Raising the X

[jeffswav]

Hi everyone, I just joined your site yesterday. I post on a few other boat forums. I have a 236 Baja that I am going to raise the x on. Right now the propshaft centerline is 8" below the surface. I would like to raise it up 3" to 5". The boat is running 70MPH on GPS right now, I would like to run flatter and faster with less trim. I would expect a 6MPH gain from what I have reserched. Anyone have any pictures of there transom projects that may save me some time or headach. I will be pulling the drives in mid December so I have a little time to think about it.

[DAREDEVIL]

Hi everyone, I just joined your site yesterday. I post on a few other boat forums. I have a 236 Baja that I am going to raise the x on. Right now the propshaft centerline is 8" below the surface. I would like to raise it up 3" to 5". The boat is running 70MPH on GPS right now, I would like to run flatter and faster with less trim. I would expect a 6MPH gain from what I have reserched. Anyone have any pictures of there transom projects that may save me some time or headach. I will be pulling the drives in mid December so I have a little time to think about it.

Welcome !!!!!!

To your question,,,is it a Bravo ????

If so , i would see if anybody would give u a -2 shorty for testing,,and try it first.
In a 23 foot boat @ 70,,its impressive.

[jhenrie]

Geronimo posted a lot on his project last spring , do a search and ye shall find . I think it was in Glassdaves section.

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

He saw Geronimos thread.

All boats react different. There are no guarantees. To expect 6 may leave you disappointed. I would suggest to hope for 6 and enjoy what you get. If you find all 6 home run.

Good luck

[Trim'd Up]

I think 6mph is optimistic, but possible. I can't say how much speed I gained by raising my X because I added a good deal of horsepower and removed weight from the boat. but the boat handles much better. It flies more level and does not need much trim at all to run. It is also more stable at 80+ than the same boat with a stock X. My only complaint is, you have to be much faster on the stick when your in rough water. I am talking LOTO after the shootout rough though, not slight chop. This is on a Baja 240 sport.

[jeffswav]

Here is a little history on the boat for you guys. I have a Bravo 1 drive, 489 stroker engine 500HP, Lab finnished prop, Holley MPI, EMI exhaust, RMbuilder Roller Cam, and all the other stuff to go with it. The boat has a 22deg deadrise, no notch, small pad and the factory spec is 3900lb dry. The boat only ran 55MPH with the stock 330, I have gained 15MPH with it over the past several years. I recently noticed I had a transum leak. That is what brought me to think about raising it up. Shorties are so expensive, if they charged a reasonable price for them they would be flying off the shelves. There is a guy on SW that gained 10 MPH from raising his up 3 1/4" to 5 1/4" below the bottom. I am about maxed out on HP for my bravo so my next step is the setup.

[jeffswav]

Trim'd Up, What was your propshaft depth before and after you raised it? Do you have any pics of your project? From my research is seems to be better to remove the wood from the inside out. Leave as much of the glass and gell as possible. Then lay the wood in steps till you have a flat surface. Then only the lower part of the cuttout will have to be glassed and gelled on the outside. Does this make sence?

[glassdave]

Hi Jeff, welcome aboard :D

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

Yes, the majority is done from inside. Geronimo went through the entire process in detail and shared with us. You can find pix he shared on post 71 and 73 and 77.

http://www.seriousoffshore.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5054&page=4

[jeffswav]

Hi Jeff, welcome aboard :D

Thanks for turning me on to the new site. I like that this site does not require a paid membership to post atachments or pics.

[jeffswav]

Yes, the majority is done from inside. Geronimo went through the entire process in detail and shared with us. You can find pix he shared on post 71 and 73 and 77.

http://www.seriousoffshore.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5054&page=4Yep, I saw his thread yesterday. Just woundered if he had a few more pics. This looks like somthing I can do. I always reserch everything to death before I get started.

[Trim'd Up]

Trim'd Up, What was your propshaft depth before and after you raised it? Do you have any pics of your project? From my research is seems to be better to remove the wood from the inside out. Leave as much of the glass and gell as possible. Then lay the wood in steps till you have a flat surface. Then only the lower part of the cuttout will have to be glassed and gelled on the outside. Does this make sence?

No better pics right now. My camera went missing and my other computer is on the fritz. I did it just like Geronimo but the plywood was staggered more (not that it matters). I used 1/2" Aluminum angle through bolted to the stringers to raise the engine. I was at 7 1/2" below the bottom and now I am 4". Just be prepared to get into way more than you planned if your transom is wet there is a good chance stringers are. and possibly bulkheads.

[glassdave]

Thanks for turning me on to the new site. I like that this site does not require a paid membership to post atachments or pics.

plus your question was answered before ya even signed up :D

[jeffswav]

No better pics right now. My camera went missing and my other computer is on the fritz. I did it just like Geronimo but the plywood was staggered more (not that it matters). I used 1/2" Aluminum angle through bolted to the stringers to raise the engine. I was at 7 1/2" below the bottom and now I am 4". Just be prepared to get into way more than you planned if your transom is wet there is a good chance stringers are. and possibly bulkheads.The boat has never sat outside or in the water. I have had it for 12 years, it has never had water sit in the bilge. I recently found a water leak on the transum and it was not there last year, I can't imagine I will have to remove that much wood. I will know more when I pull it apart. I am still hoping for another day out. I usually do not winterize untill mid December. I have my own building to store it in so it is not a emergency when it gets cold. Are you sure you are at 4" that is pretty high? What prop do you run? Do you have low water pickup?

[Trim'd Up]

I am hoping for another run myself but it's not looking good. Where do you usually boat? I am positive, 4" below the small pad. I measured it last night to be sure. No low water pickup, just an old short case Bravo till next year. I am running a 30" Mach 4 blade stock.

[jeffswav]

I am hoping for another run myself but it's not looking good. Where do you usually boat? I am positive, 4" below the small pad. I measured it last night to be sure. No low water pickup, just an old short case Bravo till next year. I am running a 30" Mach 4 blade stock.I boat at several places, I went to Norfork once, Alton pool once, Kindaid twice and Kaskakia about 10 times. We will have to get together somtime and share ideas. I will send in pictures as I progress with the project. Feel free to stop by the house this winter and help with the boat, FREE BEER for help. :hurray:

[Geronimo36]

Bob Saccenti, Glassdave and Offshoreginger were instrumental in helping me to complete this project... Although I did all the work they were always willing to help and provide info. If you have worked with glass or rigging work before no problem, if not I would take it to someone.

Bob Saccenti gave me all the proper measurements and where my X "should" be and I went from there so there were no surprises.

I'd suggest talking to other baja owners who have either done it or who have higher X's from the factory, you don't want to be a guinnea pig.

Any questions send me a PM!
http://s706.photobucket.com/albums/ww64/Fungarten1/?albumview=slideshow

[jeffswav]

Thanks Geronimo, that slideshow was what I was looking for. I thought you would need to cut out way more wood than that. I should be able to do this project with no problem. I think I am going to beef up the stringers and raise them 3". Then make some custom mounts that wrap around the stringer and through bold them.

[Geronimo36]

The strenth is in the glass more than the wood.

I overlapped 1" each step for a total of two inches and feathered the glass out about a 12-16 inches all the way around. I don't remember exactly but I laminiated somewhere between 7-10layers of 1708 on the outside and 5-7 on the inside...can't remember xactly but it was about 3/8" thick on the outside and 1/4" of laminate on the inside. If I was using vinlyester resin I would have overlapped the wood further but the Epoxy is so much stronger I wasn't as worried... A lot of the glass shops don't even bother with overlapping the plywood so for me I felt it was overkill and I'm happy with the results.

Pushing over 1600 hp to the transom and not one sign of fatigue.. I think it might even be stronger than before! :)

[Offshore Ginger]

Thanks for turning me on to the new site. I like that this site does not require a paid membership to post atachments or pics.Jeff , there is a lot of knowledge on this site and all you have to do is ask . Jeff on this site you will not have one person telling you it is black and the other saying it is white like the site you just came from and make sure you tell all your bud's to give us a try because this site is growing and getting better everyday and hopefully this site will be the best there is and are Tech sections wil be next to none .

[Offshore Ginger]

Jeffway. i have to agree with trim' up, a 6 mph gain is optimistic but possible and with that in mind & not trying to sound rude but have you ever put a straight edge to the bottom of your boat , because just maybe ,that might need a little work also .

[old377guy]

thanks for all of the shots Geronimo - amazing job! - Jeff

[jeffswav]

Jeffway. i have to agree with trim' up, a 6 mph gain is optimistic but possible and with that in mind & not trying to sound rude but have you ever put a straight edge to the bottom of your boat , because just maybe ,that might need a little work also .No you are not being rude at all. I have put a 4' level at various places throughout the hull. Other than the factory hooks (wedges) the hull is straight with no hooks. I have the boat way out of the water and the wedges do not have any effect on the boat after about 62MPH. There are a few bubbles in the gel where the boat normally sits on the bunks of the trailor. Other than that the hull looks perfect. I will be looking for advice after I tear into it. I will post many pictures and will be looking forward to everyones input.
Thanks,
Jeff

[Trim'd Up]

Jeff, I would be more than happy to give you a hand when you get to it. I can drink some beer though, so it may be cheaper to pay someone. ;) When you start cutting into your transom, don't expect to see a layup like Geronimo just showed, trust me, a Baja isn't built like an Apache.

[insanity]

Jeff, I would be more than happy to give you a hand when you get to it. I can drink some beer though, so it may be cheaper to pay someone. ;) When you start cutting into your transom, don't expect to see a layup like Geronimo just showed, trust me, a Baja isn't built like an Apache.

+1 on the layup. I know the outer skin on my transom (Baja 240) was no more than 2 layers of 1708. Once I had it stripped it was translucent it was so thin. I put 6 layers of biax on the inside before I put the wood back in to thicken it up, overall outer skin is now probably closer to 3/8. And for comparison the plywood layup on mine originally was a sheet of 1/2, 3/8, then another 1/2 inch plywood. With about 1/4 of bondo/bedding compound between the outer skin and the first layer of 1/2 inch plywood. :ack2:

[Geronimo36]

When you start cutting into your transom, don't expect to see a layup like Geronimo just showed, trust me, a Baja isn't built like an Apache.

