40 outlaw redone

[sterling]

The boat is been painted a few days ago ,silver metellic ,and dark blue ,after a few days of curing I am going to start mounting some stuff on the hull .
What do you guys think of the paint ?

[sterling]

a few more pics

[Ratickle]

That is sweet.

Can't think of a way to ask this politely, so...


Are you gonna screw it up with weird graphics?

[sterling]

Ha Ha ,thats a good one ,I like it already very much ,I was thinking to only use the Baja name left and right ,and on the windscreen .
But not 100 % sure yet ...looks clean isn,t it ?

[Ratickle]

The only boat I can think of that looks that clean and sweet is the Cig that had the pics in the thread with the Chief.

[sterling]

for power I have two Yanmar 440 hp turbodiesels ,drives are Arneson ASD8,s ,and gearboxes are ZF two speed .
I am trying to make a relyable and economical boat that could cruise for a long time and distance.
Any input for paintcolor on those Arnesons ? these are bronze drives ,they have a little corrosion that can be easily sanded ,not sure what to do ,paint or not ?

[TEAMBAJA]

Keep us updated! Id like to see the progress on this project!

[sterling]

I will keep you guys updated ,I have a few pics taken from the engine room work done.
This was a triple engine boat ,I wanted to put triple yanmar 440 ,s ,but could not find a way to house 3 engines ,so I had to convert the stringer system from triple to twin engine .

[Ratickle]

Holy Crap Batman. You are sure doing a ton of work. Looks sweet. Why this project?

[sterling]

Yeah its a lot of work ,especially under the deck ,this was a poker run edition ,so there was basically nothing there..
Now there,s a fridge ,cold /warm water /toilet /magnetron.
My wife runs a marine upholstery company ,and I use to help her sometimes ,so we got that covered too.
In a few months we are going to do the headliner and bulkheads etc in vinyl/suede.
This project came on my way ,the boat was for sale in Florida a year ago ,and had no power and drives ,it was a theft recovery ,and I bought basically the hull only.
I would have bought a Sonic or a Fountain ,Formula etc if it came on my way back then ,this one was priced right ,I wanted to convert to diesel /Arneson anyway ,so a hull only suited me perfect.

These pics are from the wedges I had to machine ,they bolt between the Arnesons and the transom,to correct the angle ,since my gearboxes are straith output 5 inch drop down ,now the angle is 3 degrees with the spacers mounted between .
The inside of the transom needed a wedge too ,to correct the angle inside ,because of the bolts are under an angle coming thru the transom,thus make it impossible to properly torque the nuts ,and it would look like crap too.

[FULL FORCE]

Very cool, can't wait to see more!

[MattBMiller]

Nice work!

[rschap1]

REALLY cool project.
It does look great so clean too!

[Bad Idea Baja]

Cool. Keep the updates coming!

[waterboy222]

awesome project.. definately going to be checking back in this thread!

[Bowtye8]

Very neat project. Keep the pics and updates coming.
I like the sleek look. I would maybe test a Ghost Baja graphic in the side(near the rear 1/3). But thats about it for my taste.

[bajabob 718]

looks great . cant wait to see how it comes out.and the speed you get.

[TxHawk]

Very cool. Leave the logo's off the paint.

[jeff1000man]

:drool5:

[Quinlan]

Very cool. Leave the logo's off the paint.

I agree. That was the first thing to come off my Outlaw.
Well beside the UGLY JOHN's stickers.,

[FLEG]

Pretty cool can't wait to see the progress!!!:sifone:

[sterling]

Thanks for the kind reply,s ,I did some work on the transom the last few days ,the wedge inside the transom is epoxied and fiberglassed in,the holes are drilled ,but I could not lift the drive allone with the outside wedge to install the whole thing ,monday I have the hoist back ,and will try to install the drive .

[Ratickle]

Hernia operations aren't all that bad. Ask Mobilemercman......:sifone:

[Coolerman]

for power I have two Yanmar 440 hp turbodiesels ,drives are Arneson ASD8,s ,and gearboxes are ZF two speed .
I am trying to make a relyable and economical boat that could cruise for a long time and distance.
Any input for paintcolor on those Arnesons ? these are bronze drives ,they have a little corrosion that can be easily sanded ,not sure what to do ,paint or not ?

Boat looks great! Nice clean lines.

Not to bust on your boat here, but cutting out the back seat/firewall/bulkhead like that without adding any reinforment in its place significantly reduces it's structual integrity. If you fly off of a wave and land on your side, you could cause some severe damage. Also, if you are not going to add any reinforcements, make sure that the hull and deck are glassed together as alot of bajas are not. I would assume it has been though since it was originally a poker run edition, but just make sure they are glassed together. If they are not, now would be the easiest time to do it as the boat is totally dissasembled.

[Buoy]

Just found this thread - not sure how I missed it.

The boat looks great as it is. Don't do anything too much more to it.
Less is good.
Looks very classy - I love it!!

[txriverrat2001]

Lots of work !! Good Luck !! Cant' wait to see the finished project - I've heard a lot of good things about the Yanmars - especially longevity. It'll be really cool to see fuel burn vs. speed etc ....

