new member + new project = needs advice

[uberjosh]

hi my name is josh i have been watching this forum for a couple of days and have gained greatley from it so fist off thanks in advance.
so i bought a 77 thunderbolt 17' jet boat and was not aware of how much of a project it was i am currently replacing the stringer and floor so any tips would be greatley apreciated. i will post lots of pics but my first question is after removing the bump rail i saw some seperaition, is this normal or should i run screaming and what can i do to correct it ? again thanks for all advise and i will add to the forum dailey with questions and pics. also my boat only has one stringer, should there be two or is one sufficiant. also if anyone wants a berkeley jetstep i've got one for sale its the last pic

[Jetaholic]

Hey there. I noticed when the guys doing my hull work pulled off my bump rail that there was some seperation. I'm not sure if this would be considered "normal" or if there is a way to correct it, but I can find out for ya tomorrow.
As far as the stringers...I've never seen a boat with just 1 stringer. Usually the motor is mounted between 2 stringers and the motor mounts bolt to the stringers. I would go with 2 myself. You could even make them run the full length of the boat. A little harder to build your interior around them, but it will strengthen the hull some.
And welcome to the boards! Make sure if you go in the sandbar to consult your psychotherapist and see if he recommends against going there. LOL

[uberjosh]

jetaholic thanks i have 1 stringer from the tip of the bow to the front of the engine i guess you could say and from there i have 2 stringers that the engine mounts are bolted to also i only have the two side motor mounts. No front or rear plates is that a bad idea or will it be fine? oh and jetaholic one more thing im from auberry its nice to see someone from that area

[YeLLowBoaT]

its not to hard to fix the deck and hul coming apart, but it will require you to crawl in there. I'm in fair oaks, so if you need any thing Give me buzz.

[uberjosh]

awesome, thank you its not so bad in there i was in there all day today its was days like this im glad im skinnier than paris hilton(see pic)

[YeLLowBoaT]

<< twig 6' 125lbs, Anything you need just ask. Ive got some left over glass your more then welcome too.

[LakesOnly]

Uberjet,
Get out from under that project before it eats up three to four times more money than it will be worth when you are done.
Just trying to help,
LO

[Jetaholic]

You know, I thought I was crazy for starting a project of this nature. Until I found that unlike cars, for some reason lots of people like building/rebuilding worn out old boats. Just something about 'em.

[Jetaholic]

Uberjosh, check your PM.

[Jetaholic]

jetaholic thanks i have 1 stringer from the tip of the bow to the front of the engine i guess you could say and from there i have 2 stringers that the engine mounts are bolted to also i only have the two side motor mounts. No front or rear plates is that a bad idea or will it be fine? oh and jetaholic one more thing im from auberry its nice to see someone from that area
Yeah you're talking about the stringer that runs underneath the false floor from the bow to the bilge. In that case 1 is all you need. Then the 2 that surround the bilge.
Jon

[uberjosh]

yellow boat i might take you up on that maybee sometime i could pick your brain about the boat over a beer (ill buy) i have more questions than i can type and if you ever need any metal fab work let me know i will hook you up we also have a full machine shop if you need something
oh and about the money thing i paid 1300 for it and ran it 9 times this year so far gps at 62mph and if you think that things a money pit you should see my 64 nova or my 65 lincoln. i like it that way.

[Jetaholic]

Which lake do you usually run on, Millerton or Shaver?
I use Millerton as my "test & tune" lake since it's closer. The launch fee sucks there though. But I mostly run on Pine Flat. I have a place up there.

[nubble94]

Josh
I recentley finished doing to a 72 Marlin, what you are about to dive into. When I pulled my bumb rail off I had seperation also. Every bit of wood was mush. From the keel up. My top bow stinger was broken and the transom was all totally rotted out. Being the nieve (about fiber glass boats) but industrious type, I decided that seperating the top from the hull was the only way to fix it right. Get your self an airsaw. The small blades are great for cutting glass.
When you open up anything like the keel or stingers, try to just cut out the top glass covering. The old glass form creates a jig to keep the hull from warping to much and aslo creates a form for the new wood. Just clean it out real good and set the new wood down into the old laminate. Cut and trim until the new wood sits down level with old laminate glass. Do your home work on using Resins and Glass Mat/Cloth. Brush on allot of resin to both the wood and the form. When you set the wood in, clamp the sides together to force the resin together. Be prepared to pour resin into gaps. Use only non-wax resin for this, in case you need to refill gaps after the initial setting cures and later when putting in the floor. You won't have to deal with the wax. After your happy with the way things look, you can cap the top with a heavy matt. I used stainless steel staples to hold the mat in place while working the resin into the top.
If you are taking the top off and replacing the floor, don't do the floor or keel until you get the top back on. The hull will sag outward without the top and placing the floor before the top may cause the hull to warp to much creating a mess trying to get the top to line up right. I luckily did the floor after reattaching the top and reliased after what I had adverted.
If your pulling the top off, use cargo straps and strips of plywood the get the top and hull to mate together. I tripple layered my top and hull with a heavy weave cloth tape. When I put my bump rail back on, I apprecitated the extra thick area to screw through. I used flat washers behind the rail to spread the tourge out.
When I replaced the transom, I did a one piece unit. The original was two pieces. This was tricky because I had the make and set the transom inplace before putting the top back on. Just use lots of resin and screws to pull it together. Holes are easy to fill later on.
Anyway good luck on your project and any advice is yours for the asking.
He is a smart man who only gets a pennies change on his two cents worth!