+1 on the layup. I know the outer skin on my transom (Baja 240) was no more than 2 layers of 1708. Once I had it stripped it was translucent it was so thin. I put 6 layers of biax on the inside before I put the wood back in to thicken it up, overall outer skin is now probably closer to 3/8. And for comparison the plywood layup on mine originally was a sheet of 1/2, 3/8, then another 1/2 inch plywood. With about 1/4 of bondo/bedding compound between the outer skin and the first layer of 1/2 inch plywood. :ack2:

Holy crapola!:willy_nilly:

[Geronimo36]

thanks for all of the shots Geronimo - amazing job! - Jeff

Thanks dude! :driving:

[Trim'd Up]

+1 on the layup. I know the outer skin on my transom (Baja 240) was no more than 2 layers of 1708. Once I had it stripped it was translucent it was so thin. I put 6 layers of biax on the inside before I put the wood back in to thicken it up, overall outer skin is now probably closer to 3/8. And for comparison the plywood layup on mine originally was a sheet of 1/2, 3/8, then another 1/2 inch plywood. With about 1/4 of bondo/bedding compound between the outer skin and the first layer of 1/2 inch plywood. :ack2:

Mine wasn't that bad. The outer layer was probably 3/16" then the puddy chit, then 3 layers of 1/2" with a layer of mat between them and 2-3 layers of 1708 or similar on the inside skin. Fiberglass is translucent anyway without gell

[insanity]

Mine was translucent...with gel.

[Switzer It]

question: any advantages/disadvantages going with a stand-off box with a raised X?

- Pat

[phragle]

Mine was translucent...with gel.

When I redid my transom, I found large voids and a cigarette lighter GLASSED into the transom...... and people wonder why wellcrafts rot..

[jeffswav]

question: any advantages/disadvantages going with a stand-off box with a raised X?

- Pat

Only the price, you will also need full hyd steering. You will have 2k or more in the box plus about 3k for the steering. You will still need to raise the engine with the Imco. The Stellings box will get you a 2" raise with no engine height adjustment. However some say the Stellings is hard on drives with no coupler to absorb the stress. Or you could get a -2 shortie drive and just bolt it on. I have to pull mine apart for repairs anyway so the transum recut is the route I will be taking.

[Geronimo36]

As for price... doing it myself I spent $1200 in supplies for twin engine. If I was a bit more resourceful I could have done it for a few hundy less! :)

Labor hours....not sure...don't wanna know!!!! ;)

[Traviss]

With these threads I have been reading, it has got me thinkin I might be doing mine later this fall. powerquest 185xlt 18'6" 24*V , how high is to high? I am around 6.5" right now running in the high eighties, I am thinking moving it up 2.5-3" maybe. anyone have any advice on how high to go :)

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

question: any advantages/disadvantages going with a stand-off box with a raised X?

- Pat


Only the price, you will also need full hyd steering. You will have 2k or more in the box plus about 3k for the steering. You will still need to raise the engine with the Imco. The Stellings box will get you a 2" raise with no engine height adjustment. However some say the Stellings is hard on drives with no coupler to absorb the stress. Or you could get a -2 shortie drive and just bolt it on. I have to pull mine apart for repairs anyway so the transum recut is the route I will be taking.

Jeff mentioned some disadvantages. The hard on drive is an opinion. SVL 104 has raced one and pleasure cruise for two seasons with out a problem.

Up side is it changes the leverage point and CG on the boat. If a boat runs heavy and wet a box will help free it up. If the boat is already free it might not enjoy the ride change.

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

With these threads I have been reading, it has got me thinkin I might be doing mine later this fall. powerquest 185xlt 18'6" 24*V , how high is to high? I am around 6.5" right now running in the high eighties, I am thinking moving it up 2.5-3" maybe. anyone have any advice on how high to go :)

Too high? depends on water pick ups for one. Deck and hatch clearance may be a factor too. As well as stringer height. Really its just trial and error on individual boats. You can always space down if need be. I hope you have external steering at your present speed.

Last thought on a smaller boat a shorter case would allow the engine to stay low.

[Traviss]

I have room to go up, I can fab up some new motor mounts to lift the front of the motor. I run a alpha SS drive which is about 2.5" shorter then a standard alpha. The water pickups are 2 teardrop holes just above the nosecone. No hydra steering, just a stabalizer from drew marine for now.

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

Travis I assumed you had a Bravo. I don't know of any spacer kits for alphas. I am familiar with he SS. So it seems you have a stock height on the boat with a shorty already .

The higher the drive the more steering pull you will encounter. I say external steering is a must if you raise it. I would recommend it now. I think 3" is a huge change. I would be reluctant to go more than 2 more but ,than again I haven't ridden in the boat. I guess you know you will be getting a new propeller too.

[Traviss]

there is no spacer kits for the alpha I don't think. I know if I go to high and have troubles I can put my standard alpha on be back where I am right now. I know when I went to the SS drive it helped alot, but also handling went down the toilet with a 3 blade laser, blowout at 87 or so. Ran a 24 bravo1 last time out and it handled like it was on rails, insane how the difference a 4 blade would make. Yes I will also be getting a another prop come spring, this was my uncles I used, I guess I will have to buy my own bravo1 LOL! :) I know you haven't rode in my boat, just picture a 12' rowboat with a 1000 hp motor going across the water LOL! get the hint LOL! :) :)

[Wayne Pennell]

Another thing to consider is going with a 3"raised IMCO box ( raise Engine) and just have a set of CMI custom tails made to meet new requirements.

[DAREDEVIL]

Another thing to consider is going with a 3"raised IMCO box ( raise Engine) and just have a set of CMI custom tails made to meet new requirements.

Or use a stelling box and u don't need all that custom stuff or rais the engine !!!!!!!:USA:

[jeffswav]

Mine wasn't that bad. The outer layer was probably 3/16" then the puddy chit, then 3 layers of 1/2" with a layer of mat between them and 2-3 layers of 1708 or similar on the inside skin. Fiberglass is translucent anyway without gellI understand when you rebuilt your transum you did not use wood. What did you use? I am hoping not to have to tear the entire transum out, but prepairing for the worst.

[Trim'd Up]

I didn't use wood in the stringers, bulkheads and floor, I used coosa and divyncell. The transom is original except for the portion I filled to raise the outdrive and it is still wood. The engine stringers are wood as well. I believe wood is the best material for a transom because of the compression strength and the screw holding.

[jeffswav]

I didn't use wood in the stringers, bulkheads and floor, I used coosa and divyncell. The transom is original except for the portion I filled to raise the outdrive and it is still wood. The engine stringers are wood as well. I believe wood is the best material for a transom because of the compression strength and the screw holding.Thanks,
thats good to know. I was looking into the Azek board for a wood substitute. They do not recomend it for anything structural. I assume that means no transum replacement.

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

I agree the transom and stringers where the engines mount should be wood. Everything else can be something else.

[Trim'd Up]

I don't think Azek would be good for anything in boat. It's heavy as hell and not that strong for the weight. If you really want to do a composite coosa bluewater 26 would probably be good but it is expensive and not necessary. The wood transom lasted almost 20 years without being properly sealed. If you do it right it will last forever.

[jeffswav]

I do think sealing it up may be the key. When I have it apart I will make sure there is no bear wood left untreated. I am still working on my hoist in my building. I have a I Beam on order, I am going to get a 2 or 3 ton trolley and chain hoist.

[Offshore Ginger]

Jeffsway i would recomend a good marine grade plywood and if you have to buy a full sheet of 3/4 it will run around $ 90 a sheet .

[jeffswav]

Got my I Beam in today for my hoist. One step closer to starting the project.

[Offshore Ginger]

Got my I Beam in today for my hoist. One step closer to starting the project. Hey guy i use a gantry and after you get everything setup you will kick youself for not doing it years ago .:rofl::rofl:

[jeffswav]

Hey guy i use a gantry and after you get everything setup you will kick youself for not doing it years ago .:rofl::rofl:I have only had my building for 2 years (42wx60dx12h). I always thought it would be handy to have a hoist. My friend owns a Iron Shop and picked me up a 20' I Beam. We are going to tie one end of the beam to the buildings framework (3) 2x6's, the other end will bolt to the roof truss. When I use it for lifting I will attach a post from the beam to a concrete pad. I will have side to side movement, however the boat or whatever I am lifting will need to be moved forward or back manually. I only have a small amount of concrete so a roll-around hoist would not work well for me. Things do not roll well on gravel. I will take a few pics of it after I get it constructed.

[Offshore Ginger]

I have only had my building for 2 years (42wx60dx12h). I always thought it would be handy to have a hoist. My friend owns a Iron Shop and picked me up a 20' I Beam. We are going to tie one end of the beam to the buildings framework (3) 2x6's, the other end will bolt to the roof truss. When I use it for lifting I will attach a post from the beam to a concrete pad. I will have side to side movement, however the boat or whatever I am lifting will need to be moved forward or back manually. I only have a small amount of concrete so a roll-around hoist would not work well for me. Things do not roll well on gravel. I will take a few pics of it after I get it constructed. sounds great and looking foward to seeing the pics .

[jeffswav]

Ok, the hoist is in hear are the pictures.

[Offshore Ginger]

l@@kin good and you should be ready for just about anything .

[jeffswav]

l@@kin good and you should be ready for just about anything .Already have the outdrive off. Pulled out some of the interior and wiring. I am planning on pulling the back seat and the engine tomorow. Its was about 28 deg outside today :mad: but it was 60 deg in the shop :), the ready heater will be working hard again tomorow.

[Offshore Ginger]

Already have the outdrive off. Pulled out some of the interior and wiring. I am planning on pulling the back seat and the engine tomorow. Its was about 28 deg outside today :mad: but it was 60 deg in the shop :), the ready heater will be working hard again tomorow.Very cool Jeff and look you are already starting to kick a$$ .

[jeffswav]

Pulling the engine on the new hoist.

[jeffswav]

Transom is not looking good. Looks like I will be doing a complete tearout and reconstruction. The entire bottom half is soft, looks like it was leaking around the seal. The gell has a wear spot around it, do you guys think the housing was leaking? The nuts were not very tight, do you think they may have backed off. Should I replace the rubber seal? Good news is the stringers seem solid. I may beef them up with a sheet of 3/4 marine ply on both sides and make it more rigid. Any input at this point is appreciated.

[jeffswav]

Here are the pics.

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

The bolts only get torqued to 25 ft/lbs.. I suspect the soft wood was the issue and the bolts did not come loose or have anything to do with the leak.

[jeffswav]

Ok, lets assume its not the seal around the transom, were else should I look? The shift boot and block off plate?

