# Indiana Jet Jon Build



## JJ36

Well about 2 months ago I started I budget jet jon build. I started with a non working 90' seadoo with a swapped 89' 587 (didn't know that at the time) Tore down the motor and did a top end rebuild. The guy before me must have let the engine bay fill full of water (saw water line inside the ski lol) Then I picked up a 1436 Lowe flat bottom with a trailer for cheap.






Motor rebuilt





An the fun began


----------



## JJ36

So I cut down the ski haul and made my cuts in the jon. Lots and lots of test fits. 




Build a new transom that was trimmed to fit the pump.





Bolted it up for a test fit before I seal her up for good



Any suggestions on what to use as a sealant. I was going to use liquid nails heavy duty and silicone. But I have heard of guys using polyurethane. what is it and where would a guy get it?

jon surface prep for bonding


----------



## Ranchero50

Welcome to the insanity. 3M's 5200 is pretty much the standard for marine no leak-um seal-um goop on parts you don't plan on taking back apart. Lowe's sells it.

Boat looks good. I think you'll like how it turns out once you get the bugs worked out.


----------



## Jeeper

2nd that 3m 5200 is the way to go also sell it at gander mountain


----------



## JJ36

Thanks for the sealant advise guys

picked up a reverse gate from a 95 seadoo. Direct bolt up


----------



## bnt5

If you are dead set having a "budget" jetjon, there are other adhesive caulks out there that will get the job done without the price of 3M 5200. Any of the polyurethane caulks such as "quad" from homedepot will form a rubberized barrier and also will bond a variety of substrates assuming they have been degreased, sanded and cleaned thoroughly. Another brand of caulking that is amazingly strong and waterproof is Geocell, you can purchase it at any roofing/siding supply company it is very good stuff. That having been said, 3M 5200 has been used in the marine industry for a long time and is made for this very type of application (well, maybe not jetjons...) but it is very expensive for something that is shot out of a tube. Good luck and let us know how she performs!


----------



## JJ36

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=355906#p355906 said:


> bnt5 » 15 Jun 2014, 22:18[/url]"]If you are dead set having a "budget" jetjon, there are other adhesive caulks out there that will get the job done without the price of 3M 5200. Any of the polyurethane caulks such as "quad" from homedepot will form a rubberized barrier and also will bond a variety of substrates assuming they have been degreased, sanded and cleaned thoroughly. Another brand of caulking that is amazingly strong and waterproof is Geocell, you can purchase it at any roofing/siding supply company it is very good stuff. That having been said, 3M 5200 has been used in the marine industry for a long time and is made for this very type of application (well, maybe not jetjons...) but it is very expensive for something that is shot out of a tube. Good luck and let us know how she performs!



thanks. on this area I feel its important to buy the right stuff. I will be buying the 5200 tomorrow. honestly i have realized if i want this to work and look the way i want it i will have to forget the budget lol


----------



## painlesstom

I opted to use the Loctite PL S-30 Polyurethane sealant over the 3M 5200 because it holds it shape much better when dispensed from the tube. 3M 5200 is too "runny" for my liking, and I didn't want to have it drip out of the seam before it could cure. I was also not comfortable with the amount of flex it would retain after cured, since fiberglass and aluminum would have different expansion rates I wanted something that would remain flexible. 3M 5200 gets harder than the PL S-30.

I hope you plan on bedding in the jet ski hull with fiberglass once you've joined the two hulls together, you will need lots of reinforcement in the motor mount area, and where the hulls are joined. If you don't glass all of that in, extending the footprint out to the width of the jon boat, the union will flex and leaks will develop. 

Look forward to watching the build, looking good, keep it up.


----------



## bnt5

Loctite PL is some GOOOOD stuff, I their products alot in the construction biz. Don't you think the combination of sealant/adhesive and stainless steel fasteners with fender washers would be sufficient enough to hold the two surfaces together without movement? Just curious as I am coming into that phase hopefully in the next week or so.


----------



## painlesstom

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=356283#p356283 said:


> bnt5 » 1 minute ago[/url]"]Loctite PL is some GOOOOD stuff, I their products alot in the construction biz. Don't you think the combination of sealant/adhesive and stainless steel fasteners with fender washers would be sufficient enough to hold the two surfaces together without movement? Just curious as I am coming into that phase hopefully in the next week or so.