Just gotta find you some of them Rolla's to spin.... LOL

[sterling]

Not much done ,I just came back from a holiday in St Tropez ,France ,I saw some nice boats with diesels overthere,lots of Mangusta,s but those are not for my type wallet.... going to work on the Baja next week ,I keep you guys updated.

As for the props I have a set 4 blade radice props ,and a set 6 blade Rolla,s that came with the Arnesons when I bought them,but those are 21 1/4 inch diameter and 28 pitch ,so I need to sell those and try to find anything around 18 inch diameter with 25-26 pitch

[sterling]

Boat looks great! Nice clean lines.

Not to bust on your boat here, but cutting out the back seat/firewall/bulkhead like that without adding any reinforment in its place significantly reduces it's structual integrity. If you fly off of a wave and land on your side, you could cause some severe damage. Also, if you are not going to add any reinforcements, make sure that the hull and deck are glassed together as alot of bajas are not. I would assume it has been though since it was originally a poker run edition, but just make sure they are glassed together. If they are not, now would be the easiest time to do it as the boat is totally dissasembled.

I understand what you mean,but this boat doesn,t have a bulkhead glased in were the back seat was /is ,it was just like it is now ..you are right about the hull glassed to the deck ,it is done in front under the deck,but not in the engine compartment ,I think it is a good idea ,and like you said ,now is the time to do .

[Dock Holiday]

Sterling

Hat's off to you my friend. That is a nice project and I admire you for taking on such a unique project. I look forward to seeing the finished product. Hope it turns out just as you plan.

Please keep us posted.

Doc

[Rik]

Not much done ,I just came back from a holiday in St Tropez ,France ,I saw some nice boats with diesels overthere,lots of Mangusta,s but those are not for my type wallet.... going to work on the Baja next week ,I keep you guys updated.

As for the props I have a set 4 blade radice props ,and a set 6 blade Rolla,s that came with the Arnesons when I bought them,but those are 21 1/4 inch diameter and 28 pitch ,so I need to sell those and try to find anything around 18 inch diameter with 25-26 pitch

NEVER sell a propeller before you try it. You never know if it will work if you do not try it.

[sterling]

Today I put one engine in the boat ,the Arneson is bolted ,but not sealed yet ,I have to take everything off when all the holes are drilled and with everything in the right place ,so I can protect all the exposed wood with epoxy .
I had to lift the engine a little up front to give the double U joint a better angle in front of the Arneson ,so it wont have to move much ,and keep everything a little more inline .
I,m trying to install the second Arneson next week ,and hopefully next saturday the other engine .
Rik ,you are right about trying the propellors first before selling ,I have found a guy that had a set 6 blade rolla,s too,same as I have but 19 inch diameter and 25 pitch ,he would like to swap props.

I keep you guys updated

[sterling]

One engine bolted in place ,one Arneson sealed and bolted in place too ,not much work done last weeks ,need to find some more time ,next summer is on its way.

[Bad Idea Baja]

This is a really cool project! Thanks for keeping us all updated on the progress.

[jeff1000man]

Looks like you are doing a fantastic job. Keep up the good work.

[sterling]

Both Arnesons are sealed and bolted to the transom ,had to made a modification to the most outer stringers ,cause the steering cilinders attaching bolts and oil thru hulls came exactly were the stringer is glassed to the transom:( ,there was no other way than take the saw and cut 4 inches stringer away,and epoxied a new piece 1 9/16 plywood on top and to the transom,and glassed in again ....this was my first Arneson install ever ,so next time I check measurements first when I,m still at fiberglass/epoxy stadium rather than a finished ready for engine and drives engine compartment
Saturday next engine day

[sterling]

some pics

[Bad Idea Baja]

How did you determine drive height? Was Arneson any help?

[sterling]

There is a PDF file on Arnesons site that has all the drawings and measurements you need to drill holes ,Rik (Arneson) answered all my questions that I had ,very nice guy .
The deeper the drive sits to the bottem edge ,the more level the trim setting can be ,the drive angle is smaller ,and thrust is pushing more forward than upward.

[Bad Idea Baja]

There is a PDF file on Arnesons site that has all the drawings and measurements you need to drill holes ,Rik (Arneson) answered all my questions that I had ,very nice guy .
The deeper the drive sits to the bottem edge ,the more level the trim setting can be ,the drive angle is smaller ,and thrust is pushing more forward than upward.

So,you set them too high & need then you will need to trim down to ride level, right?
It is just a really cool project. I'm so excited to hear how it performs!
This is a 1st for a 40, right?
Hell, it is probably a 1st for a Baja to have Arneson drives.

[drpete3]

Enjoy watching ur progress

[sterling]

So,you set them too high & need then you will need to trim down to ride level, right?
It is just a really cool project. I'm so excited to hear how it performs!
This is a 1st for a 40, right?
Hell, it is probably a 1st for a Baja to have Arneson drives.


Thats correct ,when mounted too high ,the drives will push up more at the stern .
It looks like the first Baja with Arneson,Ha ha , I,m also very curious as to how she will handle,can,t wait ,I was even thinking to put her in the water unfinished ,but mechanically ready ,just to see ....mmm ,its starting to get winter overhere ,I will keep you guys updated ,thanks for the kind replies.

[old377guy]

absolutely gorgeous!!!!!!

