A Florida based 1987 390 Express Restoration

Re: A Florida based 1987 390 Express Restoration - New Canvas

Been busy. We moved to the Pensacola area, changed jobs/contracts 4 times :smt101

Managed to find time to rebuild the 454 in my Sea Ray, bearings were gone, darn gas motors! :smt043

Trying to to get back to central FL. Bays up here are kinda boring, not salty enough for me either.

-BL
 
Re: A Florida based 1987 390 Express Restoration - New Canvas

BLmicro said:
Been busy. We moved to the Pensacola area, changed jobs/contracts 4 times :smt101

Managed to find time to rebuild the 454 in my Sea Ray, bearings were gone, darn gas motors! :smt043

Trying to to get back to central FL. Bays up here are kinda boring, not salty enough for me either.

-BL
Click to expand...


You need to come to St Augustine and ride the finished product
 
Re: A Florida based 1987 390 Express Restoration - New Canvas

Thought you'd never ask! :grin:

I'm all over FL these days, we'll find the time soon.

-BL
 
Awesome thread... Thanks for spending the time putting this up. In the hour I just spent looking at the posts, you have answered a few of my nagging leak questions already.

I just started my second restoration project... a 1986 390 Sport Fish.. Cat 3208's, but boy oh boy does this one need a ton of work. I will be posting pictures and questions.... So I thank you all in advance for the help.
 
Al

Looking to mount a new swim platform on back of my 390 Sport fish. I recall (somewhere in my crazy brain) you mentioning you wanted to raise yours? How high did you go?
Also before I place final order, does anyone have the measurements of their platforms off of their 390. I was planning on going with a 182" x 30" made out of king starboard ( http://www.marineplasticfab.com/swim-platforms.html ). Any opinions?

As always thanks everyone for the help.
 
pallelui said:
Al

Looking to mount a new swim platform on back of my 390 Sport fish. I recall (somewhere in my crazy brain) you mentioning you wanted to raise yours? How high did you go?
Also before I place final order, does anyone have the measurements of their platforms off of their 390. I was planning on going with a 182" x 30" made out of king starboard ( http://www.marineplasticfab.com/swim-platforms.html ). Any opinions?

As always thanks everyone for the help.
Click to expand...

I have not raised mine yet. I have two big heavy 3208 CAT diesels so the stern is quite low. Waterline comes half way up the exhaust ports. I intend to raise it 3 to 4 inches. Probably within an inch below the transom door. See photos here: http://www.stroboflash.com/SearayProject/

I got my platform from SwimPlatfoms.com. It is the width of the boat x 43". It is all fiberglass and custom made to fit the boat. It ran about $5,000 delivered to Florida from Arizona. We love it. It is like having a back porch!
 
Thanks for the info, I too have the Cat 3208TA's and a Westerbeke Gen.. I sit low as well, which brings up another question, I sit about 5 degrees off center to port, odd... but I will ask that question later...

I chose the Marine Plastics platform for this project mostly due to the fact that the warehouse is 20 miles from me and I can work in the shop to customize it. Bringing the cost sans shipping to under $2000.

Do you happen to remember the camber offset for the transom? I believe it is 2 1/2 inches, but I am not near the boat for a few days, to go confirm them.




Dr MicroChip said:
I have not raised mine yet. I have two big heavy 3208 CAT diesels so the stern is quite low. Waterline comes half way up the exhaust ports. I intend to raise it 3 to 4 inches. Probably within an inch below the transom door. See photos here: http://www.stroboflash.com/SearayProject/

I got my platform from SwimPlatfoms.com. It is the width of the boat x 43". It is all fiberglass and custom made to fit the boat. It ran about $5,000 delivered to Florida from Arizona. We love it. It is like having a back porch!
Click to expand...
 
First off let me say I'm a big fan of your build and all the work that went into it. I have an older Sea Ray and want to upgrade the A/C controls to digital but I had a quick question. Why did you keep the old dial controls? with the digital controls and relay switching the compressor on and off what is the need to have the old controls in place?
 
pallelui said:
Thanks for the info, I too have the Cat 3208TA's and a Westerbeke Gen.. I sit low as well, which brings up another question, I sit about 5 degrees off center to port, odd... but I will ask that question later...

I chose the Marine Plastics platform for this project mostly due to the fact that the warehouse is 20 miles from me and I can work in the shop to customize it. Bringing the cost sans shipping to under $2000.

Do you happen to remember the camber offset for the transom? I believe it is 2 1/2 inches, but I am not near the boat for a few days, to go confirm them.
Click to expand...

At some point I measured the transom offset but I did not record it.
 
Overpowered said:
First off let me say I'm a big fan of your build and all the work that went into it. I have an older Sea Ray and want to upgrade the A/C controls to digital but I had a quick question. Why did you keep the old dial controls? with the digital controls and relay switching the compressor on and off what is the need to have the old controls in place?
Click to expand...

My digital thermostats only turn the compressor on and off based on temp set. The old controls do the OFF - START - RUN functions and control the heat pump crossover valve (Hot - Cool knob) to switch from heat to cool. In cooling season I turn the old tstat to full cool and my digital tstat to cooling mode. In heat season I set the old TStat to full heat and the digital control to heat mode. It is a little more complex but the parts only cost about 25 bucks compared to $400 for new control panel.
 
I just changed my (4) 1-1/2" Duckbill valves today. They were in pretty bad shape, but were still working at the end of last season. The winter layover dried them out and finished them off. They were 6 years old, so I did well to have them last that long. Now the pump won't shut off, so i will have to have a peek at the pressure switch as everything else is okay.
 
Are you sure you have them facing the right direction, dont ask why I ask :smt021
 
electricaldoctor said:
I just changed my (4) 1-1/2" Duckbill valves today. They were in pretty bad shape, but were still working at the end of last season. The winter layover dried them out and finished them off. They were 6 years old, so I did well to have them last that long. Now the pump won't shut off, so i will have to have a peek at the pressure switch as everything else is okay.
Click to expand...

Well it is actually a vacuum switch on the end of the vacuum tank next to the AC under the saloon couch and it has a small rubber membrane that will also dry out and crack over the years so it it wise to order a new one and replace it as it really cannot be repaired unless you happen to have a piece of reinforced rubber to replace the membrane like I did. I would not recommend for those that are faint of heart.

Doc
 
Not my first duckbill rodeo, but I appreciate the advice as others can certainly learn from it. They are all pointed towards the back of the boat. My pump healed itself and saved me that job. I was not looking forward to it as Sea Ray has the switch end of the accumulator tank jammed up tight to the ER bulkhead. After leaving it off for a few hours, it decided to shut off on its own and all is well again in 390 land.
 
electricaldoctor said:
Not my first duckbill rodeo, but I appreciate the advice as others can certainly learn from it. They are all pointed towards the back of the boat. My pump healed itself and saved me that job. I was not looking forward to it as Sea Ray has the switch end of the accumulator tank jammed up tight to the ER bulkhead. After leaving it off for a few hours, it decided to shut off on its own and all is well again in 390 land.
Click to expand...

Ahhh. You are an experienced Quacker!
 
I bought a new 16,000 BTU heat pump this winter to replace my original aft unit. That happens next w/e. I finally say adios to the old 3-knobber control. I will take some pics as I go. I also replaced the defective AC pump relay circuit board under the salon steps and now my pump does not run 24/7.
 
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