That combination with PL will provide a reliable seal, but it will not prevent the joint from flexing. It needs to be reinforced with fiberglass to keep that union from being able to flex, the last thing you want is stress cracks developing in the aluminum.... that causes boats to sink. After you bolt everything down tight, step into the hull and see how much it still moves.... you will understand what I'm warning you about then. I built my jet jon almost 2 years ago, and close to 1000 miles so far, without a single problem. So while my way might not be the only way, it is a proven way.


----------



## PSG-1

I second that about the reinforcement. Although mine is a welded build, you'll notice that I used a sheet of 1/4" aluminum across the entire floor of the engine compartment, to spread the weight out over the largest area possible. 

Like painless tom, I have close to 1000 miles on the inland rivers of SC on my boat, and who-knows-how-many miles out here in the saltwater marshes, with plenty of days of riding in choppy water, plenty of hitting boat wakes, doing 180 spins, and anything else that could put tremendous stress on a hull. After running like this for almost 9 years, with 2 engines (first one was a 2 stroke, this one is a heavier 4 stroke), I know for sure that using that 1/4" plate was a good call. =D>


----------



## He Reigns

Listen to those guys, they won't steer you wrong. Now that I know my motor runs good I am fiberglassing it in. I plan on doing inside the boat and some outside when I know my spoon is correct. Right now when I run it, with a little water in the boat, the water dances because of vibration. I'm not talking about a ripple, I mean it literally will vibrate itself an inch in the air. Kinda cool to see but hard on the aluminum hull. My plan is 4 layers of fiberglass from side to side on the inside of boat.


----------



## JJ36

Thanks guys

Tom- my plan is to glass the whole rear section in from one side to the other.

Unfortunately I got side tracked this week. Got tired of lifting the pump and motor in and out of the Jon so I had to build a overhead winch system. I should be bolting down and fiberglassing by the weekend.


----------



## JJ36

Its kind of off topic but here's the electric hoits I put together to save the spine.
I uses a round rail that's normally used for barn doors with a 600 lb capacity



Lag bolted 4x4 blocks between the 2x6 truss members then lag bolted the round rail to it





Then i took a harbor freight 440/880 lb electric winch and removed the brackets and installed the roller wheels on the steel housing. And boom a movable electric hoist. I plan on taking a retractable extension cord and mounting it at the one end and remove the brake so it moves freely. Also want to develop a locking system so it stays in one place when I need it to. But all in all it will work well I think.


----------



## painlesstom

Great idea! Love seeing ingenuity like that, will add this to my list of future projects. Thanks for sharing!


----------



## PSG-1

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=356618#p356618 said:


> JJ36 » Yesterday, 21:40[/url]"]Its kind of off topic but here's the electric hoits I put together to save the spine.
> 
> 
> 
> [/url]



Holy s$%^&! It's a DeLorean! :shock: Those were pretty awesome cars, and truthfully, they still are. I have yet to see any other automobile that uses stainless steel for its body.

Your lift looks like it's mounted nice and solid, and it will definitely save your back. Good call!


----------



## smackdaddy53

PSG-1 said:


> [url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=356618#p356618 said:
> 
> 
> 
> JJ36 » Yesterday, 21:40[/url]"]Its kind of off topic but here's the electric hoits I put together to save the spine.
> 
> 
> 
> [/url]
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Holy s$%^&! It's a DeLorean! :shock: Those were pretty awesome cars, and truthfully, they still are. I have yet to see any other automobile that uses stainless steel for its body.
> 
> Your lift looks like it's mounted nice and solid, and it will definitely save your back. Good call!
Click to expand...

Back to the future baby! Haha. Very nice car and great idea with mounting the lift.


----------



## JJ36

Thanks for the comments on the car. I've had it since I was 14. Not fast but man is it cool and fun to drive. 


OK so did about 20 test fits with new hoist system. Works very well. Made a short video. 
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp8gKfMo2yo

Tried to video the whole install from that view but I ran out of space. It would have been cool to have sped it up and seen the whole thing. Oh well. Here are some finished pics.