[Tank]

WOW! What a cool project. The boat is absolutely stunning with that paint! I liked the idea of ghosting Baja in the sides but that's about it....Too clean the way it is to mess it up with anything. Awesome project!

[dd24skater]

Very cool project!! Good luck and thanks for all the updates!!!

[sterling]

Glad I could help you out when you needed it. If you need anything else let me know. Boat looks Great.
High-Tide

Your stuff is great ,the sundeck was perfect ,as is the rear seat and swimplatform,it was everything you said ,thanks again .

A.J

[jeffswav]

Cool project!! Did you do your own glass work? I am moving my drive up 3" this winter. I am sticking with the Bravo drive for now, I am running 500HP on a single 236 Baja. Surface drives do seem to make more sense with less moving parts. The paint looks cool, but have fun keeping it looking new. Keep plenty of wax on it and try to keep it out of the sun.

[sterling]

Cool project!! Did you do your own glass work? I am moving my drive up 3" this winter. I am sticking with the Bravo drive for now, I am running 500HP on a single 236 Baja. Surface drives do seem to make more sense with less moving parts. The paint looks cool, but have fun keeping it looking new. Keep plenty of wax on it and try to keep it out of the sun.

Yes I did my own glasswork,in fact I did all the work myself ,exept for painting the boat ,the paint on the boat is Sikkens 2K with 4 layers of clearcoat ,the hull sides have 3 layers clearcoat over the blue ,hopefully its enough protection for the sun...I just placed the second engine on its mounts today ,will post a few pics tonight .

[Trim'd Up]

You won't have any problems with the sun. The only downsides to dark colored hull sides and clear coat is showing scuffs from fenders. Just makes sure you keep the fenders clean and covers on them.

[sterling]

Today the second engine on his mounts,I had to cut a little fiberglass where the alternator on the left engine sits.
I was thinking to take a 1/4 inch alu diamont plate ,and weld a few braces to it ,so it could be mounted on the center stringer so we can walk ( crawl )on it along the engines if we need to be near the transom.

[JFM]

I have to say that is great looking. Keep it up!

[txriverrat2001]

Cool project!! Did you do your own glass work? I am moving my drive up 3" this winter. I am sticking with the Bravo drive for now, I am running 500HP on a single 236 Baja. Surface drives do seem to make more sense with less moving parts. The paint looks cool, but have fun keeping it looking new. Keep plenty of wax on it and try to keep it out of the sun.

3" ????? Really??? It's just my opionion - but you'll never get it on plane that far above "normal"......

[jeffswav]

3" ????? Really??? It's just my opionion - but you'll never get it on plane that far above "normal"......I am at 8" now raising it 3" would put me at 5".

[txriverrat2001]

OK - So you're moving it up 3" from factory location right?

[indywhsle]

3" ????? Really??? It's just my opionion - but you'll never get it on plane that far above "normal"......

Keep in mind that baja raised the factory x in 2003 2". My prop shaft height is at 3" and gets on plane fine. I do have an x box with the -2 shorty but I think it is the right move.

[jeffswav]

OK - So you're moving it up 3" from factory location right?Correct, I have done a ton of research on this and 5" is very conservative. A lot of boats come out of the factory at that height.

[sterling]

Correct, I have done a ton of research on this and 5" is very conservative. A lot of boats come out of the factory at that height.

Does it still provide enough bow lift when you raise the x dimension at that level ?
I guess you can,t go wrong here ,there,s always the possibility to add a spacer .

[jeffswav]

Does it still provide enough bow lift when you raise the x dimension at that level ?
I guess you can,t go wrong here ,there,s always the possibility to add a spacer . I have post on both sw, oso and the baja site before I joined here. The topic is "What is your drive height?". A guy on SW "Man of War" gained 12MPH with a 3.25" raise from factory depth (very deep). He also romoved the inner strakes and wedges. I think he went from 57 to 69 MPH with a 26' Baja and a 454 Mag 385HP. I do not have inner strakes in the transum area and my wedges are out of the water. I would think a 6MPH gain (2mph per inch) is pretty common. With drive heights in the 4 to 5" range the boats run flatter and faster with less trim. Much safer at high speeds.

[eddie]

cool project

[baywatch]

Way cool. I want diesels and surface drives on my next boat... Heck maybe even on my current boat.

Did you find the engines and drives as a package deal?

[sterling]

I bought the Arneson drives off a Sealine 11 meter yacht,the customer had blew up several gearboxes,and was tired of waiting for replace/repair in the summer ,he decided to go for Volvo 435 hp and Duoprop packages.
The first Yanmar I bought locally at a Yanmar dealer with 800 hrs ,the second in Great Brittain with 1100 hrs,both engines were on a dyno to check them under full power,and both were around 430 hp on a hot day with no correction on the dyno.
The Yanmar dealer overhere has a dyno ,they were very helpfull and did a injector cleaning and presure test,valve adjustments ,new filters/oil/impellers,etc etc
Gearboxes are ZF, and came from Fabio Buzzi in Italy ,and have 2 gears , 1,30 ratio in 1 th gear ,and 1:1 in second gear.
Yesterday we did change the O rings/packings in the Arnesons ,they were having a minor leak at the ball socket ,it seems the retainer ring was not torqued at the specs by the formal owner,because we could turn the ring a full revolution before the final torque was applied.
I will post a few pics tonight

[Coolerman]

I understand what you mean,but this boat doesn,t have a bulkhead glased in were the back seat was /is ,it was just like it is now ..you are right about the hull glassed to the deck ,it is done in front under the deck,but not in the engine compartment ,I think it is a good idea ,and like you said ,now is the time to do .