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

Shift boots are 3 to 5 year service items . They often split. Water in the bilge tends to get up in the opening and lay there. Solvent clean it and see what you really got.

Is the wood soft ? or is it just oil and dirt. It kind of looks like the plate was digging in to the gel making me think it was moving. If you put a straight edge on it is it straight across the opening ?

[Geronimo36]

From the looks of those pics Baja never properly sealed the transom wood after they cut the hole... Sucks man... :(

Even a leaky upper swivel shaft will cause that because the water trickles down the inside and collects at the bottom and since it wasn't sealed it just soaks into the wood.. :(

Figure the transom is at an angle already, then when it sits in the water its at even more of an angle so it collects water... It was a recipe for disaster.

[Geronimo36]

If the rest of the transom is dry you may not have to replace the whole transom. Ping glassdave!

[Offshore Ginger]

jeffsway , you will never know what you really got until you start cutting into it .

[jeffswav]

The bottom half of the transom is rotten. I can take a hammer and hit the inside and it is hollow in a bunch of spots. If I have to tear out half of it, I might as well tear out the whole thing. This will mainly be a weekend project. If I get a little time this week I will take another look at it. I will definatly put this back together better than Baja did. Looks like they used 1/2", 3/8, 1/2" with filler and glass to make the 2" transom. I need to start thinking about material. Do most people use US Composits? I have heard a lot of talk about Viny Ester, and 1708 mesh. Are these good choices? If I use two 3/4" sheets of ply, about how many yards of glass will I need? How many gallons of resin?

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

I would suggest you remove the bad spots before you make the decision to remove the whole thing. I see little advantage of removing sound material. You can stagger and over lap the different layers and repair it.

[Trim'd Up]

Hey Jeff, I have a roll of 1708 left over I'll make you a deal on. It will save you some money and I will get it out of my garage. I'll have to see what I paid for it but at least you won't have to ship it. Us composites is real good to deal with and cheap. There is also Advanced Plastics that you could get your resin from and they are just across the river, but a little more expensive.

[jeffswav]

Hey Jeff, I have a roll of 1708 left over I'll make you a deal on. It will save you some money and I will get it out of my garage. I'll have to see what I paid for it but at least you won't have to ship it. Us composites is real good to deal with and cheap. There is also Advanced Plastics that you could get your resin from and they are just across the river, but a little more expensive.See how much you have and let me know what you want for it. I am going to be tearing out soon, I will post more pics as I go.

[jeffswav]

Ok, here are some more pictures.

[jeffswav]

And some more. It appears the source of the water may have been a trim tab. See what you guys think from the pictures. I think It has been leaking the day it left the factory. The boat never sits in the water, alway stored in a dry building. The boat looks perfect other than the rotten transom. Almost done removing the old wood, there is a very thin layer of ply that is still bonded to the foam crap. I am going to grind it down to the glass tommorow. They used a bunch of staples and a few nails to hold things together. Get this a layer of 5/8" then 1/2" then 5/8" regular ply, voids, knots, no resign between some of the layers. The stringers are solid, do I need to beef them up or just get better mounts that wrap around and through bolt? Need to get glass supplies together, what do you guys think 5 gal vinly ester resign, 8 yards of glass (7208?), 2 sheets of 3/4" mariine ply. I am going to put it back way better than Baja did.

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

I would think you will only use about 3 gallons. It is still good to have extra on hand. Get some mat enough to uses between the layers of wood. I recall buying the 1708 by the pound off a 51" roll. I would guess about 20'. Enough to cover entire transom twice and some extra to tab in corners and around the ends of stringers.

See what Artie and Dave think.

[jeffswav]

I would think you will only use about 3 gallons. It is still good to have extra on hand. Get some mat enough to uses between the layers of wood. I recall buying the 1708 by the pound off a 51" roll. I would guess about 20'. Enough to cover entire transom twice and some extra to tab in corners and around the ends of stringers.

See what Artie and Dave think.Thanks for the reply, I may be redoing my hatch and a couple other things also. It looks like you get a better price if you buy a 5 gal container. So I am pretty close on the 7 yards? I have heard of other guys using a glass filler. Can I use scraps of glass and resign?

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

You will need some mar glass filler or something like it to fill voids and corners. Its a body filler is glass fibers in it. If you make your own it will be heavier and not as easy to use.

If your were to use epoxy their are different fillers available to mix your own.

[jeffswav]

I have most of the wood off the transom. Shoud I remove the foam crap from the transom or just level it out? I am thinking take it down to the old glass and build it up with new. Here are a couple of more pics.

[old377guy]

a thing of beauty

[Offshore Ginger]

I have most of the wood off the transom. Shoud I remove the foam crap from the transom or just level it out? I am thinking take it down to the old glass and build it up with new. Here are a couple of more pics.Jeffsway , personally i am a firm believer in all wood and glass on the transom and seeing that you have gone this far , taking the foam out would be the easy part and i see you sent me a P M and i apologize for not getting back with you sooner.

[Offshore Ginger]

Thanks for the reply, I may be redoing my hatch and a couple other things also. It looks like you get a better price if you buy a 5 gal container. So I am pretty close on the 7 yards? I have heard of other guys using a glass filler. Can I use scraps of glass and resign? yes you can get a better price if you buy it in 5 gal lot's and have you decided what type of resin you are going to use Poly or Vinyl and i hope you shy away from using G . P. resin or General purpose but then again have you considered using Epoxy ? Jeff when it come's to a filler i alway's make a putty ( filler ) out of Cabosil and resin or you can use West System mircofibers which some people prefer either way both provide good gap-filling qualities and as far as seven yards's go could you please explain your thoughts as far as your plans on how you are going to do your lay up such as glass- wood - glass -wood - glass and just curious how thick is your transom and what are the measurments so we can figure out just how much fabric you might need .

[jeffswav]

Done for the day. Here are a couple more pics. What I thought was foam was BONDO :ack2:. Got most of it removed, probably will not work on it again until the weekend.

[jeffswav]

yes you can get a better price if you buy it in 5 gal lot's and have you decided what type of resin you are going to use Poly or Vinyl and i hope you shy away from using G . P. resin or General purpose but then again have you considered using Epoxy ? Jeff when it come's to a filler i alway's make a putty ( filler ) out of Cabosil and resin or you can use West System mircofibers which some people prefer either way both provide good gap-filling qualities and as far as seven yards's go could you please explain your thoughts as far as your plans on how you are going to do your lay up such as glass- wood - glass -wood - glass and just curious how thick is your transom and what are the measurments so we can figure out just how much fabric you might need .Epoxy it $100 more per 5 gallon than Viny Ester, is it worth the extra cost? I have heard you must be carful about what types of fillers and gels you use with epoxy. How much Cabisol will I need? The glass is thin, about 1/4" :eek:. I figure on adding a few layers of glass (1708?), 3/4"ply, glass, 3/4"ply, then cover with 2 layers of glass. After running the numbers with 8' per sheet and 33" high, I may need more like 16 yards of the narrow size. Does this sound like it will get me the 2" depth? Now this is a topic that has been beat to death but is wood still the best option?

[Offshore Ginger]

Done for the day. Here are a couple more pics. What I thought was foam was BONDO :ack2:. Got most of it removed, probably will not work on it again until the weekend. Jeff , most likely that was a product that a lot of boat Co's used and it is like a bondo , made by and called Detriot Body Filler .

[Offshore Ginger]

Epoxy it $100 more per 5 gallon than Viny Ester, is it worth the extra cost? I have heard you must be carful about what types of fillers and gels you use with epoxy. How much Cabisol will I need? The glass is thin, about 1/4" :eek:. I figure on adding a few layers of glass (1708?), 3/4"ply, glass, 3/4"ply, then cover with 2 layers of glass. After running the numbers with 8' per sheet and 33" high, I may need more like 16 yards of the narrow size. Does this sound like it will get me the 2" depth? Now this is a topic that has been beat to death but is wood still the best option? Jeff it all depends on what you want to use . Jeff epoxy does not stank and no burring of the eye's and to me it is worth the extra cost because i like a resin that has a longer pot life and work time but in your case go with poly or Vinyl using 1708 . Jeff i would also do the lay different on the transom and that would be 2 layer's of (1708) glass , wood , glass ,wood , glass with more beef then the rest staggered because your layup is only as strong as the weakest link . Jeff i sent you a PM and feel free to call i will be more then happy to answer any other questions you might have ............. Artie

[insanity]

I used between 7-8 gallons of resin on my transom, Baja 240 (24 Outlaw) for reference. You'll use more than you think, that 1708 sucks it up. And you'll need to coat your wood a couple times before you put it in to keep it from sucking the resin out of the fiberglass when you sandwich it together.

[jeffswav]

I used between 7-8 gallons of resin on my transom, Baja 240 (24 Outlaw) for reference. You'll use more than you think, that 1708 sucks it up. And you'll need to coat your wood a couple times before you put it in to keep it from sucking the resin out of the fiberglass when you sandwich it together.What type of resin did you use? It sounds like our transoms were made very similar. Mine had thin glass, 1/4" bondo, 5/8"ply, 3/8"ply, 5/8"ply, couple layers of glass.

[Offshore Ginger]

Jeff , Polyester is the most commonly used resin in the marine industry and this site may help give you a general idea on priceing and materials www.uscomposites.com

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

I used between 7-8 gallons of resin on my transom, Baja 240 (24 Outlaw) for reference. You'll use more than you think, that 1708 sucks it up. And you'll need to coat your wood a couple times before you put it in to keep it from sucking the resin out of the fiberglass when you sandwich it together.

That sounds like a lot to me.

I was taught to wet the 1708 out before placing it. It is quicker in the end and ensures it is wet properly. Remember there is no strength in resin you only want enough to wet it properly. Extra is only adding weight.

Like Ginger stated earlier the pot life on epoxy is longer. On a large repair it is easier to work especially if you are working alone. Nothing is worse than having a large area kicking before you are ready.

[jeffswav]

Jeff , Polyester is the most commonly used resin in the marine industry and this site may help give you a general idea on priceing and materials www.uscomposites.comThanks for the link. I however found it on another post and have been looking at it for some time. I got your pm and email, I did not get in from a service call till 9:30 last night, 10:30 your time. I will give you a ring somtime. I am taking a closer look at the 635 epoxy resin, that seem to be popular for marine.

[Offshore Ginger]

Jeff , just curious who makes 635 Epoxy Resin?

