16' EBKO Monte Carlo boat rebuild

[Wolvenar]

I know this isn't exactly alt power, but maybe you guys will have ideas what and where alt energies can get incorporated.

Ok about a year ago I picked up a 14' rowboat that was, well , way past what normally is considered repairable.
http://www.anotherpower.com/board/index.php/topic,18.0.html



After that I had the bug

I picked up this boat


But as good as it looks here, it is really in need of a LOT of work, its missing all of its trimming, lights, consoles, controls, and has all the seats CUT out as well as the consoles, and a few mounts for different things. They also just cut into it to get to cables to remove them.
SO these are holes to repair, and ALL mechanical workings are missing.

Besides, I am not much of a bass boat fan.

So while searching out parts, I came across a boat where initially I was thinking about using for parts, as it had a lot to offer.
But as I was driving home to get a trailer ( that in itself is a rather long messy story) I was going through trying to work out how much work it would be to salvage the parts, and how to use them, if they would work.

The entire time I had a time crunch while I initially looked it over, but on the 45 min trip home for the trailer, I started thinking about how nice that boat really was, and how I liked it MUCH better than a bass boat.
I was in fact astounded that I didn't realize earlier that this was the boat I had been searching for for years!

Well I didnt/dont have a boat trailer large enough to handle hauling this down the road, so I started hooking up the cars trailer, only to find it had 2 of 4 tires slashed, and someone had been trying to take an axle OFF the trailer it appears. Of course no cameras where its parked, a problem that has now been rectified.  So I start calling around to friends, most were not home, and others have similar issues of disrepair. Well this means extra cost, and a trip to the rental shop.

$37 in trailer rental, and $30 in gas later I have this home.


Yeah Ill get better pics of it soon I promise.

Continues soon..

[Wolvenar]

On  a temp trailer.



All vinyl is in need of replacement, but should make it for this year.
It will give me a small project for next year.





ALL wood in this boat needs replacing





Basically everything in this boat is in bad shape.
Back of fuel tank


Someones idea of a repair, putting a piece of plywood over the rotten floor and access panel, over carpet and all.

[Wolvenar]

Picked up an inboard-outboard setup from a donor boat (20' Mark Twain)


The stern drive, a 1976 mc-1 (pre-alpha)


The motor 1976 Mercruiser 888
Which is basically a Ford 302, with 351w heads, and 351w cam from a truck or rv
Rochester 2-GC carb
Customized  for Marine distributer, cooling systems and manifolds
(Sorry messy shop as always)

Having a hard time with this motor though. It's caused me all sorts of hell.
The starter was stuck, the carb was corroded and all butterflys were stuck/frozen.
The centripical advanced distributer was stuck and points corroded.
The block was cracked, but I had a replacement. which afterword I dropped the one I replaced on my foot.  .
Now working through timing issues, been trying to put it off, but I might need to take it partically back apart. It looks like I might not have the cam timing right.

In IRC we started talking about possibly setting this up as a propane powered boat.
Working out the numbers, it would not have a great run time per 40lb tank, but for my needs it would work fine.

The properties of propane in this application are.
There is no trouble of varnishing tank and parts in the long winters we have.
The fuel stores essentially as long as I would ever need it to.
The oil would likely last much longer.
Oil changes are never to much fun in this kind of boat.
Simplicity in carberation, with nearly the gains of EFI, without the complexity and troubles.

Predicted drawbacks are:
A minimal loss of power. This setup is overpowered in this boat so maybe not a noticed drawback.
Cost of fuel is a bit higher
tank options and space are limited, as well as fuel capacity.
Loss of Coast Guard certification, but not enforced to any real degree where I live.


Anyone have any other pros/cons to propane conversion?
Also i would like to document here what that conversion would take.

[oztules]

The only real problem with bottle gas and boats.... is that the gas is heavier than air, and tends to lay in the sump..... having been blown out of a boat with that kind of build up of petrol was enough for me to take this seriously.


This can be overcome by using hydrogen i suppose, but that brings about a whole new raft of problems... like keeping it in the bottle and expense.

Getting your propane out of the bottle may be a problem for you folk that live in the frozen wastes of America


.......................oztules

[MadScientist267]

'Da *hell* you doing with my van, son? LOL 

I'm gonna be watching this one closely... not because I think you're gonna do anything to that Astro, but because if you do end up doing a propane conversion, I'm gonna want some details... You got the gears turning, you see, and now its almost as if there's some kind of sign or something...

Steve

[bj]

   On your propane question Wolv----the power loss is about 11%, all other things equal.
You can gain some of it back by raising the compression.  If memory serves, propane can
support around 12 to 1.
   On any engines that work hard, on propane, I always recommend stellite valve seats. In general,
marine engines work pretty hard compared to their road cousins.
  Also have to say that I have never built a propane marine engine though.
  Just some early morning thoughts.  Good luck either way.

[Wolvenar]

Oz , its good you brought that up. I've been thinking about that some.
In some ways it will be somewhat safer from what I can gather.
Propane has a smaller range of air fuel ratio that its ignitable.
I am not sure about in other parts of the world but. here all consumer grade propane has a rotten sulpher smell added to it over here. Its VERY noticeable, but clears quickly. so a repaired leak does not generally  have a strong  lasting scent to cover up an immediate problem, with exception of any place that gets little airflow, and is bathed in the gas a long time.

I have also been looking into safety valves that in cases of a large leak or pressure differencials, in the line the safety valve will shut down the flow. Though this wont address slow leaks, its at least part of the solution.

An additional fan piped to the bilge would likely also help.
With the normal timer lockout before the starter is allowed to enguage this addresses the gas easier than is gasoline had leaked into the bilg area The fan can pump a gas but not a liquid.

[Wolvenar]

Also Ross and Kurt had addressed the vaporization troubles.
Maybe they can elaborate so I get this info documented.


Hydrogen would be awsome, but the tank, metering etc in the boat would be pretty spendy.
5he only real benefit would be if I could compress to the pressures useable.. and again very spendy stuff. otherwise would be RE capable.

[Wolvenar]

dropping some pics from  my phone of some of the works done.. not all up to date images.. will edit post to explain later

[Wolvenar]

I see I have to do a lot of updates to this thread.
For now I will just do the latest update.

This project has taken a lot longer to finish than I hoped.
I can never find enough time, and when I might, I rather go fishing in my last project boat or such.

Engine is now running, floor is finished along with most wood work short of the engine compartment.
Today I fit/cut the carpet, with one small mistake. but one thats easily remedied.



A few thing like the seats will be put back in as is for this year for financial and time reasons.. but next year I hope to get them replaced.

[bj]

  It's come a long way Wolv, and looking good.