1973 SRV 240 Repower/Restoration. Moving Forward Again.

Well I am feeling g a bit better today. So when we got home we got the last of the ice out of the bilge area. Glad that's gone. And the floor is dry too. So I started poking around some on the floor. Now I know the transom is roten, is there is a chance the floor survived? Please... It's mine. Nothing can go easy for me. No way this was gonna be easy. So a checked what I could and determined that the floor and stringers are gonna have to be replaced. I was worried that the foam would be waterlogged and heavy. Well, now I have a good excuse to replace that huh? But that was what I expected anyway. And I have seen videos of people who bought much nicer boats and still needed to do the same thing. So I have the same junk for way less.

But when I was poking around in the cabin I found something disturbing. The good news is the rot stops just past the step down into the cabin. And I was under the impression that this boat had a step down pump. She has 2 thru hulls in the bow. One from the sink drain, the other must be the step down pump. Well I was right. There is one. And I found it. The odd thing is why. I posed that question. On this thread. http://clubsearay.com/showthread.php/64886-Bulkhead-Between-Gas-Tank-And-Cabin

The step to get into the cabin is a half rotten piece of plywood with no glass on it. Below that is a 5" X 5" hole full of ice and the top of the Rule step down pump. But there is no bulkhead between the gas tank and the cabin. The other pump and hose is the fresh water supply to the galley sink.



Closer look.



I don't even see where there was a bulkhead. It this tank leaks, gasoline and fumes would just go right into the cabin. If the bulkhead goes forward of the pumps access hole, then the gas could leak into the bilge below the cabin. It should be just in front of the tank right? I see no signs of where there ever was one
One more picture to put it in perspective.



I have the heater chewing on the ice now. More to come once I get the thing thawed.
 
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Looks like someone may have removed it, probably rotted, but odd that it would not be replaced. :huh:
Nice thing about the work you are doing is that there is always room for design improvement when rebuilding.
 
KC_Sundancer said:
Looks like someone may have removed it, probably rotted, but odd that it would not be replaced. :huh:
Nice thing about the work you are doing is that there is always room for design improvement when rebuilding.
Click to expand...

That's true, I still can't believe Sea Ray failed in something so basic. I figured out how she is designed. It was simple once I got all the ice out.

Here is how I thawed it.



Somebody had their skill - less hands in here. See the foam looking stuff in front of and under the tank. It's not foam. That's poorly applied glass matting. I could do better drunk and on rough water. Piss poor job. And I'll bet that is where the bulkhead belongs. That's where it's gonna be.



That sump turns out NOT to be an access to the bottom of the boat. But just a sump for the cabin floor.



There are weep holes to drain the elevated head floor onto the cabin floor as well as the anchor locker to drain onto the cabin floor. Under the cabin floor which is completely sealed is the main bilge. Above that the step down pump is to handle.



I would like to start pulling the gas tank out today. But I am still feeling g the effects of my week + long cold and have a clutch pivot to replace on my F250. Not sure how I break stuff like that but that life in Steve's World. Maybe I'll get to it. I will try.
 
Someone was obviously messing around down there by the looks of the very neat and professional fiberglass work. :smt101 (sarcasm)
 
Saverio said:
you might want to add a second float switch attached to a buzzer for high water alarm
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I never thought of a high water alarm but a float switch for the pump itself. I have a small pump and float switch that I bought for a little Glastron I junked and never got to use. I was thinking of using that down here and a much bigger bilge pump under the engine. I was looking at one with a float switch inside it.

I will think about the high water alarm. Perhaps in the bilge under the engine, maybe under with the step down pump too. Tied together. Do you have one and how are they set up?
 
My boat is a little bigger and I have several pumps My bilge has two forward and two aft. U should have a sump which is the lowest part of your bilge. A few inches above that you can mount a float switch one side connected directly to the battery and not to an on off battery selector switch. The on their wire from switch can go to a second pump or a buzzer mounted by the helm with a light. I keep my boat in the water almost all year long and I'm like a panicky Pete and always worried about taking on water.

The reason for buzzer if ur under way and a hose lets go and filling your bilge ur aware of it. During the summer I want to install crash pumps. I have several thru hull fittings Two of them feed the engine for cooling. The hose that feeds the engine you cut it and install a tee fitting and a valve with a hose. This hose lays on the bottom of the bilge. In worst case scenario that ur taking on water and the pumps can't keep up you close the Thru hull and open the line in bilge and let the engines help pump out the water.

Hope this helps

Saverio
 
Saverio said:
During the summer I want to install crash pumps. I have several thru hull fittings Two of them feed the engine for cooling. The hose that feeds the engine you cut it and install a tee fitting and a valve with a hose. This hose lays on the bottom of the bilge. In worst case scenario that ur taking on water and the pumps can't keep up you close the Thru hull and open the line in bilge and let the engines help pump out the water.
Hope this helps

Saverio
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Nice option to have rigged up but keep in mind this is not possible with engine and drive combinations that do not have an engine mounted, belt driven pump.
If you plan on throwing a Mercruiser Bravo Drive on her you could run this set-up.
 
