1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 refit

[jim rosenthal]

Could you hold the blankets in place with SS wire and then wrap the pre-wetted FRP tape around, and use more SS wire to hold it in place while it cured?

[q240z]

Better idea still: forget the hard shell. They look slick and might offer some corrosion benefits in salt environments, but I'm in freshwater. I've gotten enough comments from Inferno Wrap users who report that it still looks great after years of service. So I'll just secure the wrap with stainless straps or wire and call it done. I've wasted enough time on that as is.

In other news, the weather broke for a couple of days that just happened to coincide with free time in my painter's schedule. So we got busy, finished the fairing on the V-berth head, and then sprayed the Awlgrip 545 primer. It turned out really nice. Now we're waiting for another break in the weather that matches my painter's timetable to get the paint done. We're slowly gettin' 'er done.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Priming the V-berth Head

Cheers,
Q

[jim rosenthal]

How's it going, Q? Any news on the project?

[jim rosenthal]

You should charge admission to that head- put, like, a velvet rope in front, and a coin box..... it's going to be beautiful.

[q240z]

Thanks Jim!

Things have been nuts in the Mid-Atlantic region, but I have been making progress on a couple of fronts.

On the truck, it turns out that the shop that rebuilt the transmission used a big hammer on the exhaust system. That seems to have fractured the ceramic matrix inside the catalytic converters, which broke apart over 6 weeks or so of normal driving. The truck was throwing codes but--not realizing the cats had been given the sledge hammer treatment--I assumed I just needed to buy new cats. Once I got new ones and removed the old ones, I found the mess. Most of the ceramic went downstream and blocked the rear catalytic converters. These engines have variable valve timing and can have substantial valve overlap under certain conditions. An exhaust system that gets plugged with ceramic particles creates a situation where the particles can get sucked into the cylinders via the exhaust valves. So I checked compression: ~180psi all down the driver side, 200psi on the rear passenger side and 120psi on the center cylinder. Access is lousy to the front passenger spark plug, but the center cylinder told me what I needed to know. The center cylinder is has the shortest exhaust runner and is closest to the catalytic converter. I believe the ceramic took out the rings. I'll do a leak down test this weekend and then have words with the transmission shop. It sucks not having my truck.

On the boat, I got the heck out of dodge to avoid all of the protest nonsense and got some of my rub rails installed. The boatyard in winter is an island of sanity in a sea of absurdity.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Installing More Stainless Rub Rails

Cheers,
Q

[krush]

120 psi is plenty to run and make bang. Run it.

[q240z]

That is true, but if the ceramic is still in there digging a groove or letting pressure leak past an exhaust valve, it may not stay at 120 for long. Once I do a leakdown test, I plan on filing a claim against the transmission shop. While I was under the truck, I saw that they removed but didn't replace two bolts and the rear seal is leaking.

[SEVEN]

You haven't posted any new photos lately. Looking forward to seeing your advancements.

[Dan Mapes]

I agree. This distraction with the truck is slowing this down.

[q240z]

It took half of a Friday, all day Saturday and half of Sunday to get those rub rails in. 18' worth of stainless steel noodle, wiggling around inches away from a paint job that I don't even want to think about the cost, with sticky sealant and a half dozen screw holes that stripped out...and all you guys have to say is 'hurry it up!'

Man...tough crowd. lol