----------



## painlesstom

Looking good, that lift worked out nicely.


----------



## smackdaddy53

Nice job so far! Any pics of the transom from the outside?


----------



## He Reigns

Good thinking, I lifted mine in and out about 40 times to get everything right.


----------



## JJ36

Going to start fiberglassing today. I've never done it before. Any hints or tricks I should know?


----------



## painlesstom

Have plenty of paint brushes on hand, or lacquer thinner to clean them out, and have all your fiberglass cloth pieces cut to size and ready to use. Use a tad less hardener than the instructions recommend, with it being warm this will give you some extra time to work with the resin. Also recommend wearing latex gloves, easier to change them than to get that mess off your hands. Also make sure the surfaces are clean and roughed up so the resin will adhere properly. Have fun!


----------



## JJ36

Thanks tom. 

Just started with spraying spray foam in the voids. After it hardens I'll shave it down to the shape I want the fiberglass to be. I've learned the hard way you just need to walk away and let that stuff harden or you'll have a big mess trimming it. 



I have some holes in the aluminum from screws and such. Have any of you guys tried this stuff.


----------



## PSG-1

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=357539#p357539 said:


> JJ36 » 23 minutes ago[/url]"]Thanks tom.
> 
> Just started with spraying spray foam in the voids. After it hardens I'll shave it down to the shape I want the fiberglass to be. I've learned the hard way you just need to walk away and let that stuff harden or you'll have a big mess trimming it.
> 
> 
> One other thing you may or may not have learned the hard way, don't get that spray foam on your hands, or you will have to wear it off. :shock:
> I haven't seen any solvents that easily remove it.
> 
> Tom is absolutely right about using less hardener in the fiberglass. And not just to extend working time, but, also because if it cures too quickly, it becomes brittle. A slow cure is stronger.


----------



## bobberboy

_I uses a round rail that's normally used for barn doors with a 600 lb capacity

Then i took a harbor freight 440/880 lb electric winch and removed the brackets and installed the roller wheels on the steel housing. And boom a movable electric hoist. I plan on taking a retractable extension cord and mounting it at the one end and remove the brake so it moves freely. Also want to develop a locking system so it stays in one place when I need it to. But all in all it will work well I think. _

What a good idea. And, do I see a DMC in your garage?


----------



## JJ36

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=357580#p357580 said:


> bobberboy » 29 Jun 2014, 06:52[/url]"]_I uses a round rail that's normally used for barn doors with a 600 lb capacity
> 
> Then i took a harbor freight 440/880 lb electric winch and removed the brackets and installed the roller wheels on the steel housing. And boom a movable electric hoist. I plan on taking a retractable extension cord and mounting it at the one end and remove the brake so it moves freely. Also want to develop a locking system so it stays in one place when I need it to. But all in all it will work well I think. _
> 
> What a good idea. And, do I see a DMC in your garage?



Ya that's my 1981 DMC 12. Very fun to drive.


----------



## bulldog

Your build looks a lot like my budget jet jon. The build thread is in my signature. Looks great so far. 

This brazing rods are awesome. I did not use that particular brand but the ones I used worked absolutely awesome. Here is a link. 
https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=17096&p=235082&hilit=Durafix#p235082

Great job so far and I'll be following this one for sure.


----------



## JJ36

Its been a while but here is my progress
Fiberglassed the pump












Painted 



Mocked up


----------



## Ranchero50

The bottom looks really good, really interested in hearing how it performs.

I'm not too sure about running with the tank so far forward. The Mikuni's fuel pump is just a simple diaphragm setup like your weed eater uses and that's a long run to suck fuel through.


----------



## JJ36

I was thinking about that. Had a question on how the fuel pump come into play. It that hockey puck shaped thing with 3 hoses off of it.


----------



## JJ36

OK so had some more time this weekend to fab up the controls. I modified a 90's reverse bracket to work on a 90 deg angle and mounted it under the seat. I also fabbed up a steering lever. It turned out good for just being random hardware parts. I use nylon washers in either side of the lever to get a nice smooth action. I was thinking os adding spring so it would auto center when released. So then I got to the electrical portion. The guy before me just hacked this up to try to bypass the dead man switch. So what I did was returned it back to normal. The I sawped out the dead man switch for a keyed switch. I am mounting it on the electrical box so I can use a key to protect the boat from just anyone starting it. I also switched the kill switch out with a protected on off switch. I mounted them both next to the reverser lever on the seat. Its looking like I'll finish this weekend minus the decks I'd like to add front and rear.