[Goad]

ooo....fun....wood rot......
I've been spending the last few days yanking the transom out of a '69 wriedt stinger.....
that single stringer thing is pretty odd to me....wonder how the motor mounts to it :confused:
heres a picture and link of the fun I've been having...
http://www.socaljetboats.com/index.php?topic=11.0
http://www.socaljetboats.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10002/IMG_0754.jpg

[Jetaholic]

It actually has 2 stringers surrounding the bilge. The one he was talking about was the one that runs underneath the false floor.

[Goad]

It actually has 2 stringers surrounding the bilge. The one he was talking about was the one that runs underneath the false floor.
ahhh, ok, that makes more sense...

[old rigger]

uberjosh,
judging by the pictures you posted, I doubt that the hull and deck are seperating, unless you can actually take your hand and squeeze the the 2 pieces and make the seam get smaller.
Crappy seams like that were run of the mill for most boat shops back in the day. Think about it, if someone ground the lip on the hull too low, like they did on your boat, you then couldn't push down on the deck to make the seam thinner. If you did then you'd have a big dip in the deck that'd look like shit. The lines of the deck must remain true, like the 2 on your boat above the seam. That's why they kept making the trim wider and wider, to cover big ugly seams. :)
The hull and deck are held together with tape, usually, until the inside is bonded with glass.
http://www.***boat.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=20091

[nubble94]

That transom pic brings back memories. Mine looked just as bad, only problem was when I cleaned out the transom wood I discovered that the engine stingers where rotted also. I could scoop the wood out with a spoon. Fiber glass is Amazing stuff. Held that 455 in place all by itself.

[Goad]

That transom pic brings back memories. Mine looked just as bad, only problem was when I cleaned out the transom wood I discovered that the engine stingers where rotted also. I could scoop the wood out with a spoon. Fiber glass is Amazing stuff. Held that 455 in place all by itself.
now that makes me wonder....I have never even looked at the wood under the fiberglass on the stringers.....
i hope I dont have the replace those as well :cry:

[uberjosh]

old rigger thanks i was worried about it i will just use a bump rail that will cover the gap
about the transom its new and so is the wood supporting the engine but what do you think about the lack of a front or rear engine mount plate do you think i will be ok with just the side motor mounts?
also do i need a 10 quart oil pan or is the six quart sufficiant. thanks again and i will get more pics up tonight
later

[beerjet]

Nice ass there sweetheart ! :D
http://www.***boat.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=20099
Looks like you got yourself quite a project . Welcome to the boards , feel free to ask even the dumbest question . I'm bound to learn something from it . There is quite a bit of termanology you need to learn to get it together properly . We are here to help ........ I think. :idea:
-beerjet-

[Goad]

Nice ass there sweetheart ! :D
-beerjet-
Don't mind beerjet, hes the resident ass man.

[beerjet]

Don't mind beerjet, hes the resident ass man.
What makes you think that.:wink:
Lets stay focused people . The guy needs help and that's what I'm here for.
I think.:idea:
-beerjet-

[OverKill]

Well lets not get this guy on the wrong course then. You know they don't call me OverKill for nothing, he has one stringer lets put one on each side of that and call it three. I think that would be the attention to detail type custom glass job. not to mention one strong water craft.