If you wanted to add some reinforcement where the back seat is, you can add a piece of channel where a bulkhead should be. This is how we did it on our boat when we had to take the backseat and bulkhead out to fit the bigger motors in. (FYI, the channel is painted white in the first pic, unpainted in the 2nd pic)

Not tryin to butt in your project or anything, but a friend of ours had a 42 Baja and came off of a wave sideways at loto (only goin about 45), landed sideways, and had some major structual damage in several places where the deck joins the hull. Had to cut parts of the cockpit apart to do some structual repairs.

[kvogt]

Sterling

Very cool project. Nice work.

Kris Vogt

[sterling]

If you wanted to add some reinforcement where the back seat is, you can add a piece of channel where a bulkhead should be. This is how we did it on our boat when we had to take the backseat and bulkhead out to fit the bigger motors in. (FYI, the channel is painted white in the first pic, unpainted in the 2nd pic)

Not tryin to butt in your project or anything, but a friend of ours had a 42 Baja and came off of a wave sideways at loto (only goin about 45), landed sideways, and had some major structual damage in several places where the deck joins the hull. Had to cut parts of the cockpit apart to do some structual repairs.

I can only see what room there is left when the engine hatch is on,but I understand what you mean ,between the transom and the dash is a huge gap with no support left to right ,my engine hatch has the rear seat attached so its going to be difficult to reinforce

[sterling]

New rubrail ( Taco) is on the right side ,next week the left side .
I,m going to paint the Arnesons in Black gloss Imron,with the Arneson/Twin disc logo in red,the swimplatform that I bought from Hightide is too short to cover the propellors ,so I,m going to weld a Ali tube on the back in the same shape ,and weld a few 5/16 lips on the inside to bolt a plate Ali 5/16 that is going to be waterjet cut out the Baja 40 Outlaw logo/letters or I will do Vinyl teak .. My wife came up with the idea to split the engine hatch upholstery in 2 pieces so there is a 1 ft wide pad in the middel to the rear seat that she want to do in vinyl teak,that way we don,t have to walk over the upholstery all the time ,especially with people on board with shoes that don,t know how to enter a boat :seeya:

[sterling]

forgot to attach the pic :confused:

[slikcraft]

Very nice

[baywatch]

TTT
Any Updates?

[sterling]

Not much ,at the moment I,m just moved to another workshop ,so had to take all the tools and stuff /boats to the new facility.
A lot of work ,but in a few days I,m ready to start working on the Baja again ,and I will keep you guys updated ,thanks for looking .

A.J

[tunnelvision69]

sweet project!!

[baywatch]

any updates?

[drpete3]

yes whats up with this project

[sterling]

The project is moving slow at the moment ,I,m busy with a few customers that I need to finish first,so I have not much time for the Baja ...
I,m hoping to start within 2 weeks ,I keep you guys updated with pics .
Its nice to hear you guys are asking about the progress on this project ,Thanks :seeya:

[Tank]

The project is moving slow at the moment ,I,m busy with a few customers that I need to finish first,so I have not much time for the Baja ...
I,m hoping to start within 2 weeks ,I keep you guys updated with pics .
Its nice to hear you guys are asking about the progress on this project ,Thanks :seeya:

It's a great project. I think you have many of us intreagued. Please keep us posted...and get back to it!!!:driving:

[baywatch]

It's a great project. I think you have many of us intreagued. Please keep us posted...and get back to it!!!:driving:

+1 I have contemplated going the diesel route with asd's so I can't wait to see your progress :driving:

[Real Baja]

Excellent work. Boat looks great as finished. Look forward to updates and finished project.

[sterling]

Ok I finally have found the time to start finishing the Baja .
The new fuel tank is 600 Liter /160 gallons , I choose to go for a smaller fuel tank since I was hoping to burn less fuel with the oil burners than with the formal triple 502,s .
The tank is made from 1/2 inch thick polyurethane welded inside and out ,and after welding the welds were flat milled to have a sharp straith looking fuel tank ,2 half inch thick bulkheads were welded inside the tank for preventing fuel slosh.
the adapters were also welded in ,I have a few extra for a diesel generator in the future .
Today I painted the Arnesons in gunmetal gray metellic (I did 2 layers epoxy primer first over the bronze )
maybe next week the hoses and plumbing for the trim and steering rams .

[baywatch]

looking good.

[JRalston]

Just found this and it is looking awesome!

