New 1984 225SRV

[ghuskin]

if you need the manuals, I can scan/email to you if needed. I have them somewhere...

I've heard that the Alpha1's can take up to 300hp, so you might be ok there.

With the speakers, i think i will be making some sort of mount with starboard inside the gunnels? Not many flat surfaces available for flush mounting.

I hope others here can make suggestions!!!

 

[270win]

if you need the manuals, I can scan/email to you if needed. I have them somewhere...

I've heard that the Alpha1's can take up to 300hp, so you might be ok there.

With the speakers, i think i will be making some sort of mount with starboard inside the gunnels? Not many flat surfaces available for flush mounting.

I hope others here can make suggestions!!!

What manuals do you have? I have the MerCruiser factory manuals.

I was thinking along the same lines with the speakers, there's really nowhere to mount them so making boxes is probably the best bet.

I know I'd like to go with the roller cam vs. the flat tappet, that'll add some hp alone. I don't even want to get close to the 300hp level. I want the drive to last a long time!

 

[270win]

Here's a shot of the GTO, it's not a really good picture but you get the idea.

Here's a pic from a few weeks ago, we did a major engine upgrade...:grin:

 

[ghuskin]

very nice! is that a 400? 389? 425? what kind of HP?

I like the stock trim.

I have the merc manuals and the SeaRay manual showing the electrical layout, etc.

 

[270win]

very nice! is that a 400? 389? 425? what kind of HP?

I like the stock trim.

I have the merc manuals and the SeaRay manual showing the electrical layout, etc.

Yes, it's the numbers matching 400, correct heads, iron intake, quadrajet carb and manifolds. Looks bone stock, but it's actually bored and stroked to 461" and is a completely forged roller motor. The bottom end was built to take 1,000 HP for reliability. It made 506hp/560ftlbs on the dyno and it runs on pump gas.

I intended for it to be a sleeper but the engine sounds WAY too nasty to fool anyone.

Those manuals (the scanned copies) would be GREAT to have on
hand!

 

[ghuskin]

"I intended for it to be a sleeper but the engine sounds WAY too nasty to fool anyone. "

very nice!

I will work on this for you. Whe i have them ready to be sent, i will let you know, and you can then send me your email.

 

[270win]

"I intended for it to be a sleeper but the engine sounds WAY too nasty to fool anyone. "

very nice!

I will work on this for you. Whe i have them ready to be sent, i will let you know, and you can then send me your email.

I REALLY appreciate you doing that!

I'm supposed to do a sound clip later this week for a GTO forum and I'll post it here just for the heck of it.

 

[270win]

I started getting into the boat. I've found some transom rot... not really sure what I want to do. I really don't want to get into putting a transom in this boat...

Ill get some more pricing. First guy said 3K-3.5K.

I can post a pic tonight.

 

[Big Island Lifer]

How significant and widespread is the rot? Does it involve the motor mounts? Can you tell where it started?

There have been a lot of threads on the board about fixing this. That estimate doesn't sound too out of line but it depends on how far the rot goes. If it is a small area you may be able to get by with a small repair for the season and tackle the major fix next winter. :huh:

 

[270win]

Its all the way across the transom along a line where the platform mounts to the transom.

I just took several core samples of the stringers and the motor mounting blocks, all came out solid, so it APPEARS to be only the transom...ha, "only"...:smt089

 

[jitts3]

Looks like an easy job. It looks great already. I am partial to the classic lines. Sure hope the transom rot doesn't kill the project.

 

[270win]

Im not sure at this point. I took many more core samples. The transom has rot from the waterline down all around the drive it came in where the platform mounts and supports were installed.

I like the classic lines too...i dont know though... fortunately my wife doesnt care either way.

 

[jitts3]

That makes it easier if your wife approves. Keep us posted on her progress.

 

[270win]

This is a pic of the starboard side behind the battery boxes, the rot is right where the platform supports screw into the transom.

Here's the port side behind the trim pump.

I pulled the platform and took core samples at each mounting point and around the drive...oddly enough, the center two support locations were solid, but from the waterline down it was bad. It gives me concerns about the stringers that I haven't gotten to yet.