[jeffswav]

Jeff , just curious who makes 635 Epoxy Resin?http://uscomposites.com/epoxy.html Is this not what I should be looking at?

[Traviss]

I love the west system epoxy boys :) itss goooood stuff :) :)

[Offshore Ginger]

I love the west system epoxy boys :) itss goooood stuff :) :)Traviss that avator makes you l@@k like such a dork :bump:. I prefer two types of Epoxy and one is made by Shell which skater uses and is my Epoxy of choice for all big job's because it has the longest work time out of any other Epoxy that i have ever used and cure time is 48 hr's so you do the math and second is West System because i grew up using it . :willy_nilly:

[Traviss]

us young guys can't sit around and wait for that slow curing epoxy.. we gotta git R done :) :) :) :) LOL!

[Offshore Ginger]

us young guys can't sit around and wait for that slow curing epoxy.. we gotta git R done :) :) :) :) LOL!:bump:You would wish for the slow if you had to glass a very large area . ha ha ha

[insanity]

What type of resin did you use? It sounds like our transoms were made very similar. Mine had thin glass, 1/4" bondo, 5/8"ply, 3/8"ply, 5/8"ply, couple layers of glass.

I used vinylester on the transom, I've been using poly everywhere else (doing stringers/floor too). I only went with vinyl on the transom because it wasn't that much more expensive than poly but had somewhat better mechanical properties. I looked at it like this: My boat made it 20 years and it was made with the cheapest materials possible, if somebody would have taken a few minutes to seal up a few holes it would still be dry and I wouldn't be going through a total rebuild, so I figure using a decent poly and taking the time seal things up correctly will work out just find.

I think the original layup on mine from the factory went something like (outside to in) 3 layers of biax>3/8 inch of bedding goop> 5/8" ply > 3/8" ply > 5/8" ply > two layers of glass on the inside. After I got everything ground down, in the middle of the transom the glass was only about 1/8" thick. It was around a 1/4" on the sides/bottom due to glassing in the coring.

I don't do it for a living so take into conisideration waste from over-estimating the amount of resin needed for the first few layups, as well as what gets left on the cardboard from wetting the fabric out prior to laying it on the transom. I also added about 6 layers of 1708 prior to the actual wood to smooth/strengthen/level things out, none of which were over-saturated with resin. I left my wood with some wiggle room so I had about a 1/4-3/8 inch gap all the way around that I used resin/cabosil to fill in after things cured. I'd guesstimate my transom at about 28 sq. feet (just about a full sheet of plywood), from the people I talked to after the fact they said 7 was about average. Just throwing this out for reference to another diy guy going through the same thing I did this time last year :D

I was taking quite a few pictures as I was going along, the project kind of got shelved due to work but I'm getting back onto it now. PM me and I'll send you a link to my photobucket if you are interested.

[insanity]

US composites is a good site to order from but shipping stuff kills whatever money you save. Best bet is to find a local supplier. I've been buying resin in 5 gallon tubs to keep cost down as much as possible.

[glassdave]

US composites is a good site to order from but shipping stuff kills whatever money you save. Best bet is to find a local supplier. I've been buying resin in 5 gallon tubs to keep cost down as much as possible.

ya know we got a local guy that carries just about anything you'll need :D Us Composites comes pretty close even with shipping its still usually pretty competitive.


I love the west system epoxy boys :) itss goooood stuff :) :)

My thoughts on West System . . . . pretty good stuff but WAY over marketed and WAY to expensive for what it is. Dont let anyone ever fool you into thinking they have some secret formula thats superior to any of the others. I use several different epoxies and prefer us composites 635 and Plasco's 3212(made here in MI). A good friend of mine is in the biz of formulating epoxy for industrial coatings. Pretty much all the retailers buy bulk components from Dow or Shell and re package it.

[jeffswav]

I used vinylester on the transom, I've been using poly everywhere else (doing stringers/floor too). I only went with vinyl on the transom because it wasn't that much more expensive than poly but had somewhat better mechanical properties. I looked at it like this: My boat made it 20 years and it was made with the cheapest materials possible, if somebody would have taken a few minutes to seal up a few holes it would still be dry and I wouldn't be going through a total rebuild, so I figure using a decent poly and taking the time seal things up correctly will work out just find.

I think the original layup on mine from the factory went something like (outside to in) 3 layers of biax>3/8 inch of bedding goop> 5/8" ply > 3/8" ply > 5/8" ply > two layers of glass on the inside. After I got everything ground down, in the middle of the transom the glass was only about 1/8" thick. It was around a 1/4" on the sides/bottom due to glassing in the coring.

I don't do it for a living so take into conisideration waste from over-estimating the amount of resin needed for the first few layups, as well as what gets left on the cardboard from wetting the fabric out prior to laying it on the transom. I also added about 6 layers of 1708 prior to the actual wood to smooth/strengthen/level things out, none of which were over-saturated with resin. I left my wood with some wiggle room so I had about a 1/4-3/8 inch gap all the way around that I used resin/cabosil to fill in after things cured. I'd guesstimate my transom at about 28 sq. feet (just about a full sheet of plywood), from the people I talked to after the fact they said 7 was about average. Just throwing this out for reference to another diy guy going through the same thing I did this time last year :D

I was taking quite a few pictures as I was going along, the project kind of got shelved due to work but I'm getting back onto it now. PM me and I'll send you a link to my photobucket if you are interested.So how did you do your layup. How many layers of glass did you use? I assume you used (2) 3/4" sheets of ply.

[Offshore Ginger]

ya know we got a local guy that carries just about anything you'll need :D Us Composites comes pretty close even with shipping its still usually pretty competitive.



My thoughts on West System . . . . pretty good stuff but WAY over marketed and WAY to expensive for what it is. Dont let anyone ever fool you into thinking they have some secret formula thats superior to any of the others. I use several different epoxies and prefer us composites 635 and Plasco's 3212(made here in MI). A good friend of mine is in the biz of formulating epoxy for industrial coatings. Pretty much all the retailers buy bulk components from Dow or Shell and re package it. Dave is right about two things one being that Dow and Shell are the two biggest producers of Epoxy and in fact West System is made at Midland Dow here in Mich along with Several others . I also have a friend who formulates epoxy here in Mich and dave is right nobody has the secret formula because it all is pretty much personal prefence these days because they all claim to have the best product out there no matter if it's Plasco's 3212 ,System Three ,West System , Mas Epoxies, ADTECH ,us composites 635 , Pro Set and the list goes on on and in my case i prefer Shell epoxy that Skater uses because of the pot life along with west system and will be trying Pro Set in the future after the first of the year which is a product made for west system & also made at Midland Dow .

[insanity]

ya know we got a local guy that carries just about anything you'll need :D Us Composites comes pretty close even with shipping its still usually pretty competitive.


I've gotten a few pails of resin local from big Brad, but if I need something on the weekend usually go up to Eastpointe Fiberglass in Detroit. Is there somebody else in the Toledo area that has a good inventory?

[insanity]

So how did you do your layup. How many layers of glass did you use? I assume you used (2) 3/4" sheets of ply.

Yeah I used two sheets of 3/4" Marine ply. I think the Arauco ply would work just as well and be a lot better than what Baja put in there in the first place but I still went with marine. The biggest thing that helped me was I spent a lot of time dry-fitting everything, so that when I had everything wet and ready to go, there would be minimal issues getting things together before something slipped or kicked off before I was ready. I had my 'jigs' ready, bolts ready, the whole shebang.

1) Mixed up some resin/cabosil to a paste. Spread it all over the transom then used a tile trowel to level it off. I used the pointy side with about 3/16" 'peaks' or so.
2) First sheet of plywood - Put a layer of 1.5 oz CSM on the side that was going to face the transom. I had already coved the plywood a couple times and let it cure to keep it from wicking from the mat. Put that piece in place and used shims around the bottom and sides to keep in place and pressed it into the cabosil.
3) Second sheet of plywood - Put a layer of 1.5 oz CSM between the first and second layer of plywood.

And that was it for that portion. Used my 'jigs' to apply pressure on everything and let it sit until the next time I could work on it (following weekend). One thing that really helped me was I used T-nuts on my clamping 2x4's on the inside, so that I could tighten the bolts from the outside and not need somebody on the inside holding the nuts. Helped out a lot since I was doing it by myself. I also just drilled through everything where I wanted to use a bolt because I already had a ton of holes to fix on the outside as it was, figured a few more wouldn't hurt.

After that filled in the gaps around the edges and alternately tabbed around the edges and layed full sheets of glass on the inside, I think I used three full layers of 1708 and another 3 layers of tabbing between the layers.

[insanity]

To give credit where credit is due, most of the info I've gathered as far as glasswork has come from reading old threads on OSO and some of the other boards and the past advice that most of the guys on this thread are giving you now (Glassdave and OG especially). Nice having these guys to pass along the information and their willingness to help those of us too cheap to pay somebody else to do it :D.

[jeffswav]

Here are some more pictures, got it down to the glass.

[US1Fountain]

To give credit where credit is due, most of the info I've gathered as far as glasswork has come from reading old threads on OSO and some of the other boards and the past advice that most of the guys on this thread are giving you now (Glassdave and OG especially). Nice having these guys to pass along the information and their willingness to help those of us too cheap to pay somebody else to do it :D.

That's a big 10-4!
I had GlassDaves number on speed dial, (right above the number for suicide hotline ;) ) my Hotmail account automatically went to a new message to Daves email when I turn on my computer, and also his eating/sleeping schedule. :)

Well, might be a little exaggerated there.... but Dave had been a huge source of info and advice on my transom project. Couldn't have done it w/o him. Not always so much the info I found from reading the threads here, on OSO and the net in general, but for those times when I ran into troubles with issues or questions not normally asked in the existing transom topics. Plus for a better explaination in areas I wasn't quite following.


:USA:

[Offshore Ginger]

To give credit where credit is due, most of the info I've gathered as far as glasswork has come from reading old threads on OSO and some of the other boards and the past advice that most of the guys on this thread are giving you now (Glassdave and OG especially). Nice having these guys to pass along the information and their willingness to help those of us too cheap to pay somebody else to do it :D. Thank's guy and i would like to speak for Dave also , because we both appreciate your input knowing that we can be of some help in doing the things that we do for a living to make things a wee bit easier for you or should i say ( everybody ) and once again , Thank You .

[jeffswav]

Here are the pics for today. Dry fit the marine ply, started prepping the transom.