[Steve H]

awsome project

[sterling]

Last week I installed both hatches on the deck ,and the alu rail in the center ,all is sealed and bolted in place ,the air intakes on both sides are bolted in ,now I am busy with the exhaust systems ,I had to make two 3/4 inch thick Stainless spacers that can clamp to each turbocharger ,from there I use 3 1/2 inch 316 stainless elbows and straith pipe for the inner tube ,and 4 inch 316 for the outer tube ,these are TIG welded in place.
I wanted to go up with the exhaust ,cause of the engines are so low mounted in the boat,that I wanted to be sure the water would not enter the turbo /engine when the engine is not running ,I use tips with inside flappers to avoid water surge .
I,m going to use a external 12 volt valve with a 1 inch hole on the bottem of each exhaust ,that is operated via the stop selenoid ,so when I press the engine stop button ,the valve would open to let all the water out of the exhaust system when the engine is shut off ,just to be sure if there is a leak in the future ,the water would not enter the engine .

[sterling]

Thanks ,yes she is coming together slowly,we have not made any plans to come to Florida ,but if we come over ,its going to be at the end of the summer ,we have a lot of work now ,the boating season has just started here .

A.J

[sterling]

The swimplatform had to be a little longer to cover the Arneson drives and sharp props ,I used a 3/8 thick aluminium plate that is bolted in place .
Extra reinforcement pipes has to be welded to the frame ,and bolted to the transom to add more strength for the extension,this is on the list for next week.

[sterling]

Today I finished the exhausts for both engines ,the tips are Hardin marine with a flapper inside ,I welded those onto a 4 inch male thread pipe ,while the inside exhaust is welded to a female 4 inch thread bushing,this way I can screw the tips onto the inner exhaust ,so there is nothing but stainless steel underwater.
I tried to keep as much space in the center between both exhausts,so the small 4 kw diesel generator could fit in there .
The generator is several years old ,but new,never run before ,and I got it very cheap thanks to my Hustler friend !


Next week I was hoping to make the 1 1/2 inch water pick ups that are adjustable in height .

[Bad Idea Baja]

So what dictated the routing of the exhaust? It looks in the pictures it would have been easier to just come off the turbo into another 45 offset from the centerline of the engines & shoot it out the hull where it is now. Like the port engine is set up.
I'm not sure if that makes sense in writing. I'm more of a finger pointer kind of guy.
I still think this is a cool project! I for one, can't wait to hear how it performs.

[sterling]

It could be the pic ,but I need the space direct above the center stringer ,the generator is about 25 inch wide ,this way the exhaust routing is going to give the clearence I need .
I needed to go this deep thru the transom ,because I want it to be in silent mode .
I,m going to make an aluminium frame for the generator ,partly on the center stringer ,and supporting on the left and right stringer ,the gen is about 180 LBS ,so the frame must be pretty strong .

[WFORob]

Great thread. Any updates?

[sterling]

Great thread. Any updates?

I have some pics from the work that has been done last weeks ,the water pick up is ready and installed ,the water pickup pipes inside the boat run up along the transom +- 6 -7 inch above the waterline where I placed the two ball valves ,so I can put a T adapter to run the engines on a water hose .
Fuel lines and filters are ready ,goodrich hoses and adapters in Ali .
The powersteering pump is from a Mercruiser 1000SC and on a modified bracket ,the pulley on the engine is a CNC milled Aluminium made ,and is connected to the waterpump pulley with a center groove .
Powersteering filter and reservoir is Latham,the pressure gauge is only for checking oil press once and a while .
The Dash units from Yanmar were too big to have both in the dash panel ,so I took them apart and placed the components only .
It was around 96F last week here ,so I spend a lot of time on the water !:sifone:

[jeffswav]

Nice work, I wounder why more guys do not run turbo's on gas engines. I assume the stainless pipes are not water cooled with a inner and outer layer. Are they not needed because it is a diesel?

[JFM]

I just went for a ride this weekend on a wellcraft Nova that has been rigged with a volvo diesel. It was only a 4 cylinder that was supercharged and turbo charged. That thing was unbelievable how quick it got on plane and how fast it was. It made me think of this project, looks great can't wait to see the outcome.

[sterling]

Nice work, I wounder why more guys do not run turbo's on gas engines. I assume the stainless pipes are not water cooled with a inner and outer layer. Are they not needed because it is a diesel?

Thanks ,actually the exhausts are water cooled with a inner and outer wall ,between those pipes the water exits that has been run thru the engine .
You can see the 2 pipes a few posts back on a pic .
The exhaust diffuser that came with the Yanmars from the factory is a 90 degree double wall unit that can be used for most boats ,but not when you want to run the exhaust up straith after the turbo like I am doing ( water will flow back into the turbo/engine )
If one uses this yanmar exhaust diffuser ,and run it downward ,then you can use exhaust rubber hose for exhaust system ,because of the water that is been injected in the exhaust gas flow.

[sterling]

I just went for a ride this weekend on a wellcraft Nova that has been rigged with a volvo diesel. It was only a 4 cylinder that was supercharged and turbo charged. That thing was unbelievable how quick it got on plane and how fast it was. It made me think of this project, looks great can't wait to see the outcome.