Yup. I have straight inboards and plenty of room. This is the first boat that I owed that had twins that if I drop something I can actually see it and get it. I can stand in my bilge in between my motors.
 
I wouldn't be able to get the engines to pull bilge water out. The stern drive pumps it in and the engine's water pump circulates it. But the high water alarm idea I do like especially if we get caught off guard sleeping.
 
Yes I realize that I was just saying for my self a future project. I also have a rule automatic pump I'm installing that runs on on 110v ac that will work when I'm on shore power.
 
Very NIce! The tent was a great idea-always nice to work in the warmth when you can, especially during the winter. Now that you are getting the inside thawed and dried out, you will be able to really assess what areas require the most work and formulate a plan to repair it better than new. As Sundancer was commenting, this is a great chance to make some effective improvements on some of the factory shortcomings. Keep after it, you're doing great.
 
Charlene and I have discussed at length without a solid consensus on what the deck will look like when we are done. I do want to do some fishing with it. I am not wanting to go all carpet. Also I do not like the slotted teak center of the deck, but it would make washing the deck floor off easier so I am thinking of leaving it and using snap in or some other type of removable carpeting.
But yes, now she is a blank slate. Just have to figure out what we want and where.
 
Ok, update time on the old 240 known around here as Stugots. Today the project was to remove the gas tank so I can take it to be cleaned, inspected and repaired if necessary. We took plenty of pictures as we went. This is how things went today.

First I vacuumed all the remaining trash up off of the deck. I found a old box full of windshield wiper blades for the boat. How many did the previous owner think he needed?


Also a bit off topic this was still hooked up inside. It is interesting to say the least. Some of you old timers probably used one. I kinda have an idea what it is but not entirely sure. And no, I have no idea if it works.



The speaker is still there over the cabin. I took the picture through the port windshield.



So now that I got the vacuuming done. This is the teak slatted center floor on the deck of the boat. Underneath this is the 70 gallon gas tank. The idea here is that water from swimmers and such would make its way thru this teak and go onto a board above the gas tank and drain into the bilge just in front of the engine.



The view from the cabin back to the stern. Notice the port side is very low. This is not supposed to be.



This is with the teak slats removed and all the trash vacuumed up. The teak slats just lift out. Note the teak boards still there. They stay. This way the slats don't move around. The 3rd one is not there. It meets the engine cover and I still have it. It just fell off since the wood it goes into rotted away. But now you can see the water trough to the bilge.



The teak slats are in good shape but need to be refinished. The wood below that is a bit old and not at all waterproofed. It came out easy.



That water trough wood was held up by the 2 long pieces of aluminum above the sides of the gas tank. Now that the wood is gone, you can see the gas tank.



This is the stern side of the tank. The little line is the tanks gas supply line to the engine. When I was cleaning the top off with the vacuume I scrapped up some rust. When I did I smelled the old rotten gasoline smell. I think she would have been leaking up there at least. The reason I bring this up is this boat and many of yours out there is 41 years old and the gas tanks are steel. Don't be surprised if they rust and leak. It's not like they are easy to inspect.



This is the front of the tank. More rust. Note the sending unit is in the front too.




The tank is held in place by these 4 tabs and lag bolted into the stringer.





A bit of a learning curve for me here too. You. Ant just cut the gas fill hose with a utility knife. It is steel lined inside the rubber. This must be original. If not I think the previous owner would have used a garden hose or something along that line:lol:



So I removed the clamps that attach the gas fill hose to the pipe that runs below the deck from the gas fill cap. I tru to tug on it. (Not sure why as the other had to be cut off). But when I pulled on it the aluminum pipe broke off right at the stringer. Oops. I think it was junk already.



To my surprise again I found these two black tube in the gas fill line.




This is the end of them. I assume they are to help vent the tank when filling. If they are for any other reason please tell me.



This is what was left of the aluminum pipe.



A look at the pipe left in the stringer.



Charlene thinks the look on my face was priceless.



Now as I look at this I just can't believe Sea Ray did this. It had to be the previous owned. Threaded end instead of a hose nipple?



Remember the question of where is the bulkhead? Here you can see where it was cut out. I had bashed out the crappy glass work and found this.



So now the fun part begins. The prying and prodding the old tank out. She was sitting in stryofoam. Both sides and underneath. The stryofoam was a little wet. We started heating the boat when it was about 12 outside. It got warm in the boat but not the bottom of the tank. Still cold and frozen. So she fought me for some time. I was using two crowbars. One long and the other short. I had to be careful to get the tank at the edge where there would be strength. Also not too much force. Not sure if I could poke thru the hull. Wasn't about to try and find out.







:smt021:smt021:smt021:smt021



But once I started prying on the front she did move a tiny amount.



Eventually it came up enough to get some boards under it. You must hold the one side up before prying on the other. She was see-sawing until I did.



As you can see. Persistence is paying off. She's almost out.