[old rigger]

about the transom its new and so is the wood supporting the engine but what do you think about the lack of a front or rear engine mount plate do you think i will be ok with just the side motor mounts?
also do i need a 10 quart oil pan or is the six quart sufficiant. thanks again and i will get more pics up tonight
later
uberjosh,
the wood in the transom doesn't support anything in a jet, many buiders didn't put any wood there at all.
Might be easier if you post some picture of your hardware so we can see what kind of mounts you're talking about. Your foot pedel is a Nicson brand, they were about the best made back in the day when compared to some of the other crap that was built by others for the average ski boat builder, maybe your mounts are Nicsons too. :)
Always go for the bigger oil pan in a jet boat if you can spend the extra cash.

[uberjosh]

i had thought about adding stringers to the sides of the one in there now but i will deal with that later, The motor mounts are nickson's and nice one's i will get some pics up asap thanks guys
later

[Jetaholic]

i had thought about adding stringers to the sides of the one in there now but i will deal with that later, The motor mounts are nickson's and nice one's i will get some pics up asap thanks guys
later
OK, r u Uberjosh or r u Later? lol j/k
:)

[Goad]

uberjosh,
the wood in the transom doesn't support anything in a jet, many buiders didn't put any wood there at all.
sure it does....you can bolt stuff on it like bildge pumps, fuel lines, etc... :crossx:

[uberjosh]

jetaholic the best lakes in your area in my opinion are KIRKOFF and REDDINGER but dont ever tell anyone up there i told you and as far as tge name thing goes im 1fastwhitey to my friends
also do any of you guys run gear drives or should i stick with a double roller and what about a fluiddamper any body using one?

[Jetaholic]

sure it does....you can bolt stuff on it like bildge pumps, fuel lines, etc... :crossx:
Don't forget posters of naked chicks, etc etc:crossx::crossx::crossx:

[uberjosh]

picked up a moroso 10qt and pickup today. thing is awesome i also got a new steering wheel i'll get pics up tonight also got started on 2 new fuel tanks today maken em outta 16 gauge allum. they will fit real nice under the side rail. the guy i bought it from put a 30 gal cell under the bow and that thing sucked and it took up all the room under there.
jetaholic you ever been to reddinger or kirkoff?

[uberjosh]

i have a 12JE pump also with an A impellar and a SE sport edition loader. Is this the weak link in my chain or is this pump an OK platform to build on?

[ironman44bear]

Hey Josh, I also use to live in Auberry.Top of the 4-lanes more like Pineridge. I have been to Redinger many times. Kick Ass Watering Hole nuff said if you know what i mean. Good looking project, I am almost done with replacing all of the wood in my 75 tahiti. It is not that hard just very time consuming.Just keep at it and do all of your research. The guys on these boards are full of knowledge. Don't be afraid to ask ?'s. We are all willing to help out a fellow jetter. Also did you go to sierra ?
Later Ironman

[Jetaholic]

picked up a moroso 10qt and pickup today. thing is awesome i also got a new steering wheel i'll get pics up tonight also got started on 2 new fuel tanks today maken em outta 16 gauge allum. they will fit real nice under the side rail. the guy i bought it from put a 30 gal cell under the bow and that thing sucked and it took up all the room under there.
jetaholic you ever been to reddinger or kirkoff?
Can't say that I have...but there's 2 more lakes for me to check out.

[uberjosh]

ironman i am actually from sacto i moved there in 2001 when i got married my wife grew up there do you know any of the cobb family? my wife's dad actualy ran 109mph on reddinger in his raysoncraft theve been up there forever all those people are nuts they live in 4thousand dollar house's, drive 40thousand dollar trucks and have insano boats. i miss that place.

[uberjosh]

Im looking for an aircleaner or scoop for a single four. preferably to trade, i have some pretty wierd berkeley stuff pm me for details or i would buy it outright
later
the truth is in my fingers(see pic)

[old rigger]

jetaholic the best lakes in your area in my opinion are KIRKOFF and REDDINGER but dont ever tell anyone up there ...
Hey! My wife and I went to Bass lake about a month and a half ago to look at a boat and we stayed at Forks for 3 days just hanging out and checking the area. On the way home we drove to the geographical center of the state and (whoopie) and the same road lead to Reddinger, which we'd never heard of before. Very nice lake. This was on a Sunday 'bout 98 degrees out and there were 2 boats on the water over on the damn side. Made us wish we had bought the boat we looked at just so we could of hit the water. Stopped on the way back to the highway and talked to a guy that had some old car parts, model T stuff, for sale in his front yard and he gave us the scoop on the lake. Very nice, we'll be back next summer. :) Where's Kirkoff?
congrats on the oil pan too.