Yes ,me too ,can,t wait to put the boat in the water and see how she goes ,a friend overhere has a 24 ft rib with a 150 hp Volkswagen TDI engine /Mercruiser Bravo 1 ,its a 5 cilinder 2,5 L turbocharged ,he had a power box on the engine that adds 30 hp ,this thing was a rocket out of the hole ,and still did 55 mph

[drpete3]

So its been another 3 weeks. your doing great but where are you now

[sterling]

So its been another 3 weeks. your doing great but where are you now

I,ve done a few things last weeks ,not as much as I planned to ...
Some parts that I needed were either far away ,or have to be ordered ,the adjustable steering hub from Hardin is underway ,and should be here next week ,the Isotta Carlotta steering wheel is underway too from Italy.
The Kiekheaffer shifter and throttles are already done in silver ,and are ready to install .
I ,ve got some pics too !

[endeavor1]

Looking good!!!!

[drpete3]

When do you expect to hit the water

[sterling]

I was thinking to put her in the water at the end of August ,if all the nessecary parts that are needed to make a seatrial are on the boat .
I don,t need the bolsters or upholstery to give the boat a try ,just to see what she is doing.
I want to see how she is running with the Arnesons ,just to get an idea if she,s running flat or bow down or at the right angle ..I am very curious just like you guys are :driving:

[Rik]

What propellers are you using?

[sterling]

What propellers are you using?

6 blade rolla cleavers 21 x 28 stainless steel
4 blade eliche radice cleavers 19 x 26 nibral

Those are the sets I have.

[sterling]

My wife has started to do the upholstery ,we ordered charcoal and graphite carbon vinyl at Great lake fabriks,which is awesome stuff, the blue is peachskin and looks like suede ,but is marine vinyl too.
We made a pad in the centre of the deck so we don,t have to walk over the vinyl ,and we are waiting for the flexiteak guy to have him made that part .
I have the hydraulic lift ram for the deck ready for install ,the stroke is almost3 1/2 feet so I guess the deck can be opened up pretty far to have good acces to the engines.
Swimplatform is powdercoated ,I am thinking to do the flat Ali plate in flexiteak too, or in anti slip coating.

[sterling]

more pics

[Ratickle]

An incredible project.

Really looking sweet.......

[Rik]

Start off with the propellers turning the other way.. Inboard Rotation....


That looks damn good.. Good Job!:party:

[sterling]

Start off with the propellers turning the other way.. Inboard Rotation....


That looks damn good.. Good Job!:party:

Ok,I will switch props , the shift cables are not installed yet ,so thats easy :)
Whats your intention with inboard rotation ,more bowlift ? the 6 blades are 21 inch diameter ,so I was expecting tremendous stern lift ,but like you mentioned in an earlier post ,, never sell a prop before you try ,, so I will do .

Thx A.J

[bor]

Looks Good AJ !

Man what are those props big even when they are on the ASD 8 !

I hope you not go on plane when you put them both in gear ,the hustler is fast on idle but if I look at this I am afraid you gonna win this one !

C'ant wait to go for the first sea trail hope it go's like the hustler's first one ,Perfect !!

[sterling]

Looks Good AJ !

Man what are those props big even when they are on the ASD 8 !

I hope you not go on plane when you put them both in gear ,the hustler is fast on idle but if I look at this I am afraid you gonna win this one !

C'ant wait to go for the first sea trail hope it go's like the hustler's first one ,Perfect !!

I was hoping to have a decent speed at idling in 1 th gear ,especially in the marina , if not I need to get out of the marina with 1 engine ,cause the people with those large sticks on their boats wil cry !

[Coolerman]

boat looks fantastic! when do you start testing?

[sterling]

boat looks fantastic! when do you start testing?

I was hoping to do the first testing last month ...but I still need to do a lot of things ,so ...I don,t now when , it could be next year ,because our fall is started within 3-4 weeks

Thanks for the compliments

[offshoreexcursion]

amazing project! top notch work!

[drpete3]

Shes coming together

[txriverrat2001]

I was hoping to have a decent speed at idling in 1 th gear ,especially in the marina , if not I need to get out of the marina with 1 engine ,cause the people with those large sticks on their boats wil cry !

That's funny .... what type of tranny/gear are you running???

Awesome project - keep up the good work!!

[sterling]

That's funny .... what type of tranny/gear are you running???

Awesome project - keep up the good work!!


The trannies are ZF 110 TS 1,30:1 in 1 th gear , and 1:1 in 2 th gear.
They are 5 inch drop down ,no angle ( straith output )

[txriverrat2001]

So it's no big deal to switch rotation??? Just run 'em the opposite direction???

[sterling]

So it's no big deal to switch rotation??? Just run 'em the opposite direction???

Yes,according ZF ,the gearboxes can run ahead & astern under full power ,there is aprox 1 % difference in gear ratio when the box is turning astern vs a head ,dunno why but must be due switching different/extra gearshaft to make it run the opposite direction?

[carter38]

Awesome project you have done a killer job!

[drpete3]

now what?

[sterling]

now what?

There is another project that needed to be finished first.. my HTM SR24 was needed a full restoration incl a new floor , paint,upholstery , fuel tanks ,new engine ,drive etc.
We decided to take the HTM with us on vacation next year ,so the Baja have to wait .
I will post some in the HTM section .
There is however a lot work been done on the Baja by my wife ,she did both the Mc Cloud bolster seats,and the back seat in carbon look vinyl ,I will post some pics over the weekend.

[drpete3]

glad its still going forward.