----------



## smackdaddy53

Looking great! I like the simplicity.


----------



## JJ36

OK so its no longer an Indiana Jet Jon. About a year ago I was was relocated for work. Now in in South East Michigan. Just started working on the beast again. It's not easy picking up a project you left off from a year ago. Lol. So i got all the hacked up wiring figured out. I think. Was working on getting it started. I have fuel, 120 compression, spark and air. Still wont even kick. I've rebuild a handful of rotax motors but they all ran before I got them. This one on the other hand was a mess. Any suggestions on what I'm missing?


----------



## amk

Did you spray some starting fluid in it? I know it's tuff on engines but you might need it to wake it up.


----------



## PSG-1

I wouldn't use starting fluid, as mentioned, ether is hard on an engine. Just pour about 1/2 a bottle cap of gasoline in each cylinder, and try it like that.


----------



## JJ36

I tried that. Not even a blurp. Starting worry that I messed up the wiring or maybe the timing when I pieced it together.


----------



## Capt1972

kill switch?


----------



## PSG-1

I was wondering the same thing. If the tether is in place, it could be that the kill switch circuit is improperly wired, and it's cancelling out the stator/magneto? On a typical PWC kill switch circuit there should be 4 wires. 2 are normally open contacts, and 2 are normally closed. The closed contacts complete the circuit for the magneto as long as the circuit is closed....while the 2 normally open contacts will interrupt the circuit between the magneto and the coils if this circuit is suddenly closed, as in the kill switch being off.

While tracking down electrical problems can be a real turd hunt and a PITA, your service manual and a multimeter are your best friends.


----------



## mphelle

I wouldn't think it's the kill circuit since he says he has spark. In the first post there is evidence of a flooded engine compartment, if the motor hydro locked it may have sheared the flywheel key, throwing off the timing. If you haven't mounted the rear bench it would be pretty easy to check. Here is another thread on the key: https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=83&t=37665&start=60


----------



## amk

my key sheered to it would just crank and crank and sound like crud when it actually would sound like it was going to start. Can you film it while your cranking it and post it? Those woodruff keys can break easy if something screwy happens.


----------



## JJ36

Here are some pics of the wiring followed by a video



Everything spread out



Close up.of the replacement buzzer and kill switch


----------



## JJ36

Well I'm stumped. pulled the engine monted it on the bench and still didn't work. Let it sit for a week. Did nothing different and sure a shit the beast started right up. Motors back in the boat and I'm doing final work with the seat and throttle. Going for a gas pedal!


----------



## amk

glad you got it running.


----------



## CedarRiverScooter

Great news on your progress. Please post a picture of your foot pedal when you get it installed. I am looking to change my throttle control too.


----------



## JJ36

So whipped up a gas pedal. Welds arnt the best but I'm learning. Let me know what you guys think. 



19 bucks for a adjustable spring door hindge



bent hindge plate to set pedal angle


 
welded it to base plate


 
welded on a pedal and some brackets


 

 test fit


 
final before installing


 
and riveted in.


----------



## CedarRiverScooter

That looks great! What did you use for pivot wear point - bushings? Hope you get your boat on the water soon.


----------



## amk

That is awesome


----------



## JJ36

Ya I used nylon bushings at all pivot points and nylon lock nuts so I could set the resistance at each location. It's a real smooth action. It really turned out just as I had envisioned. Not to often that happens lol


----------



## Jim

That looks great! Kudos man, coming along! :beer:


----------



## lovedr79

awesome pedal!


----------



## handyandy

cool build so far where in indiana are you located. I live in southern indiana just swapped my prop for a outboard jet and I'm working on getting it set up right still giving me trouble. Hopefully we aren't too far apart, as I have a tig welder, and would be willing to help you out with welding. Awesome delorean by the way, would love to see that thing out.


----------



## handyandy

well I'm a idiot just read through the post more and saw your in michigan now.


----------

