68 Wildcat 440 Project

Gary S,
Washed it with Soft Scrub to get rid of the fungus growth and it totally removed the rust stain on the starboard bow caused by an old tire rim left sitting. The hull ( I think) is in good shape except for some chips and gouges. Top side has allot of spider cracks, but not as bad as some I've seen on this site.
The plan is to focus on the 440. Been sandblasting removed engine parts and painting them several a day. Did not get the engine lifted out past weekend, hope to soon.
   Mike S. @ SML

Thanks Waldo,
The pics I have posted are where I found her sitting. I knew it was a classic and loved her looks, but when I found this CCF it made me want to invest the time and $$$$$. I wonder if CC factory appreciate this following?
I see you are an IOWAN, me too,however I was transplanted to a warmer climate at an early age. Yea! OTTUMWA   
Mike S. @ SML VA.

Mike,
Time for a new coupling half! The coupling to shaft should be a interference fit (.0005 to .0015 under) and typically bored to fit the shaft due to variations of the shaft OD. If your's came off so easily, there is a good chance that the boat was run with the engine/shaft misaligned. This will cause the coupling to move slightly with each shaft rotation and fret. The fretting will wear the bore larger over time. Considering the hammer marks on the coupling, it sounds like a PO has a hacker!! He probably didn't even know what shaft/engine alignment is!!

Since you have the shaft out, check it for straightness. It shouldn't run out in the middle more than .002 or .003 at the most. Don't forget to check the prop taper aft of the strut/cutlass. A bend there is common if the prop took at hit. If you find any bends, you may want to consider getting a ARE shaft/coupling set up. The same price but whats nice is the coupling end is a taper fit. No worries about getting it on and off plus they run very true.

Mike,
I just saw in another thread where Eric referenced a source/manufacturer for the ARE double taper shaft/coupling. It's got to be in one of the "shaft" or "strut" threads. I'll see if I can find it.

Skidim is certainly a source for many parts but may not be the best buy. They also are no longer a supporter of this site so I suggest avoiding them. Correct Parts is so give Karen or Billy a call. They would be a good choice if your shaft is good and want to go back to the single taper too. You would need the coupling half. Then, the new coupling is bored to match the OD of your old shaft. After the coupling is fit/pressed on the shaft, it's always a good practice to chuck up the shaft in the lathe and do a light cut on the coupling face so it runs true to the shaft.

BTW, the easy way to install a shaft with the pressed on coupling is with the engine out.

Thanks Pete and Eric,

Got a starter problem, please advise.
I bench tested the starter--nothing but a spark. I then tried turning the drive (looks good, no rust, no wear and moves forward freely)but could not pry the armature to move. took the plate off the back end an found a rusted water mark 1 inch high on inside of plate. The brush holders were rusty but freed up with PB Blaster. Slight oxidation on copper brush brush contact on arm. but no wear. The problem seems that the arm. is stuck to the field.
Question: OK to spray PB or WD-40 into starter without harm wiring? Don't want to force.
   Feedback please,
        Mike S. @ SML

Pete,
Sprayed the unside of the starter with WD-40. Let it sit and lightly tapped the armature out using a block of lead as a buffer. Only rusted on the lower side. Could not believe still has paint on the magnets. Found no sign of wear, not even brushes worn. Cleaned some rust off armatur, greased bushing and made sure brushes were making contact. Put it together to bench test Seems perfect!! I love it when things go well. Hope it will do as well under load. I think I'll have a beer and see if my luck holds out with the altanater.

Thanks again,
               Mike S. @ SML

Check with 62wood. I think he still has a 1970 wildcat for parts.

Mike, you cant link to pictures on your hard drive. You either need to upload them to this site (use the image icon, which looks like a tree with an arrow), or upload them to an image site and link to them here when you post (using the image icon- tree with no arrow). The advantage to using an external image site (like photobucket) is there is less of a size restriction. Check the common questions forum for detailed instructions on how to post pictures.

Mike, when you use photobucket put your pointer on the image and 3 links should drop. Use the 3rd(img) and copy and paste to the forum. You can also 'quote' someone else's picture to see the code and format.

Gonna be a neat boat!