[jeffswav]

Here are a couple more pics. Started glassing it back together today.

[jeffswav]

I just checked the glass and everything is real hard. How long should I keep the poles on the transom before adding more glass to the inside? I have the shop at 62 degrees.

[ebendrey]

How did you fill in the existing cutouts? Did you clamp something smooth and flat to the outside of the boat (to act as a mold) and bevel only the inside of the transom and lay fiberglass on the inside?

[jeffswav]

How did you fill in the existing cutouts? Did you clamp something smooth and flat to the outside of the boat (to act as a mold) and bevel only the inside of the transom and lay fiberglass on the inside?I did a complete tearout and I am going to apply glass and filler to the outside. There is another thread with a similar title by Geronomo that may help you with that method.

[jeffswav]

Transom is complete, here are some more pics.

[Ratickle]

Nice job...


And I am also very thankful to have Artie and Dave help as much as they do.

[Offshore Ginger]

Transom is complete, here are some more pics. Jeff , not to be rude , but i was just wondering how many layers of glass in between each piece of ply and how many staggered layers of glass are there along the outside perimeter of the finished transom because your transom will only be as strong as your weakest link and mulitiple layers (staggered) of glass will give you the structural integrity that you need , and other then that seeing by the white spots in your layup you have some air in the laminate & l@@ks just fine .

[Offshore Ginger]

Nice job...


And I am also very thankful to have Artie and Dave help as much as they do. Thank you Paul ever so much and to tell you the truth this is one of the few sites where Dave and myself feel appreciated for are knowledge and years of experience because fiberglass repair can be the school of hard knocks or just plain overwhelming for some people and once again thanks paul .

[jeffswav]

Jeff , not to be rude , but i was just wondering how many layers of glass in between each piece of ply and how many staggered layers of glass are there along the outside perimeter of the finished transom because your transom will only be as strong as your weakest link and mulitiple layers (staggered) of glass will give you the structural integrity that you need , and other then that seeing by the white spots in your layup you have some air in the laminate & l@@ks just fine .
Merry xmas everybody.
I started with 5 layers of 1.5 oz mat, ply, 1.5 oz mat, ply, 2 layers of 1.5 oz mat then one layer of biax on the final layer. Some of the layers are tabbed in some were not. I used a metal roller (not sure what the name of it is) to get the air pockets out. It looks a little different now that it has dried, the pictures were taken when it was still wet. I am going to drill a hole through the transom and check the thickness. It should be very close to 2" (I hope). Thanks for your input Artie.

[Geronimo36]

Are you saying you have one layer of biax on the inside of the transom?

Curious what Artie and Dave have to say but I think you're going to need to do some more layers on the inside and overlap them out further?

If your roller dried it's not ruined..... fire up the acetalene rosebud and melt/burn it off and use a pic to get the stuff out of the ribs , then clean with some acetone.

[jeffswav]

Are you saying you have one layer of biax on the inside of the transom?

Curious what Artie and Dave have to say but I think you're going to need to do some more layers on the inside and overlap them out further?

If your roller dried it's not ruined..... fire up the acetalene rosebud and melt/burn it off and use a pic to get the stuff out of the ribs , then clean with some acetone.No, the inside has 2 layers of mat, then a layer of biax for the last layer, for a total of 3 layers, 2 were tabbed in. I tried to layer all the mat with some tabbed in and some not.

[Geronimo36]

Are you using Vinyester?

Why not use 1708 and skip the mat, tab it all it? not much strength in mat.

[Offshore Ginger]

Are you using Vinyester?

Why not use 1708 and skip the mat, tab it all it? not much strength in mat. I just walked in the door from a very long three days and almost 4 hours on the road and Frank you are so very right about using Mat. Jeff let me get this right you only used 1.5 0z mat for just about everything in your intial layup of your transom from start to finish with the exception of your last layer of glass on the plywood in the motor compartment on the transom which was biax and just curious what was that fabric ? Jeff , once again and just curious did you use any # 1708 at all ? Jeff , from the l@@ks of things you might want to consider adding a few more layers of beef (glass) to your transom along with more mulitiple layers of glass staggered on the perimeter . Jeff , this is just a suggestion from an observation standpoint thru your posts and not meant to mean any harm .

[Offshore Ginger]

Jeff , it was really nice talking with you this evening and feel free to call anytime ............:seeya:

[jeffswav]

Thanks for your advice Artie (OG), I will post more pictures when I get back to it. Its like 22 deg here today :( I am going to wait till it warms up to at least 40 to do anymore work on the glass. Its really hard to keep the shop warm when its this cold.
For anyone who does not know Artie he comes off a little rough on the forums somtimes. He is really not like that at all, he is a great resource and very easy to talk to. I told him he was the Simon Cowell of the boat forum because he is always stiring things up.

[Offshore Ginger]

Thanks for your advice Artie (OG), I will post more pictures when I get back to it. Its like 22 deg here today :( I am going to wait till it warms up to at least 40 to do anymore work on the glass. Its really hard to keep the shop warm when its this cold.
For anyone who does not know Artie he comes off a little rough on the forums somtimes. He is really not like that at all, he is a great resource and very easy to talk to. I told him he was the Simon Cowell of the boat forum because he is always stiring things up. You Dawgggggggggg now everybody will think im a sissy.

:rofl::rofl::rofl::bump:

[jeffswav]

Here are a few more pictures of the progress. Did a little more sanding on the transom. Exhaust holes are cut, plywood to beef up the stringers are cutout and ready to go, drain holes enlarged.

[Offshore Ginger]

Here are a few more pictures of the progress. Did a little more sanding on the transom. Exhaust holes are cut, plywood to beef up the stringers are cutout and ready to go, drain holes enlarged. Jeff , just a reminder round of the edges on top of the plywood which will give you a smoother and better layup with less air .

[jeffswav]

Thanks Artie, I put a 22 deg angle on the bottom and on the top I put a radius on the outer edge. Also angled the wood at the transom to 12 deg for a good fit. I used a wood planer and shaved some wood off different spots to fit the variations in glass thickness. I am going to cut some small pieces to fit in the notch by the transom. If you know someone that worked at Baja in 93 that lost a wrench I have it. His initials were SB, I found it between the bulkhead and the fuel tank.

[Offshore Ginger]

Thanks Artie, I put a 22 deg angle on the bottom and on the top I put a radius on the outer edge. Also angled the wood at the transom to 12 deg for a good fit. I used a wood planer and shaved some wood off different spots to fit the variations in glass thickness. I am going to cut some small pieces to fit in the notch by the transom. If you know someone that worked at Baja in 93 that lost a wrench I have it. His initials were SB, I found it between the bulkhead and the fuel tank. :rofl::rofl: i know who that is and his name is son of ***** .:rofl:

[jeffswav]

:rofl::rofl: i know who that is and his name is son of ***** .:rofl:Yea, probably the same SOB that did not seal up the holes on the trim tab. :eek:

[Trim'd Up]

Looks good Jeff!

[bajabob 718]

hay jeff that looking good . i just put my motor back in the boat today

[jeffswav]

hay jeff that looking good . i just put my motor back in the boat todayGood luck with your new engine. Did you use bilge paint or somthing else. I am thinking about either bilge paint or Gel coat. I am going to buy a gallon of gel to shoot the transom and should have a bunch left over.

One more thing, did you raise your x dim? If so how high did you go? I am raising the drive and engine up 3", I moved the exhaust up 2" (better angle with only 2").

[bajabob 718]

i did not raise the x . i happy with the speed my boat goes 80 to 85 on the weather and tide . i use interlux 2000gray expony primmer .then i use a expony red then diamon plate the sides.the black i use rustole

[jeffswav]

Here are the new mounts. The factory mounts will bolt to the top of the 3" square tube, the 4" channel will wrap around the stringers.

[Offshore Ginger]

Here are the new mounts. The factory mounts will bolt to the top of the 3" square tube, the 4" channel will wrap around the stringers. jeff , i always love new parts and have you started to put the wood in the transom area to raise the x yet ? Jeff , just curious have you decided on what you are going to paint the bilge area with , jell ,imron , awlgrip , or..........:sifone:

[jeffswav]

jeff , i always love new parts and have you started to put the wood in the transom area to raise the x yet ? Jeff , just curious have you decided on what you are going to paint the bilge area with , jell ,imron , awlgrip , or..........:sifone:Artie, been to damn cold here to do any glass work. The mount will raise the engine 3", I am going to widen the stringers to 3 5/8" from 1 7/8" to match the mounts. I have not decided on what to paint the bilge with yet. I was thinking about gel, I am going to buy a gallon and may have enough left over to do the bilge. I think you have recomended the awlgrip in the past. What would you do?

[Knot 4 Me]

My vote would be awlgrip. Keep up the good work. Yeah, way too cold in these parts to be doing glass work!

[Blue Thunder]

Here are the new mounts. The factory mounts will bolt to the top of the 3" square tube, the 4" channel will wrap around the stringers.

It looks like you are going to spot the holes in the stringers to mount the engine mount mounts, right? That seems like a good way to make sure the amount the engine needs to go rearward due the raising the x is a non issue.

[jeffswav]

It looks like you are going to spot the holes in the stringers to mount the engine mount mounts, right? That seems like a good way to make sure the amount the engine needs to go rearward due the raising the x is a non issue.I have been looking at the trig site you posted a link to. I should be able to get it very close before droping the engine in.

[jeffswav]

It finally warmed up enough to do a little glass work. Added a layer of 1708 then tabbed in another layer of 1708 around the perimiter. Glassed in the extra wood on the stringers.

[Offshore Ginger]

It finally warmed up enough to do a little glass work. Added a layer of 1708 then tabbed in another layer of 1708 around the perimiter. Glassed in the extra wood on the stringers. Jeff , l@@king good and a little more beef never hurt's ......... yeah baby !!!!

[Offshore Ginger]

Artie, been to damn cold here to do any glass work. The mount will raise the engine 3", I am going to widen the stringers to 3 5/8" from 1 7/8" to match the mounts. I have not decided on what to paint the bilge with yet. I was thinking about gel, I am going to buy a gallon and may have enough left over to do the bilge. I think you have recomended the awlgrip in the past. What would you do? Jeff i apologize for not getting back with you sooner and as far as the Bilge paint goes , i always use Imron - 555-u which Skater uses because it is cheaper then Awlgrip and almost as durable and to tell you the truth you would never be able to tell one from the other because they both are very good products and both can be brushed on .