[sterling]

Bolsters almost finished ,the wife took both seats apart ..including the switch,wires ,electrics , did the new vinyl ,so I said honey do you need any help with the assembly ? she said no , I,m fine .

[txriverrat2001]

My mind of wife..... just sayin.....

[JFM]

Your wife is a great lady!!

[offshoreexcursion]

Updates please

[sterling]

Updates please

Sorry ,no updates ,still working on my HTM ,I need to finish that boat first ,its ready in 2-3 weeks ,and then I start working on the Baja again.

Thanks for asking !

A.J

[offshoreexcursion]

Your welcome! Good luck on the HTM. My current project is going slowly right now but its worth it. Bravo to arneson conversion (the imco SC's could not handle the power!).

[Ebay Ed]

Sterling i have a glove box tub for you from XT that i need to get shipped to you can you email me your name address and phone number to huntinfrek@aol.com thanks Ed

[sterling]

I,m back on track ,and would like to say thanks to all you people that were following this thread .
The reason I stopped working for a while is that I wanted to build my blower engine back into the HTM ,and also changed the drive from a XR to a Bmax ,the blower engine broke last year after 10 hours run time due to a broken pushrod guide plate ..the rocker started to turn,and pushed the retainer ,this cause the valve locks to let go of the valve stem ,and the valve dropped down on the piston ,this all happened in Italy on my holid..ay ...mm bad luck ...so we build up the engine again with a new set guide plates ,new valve ,rebuild head with a cracked valve guide ,piston wasn,t too bad hurt ,only a few scratches cause it happened at idling .
Ok ,so we put it back in the water ,and run it for half hour or so ,when I noticed a strange sound and power loss ,back home when we removed the valve cover we found another broken pushrod guide plate ,this time it was the other cilinder head that had a cracked valve guide ,bent valve ,etc etc ..needless to say I am very dissapointed in Manley pushrod guide plates,we took them all off and looked at them under a microscope ,and found haircracks in almost all the guideplates.
So this was a little time/money consuming ,and I,m back on track with finishing the Baja .

A.J

[sterling]

75671

[sterling]

75672

[sterling]

75673

[sterling]

75674

[old377guy]

Glad to hear things are rolling again, good luck

[sterling]

So the water tank is in ,as is the holding tank ,and water press pump ,boiler ,fridge ,microwave,victron combi unit as a battary charger ,and inverter,powersteering pump is full with ATF and pressurized with a drilling machine to see if all is leakfree (and off course it steered in the wrong direction wich causes a exxon valdez oil disaster under the dash) but its all cleaned and working great.
My wife finshed the rear seat ,and all the upholstery in the front under the deck because this boat was a poker run edition ,there was nothing in front ,so we build a galley ,head ,etc.

A.J

[offshoreexcursion]

THanks for the updates! Looking REALLY good.

[old377guy]

keep us posted

[rschap1]

congrats on the progress

[Ratickle]

That upholstery color looks really sweet.

[sterling]

Thanks guys ,we have both the side panels ready ,and some cushions in the front ,also the left bolster is mounted ,speakers are also mounted in the side panels,bolsters are wired and working .
Will post some pics soon .

A.J

[Ratickle]

So is the HTM completely done?

[sterling]

Yes it is ... I had to bring the blower engine to my engine builder ,they are going to build it up, I just bought a Mercruiser 540 Bulldog and put it in the HTM ,it runs good now ,just around 78-79 MPH ,trouble free and no blower surge ,I needed to make another engine hatch because the Bulldog fits under the hatch ,so no blower scoop needed, so I threw away that hatch and made a new one .

A.J

[old377guy]

Blower surge is cool---- a pain in the ass --- but cool

[sterling]

Yeah it sounds cool ! I hate it when there is a lot of surge just after a run ,and trying to get into a dock or so ... when lots of people are watching and the engine shuts off when putting in gear at the wrong moment ..haha

[sterling]

S75952759537595475955ome pics from upholstery been done in the last weeks.

[old377guy]

YES!!

[Ratickle]

I do really like your color and style choices in the upholstery.

[sterling]

Thanks Ratickle ! We do our best ,yesterday we fired both engines up on the hose , to find out if there are any gremlins showing up ,the engines were running fine ,both ZF gearboxes were shifting fine ,I could not let them shift 1 th gear because that wiring is not finished (gearbox is in 2 th gear when no 12 volt is supplied ),i ,m going to do this next week and hoefully next weekend fire them up to see if the gear shifting works ok.

Seems first sea trial is in sight

[offshoreexcursion]

This is such a cool build! Glad its coming along good for you!

[sterling]

Thanks ,and yeah I,m also very glad it is finally coming together,I like to start with something else now ... probably big big power in the HTM..

[Ratickle]

You need to finish this and get numbers with the power and boxes. We're all really curious about what they will be.

[sterling]

You ,re right ,I,am going to finish this project first , today I did some work in the dash ,most wiring is done ,but I had 1 rpm gauge not working ,and found a loose wire at the hall sensor in the flywheel housing .
Now rpm gauge works fine , all connectors at 2 speed module are connected ,and when switching 12 volt is applied now ,so next time on the hose I hope to find out if switching between gears works as it should .

[Ratickle]

I am so very curious of the twin Yanmar - ASD 8 - ZF Drive combo for performance on this style of hull design.