I'm not sure how to check that without ripping the transom out of it. Any ideas?

 

[Getaway]

Pull the engine and other stuff in the engine room and get at redo'ing that boat. It's a bunch of work, but well worth the efforts. Do you have a place to do it inside and heated? I just finished up completely redoing my 268DA and I'm sure glad I did it. The classics are worth restoring and you will have a better boat for it. Even better than what Sea Ray produced.

With your rig, the trick will be accessing everything. Mine was wide open and easy to access the transom, stringers and all other supports. What you are finding is very typical.

Here are some finish pics of my rebuild. I did something different with mine by venting and draining the stringers. No more rot EVER. I purchased small dock box vents and placed them on the sides of the stringers, then drilled large drain holes in the back. If you look closely you will see them on the port side photo:

Brand new engine bay. (my camera has a bunch of water spots on the lens...sorry).

Anyway, I can walk you through the materials and little tricks to getting the job done and done right. Don't be overwhelmed, it's really not that bad of a project and it's worth it when you are done.

 

[jitts3]

Getaway, nice! I'd eat supper off that bilge! Sweet work. How did you do that?!

 

[Getaway]

Thanks Jitts.

Lots of fancy wood work, epoxy, sanding, grinding and fiberglass. I had an experienced "glass man" that did the majority of the work and I observed and helped at times. Last night I finished up the sanding and applied 3 very heavy coats of Interlux 2000 barrier coat. If water gets through that stuff, then there aint nothing good enough:grin:. The project started last October and I finished up last night. We took the new wood and glass work all the way up through the aft cabin. From there forward, she was still solid.

 

[270win]

Pull the engine and other stuff in the engine room and get at redo'ing that boat. It's a bunch of work, but well worth the efforts. Do you have a place to do it inside and heated? I just finished up completely redoing my 268DA and I'm sure glad I did it. The classics are worth restoring and you will have a better boat for it. Even better than what Sea Ray produced.

With your rig, the trick will be accessing everything. Mine was wide open and easy to access the transom, stringers and all other supports. What you are finding is very typical.

Here are some finish pics of my rebuild. I did something different with mine by venting and draining the stringers. No more rot EVER. I purchased small dock box vents and placed them on the sides of the stringers, then drilled large drain holes in the back. If you look closely you will see them on the port side photo:

Anyway, I can walk you through the materials and little tricks to getting the job done and done right. Don't be overwhelmed, it's really not that bad of a project and it's worth it when you are done.

I've read through your thread on the work you've done, it's VERY impressive to say the least!

I'm not intimidated by the project, and I'd actually enjoy it. I'd like mine to be done like yours so it's NEVER an issue again. My biggest issue is time, I'm in the middle of restoring a 68 GTO and spring will be here really soon. But the thought of boat shopping in the spring is not something I want to do. I'm talking to a few local guys about hiring them to do the work in my shop and under my supervision. I'm going to pull the drive and engine so I can dig deeper into it and see just how bad it really is.

Does the deck have to come out on my boat to get to the stringers?

 

[270win]

I do have a shop...two of them actually, where I can work on the boat inside...it can be done, it's just timing.

 

[Getaway]

Not sure if your deck would have to come off or not. It depends on how far forward you have moisture. You probably won't know until you remove the motor and start taking stuff out and poking around.
I know the guys doing the work will want plenty of room to maneuver around in there. They won't be happy in tight quarters.

I did the same thing you will be doing. I was uncomfortable plunging into this deal without any experience behind me so I hired a very experienced guy to do the work. Now, after watching and helping some, I feel comfortable enough that I could do it myself.

One word of advice, pick one of your shops where you don't mind a heavy coat of fiberglass dust on everything. This is a messy job with lots of grinding involved. Your shop will be completely coated with a thick layer of white nasty dust. Also, get those vacuum bags that go inside of your shop vac. I've filled 5 of them with fiberglass dust and sawdust over the life of this project. If you can, even run the vacuum (or put an air filter) in the area where they are grinding away. It will at least collect some of the dust while they are working.