[roostwear]

i have a 12JE pump also with an A impellar and a SE sport edition loader. Is this the weak link in my chain or is this pump an OK platform to build on?
Depends on where you expect to take it performance-wise. I have an 18' open bow with a 460 and an E pump that does 70 mph. Nothing wild as far as the engine goes, and the pump has an A impeller with a modified ramp loader. It's a 1/4 stringer boat also, so I wouldn't put a ton more power/speed into anyhow. You'll hit a point of diminishing returns real quick with this pump, so consider what you want your boat to be before you get too far into it.

[ironman44bear]

Hey! My wife and I went to Bass lake about a month and a half ago to look at a boat and we stayed at Forks for 3 days just hanging out and checking the area. On the way home we drove to the geographical center of the state and (whoopie) and the same road lead to Reddinger, which we'd never heard of before. Very nice lake. This was on a Sunday 'bout 98 degrees out and there were 2 boats on the water over on the damn side. Made us wish we had bought the boat we looked at just so we could of hit the water. Stopped on the way back to the highway and talked to a guy that had some old car parts, model T stuff, for sale in his front yard and he gave us the scoop on the lake. Very nice, we'll be back next summer. :) Where's Kirkoff?
congrats on the oil pan too.
Kirkoff is on Powerhouse Rd right across from the road that heads to Reddinger you had to have driven right passed it. Not a very deep lake at all . I use to fish and duck hunt in the back corner of Kirkoff years ago.
Ironman

[uberjosh]

here is some pics of my dirty boat before the work and my new wheel. tell me what you think

[uberjosh]

i cant find a scoop anywhere localy does anyone know of a good place to get parts for jetboats in the sacramento area?

[Jetaholic]

CP Performance. They're located in Rohnert Part...just south of Santa Rosa.
Here's their website.
http://www.cpperformance.com

[uberjosh]

hey jetaholic did you get a chance to check out my new wheel
what do you think

[gsb_77_xl]

I think thats a badass steering wheel. Good luck on your project.

[uberjosh]

thanks man i thought enerybody hated it
not that it matters

[YeLLowBoaT]

If your looking for used parts there is ship wreck marine and rancho marine recycling.

[tahitijet]

When i went through my tahiti. all the wood was rotted. Since I was already that far into it I went ahead and added full length stringers, set the pump back and blue printed the bottom. I have alot of power in my boat (way more then the boat was built for) and although no one could really give me a good answer as to exactly how much power a 1/4 stringer boat can handle I didn't want to take a chance with it not being enough or having to redo anything. The work really isn't that hard just time consuming the best advice i have for you is to build it now for your intended use in the future. If you want to go big power later build for it now.

[shaun]

wow, thats one serious stringer thats running up the middle, looks like a 4x4.
Nice project.

[uberjosh]

ok i got a question my stringer is a 2 x 6 11 feet long what kind of hardwood should i use? is poplar hardwood good enough or do i need something more like teak? the reason i ask is poplar will cost me about 60 bucks and teak is 459.00 for a 12 foot piece(wtf) as always all advice and opinions are respectfully apreaciated
later

[YeLLowBoaT]

a good strait piece of "kiln dried" dug fur is fine( no knots). if you can't find some thing that has been kiln dried. you can go to a good lumber yard( not hd or lowes) and get a very dry one from them.
If you can't find a good piece anywhere buy something large and shoot me a PM, you can bring it over and I'll make it perfectly strait and square.

[YeLLowBoaT]

just wondering where did you come up with that price for teak? There are a few hard wood dealers in sac. That price seems alittle high even for teak.

[uberjosh]

well here is some more pics tuesday the new floor and stringer are going in and i can start working on the bottom of the boat. in the third pic it shows some gouges in the front what can i do to fix this, also the bottom rear just before the intake looks cracked but there is no flex and it really seems to be a flaw from the mold i will post pics of that as well but if it is cracked what should i do?

[uberjosh]

do you guys think this could be a crack in the hull?

[nubble94]

Your going to have to pull the engine out of the hull to see how bad that crack is. I would guess that with the weight of the engine just in front of that area is a probable cause. If its cracked through, I would clean it down to the middle glass matt underneath and jig it with a metal brace on the inside, and the glass it in. Then clean and glass the inside. Good luck.
Have you figured out how to flip your boat yet? 2 Engine hoist work great.

[uberjosh]

i pulled the motor about 2 mos ago and couldnt find a crack i would swear its a flaw from the mold cause in person it apears to have a white gelcoat on it (maybee some kind of primer) it kinda looks like just the purple wore off. is that a possibility?