[old377guy]

Ditto

[sterling]

Bad luck ... I found both transmissions are leaking oil throught the seal on the outputshaft mm I looked under the trannies with a mirror and flashlight to see if they were leaking somewhere else ,but it was all dry ,exept the seal on the outputshaft ,so I took one seal out ,and ordered 2 new ones ,the seal that came out didn,t look bad at all ,the surface from the flange outputshaft is made from stainless steel and look new ,it could however leak between the housing of the tranny and the seal ... I,m going to put the new ones in with 574 loctite on the outside where it sits in the tranny housing ,and use molycoat inside the seal for first lubrication ,hopefully no more leaks.

[old377guy]

Good luck!

[Ratickle]

Did you put in a call to Pat?

[sterling]

Did you put in a call to Pat? Who,s Pat ? is that a ZF guy ?

[Ratickle]

Pat Wiseman, shifter on here. Check your PM's.

[sterling]

Thanks Ratickle ,No need to call for help,as it was pretty easy fix ,the new seal is in the port transmission ,and filled up with oil ,and so far no leaking ,gonna check tomorrow ,and next saturday when we are going to run on the hose again to see if the trannies shifting in first and second gear ,I will watch those seals closely ..
Did a lot of work in the wet room ,toilet ,all hoses ,water pick up ,hoses to holding tank ,holding tank out ,etc almost finished with that ,wiring to electrical toilet motor ,etc , not the kind of work that is in sight ,but it takes a lot of time .
Also did the lanyard switches ,they needed a timing relay installed on both ,because of the selenoid keeps on pulling the cut out lever on the diesel pump ,and burns itself after some time ,now I set the relay at 8 seconds timer ,so the power is been cut off .

[old377guy]

Sounds like you're all over it. Excellent.

[Ratickle]

Getting close?

[sterling]

Its coming along slowly ,I,m busy with the shower and all the hoses , had to buy a pump unit ,to collect all the water from the shower ,so it can be pumped out overboard ,since the drain is so low I had to pump it up aprox 1 feet to dump that water through a thru hull .
snap in carpet is ready ,also the carpet in front is cut and ready to go in .
I will try to post pics soon .

[endeavor1]

Wunderbar!

[offshoreexcursion]

Sounds like you really know your Chit!

[senzaspectre]

Great build thread..................Awesome work!

any updates?

[sterling]

I didn,t do much work the last months ,I ,m going to post some pics from the work I did ,it is not too much work to finish the boat ,only some cushions in front ,and the stereo .

Too busy with work .... Thanks A.J

[Bobcat]

Any pics are good pics !:)

[sterling]

Unfortunatly I didn,t do much work on the boat ... I really don,t know how to find the time to finish the last things ,I think I,m going to put her in the water next month whether she,s ready or not ,and see if it all works as planned .
I will make a video and post here

Grtz A.J

[sterling]

in the water first time78486

[sterling]

more7848778488

[sterling]

I have a video made by a friend that was on the water were we tested the boat ,I need to find out how to upload it here .

This is the first time the boat was in the water ,I ran the engines while the boat was still sitting on the trailer for 10 min each ,and tested the transmissions in forward and reverse .
It all worked as it supposed to,so we pushed the boat of the trailer so we could drive her thru the marina ,first gear was 7 mph with both engines engaged ,little too fast ...according a few sailboat owners ...haha
So I pushed the throttles after we went out of the harbour ,and got the boat in plane at +-20 mph ,and the Arnesons fully down ,trimmed the drives up a bit and some more throttle ,at 2800 rpm and +- 45 mph I shifted up to 2 th gear,and rpm dropped about 400 ,and I pushed the throttles at max 2900 rpm ,and full trim she did 61 mph .
It was clear that the props were too big ,as the engines need to turn 3300 rpm , I had these 19 inch diameter 4 blade ,and 26 pitch nibral props that are semi surface piercing, and the only other props I have are 6 blade rolla,s surface piercing 21 1/4 x 28 ,I have not tried these ,as I think the engines will stall when I put them in gear ...
Next plan is to take off one inch in diameter of the 19 inch ,so they become 18 ,and see what happens with Rpm and speed .
Thankfully it all went ok, and no bad things came up !
I keep you guys informed about the downsize in diameter .

A.J

[Ratickle]

That is awesome!!

I do not know how to post a video other than to post it on YouTube or similar, then link/embed the video to Serious. I believe that is the only way.

[sterling]

http://youtu.be/ci3LIS4f2Fw


http://youtu.be/ci3LIS4f2Fw

[rschap1]

Congrats on the progress.
Good luck with the prop tuning.
Looked good running in the video.

[Ratickle]

Yes indeed, it looked very good in the video (and in the pics). The attitude of the boat looks proper too. You should be pleased at this point. I can't wait to hear the next set of numbers with the smaller prop.

[offshoreexcursion]

Congrats on the awesome progress! The boat is something special and you should be proud! Can't wait to hear some good results once you dial in the props, but its already looking like she will run amazing!

[sterling]

Thanks guys ,I just got back from holiday in Malta ,I got 2 more weeks now ,and the weather is going to be good here ,so hopefully I,m going to look if the smaller diameter will help spinning up the engine rpm,s .