have no clue how I thought I may be able to fit a 10 gallon tank in there. Three batteries, and onboard charger, all the pumps, and a 6 gallon gas tank make for a snug fit. I still have to mount both transducers up and put the lid for my compartment up front on but other than that it's pretty much there. Will get some new pics up this weekend.


 Like to see a pic of the bilge compartment. The layout pacifically.





This is how I might end up on mine, with a 6gal tank.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Apr 12, 2018)

I'll throw one up this weekend, thats close to what I did


----------



## gatorglenn (Apr 12, 2018)

kalninm said:


> I'll throw one up this weekend, thats close to what I did


Thanks I appreciate it.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (Apr 16, 2018)

So pretty much for my bilge the only way I found to hold everything back there that I wanted was as follows. On the starboard side all the way towards the stern I have a manual (switch operated) 1000gph bilge pump, in the center I have my livewell pump in and a float operated 1000gph bilge pump. Then on the port side as you can see in one of the pictures as a big black box I have a two bank charger tucked in the corner. Then all the way on the starboard side I have a battery tray from my cranking battery, then I have two more battery trays mounted horizontally just off center for two trolling motor batteries (just a 12V system but double the life on the water). Then all the way on the port side I have my straps installed for my 6 gallon fuel tank. All of this just barely fits without hitting anything else, I had to be careful too because out of the back of the livewell I have a recirc pump sticking out that would easily get destroyed from a rogue battery. Other than that, this weekend my buddy and I managed to do some updating on the motor. New water pump, new thermostat, rebuilt the carbs, and new fuel filter. We actually went to run it, and mind you last fall it was a bit of a PITA to get started and keep running, then on this 38 degree Saturday one turn of the key and she was off. Not too shabby for a 30 year old motor. Still have some throttle adjustments to make and need to gap my new spark plugs before they go in, but I have a very happy motor right now. Unfortunately the same could not be said for my hydraulic trim motor. I think its leaking but I'm not sure. It was low on fluid in the fall, I topped her off and she ran great. Put her away for winter and then tried her this weekend. The pump is turning but not pushing any fluid around, and when I opened it up pretty much zero fluid came out......so that has to get fixed. Other than all that I got the front transducer mounted up and a tackleweb installed. enjoy.


----------



## gatorglenn (Apr 16, 2018)

kalninm said:


> So pretty much for my bilge the only way I found to hold everything back there that I wanted was as follows. On the starboard side all the way towards the stern I have a manual (switch operated) 1000gph bilge pump, in the center I have my livewell pump in and a float operated 1000gph bilge pump. Then on the port side as you can see in one of the pictures as a big black box I have a two bank charger tucked in the corner. Then all the way on the starboard side I have a battery tray from my cranking battery, then I have two more battery trays mounted horizontally just off center for two trolling motor batteries (just a 12V system but double the life on the water). Then all the way on the port side I have my straps installed for my 6 gallon fuel tank. All of this just barely fits without hitting anything else, I had to be careful too because out of the back of the livewell I have a recirc pump sticking out that would easily get destroyed from a rogue battery. Other than that, this weekend my buddy and I managed to do some updating on the motor. New water pump, new thermostat, rebuilt the carbs, and new fuel filter. We actually went to run it, and mind you last fall it was a bit of a PITA to get started and keep running, then on this 38 degree Saturday one turn of the key and she was off. Not too shabby for a 30 year old motor. Still have some throttle adjustments to make and need to gap my new spark plugs before they go in, but I have a very happy motor right now. Unfortunately the same could not be said for my hydraulic trim motor. I think its leaking but I'm not sure. It was low on fluid in the fall, I topped her off and she ran great. Put her away for winter and then tried her this weekend. The pump is turning but not pushing any fluid around, and when I opened it up pretty much zero fluid came out......so that has to get fixed. Other than all that I got the front transducer mounted up and a tackleweb installed. enjoy.


 Thanks fr the pics. Looks great


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (May 3, 2018)

So I'm waiting on a few pieces as finishing touches but she is ready to rock n' roll. A few decals coming in and still have to do trailer bunks but here is how she sits now. First pic is of the front deck, then second pic is a closer look at my solution to rod storage, and lastly a look at the back deck. enjoy :!:


----------



## kalninm (May 7, 2018)

got the motor cowl done this past weekend, the decals came in. Pretty happy with how they came out!


----------



## Bowlershop (May 8, 2018)

Those decals look real nice!!


