Stringers

Thanks Gary and I thought The Supra Stringer job was a PITA. I will work something out . Its good to know what they had in mine . The previous owner did all the demolition so I never saw it before. There is no way this boat will ever be as clean as yours.

Thanks Gary I just needed to know how long it is. So the foam is supposed to hold up fiberglass floor. I think I will add some cross bracing . The stringer material is inside the heated basement shop it will be quite some time until they are ready to be coated with CPES.

Mike,
The SYP should be fine. Just make sure you do a good CPES job on it and maybe an extra layer of glass on the sides. That will compensate for the strength of the SYP VS: the DF.

Do you have a moisture meter? I suggest seeing what the moisture content of the SYP is.

I decided to put the floor, rear seat and engine cover back on while I had the engine somewhat set in place. Everything went well until I put the engine cover back on . It hits the vent on the valve cover and both exhaust manifold risers. So do I stick with the 86 manifolds with 3'' exhaust ? That will require big modifications to both the hull and engine cover. Or put the 68 exhaust manifolds on with 2.5'' exhaust no modifications needed to engine cover or hull. has anybody ran a 351 with 289 manifolds?

Mike,
Since you're dropping the 351 in the hull, I'd go with the 3". Enlarging the holes in the transom and finding new 3" tips should be pretty easy.

Got It I will check tomorrow.

Made some headway today . Set new 351 in the boat to check alignment so I can see if the original stringer design will work with the new engine and mounts without modification. . The good news is the distance between the stringers is the same on both boats and as far as I can see it should line up with the prop shaft. Only question is there a set distance between the strut and the prop I used the rub marks on the shaft to get me close. I don't have a pattern to copy since the engines are different and there are multiple holes in the stringers from the old engine. Not important now but will be needed after new stringers are installed and engine is installed. More good news I think I solved the picture posting problem.

Not much to look at now just cleaned and dry. I have to set the 351 in it and see if any mods have to be done to the existing stringer set up to accept the 351 . Should be fine small block ford to small block ford. From there it will move into the basement where its climate controlled . That work thing keeps getting in the way I worked my A$$ off in November so I am hoping to take some serious time off now till next year.

Well I finally tracked down a lumber yard that can order Doug fur they stock southern yellow pine . They couldn't give prices on the DF until Monday but they warned it wont be cheap. I am going to go there Monday and look at the pine . They said it is grade A so if it doesn't have any large knots I may go with it. Realistically if the boat only lasts 20 years and not 50 I think that will be fine. I am working on getting pics from my phone to the forum I intend to fully document the build for all to see and advise on procedure.

emccallum wrote: read the whole thread hoping for some great stringer pictures.............

And now you know a lot about veterans discounts among other things

Nautiquehunter wrote: I think its the Flowery Branch location . They have never been very helpful . They are more concerned with closing aisles and stocking the shelves than customer service. They once told me to leave a closed aisle and wait for them to stock the shelve . I went to lowes.

Mike,
Again sorry to hear about your experiences you mentioned.

The SOP for blocking isles during store open hours is only to retrieve or down stock items that a customer is waiting for. There are times when say a contractor calls in an order say for drywall or lumber and he's on his way to pick it up that we will close down isles. Safety is a major concern at the HD and strictly enforced especially after Menards killed a customer. He was in a isle behind where a fork lift was operating and the fork lift pushed a pallet of tile down the opposite isle. It's the reason we have to block the two isles. The one where stocking is done with lift equipment and the isle behind.

Orlando76 wrote: Pete, is there a down side to leaving it 1-3/4?

No, there isn't as long as the extra thickness is to towards the hull sides leaving the same distance between the mains for the engine.

Jack,
Thanks for the reply and explanation.

For those of you that have those fancy phones, and use all those fancy features, there is a Home Depot app that may help you find items. I see customers using it frequently. BTW, my cell phone only makes phone calls!!


Chris,
Even though I know my store very well, I too will go to the HD web site and look up the item I'm looking for. Not so much to get a location but more so to check inventory and to see if my store even caries it. All HD's do not carry the same inventory and some may be seasonal. Like the Rhinelander store doesn't carry window air conditioners all year like Gary's down there were it's 600 degrees all year long!

I also use the buy on line and pick up in store very often especially if the item is large or not in stock. When it's available and or picked it's waiting for you up front. Small it will be at the Special Service end of if large it will be at the Pro end.

Mike, getting back on track with the thread, if you do go LVL, understand the actual thickness is 1&3/4" unlike a 2x which is 1&1/2" Also be aware that LVL's come with a water resistant coating so they can be exposed to the weather typical with construction. There are two types of coatings used. One is a wax and that needs to be aggressively belt sanded off. . The other is a clear coating similar to a poly clear wood finish. That needs just a light sanding. If you have access to a surface planer, then taking a 1/8" off each side is best plus it brings the thickness back down to the 1&1/2 like a 2x.

Just being a handful of years younger than you Jack I understand where your coming from. Kinda like to think ole El BJ is in a special place......

Funny that you brought up the layout Mike. I stopped by one of my "local" HD's (it's 50 miles away) for a toilet shut off valve. Wandered the plumbing section finally had to find someone and ask. They were not in plumbing, but rather over where the toilet display was. Was informed that there is actually 3 places in the store where they could be. Could not find the actual one I needed,didn't feel like trying to find the help again so I left. Did buy a case of Mexican Coke though so it was not a wasted stop . Not being a vet I like Menards best then HD and Lowes in that order. HD for checkouts has them all beat though with Lowes being the worse.