[Offshore Ginger]

Jeff , i thought you fell of the face of the earth and glad to see you are still kickin :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[jeffswav]

Jeff , l@@king good and a little more beef never hurt's ......... yeah baby !!!!Thanks for being so persistant about adding the extra layer of 1708 and the tabbing. It looks much more solid now.

[jeffswav]

Jeff i apologize for not getting back with you sooner and as far as the Bilge paint goes , i always use Imron - 555-u which Skater uses because it is cheaper then Awlgrip and almost as durable and to tell you the truth you would never be able to tell one from the other because they both are very good products and both can be brushed on .Artie, is there any downside to using the gel except for being more time consuming? I can get a good price on 5 gallons of white gel, in addition to the bilge I would like to remove the carpet and put gel in the cuddy. Just an idea I have.

[Trim'd Up]

Looking better all the time Jeff. I'm glad the 1708 worked out better than the other chit you had.
I think I told ya already, but I used Sherwin Williams Tile Clad on my bilge. The fumes are nasty but that chit is hard as hell when it dries. It won't stain from any chemicals and you would need a chisel to chip it. It is a little pricey because you have to buy a gallon of both part A and B though.

[Offshore Ginger]

Artie, is there any downside to using the gel except for being more time consuming? I can get a good price on 5 gallons of white gel, in addition to the bilge I would like to remove the carpet and put gel in the cuddy. Just an idea I have.Jeff the only down side when using jell in the bilge or cuddy area is the work time and you will have to use wax additive mixed with the jell or spray PVA on top of the jell after its painted , which can be washed off after the jell dries because the color of PVA is green and is water solvable which we discussed in the past and what ever you decide to use , be it jell or paint in the bilge or cuddy area you will do just fine :willy_nilly:

[jeffswav]

Jeff the only down side when using jell in the bilge or cuddy area is the work time and you will have to use wax additive mixed with the jell or spray PVA on top of the jell after its painted , which can be washed off after the jell dries because the color of PVA is green and is water solvable which we discussed in the past and what ever you decide to use , be it jell or paint in the bilge or cuddy area you will do just fine :willy_nilly:Artie, I am only 40 not as old as you, I still move pretty quick. :rofl: I have done pretty good so far keeping ahead of my work. I may just get the 5 gallons of Gell and see how it works, as you said before I can always sand it down and start over.

[jeffswav]

Looking better all the time Jeff. I'm glad the 1708 worked out better than the other chit you had.
I think I told ya already, but I used Sherwin Williams Tile Clad on my bilge. The fumes are nasty but that chit is hard as hell when it dries. It won't stain from any chemicals and you would need a chisel to chip it. It is a little pricey because you have to buy a gallon of both part A and B though.Are you still in Florida? I am going to Mexico in 12 days and counting. The 1708 worked out great. I am running a little short and I wish I had a little more for the stringers, I am going to use some of the mat then the 1708. The 1708 is so much easier to work with, it does not come apart like the mat.

[Trim'd Up]

I got back in town Thursday evening. How much more 1708 do you need? I might have some smaller pieces still laying around.

[jeffswav]

Here is the latest update. I filled in all of the holes on the transom with glass and resign.

[jeffswav]

I have started sanding down the glass patches. I am going to need some fine filler to get it smooth. Any suggestions on what to use? Also after I gel and sand I will need some buffing compound. From other threads I have read the "3m micro finish" works well, any other recomendations? I have heard that a lot of guys like the leverage products. Will any of those work?
Thanks,

[Offshore Ginger]

I have started sanding down the glass patches. I am going to need some fine filler to get it smooth. Any suggestions on what to use? Also after I gel and sand I will need some buffing compound. From other threads I have read the "3m micro finish" works well, any other recomendations? I have heard that a lot of guys like the leverage products. Will any of those work?
Thanks, Jeff i have always used a filler made by Adtech which is P#77 which is good above and below the waterline and easy to sand and can be used on epoxy and there web site is www.adtechplastics.com . Jeff every boat Co that i have ever worked for uses P#77 including Skater, and there also is a very good alternative product made by 3M which also makes a good filler for use above and below the waterline which also is very easy to sand . Jeff before i recomend a compound it really depends on what grit you plan on having the jell in when you are ready to buff . Jeff i have used a bar compound that will take out 600 scratches made by Buckingham or Aqua buff , along with 3M , which makes a whole line of compounds for paint and jell . Jeff , i have always used and preferred a more aggressive compound and personally do not like to use 3M Mirco finish compound on jell , Imron or Awlgrip .

[jeffswav]

Worked on the stringers, I have a little more work to do on them. I am going to add some tabbing between the stringer and the transom. I also have to measure the width and make sure it is 3 5/8" to match the motor mounts. Other than that they are pretty much finnished.

[Trim'd Up]

Jeff, I don't have any appreciable amount of 1708 left. Just what I gave you. Looks like you made it work anyway.

[jeffswav]

Jeff, I don't have any appreciable amount of 1708 left. Just what I gave you. Looks like you made it work anyway.Thanks, I used the mat and cloth that I already had for the stringers. I have some small pieces of 1708 left over and I am going to use that to tab in the corners. For anyone else wanting to tackle a project like this get a good amount of 1708 before you start. The mat and cloth is harder to work.

[Knot 4 Me]

Can't wait to see it all painted!

[jeffswav]

Can't wait to see it all painted!Yea, me too. This is basically a weekend and evening project, seems like it is taking forever. I am going to gel the bilge it should look sweet when finnished.

[jeffswav]

I have been looking into glass bubbles for my finnish work. Anyone use these before? http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Energy-Advanced/Materials/Product_Info/Prod_Catalog-SMD/?PC_7_RJH9U5230GE3E02LECFTDQ4G06_nid=RW9RK30ZSQbeWHB23F5LMRgl

[jeffswav]

Here are the latest pictures. The outside is ready for the finish filler.

[jeffswav]

Here are the pics from the work this morning. After cutting the hole the transom is a little thicker at the bottom about 2 1/4", the sides and the top are about 2 1/16". I dry fit the transom assembly and it definatly needs to come off the outside. After I cut the hole with the sawzaw I used the rotory tool with the sanding wheel to smooth out the saw cut. I will take another picture after I get it flat.

[jeffswav]

Done for the day, here are a few more pics. The thinest part of the transom was 2", I sanded and blended everthing to 2", everything is nice and flat. ;) Some of you were curious about the mounts, I had to sand down the stringers a little to get them to fit. Here is what they look like sitting on the stringers.

[Offshore Ginger]

Done for the day, here are a few more pics. The thinest part of the transom was 2", I sanded and blended everthing to 2", everything is nice and flat. ;) Some of you were curious about the mounts, I had to sand down the stringers a little to get them to fit. Here is what they look like sitting on the stringers. Dave , glass dave & myself are going to be outta work :rofl::rofl: How was the vacation and i hope you and the wife had a great time ? Jeff , l@@ks great , no voids or gaps from what i can see from the pics and just a word of mention , coat the perimeter of your cut outs with resin or better yet use..............

[jeffswav]

Artie, Mexico was great!!! Now back to reality, its freekin cold outside. I am going to work on it a little more in the morning before the bowl. I will post more pics tomorow.

[Offshore Ginger]

Artie, Mexico was great!!! Now back to reality, its freekin cold outside. I am going to work on it a little more in the morning before the bowl. I will post more pics tomorow. So Jeff did you wear your speedo or your thong at the beach ?:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[jeffswav]

So Jeff did you wear your speedo or your thong at the beach ?:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:I think I will leave that one alone :eek:

[Offshore Ginger]

I think I will leave that one alone :eek: :rofl::rofl::rofl: I know i would , but then again what happens in Mexico stay's in Mexico .

[jeffswav]

Here are the pics for today. Sealed up all the holes and the cuttout. Check out the drain tubes I installed on the stringers.

[Offshore Ginger]

Here are the pics for today. Sealed up all the holes and the cuttout. Check out the drain tubes I installed on the stringers. Jeff , everything l@@ks great and are the weep holes flush to the bottom of the boat from one side to another to allow proper flow of water from one side to another in the bilge area ? Jeff , in you pics the weep hole's looks rather high and with that in mind ..................

[jeffswav]

Jeff , everything l@@ks great and are the weep holes flush to the bottom of the boat from one side to another to allow proper flow of water from one side to another in the bilge area ? Jeff , in you pics the weep hole's looks rather high and with that in mind ..................Your looking at the bilge side, the other side is flush with the bottom. The water always got trapped on the other side of the stringer. The PVC pipe has a slight slope. Water tends to curl back under so I left a little hang over on the other side rather than cut it off flush.

[26 Spyder]

Looks good, you are one step ahead of me on the transom job... Looking forward to your results on gel coating the bilge, curious on how much of a pita it is to get done smooth!
I am debating on gel or awlgrip on mine.

Keep up the good work.

[jeffswav]

Looks good, you are one step ahead of me on the transom job... Looking forward to your results on gel coating the bilge, curious on how much of a pita it is to get done smooth!
I am debating on gel or awlgrip on mine.

Keep up the good work.The tough part is getting it preped, my work is pretty good but the factory glass is not exactally ready for paint. It will not be perfect like the outside but it will look better than what I had. My inlaws live near you but we are usually only there on the weekends. If I ever get through Columbia durring business hours I will stop and take a look at your shop.

[26 Spyder]

Come on by, I am here Saturday mornings sometimes as well.

[Offshore Ginger]

Your looking at the bilge side, the other side is flush with the bottom. The water always got trapped on the other side of the stringer. The PVC pipe has a slight slope. Water tends to curl back under so I left a little hang over on the other side rather than cut it off flush. Cool , just asking and when are you going to shoot the transom ?

[jeffswav]

Cool , just asking and when are you going to shoot the transom ?I think I am going to work on the bilge first, that will give me a little more feel on how this stuff works. I am going to brush the corners and tight spots and roll the flat areas in the bilge. Then I plan on spraying the outside, I will probably plan on 2 coats. On the outside I think I will shoot a coat then block it down to get rid of imperfections. Then shoot the finish coat and bock it down with a finner finish. Then buff!!
Will the Gel stick to the old bilge paint or will I have to get it to bare glass. I have started sanding with 40 grit paper with the DA. It gets pretty smooth but it is hard to get it all the way down.