Out it came! Hurry up Charlene and take the picture. Its heavy!



I think I may have found Jimmy Hoffa. They put his coffin in my boat....:smt043



The hole where the tank was.



We perched the heavy tank on a pipe and the long (now bent) crowbar over the hole. She is just too heavy to move tonight with the boat the boat in the shop and close to a '63 Thunderbird.



Tomorrow I will pull the boat forward and see about using my cherry picker to help with getting it out. Either way we are done for tonight and I am happy to have gotten more done on her





Oh, and the tarp and heaters idea works well. You see how I am dressed. When we finished it was 5 outside.
 
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Thats A LOT of work! Been there and done that on my previous boat. If I can suggest, replace that steel tank with a new aluminum tank, you won't regret it. You'll never get that old rusty one to seal and last.
Replace that fuel fill hose with a new one rated for ethenol. On my old boat, I was able to run the fill hose all the way from the tank to the deck fill without using any aluminum pipe. See what you can do in that area. That pipe is probablly corroded inside and will contaminate your fuel.

Look carefully at the stringers and the 'floor' of the tank compartment for rot. I ended up replacing all the wood aft of the cabin door when I redid my old boat. Its a big job but makes the boat stronger. Check the floatation foam too, its probabbly soaking wet. Did it out and pitch it. Replace with two part expanding foam. I have advise for that but I'll wait til you're ready for that.

Keep on ripping and tearing and you'll have her like new in no time.


That old Ray Jeff VHF sure brings back memories from when I was a kid. They used to be a good name in marine electronics. A friend of my dad had a full set of Ray Jeff electronics on his boat back in the '70s including a radio direction finder, a big deal then. Most of the old names of boats and components I remember from boating with my dad seem to be gone now. Pierce Simpson radios, Ray Jefferson electronics. And the boats, Owens, Broadwater, and Richadson, all gone now.
Sorry for the hijack, just that old Ray Jeff brought back some fond memories.
 
Man that's some work!! I don't think I'm that ambitious but looks like you are up to the challenge. I replaced my fuel lines last summer. The "new" gas had them dried out real bad. Here's a note to all us classic owners. Check your old fuel lines and replace them with the new synthetics. It's a job but better than burning the boat down or worse an explosion.
 
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Awesome update Steve, thanx. I sometimes wonder how you find the energy and motivation to take on a project like this and hold down your own transport job and business at the same time. It must be in your bones because from this end of the continent it looks like there are a fair number of reasonably priced boats in the east that are still in fairly good shape. AND you mentioned a '63 Bird, And you maintain your own rig, AND you wrench the pickup truck too!!!!!!!! :smt101 Do you sleep?
 
SCORPIO said:
That old Ray Jeff VHF sure brings back memories from when I was a kid. They used to be a good name in marine electronics. A friend of my dad had a full set of Ray Jeff electronics on his boat back in the '70s including a radio direction finder, a big deal then. Most of the old names of boats and components I remember from boating with my dad seem to be gone now. Pierce Simpson radios, Ray Jefferson electronics. And the boats, Owens, Broadwater, and Richadson, all gone now.
Sorry for the hijack, just that old Ray Jeff brought back some fond memories.
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No hijack, that's why I mentioned it. I'm actually curious about it. I am aware it's outdated and stuff but heck, the boat is a 73. I don't know if it works anymore. Even if it did, would it be practical to try to use and hold onto the 70s thing. I just don't like the look of the speaker on the cabin top.
As for the gas tank it sure does look like this one is scrap. The bottom is rusted worse than the top. I will send it to Pickerts Radiator here in town. They do tanks also. If this one is in fact junk, then I will just replace it. But to be honest, it sure looks that way. I am hoping they can make a new one. If not who makes a same as original size custom rempacement?

as for the floor and stringers, the top of the stringers are rotten as well as the floor. The foam has got to be soaked as well so we are gonna replace the floor, stringers and foam as soon as the weather breaks around here. Too cold to work the fiberglass. I can heat the shop but it is still a non insulated pole barn so it will never see 50 when it is 5 outside. We plan on staying busy on smaller things until then.

Now, yes I do sleep. And now that the boat project has started to move, I sleep better. True I am very busy. But I enjoy working with my hands. Some things out of necessity, others for the attempt to live on my terms and not the banks chasing monthly payments. I would rather build my own anyway. It makes it your own. I am a fan of the metal fabricator and motorcycle builder Jesse James of West Coast Choppers. Even though I do not own a bike and do not identify as a "biker" I am a customizer at heart. "Built Not Bought" is my motto here to the extent I can. Believe it or not a cook can understand me best. To make things from scratch and turn simple ingredients into a wonderful meal. Then watch the family enjoy that meal. It's kinda the same thing.

Today is Sunday Am. The job at hand now is to get the heavy coffin gas tank out of the boat. Clean the inside of the boat. Then now that I finally have the right throw out bearing, get the clutch done on the 75 Ford as I aimed to do last time.
 
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