[uberjosh]

this crack thing is making me nervous. is there anyone in the sacto area that wouldnt mind coming buy and taking a look at it. i think the pics make it look worse than it is.
later

[nubble94]

Your going to have to pull the engine out of the hull to see how bad that crack is. If its not all the way through, you have seperation. I would guess that with the weight of the engine just in front of that area is a probable cause. If its cracked through, I would clean it down to the middle glass matt underneath and jig it with a metal brace on the inside, and then glass the bottom back together. Then clean and glass the inside. If its seperated your going to have to cut the entire section out and relaminate it back in. Not an easy thing to do. You can cut with an airgrinder and thin blade. Just cutting the seperated section is not easy. More than likely you'll go straight through. Not a big deal. After you get the section out, clean the entire area real good with Acetone. Prepare to screw through to blocks of wood to pull the piece back in place. Push resin into anything and everything. If the resin oozes out when you scew the piece back in, thats good. Leave it to cure. Remove the screws, fill them with some epoxy putty. Sand and repaint. Good luck.
Have you figured out how to flip your boat yet? 2 Engine hoist work great.

[uberjosh]

thanks nuble i think im pullin the motor again monday night. that sucks
any body know what kind of mounts these are. i was told they were nixons but im not shure

[TRG]

If im not mistaken, i think the crack is nothing more than a seam where the manufacturer places an insert in the mold for that particular style of pump (berkeley JE??)
The only reason why i say this,...when you install a pump (intake) the entry would normaly be white or the color of the intake, the pics you have shown are the same color as the rest of the bottom, wich tells me that it is fiberglass and glitter gel, if that is the case (not a crack and only a "MOLD MARK" i would definitly address that area and at least make a smoother transition into the intake.
Hope this helps, if not, it was only 2 or 3 cents wasted! lol
Good luck with your project! we've all beeen in your shoes!
Feel free to ask questions, checkin's free!
TRG fiberglass
626-991-9031
Shameless spam, i know it!
Todd

[uberjosh]

thanks todd that kinda sounds right and yes it is a 12je the ledge is only about 1/32 of an inch the pictures are zoomed so it looks alot bigger in the pics.
hey should i take the motor out to replace the stringer that runs from the bilge to the bow?

[uberjosh]

i have heard terms like runner bottom and semi v and im not shure what ive got i was told it was a modified hull by a guy that suposedly helped build it back in 77 but im not shure can anyone confirm?

[TRG]

Judging by the pics of your stringer, your thought process is in the right direction!
another way to know if there is any separation at the intake, take some acetone to the inside of the bilge where the seam is, whipe it down thuroughly and you would see some off white or yellow discoloring through the glass (Unles the bilge is color coated), is the keel round or flat (aka delta pad)?
either or you should make the loading area either round keel, like a spoon, or delta pad just a smooth transition, you might find you gain a little performance!
Todd

[uberjosh]

thanks todd there is no seperation that i can find i will try the acetone trick and let yall know also do you recognize what kind of hull i have or have you seen anything similar

[TRG]

No idea!

[old rigger]

looks like a parting line to me from the e pump insert.
your boat bottom is not modified, it's another copy of the tahiti bottom, which is a copy of the old glastron 'aqua lift' bottom introduced in 63 or 64. Just an old round keel bottom, nothing more, nothing less. Best riding, small boat bottom ever made. With that deep entry, it just slices through the rough stuff. Not the happiest boat to be in when the speed gets over 75 or so, but a great family boat. Thousands and thousands of them were made by countless builders, the last being about 1999-2000. :)

[uberjosh]

thanks for the info
hers a pic of the boat as of today we have decided to convert it to a house boat tell me what you think

[old rigger]

thanks for the info
hers a pic of the boat as of today we have decided to convert it to a house boat tell me what you think
looks great. make sure you hang that fockin 'hoodlife' thing off the back of it to.

[uberjosh]

i hung it the day i bought the boat and my wife hates it passionatly but there it will stay. i think it makes a statement about the boat and the owner

[old rigger]

i think it makes a statement about the boat and the owner
yes it does.

[TRG]

But your avitar and "placka" are contradictive??

[uberjosh]

hows that? the hands in my avitar are actualy mine and i do alot of hydraulic work for the local lowrider guys they all cal me whiteboy josh and deep down inside my ghetto side is at the controls and im lovin it. i even gots me a fake tooth
later

[Jetaholic]

...nothing more, nothing less.
3 shall be the number that thou shall count, and the number of the counting shall be 3! :crossx:

[uberjosh]

my wife doesnt see the humor in monty python but since you said that im watchin the holy grail tonite

[squirt'nmyload]

my wife doesnt see the humor in monty python but since you said that im watchin the holy grail tonite
lmao