[Offshore Ginger]

I think I am going to work on the bilge first, that will give me a little more feel on how this stuff works. I am going to brush the corners and tight spots and roll the flat areas in the bilge. Then I plan on spraying the outside, I will probably plan on 2 coats. On the outside I think I will shoot a coat then block it down to get rid of imperfections. Then shoot the finish coat and bock it down with a finner finish. Then buff!!
Will the Gel stick to the old bilge paint or will I have to get it to bare glass. I have started sanding with 40 grit paper with the DA. It gets pretty smooth but it is hard to get it all the way down.Jeff the 40 grit is fine even 80 and there is no need to go to bare glass .

[Geronimo36]

Just make sure you fill in all the tiny microscopic pin-holes of your finished surface before you paint the transom... The moment you start shooting the primer you'll find out where all the pin-holes are!!! (Don't ask how I know.. ;))

To find all the pin-holes, sand it down...wash with acetone, blow with air gun, wash again... then lightly mist some black spray paint on the entire area...

[jeffswav]

Just make sure you fill in all the tiny microscopic pin-holes of your finished surface before you paint the transom... The moment you start shooting the primer you'll find out where all the pin-holes are!!! (Don't ask how I know.. ;))

To find all the pin-holes, sand it down...wash with acetone, blow with air gun, wash again... then lightly mist some black spray paint on the entire area...Thanks for the input. I am going to start on it tomorow. I am going to roll and brush the bilge with gel coat. I am planning on spraying the outside with gel then sand it down till its smooth then shoot another coat. The first coat of gel will kind of be my finish filler. I have it really close right now but like you said you always have a few pin holes in the glass. The minor defects should sand out on the first coat. I will post some pics tomorow after I am done for the day. Wish me luck!!

[jeffswav]

Here are the pics from this morning. I got the first coat of gel on. I have a quesion for Artie or anyone else. How long do I have to wait to wash off the Green Primer and apply another coat of Gell?

[Offshore Ginger]

Here are the pics from this morning. I got the first coat of gel on. I have a quesion for Artie or anyone else. How long do I have to wait to wash off the Green Primer and apply another coat of Gell?

Jeff seeing that you put the first coat on in the moring you should be good to go and im sure you have already washed of the pva and prepping the surface for another coat. Jeff , when you get ready to spray / or just before give me a call .

[jeffswav]

Jeff seeing that you put the first coat on in the moring you should be good to go and im sure you have already washed of the pva and prepping the surface for another coat. Jeff , when you get ready to spray / or just before give me a call .Yep, I waited a few hours and then washed off the primer with soap and water. I had a oil leak this summer and oil got trapped under the cocpit area. When I washed the bilge oil started rolling out and I spent a couple hours cleaning that crap up. It may be to cold tomorow to work on it. Going to the Winery in the afternoon for Valentines Day so I will not have much time anyway. Looks pretty good so far.

[Offshore Ginger]

Yep, I waited a few hours and then washed off the primer with soap and water. I had a oil leak this summer and oil got trapped under the cocpit area. When I washed the bilge oil started rolling out and I spent a couple hours cleaning that crap up. It may be to cold tomorow to work on it. Going to the Winery in the afternoon for Valentines Day so I will not have much time anyway. Looks pretty good so far. Cool , and if your happy with everything thats all that matters . Jeff , funny thing im also going to a Winery tomorrow .

[jeffswav]

Cool , and if your happy with everything thats all that matters . Jeff , funny thing im also going to a Winery tomorrow .Gotta make the wife happy. :D Otherwise things get all screwed up.

[jeffswav]

Aritie, Dave or Other Gelcoat expert. I do not have a spray booth, it seems like gel is real easy to apply with a roller. When rolling gel on the transom should it be applied strait with not accetone for thinning? When I painted the bilge, I added the catalist, applied to surface then sprayed the pva? Then sand and repeat as nessary. Does this sound correct?

[Offshore Ginger]

Aritie, Dave or Other Gelcoat expert. I do not have a spray booth, it seems like gel is real easy to apply with a roller. When rolling gel on the transom should it be applied strait with not accetone for thinning? When I painted the bilge, I added the catalist, applied to surface then sprayed the pva? Then sand and repeat as nessary. Does this sound correct? Jeff , Why would you need a spray booth to spray jell and do you own a spray gun ? Jeff , it is so much easier to spray the gell on the transom then to try rolling it because you can put on as much as you feel is necessary in one shot to do the job even if it means spraying 1 quart or more . Jeff , to be honest with you i have never in all my years doing fiberglass repair have ever rolled jell coat on a transom before , bilge yes but transom no .

[jeffswav]

Jeff , Why would you need a spray booth to spray jell and do you own a spray gun ? Jeff , it is so much easier to spray the gell on the transom then to try rolling it because you can put on as much as you feel is necessary in one shot to do the job even if it means spraying 1 quart or more . Jeff , to be honest with you i have never in all my years doing fiberglass repair have ever rolled jell coat on a transom before , bilge yes but transom no .Thanks Artie, just a thought. I have a couple of spray guns. Just thinking about overspray and how I can cover everything up. I will just have to figure out how to cover and tape everything off. I may work on it Thursday when the temps are a little higher.

[Offshore Ginger]

Thanks Artie, just a thought. I have a couple of spray guns. Just thinking about overspray and how I can cover everything up. I will just have to figure out how to cover and tape everything off. I may work on it Thursday when the temps are a little higher. Jeff , not a problen Thin the gell with acetone add your catalyst , spray your jell and always spray more then you think you might need and remember this is not automotive paint and then re shoot the surface with PVA . Jeff , just a mention the bigger the tip on the gun the better it will move the material .

[jeffswav]

Here are the latest pics. Shot the transom with gel this afternoon. For those of you that have shot paint, this is some weird stuff. You can lay in on thick and add coat after coat. I did not have any runs that I could see. I am not sure yet if I will be happy with the color. I used white gel with no added pigment and it is not a perfect match. However it is the back of the boat and it will probable blend in within a year or two. If I get a perfect match then it may get worse as the boat is used. Also brushed a second coat on the bilge, turned out nice. After I get it all cleaned up I will take some more pictures.

[Offshore Ginger]

Here are the latest pics. Shot the transom with gel this afternoon. For those of you that have shot paint, this is some weird stuff. You can lay in on thick and add coat after coat. I did not have any runs that I could see. I am not sure yet if I will be happy with the color. I used white gel with no added pigment and it is not a perfect match. However it is the back of the boat and it will probable blend in within a year or two. If I get a perfect match then it may get worse as the boat is used. Also brushed a second coat on the bilge, turned out nice. After I get it all cleaned up I will take some more pictures.I have to say that spraying jell leaves room for alot of mistakes and talk about high build , hey . Jeff , is the jell whiter or...................... and if so you will have a lot going on back there .

[jeffswav]

I have to say that spraying jell leaves room for alot of mistakes and talk about high build , hey . Jeff , is the jell whiter or...................... and if so you will have a lot going on back there .The new gel is a little whiter, so over time it should blend in. No matter how much you clean it the back of the boat gets a little stained over time. Just being picky.

[Offshore Ginger]

The new gel is a little whiter, so over time it should blend in. No matter how much you clean it the back of the boat gets a little stained over time. Just being picky. Thats cool and now the real work begin's

[jeffswav]

Thats cool and now the real work begin'sJust a little sanding and buffing, no big deal. :ack2: Ok, what grit should I start with?

[Offshore Ginger]

Just a little sanding and buffing, no big deal. :ack2: Ok, what grit should I start with? Jeff , are you going to use a file board when doing this and finish out with a hog or D A ? Jeff , i always break the surface with # 180 and move down the line to the point where you can buff the Jell . Jeff ,mind you that everybody has there own technique in doing this and what works for me might not work for others and like we talked about before i rarely ever go into 600 grit & 90% of the time once i get it in #400 im ready to buff . Jeff , and dont forget to use Guide Coat or something on that line .

[jeffswav]

I have a DA and in-line air sanders. Have not measured it but the in-line is about 18" long. I was planning on using the in-line and some by hand on the finishing.

[Offshore Ginger]

I have a DA and in-line air sanders. Have not measured it but the in-line is about 18" long. I was planning on using the in-line and some by hand on the finishing. Jeff , you sound good to go and lets see pic's of the transom when finished .

[jeffswav]

Here are a few pics of the bilge and transom after I cleaned everything up. Color is a little off, should be a lot better after I sand and buff.

[Offshore Ginger]

Here are a few pics of the bilge and transom after I cleaned everything up. Color is a little off, should be a lot better after I sand and buff. Jeff if the color really bothers you , re spray the area that is not as white to the outside radius and to the rub rail and make it uniform . Jeff , just a thought before you start sanding everything because it will not take much more time to to redo the area that is a little off in color and give you personal satisfacation in having the whole transom look the same color .

[jeffswav]

Jeff if the color really bothers you , re spray the area that is not as white to the outside radius and to the rub rail and make it uniform . Jeff , just a thought .Artie, It's fine. I am just to picky, I am going to do a little sanding on it tomorow. I ordered Auqu Buff 1000 & 2000, it will be here on wed. After I am all finished I will post the after pictrues. You have to understand how this boat is treated, never sits outside, wiped down as soon as it is out of the water, only sees the sun when it is being used. I do however "Run it like I stole it" if I have a creeper". :sifone: Somtimes I win somtimes I loose, lately I have been winning more, should be better this year.

[Offshore Ginger]

Artie, It's fine. I am just to picky, I am going to do a little sanding on it tomorow. I ordered Auqu Buff 1000 & 2000, it will be here on wed. After I am all finished I will post the after pictrues. You have to understand how this boat is treated, never sits outside, wiped down as soon as it is out of the water, only sees the sun when it is being used. I do however "Run it like I stole it" if I have a creeper". :sifone: Somtimes I win somtimes I loose, lately I have been winning more, should be better this year. Jeff cannot wait to see it shine .

[jeffswav]

I am trying to match the Baja arctic white gelcoat. I just called Spectrum, they have the pigments, however will not give out the magic formula, anyone know the amounts of color needed. I realize this is the factory color and not exactaly what I have now. They use chrome yellow green, phthalo? blue and black. I will order the pigments but not if I have no idea of how much of each to add.

[Offshore Ginger]

I am trying to match the Baja arctic white gelcoat. I just called Spectrum, they have the pigments, however will not give out the magic formula, anyone know the amounts of color needed. I realize this is the factory color and not exactaly what I have now. They use chrome yellow green, phthalo? blue and black. I will order the pigments but not if I have no idea of how much of each to add. Jeff , do not even mess with it just order the jell and be done with it . Jeff , there are so many Artic Whites out there that it is un real and to fart around with trying to get the right match is a waste of time . Jeff , in the past i have burned up so many hours of my own time just trying to get a match .

