I consider myself a complete novice, but I have decided to undertake a complete restoration of the boat. I restored a 1983 Montauk but they are straightforward.
So last night I was reading posts on replacing the fuel tank, something I have been thinking about for 10 years. The boat has its original 1986 Evinrude 150 on it. It runs just as well as a 150 Etec I had on a different 1986 Outrage 18. But the flywheel has some teeth chipped so when I am launching sometimes I have to take the cowling off and manually advance the flywheel past the chipped teeth so I can get it cranked over again. And then the whole being 45 out thing and constantly being worried about what could go wrong instead of being able to fully enjoy the fact that you are 45 out in an 18. So I was lying in bed thinking I need to replace the engine and the fuel tank and I might as well do all the wiring and customize the console because the controls will be out for the new engine and you know how it goes.
This morning I woke up and thought "I'm going to do this". So here's my plan:
Remove the console, fuel deck, and maybe the engine if I can figure out how to get it off with only me and someone else lifting it off. I took the ss prop off and I am going to call my dump to see if they will take the engine. I just have to figure out how to get it off my boat and onto a trailer. The trailer height I think may be about the same as the cowling, so it will be lifting it off the transom and up onto the trailer.
Re-wire everything, update lights & install gunwale lights with LED, refinish all teak, replace the fuel cell with a customized tank, add 2 bilge pumps, new gauge, and electronics.
I think I can do all that myself. Buff out the interior and reattach all railing. I read a post where this guy welded parts of his Bimini frame, seemed like a pretty good idea. Could I do that with the bow rail and side rails? They have screws now. It seems like tack-welding them would be a good idea. Can you do that with SS? I have never tack welded but I hear it is fairly simple. Maybe that's the wrong term, tackwelding.
I'm pretty sure that with some sense of what I want and forum posts, I can pull all that off.
I'll hire a professional to paint the hull and install the engine and engine controls and the gauges too probably, at least some of them.
This is what I did today, it took me about 4 hours. I hadn't thought everything through when I started so I wasted some time thinking about how to proceed. At first, I was on autopilot photographing all the wiring, steering connections, gauges, etc. Then it dawned on me that if I am going to rewire the boat then I will be trashing all of this. So I got out my wire cutters. 6-8 snips in for a few split seconds I did think how there is about to be no going back now.
All the posts I have seen the tank lid is off. Simple. Well, that means you have to remove the console which means disconnecting the steering cables and throttle controls, and all the wiring. That's a lot of work, especially if you are going to reconnect the steering and throttle I think. The wiring ought to be simple enough. Fortunately for me, someone who knows what they are doing will install the engine and controls. I watched a few videos and have not been able to remove the steering wheel. The nut is off, but there is a washer of sorts with a key in it and I cannot get it to budge. I pulled on the wheel and tapped on the nut but that's not the solution. I also was unable to figure out how to get the throttle controls and steering cables free. So I gave up and used a hacksaw. I would like to know how to remove the wheel if anyone can help.
Under the console and next to where the cables go down a tunnel are some big screws. There are several in various places holding the deck down in addition to all the screws running the perimeter.
The deck is heavy. I was able to get it up and I have it leaning up against the side, I will need help getting it out of the boat. The console as well. Both are two-person jobs, but I do not have any trees or a way to hoist out of the boat.
I was surprised that there was some rot in the stern port corner and it looks like along the port side edge of the deck. Could I fiberglass that in, or should I just seal it with epoxy? There was no deflection or soft spots in the deck when it was installed prior. I don't want to cut any corners. And as far as the rot - do I cut out the rot and soak the exposed area in ethalyne glycol before epxoying?
I was very surprised by the tank installation. It's in there tight, I don't see much chance of any significant moisture intrusion. I was under the impression that the foam would be waterlogged, that there would be water around the tank etc. Sometimes I remove the hatch plates and spray a freshwater hose down all the hatch areas to wash out leaves and trash mice get up in there. So it's gotten wet many times. The foam everywhere seems dry, I will be able to find out better tomorrow when I remove the foam surrounding the tank and see if I can pull the tank. I saw on a forum post to use a pressure washer to get the foam out around the tank. I emailed him, he said to get as much out as you can first because the pressure washer will get it everywhere. He also told me that the bolts holding the tank straps down, that some would shear off. I was glad to know that ahead of time because when it happened I was expecting it so I am not worried. One did shear off.
The tank shows zero sign of needing replacement. All the foam appears to be dry. It looks like the cockpit of the fuel cell might be encapsulated in glass, for some reason I was under the impression the tank was foamed in and that was part of the hull structure, I guess I just had not thought about everything being wrapped in fiberglass. My new tank I am going to have fab'd 4"-5" shorter, I would like to install a bilge back there.
I have read posts not to foam a new tank back in. One person used strips of PVC and also used PVC to replace his deck. He bought the PVC from Home Dept. Seems like a good idea, the PVC won't rot and it is much lighter than the glass/ply original deck that has some rot.
Other posts say to set the tank on rubber and use rubber on the sides, but I also read not to use rubber because it causes some kind of corrosive action over time.
Another post said to foam it in and then glass over the foam and glass over the tank.
I like the PVC idea the most, so that water has a way to run to the sump. No foam, PVC strips a few inches apart. I'm not sure about the sheet PVC as a deck. Does anyone know the thickness of the stock deck? I'm wondering how to reinforce the PVC where the helm seat attaches, where the console screws down, the cooler cleats, and the stern seat. If I reinforce it with plywood doesn't that defeat the purpose of PVC and no rot?
My pictures aren't that great, but I was not planing on blogging about this, I was just taking some shots to remember how to put things back together. I was tired after 4 hours of working in the sun. I was drinking a Shiner and thought, oh shit, I have destroyed my boat, I don't really know what I am doing and I am relying on advice from an on-line forum, what have I done? Just for a split second though, and then I got back into the "I can do this" mode. So this is more for other novices, most of what I have researched is from people who sound like they have a clue. When I see people cutting out glass in the cockpit that is way past my comfort zone and skill level.
Well, I will have to figure out how to attach files, they are too big it seems.