Photo quality should improve drastically from this point on
Photo quality should improve drastically from this point on. We bought a new Canon PowerShot SD600 digital camera. Hopefully the closeup and white color balance issues I had with the old camera are a thing of the past ! The rudder and rudder support bracket are back from the machine shop. 3-1/2" stainless steel pipe stubs were tig-welded to the Gibson Transom Mount mufflers. We also picked up a 1350 series Center H Yoke which will replace the torque tube.
These performance mufflers should be legal at idle. Can't wait to hear them when that 283 comes to life !
A bare-block 400 cubic inch V8 was bolted to the Velvet Drive transmission and hoisted into position.
Temporary motor mounts provide up, down and side-to-side adjustment.
Found some vintage transmission mounts at Ayling's Boat Yard. They're stout pieces and fit better than the previous ones I had. A new set of stringer brackets is being fitted.
A 1350 series Borg Warner power takeoff (Glenwood Part # 90-797) is bolted to the Velvet Drive transmission's output shaft. Ratio is 1:1. The used Casale 12 degree v-drive with 15% overdrive was equipped with a 1350 series V-drive flange takeoff (Glenwood Part # 90-865).
Cutting into the oil pan (adjacent to the frame) moves the engine back far enough to install a 6-1/2" long H joint instead of the 10-1/2" long torque tube (Glenwood Part # 90-835) we initially thought would be used. This also drops the engine down 2" closer to the keel. To provide more oil capacity, a front sump and kicked-out sides will be added to the pan.
The H joint was bolted up to the transmission flange
The H joint was bolted up to the transmission flange. The v-drive was pushed back and down until the propeller shaft coupler rotated freely on the propeller shaft.
An inclinometer (angle finder) was used to set the H joint at 0 degrees. The v-drive mounts can be now be welded in their final location.
The oil pan sump was cut to move the engine 1-1/2" aft and 2-1/2" lower
The oil pan sump was cut to move the engine 1-1/2" aft and 2-1/2" lower. This will obviously generate quite a bit of work... A simpler solution would have been to either install the frame timber on the aft side of the frame or move the entire frame 2" aft. If the latter is done, the frame outline would change (frame would not be as wide) so you'd have to loft frames #0 through #5 to pick up the new chine and sheer points.
Work on barrier coating the interior of the hull continues
Work on barrier coating the interior of the hull continues. We're going with a bright finish consisting of two rounds of West Epoxy catalyzed with 207 Special hardener. This will be followed with two or three rounds of two-part urethane clear.
The second coat of epoxy is still a little rough. Epoxy is not self-levelling like paint. Visible in this photo are the side panel scarf joint and the bottom panel butt blocks. Switching to a spray gun for the subsequent varnish coats will minimize sanding between coats and flatten out the surface !
We're currently fabricating removable foam flotation panels which will be installed under the deck battens
We're currently fabricating removable foam flotation panels which will be installed under the deck battens. Click here to see what we've done so far. ( a new window will be opened)
