79BFN

Hollywood,
The guy that rebuilt this engine last is a local hi-performance engine builder. I went to see him and he remembered the motor well. He says it ought to be fine. It's really not even broken in since the rebuild. The PO installed it and at that point evidently had some ignition problems and tried resolving with a GM HEI distributor from a truck. When I bought it, it would barely idol at 2,000rpm. With the help of SKIDIM, I replaced the distributor and straightened out some wiring issues. I also noticed the choke linkage on the carb was missing and in desperate need of a rebuild. I had a kit and a few carbs laying around that I was able to make a good one from. I put her in the water and she fired first turn and idled @ about 700rpm. I knew she needed the floor but wanted to make sure I didn't have a POS, so I went for a little cruise. Holy cow, did she vibrate and needless to say I returned to the dock. I figure with all the other rigging on the boat, the PO must not have done any coupling alignment when he installed the motor. I'm guessing, since it wouldn't idle, he didn't even know he had an alignment issue. I didn't mess with aligning, since I knew the motor was going to come out for the stringer rebuild. So........I'll cross that bridge in a few months.

Marty,
My shop is at 513 English Rd. in High Point, I'll be around there this weekend if you want to take a look at the progress. If the rollup door is closed, just pick it up and come on in. If I'm making alot of noise, don't startle me too bad, I keep the ball bat close by to run the panhandlers off. If you know the area, you'll know that it's on the fringe of a bad section of town.

I am not sure how this would work in your application. I epoxied a couple coated boards to the hull so that a regular plastic battery box will sit level with the the tops of my longitudinal supports. I then ran a couple shorter boards front to back so it is loosely framed in there. I fixed the strap under the box, also, so with slits in the upper wide side of the box I can even secure it. I have two 1" holes drilled high on the sides. This is so I can have my battery cables tag into my cable tube going to the motor, and I have power cables for my stereo running forward and just coming out under the floor in the bow. I have little tiny screws that will hold the box to the bottom boards and the perimeter of the top all the way around. Using a plastic box, I wanted it removeable in case it ever cracked. Because the box sits level with my supports, I have an oversized cutout in my floor board that sits tightly over it. Nearly an interference fit.

this is prior to installing the cables



installed.




Just an idea...

Mike, do you have provisions for drains up there?

I appreciate the help guys. I had previously studied both of your posts to see how you guys had attacked this installation but, I you may realize that the fiberglass bat.box just doesn't have that lip like on the plastic ones. I am considering using Mike's procedure with some support underneath and then Gregg's procedure on or around the upper perimeter. I should be able to get a good overlap of the upper perimeter with glass going down into the box and therefore making a good watertight bond. I really think the lack of a good seal and attachment, along with a 50lb. battery made this a problem area for water getting into the foam in the bilge. Of coarse, there was also the problem with poorly attached and sealed drain hose and cable hose as well. I have a way to go with the stringers before getting to this point, I was just planning ahead.

I should have drive side stringers all glassed in by Saturday and ready to dig out the other side by Sunday. I do have the new stringers cut already based on the complete one I removed on the drive side. I do, however, anticipate a little tweaking, which is fine because I'm waiting on cloth to show up from US Composites for laminating. I had to order some more cabosil as well. You really go through that stuff putting in those stringers. I'll take some pics of my progress on Sunday.

I found some pics of her before I started. Generally, the hull exterior in pretty good shape with the exception of handfull of blisters and some nicks and gouges.

Hey Grinch, What are those manifolds to in the last pic? Nice looking shop!

Chris,
Those are big tube headers I built for my racer. You can see them in this pic.

I'm hoping that you are going to add a lot more cloth as well, asking a lot of the spars amount you currently have to hold the stringer in place.

Thats a sweet machine!! Can't looks like your on you way to a sweet boat as well!!

79nautique wrote: i wouldn't suggest runnig the battery cables the way you have, Your going to have one hell of a time running cables through it and making that 90 turn then you also have the sharp edge that is going to short the cable over time, even if you radius the edhge the cables going to bounce up and down on it. Orginally the battery box had it's own tube to the bilge area and when using the proper gauge cables you will not be able to make the radius tight enough. Major heads akes down the road I'm afraid.

they are not run how you think. they are not installed in the pic aboce. they go out the rear of the box, 45* to a very smooth edged (and loomed) oval hole in the tube that you can see, and then another 45* to the bilge.
No headsakes forthcoming.

Greg,
I did not provide drains, simply because the box is too low to have it above he hull, and I do not want water going forward. This is a limited use boat, covered, my vent tube is intact, and I can get any water that would ever get up there. The box will be removeable with just a couple little screws.

Mike

Kirk,

Where did you get your Foam? I got mine from US Composites and their site says that the temp needs to be at least 75 for best expansion. I have been waiting months for the temps to get back that high to pour my Barracuda. Are you going to pour indoors ?
I am not far from you over here in New Hill, just out of Raleigh. And it is not expect to get to 75 for some time yet.
Let me know when you are going to pour and if I am not already committed, I would like to stop by and help or watch.   

Question for Gregg. I noticed on the Pumpkin Patch that you posed the question on the layers of what and how much for the floor glass over the foam. I also noticed no answers. What did you end up doing? Looks like one more order from UScomposites.

Gregg,
Did you do it in that order? I thought about using cloth as the final layer, just because it rolls out a little smoother.
Where the layers will reach the sides of the hull, did you layer in any of the 2,4,or 8" tape cloth?

Finally remembered to take the camera with me to the shop this evening. I didn't get much done in the evenings last week, however, I put in alot of hours over the weekend. The observer side stringers and supports are in. I still have some glass work to do on the bulkheads and then I'll be ready for foam.