----------



## ckhenshaw4 (May 8, 2018)

Wow. Just read over your entire build. You have done really great work. 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


----------



## gatorglenn (May 8, 2018)

I second on the great job. [emoji106]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kalninm (May 9, 2018)

Thanks guys, May 19th she'll be put in the water for the first time, I'll run her around a bit but then gotta get the trailer weighed to get it registered and have to fix the bunks.......put new bunks and brackets on lol


----------



## kalninm (May 17, 2018)

Well I'm still on schedule for Friday, got the motor ironed out Tuesday, and buttoned up the bilge finally yesterday. Got all the batteries put in and gas tank and everything hooked up.....and it all works! lol. Anyways gotta put my registration sticker on along with another one or two stickers on Friday then Saturday I'm running her and replacing the bunks and mounting brackets for the bunks cause they are both $hit. Anyone have any ideas on how to make sure when you put new bunks on that they are level and at the right height??? since I have to replace the mounting brackets too its going to be interesting trying to guess where it should be.


----------



## onthewater102 (May 17, 2018)

Make a template out of a piece of cardboard that aligns to the underside of the bunk and the trailer frame at each mounting point.


----------



## kalninm (May 17, 2018)

ahhhh not a bad idea, Then I would know the height that needs to be covered when installing the new brackets


----------



## kalninm (May 31, 2018)

Quick update, Patched up some leaks and added stickers, we'll see how long they last but for now at least they look pretty BA I think :mrgreen:


----------



## thedude (May 31, 2018)

How was the water test!?


----------



## kalninm (May 31, 2018)

Well on the water it was good.....for the most part, found out my bilge pumps work great. So had my buddy check out how much gas I had, bad idea. He said half tank, I had less than a gallon which resulted in surging of power in the motor as the little bit of gas in the tank sloshed around. So only getting it to 4500 rpm with the power surges I did get it up to 29mph with two people so I figure I'll be mid 30's when I have steady power and about 5500rpm. I need to adjust the idle speed though, once I got it in the water it wanted to idle at about 300rpm....which is way to low and kept killing the motor but that's an easy fix. I did find out the bilge pumps work though as I apparently had a lot of leaks.....Yes I know I should have checked that before launching but oh well. I did a leaky test last week in my drive way and marked all of the leaks and finished up sealing up the leaks last night. I have a whole thread on patching my leaks, added the link below.

https://www.forum.tinboats.net/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=44989&p=452697#p452697

Lastly got the trailer bunks fixed but the trailer is still a pain to load so I'll be ordering more hardware and adding two more bunks down the center and removing the rollers in the next month or so. Won't be able to get the boat on the water for a few weeks now unfortunately. Weekends are book and I have prefishing and tournaments with my buddy and we use his boat. Next time I get it out though I'll be sure to do an update post.


----------



## gatorglenn (Jun 1, 2018)

kalninm said:


> Quick update, Patched up some leaks and added stickers, we'll see how long they last but for now at least they look pretty BA I think :mrgreen:


yep pretty awesome looking 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## after6tuning (Jun 6, 2018)

kalninm said:


> So I'm waiting on a few pieces as finishing touches but she is ready to rock n' roll. A few decals coming in and still have to do trailer bunks but here is how she sits now. First pic is of the front deck, then second pic is a closer look at my solution to rod storage, and lastly a look at the back deck. enjoy :!:




Do you have any pics of how you mounted your seats? also how high from the floor are they mounted? I am planning to do a side console conversion to my 15' alunimum jon boat. I have two folding seats (i got for free) that can be flush with the rear deck like yours. If you have a pic of what your fiberglass console is mounted on. It seems like the front of the console is mounted to the front deck but I cannot see the sides. Thank you and looks great.


----------



## kalninm (Jun 7, 2018)

I don't have measurements for the seats but I can get them later when I go home for lunch. The console on the other hand is an interesting one. When I got the boat the console was not very secure to say the least. It came with an aluminum piece that supported the port side by getting screwed into the console and then into the floor. then the front foot or so of the console just rested on the front deck. So to solve this we cut a 2x4 at a 45 degree angle and slid it all the way to the front. We then screwed the console to it and then screwed it to the deck to hold the front in place. Lastly we didn't have much support on the Starboard side and the console was drooping. All that side did was rest against the side wall so it had no support. So I had some "Z" bar aluminum left over and I cut it to length and riveted it to the side wall of the boat so that it created a lip for that side of the console to sit in. I late also riveted the console to the "Z" bar to further reduce movement when driving. At this point it is pretty stable and I have no real concerns. For you starting from scratch and not having to work around previous design you should be good. Good luck and I'll get back to you on the seat heights


----------