[insanity]

What about a pinstripe on the color line? Say teal or black to match your boat name. Possible it could give you the breakup between the colors that they wouldn't be as noticable.

I talked to the local shop about something of the sorts, they had an off-white and a gray pigment used to try to blend in new white gel with old gel. Haven't tried it yet myself, not to that point yet.

[jeffswav]

I called a local glass shop, if I bring the boat to them they think they can match what I have very close. I have been very busy the last couple of weeks. I should have a day this week to take it to them. The transom is still pretty wavey so I have a bunch of sanding to do. If I get that done I should be able to shoot it next weekend.

[jeffswav]

I had the fiberglass shop mix a gallon of gel to match the rest of the boat. It looks very close, I will find out this weekend when I shoot it.

[jeffswav]

Sanded down the gel, it took a lot of work to get it flat. I would have needed to re-shoot anyway as wavy as the transom was it blew through in several places. Now I should have a really good surface for the color matched gel.

[Geronimo36]

I don't envy the work you did to re-sand that transom, that's why I went with paint.

[jeffswav]

When you did yours you had it smooth and flat before you painted. I basically used the gel as boddy filler. I planned on doing it that way, you just do not reallize how far off it is untill you start sanding.

[Offshore Ginger]

Jeff , just by chance did you use guide coat on anything ?

[jeffswav]

Jeff , just by chance did you use guide coat on anything ?No, not sure what that is. From the way it sounds it must help you find the high and low spots. I used a combination of the DA and the 18" inline sander to smooth things out. I may have a little time tomorow to shoot it so if you somthing that does not look right let me know. Thanks,

[Offshore Ginger]

No, not sure what that is. From the way it sounds it must help you find the high and low spots. I used a combination of the DA and the 18" inline sander to smooth things out. I may have a little time tomorow to shoot it so if you somthing that does not look right let me know. Thanks,Jeff , yes guide coat will help show you the high and low spots & general rule of thumb before spraying is to use guide coat to see where your high and low spots are and if you have any low spot's you fill, and if its high you sand, and use the same process after spraying the jell without filling anymore to get a nice finish that does not look so wavy . Jeff , gudie coat can be almost anything that has color even a pencil .

[jeffswav]

Shot the color matched gel yesterday and sanded today. I will buff tomorow and post a few more pics. The match was very close. :)

[old377guy]

looks absolutely fantastic

[jeffswav]

looks absolutely fantasticThanks, its been a long haul. Been working on this thing all winter.

[insanity]

Yeah, that came out great Jeff. Nice work!

[jeffswav]

Thanks for everyone's input. Finished with the buffing :mrgreen: Here are a couple of pics.

[jeffswav]

Like I do not have enough to do here is my next project. I am going to do a Ram Air intake system. I am going to do the messy part while the engine and mechanicals are out, then do the actual ducting later this summer. Should I post it as a separate project or just add it in here?

[US1Fountain]

Looks good Jeff. Matches real good too!

Hope to get back to my transom in another week or so once I finish up some odds and ends I used a fillers while it was too cold to work in the bilge.
My transom assemblies kinda ate/worn into the gel a hair (1/16" or so??). Either the gel had worn down from the transom moving around, or the gel/glass compressed a little. Not sure if I need to level it out or just seat the new transoms into the recess. I'd like to level it out for a peice of mind, but I know NOTHING about gel work.

[jeffswav]

Looks good Jeff. Matches real good too!

Hope to get back to my transom in another week or so once I finish up some odds and ends I used a fillers while it was too cold to work in the bilge.
My transom assemblies kinda ate/worn into the gel a hair (1/16" or so??). Either the gel had worn down from the transom moving around, or the gel/glass compressed a little. Not sure if I need to level it out or just seat the new transoms into the recess. I'd like to level it out for a peice of mind, but I know NOTHING about gel work.I know what you are saying, mine had done the same thing. With the transom being rotten the housing was flexing and wearing a groove. You can see the pictures at the begining of the thread.

[fixxxer22]

:cheers2:Jeff, wanna come do some glass work in my boat for some bud light?:cheers2:

[jeffswav]

:cheers2:Jeff, wanna come do some glass work in my boat for some bud light?:cheers2:I have my hands full with my own project. Post some pictures on your thread the guys here will walk you through it. Look through this thread and the others for ideas. Better get to it its almost time to make these boats roar. I am really pushing to get mine ready the temps were in the 70's yesterday.

[Trim'd Up]

Jeff. The color match turned out real nice. Your on the home stretch now.

[jeffswav]

Jeff. The color match turned out real nice. Your on the home stretch now.Thanks Chad, we will have to get together this summer. I hope the rivers do not flood to bad.

[jeffswav]

Here are the latest pics. Buffed out the tips and drain plug to a mirror finnish!! :mrgreen:

[US1Fountain]

Very nice Jeff! How much gel did you use to shot the transom? I bought a qt from Spectrum for some screw holes and scratch, but may end up using it on my transom around the cutouts if I end up there. No idea how far this stuff goes.

[jeffswav]

Hard to say. Just for the transom about a 1/2 gallon.

[Knot 4 Me]

Looking good, Jeff. ETA on the motor being reinstalled? We've got boating weather the next few days!

[bajabob 718]

nice jop jeff:cheers2:

[jeffswav]

Thank guys, I am still working on the vents also as seen on the Ram Air thread. Easter is going to slow me down a little with family stuff. Could have the engine in by next week. I will have to get a buddy to help me with the allignment. Pain in the a-- to do it by yourself, too many trips in and out of the boat.

[jeffswav]

Here are the latest pics. Dropped the motor in, found the mounts were too far forward. Pulled the engine and moved the mounts then reinstalled engine. Mounts were OK, pulled the engine, drilled the holes and bolted everything together. Wow that was a workout with the chain hoist.

[Knot 4 Me]

Nice! Hope to see pics from the water and performance numbers soon!

[jeffswav]

Yea, me too. I hope to have it ready in a week or two. I am going to work on it a little more today and most of the weekend. I will post the progress.

[jeffswav]

Here are the latest pics. Engine is in and the oudrive is installed. Started it on wed on the hose. Still need to work more on the vents but they are looking much better.

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

Nice to see the engine back at home.. Thanks for the thread and the effort to carry it through to the end.. Congratulations.

[jeffswav]

Nice to see the engine back at home.. Thanks for the thread and the effort to carry it through to the end.. Congratulations.Thanks for all your input, you and Artie and everyone else that supplied the moral support. I will keep everyone updated on the results. Still working on cosmetics at this point. I will post more pics as I progress.

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

Your on the home stretch and I am still in the starting gate.. I am feeling some envy.

I hope the speedo rewards you for your efforts.

[Offshore Ginger]

:iagree: and Jeff keep us up dated on what type of numbers you gain as far as speed goes .:driving:

[jeffswav]

:iagree: and Jeff keep us up dated on what type of numbers you gain as far as speed goes .:driving:You know it!! I am almost glad the weather is cooler and raining. That 80 deg sunny weather was really giving me the itch!! I work on the boat in the winter and run it in the summer and this project is getting a little to close to the summer.

[Trim'd Up]

Looks good Jeff! I am looking forward to a ride since I still haven't made a new purchase. ;)

[jeffswav]

Looks good Jeff! I am looking forward to a ride since I still haven't made a new purchase. ;)You know were I live, come on by and we will run down to the kaskaskia.

[jeffswav]

Here is what I did today. Removed the old decal, wet sanded, buffed, installed new decal, installed grab bar, ski tow and antenna.

[Offshore Ginger]

Jeff , pretty much looks like your ready to hit the water and have some fun .:sifone:

[Tinkerer]

So where did your X end up?

[jeffswav]

So where did your X end up?Propshaft centerline is at 5". The actual X number I would have to look up. I think it is posted here if you look for it.

[jeffswav]

Jeff , pretty much looks like your ready to hit the water and have some fun .:sifone:It looks better from the back. I am still working on the scoops, I had to order more gel and I hope to have them finished soon. You know how I am they have to be perfect without a wave or flaw.

[Offshore Ginger]

It looks better from the back. I am still working on the scoops, I had to order more gel and I hope to have them finished soon. You know how I am they have to be perfect without a wave or flaw.Jeff thats fine and nothing wrong with that .:sifone:

[jeffswav]

May I have a drum roll please...... Here are the long awaited results, 94 ish degrees high humidity and 74MPH on the GPS. That is a solid 5+ MPH gain with the +3 x dim. I did this with my 25 Mirage plus Lab finished double cupped prop at 5200 RPM. Still working on seting up the Ram Air, that might have to wait a while. The boat handled better, took the waves better and planed off good with the RPM below 3000 RPM.

[Offshore Ginger]

May I have a drum roll please...... Here are the long awaited results, 94 ish degrees high humidity and 74MPH on the GPS. That is a solid 5+ MPH gain with the +3 x dim. I did this with my Mirage plus Lab finished double cupped prop at 5200 RPM. Still working on seting up the Ram Air, that might have to wait a while. The boat handled better, took the waves better and planed off good with the RPM below 3000 RPM. Yea Baby not bad for a little work hey. Jeff , i guess the million dollar question is......... are you happy and if so who cares what anybody else thinks .

[jeffswav]

Yea Baby not bad for a little work hey. Jeff , i guess the million dollar question is......... are you happy and if so who cares what anybody else thinks .Artie.... That is so funny.... That is what my wife and a couple of my buddys ask me. I think that is a respectable gain for a little hard work. My wife was a little nervous at first but the boat was very stable with much less trim to get max speed. I think "80" is my next goal, the Ram Air may get me 1 or 2 more.

[bajabob 718]

jeff thats great 74mph . so it was worth all that work .nice jop. i took mine out did 76.7mph me and my buddy 100gallons of fuel .if i lose 50 gallons of fuel she will hit 80mph . my x is stock

[jeffswav]

Thanks, I highly recomend raising the drive. Speed and stability a win win.

[bajabob 718]

if i put a shorty drive on it would that do the same thing??????

[jeffswav]

Yes, only -2 is the shortest with a standard Bravo. That would still be a big help.

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

The shorty's benefit can be diminished if the drive is low in a stock position.. The gear housings get fat near the top where they meet the upper housing .. If that fat part is getting drug through the water it slows the boat down.