1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 refit

[rsmith]

Where are you sourcing SS pipe straps?

 

[q240z]

Awesome work! Noticed your screen name. 240z guy? That's my other passion.

Yup. I've got a 1972 240z convertible that I've owned since 1984. It was a gorgeous car back in 1992, but then I left it with my brother while I went abroad for a while. Now it's totally disassembled on a rotisserie in the garage. 3.1l L28 is rebuilt and ready to go back in. G-nose with the OEM headlight covers is sitting on a shelf screaming at me to install them.

"Priorities" lol

 

[q240z]

Where are you sourcing SS pipe straps?

My garage.

They start out as scrap pieces of 1/16" 316 angle I've got laying around. I'll have a few pix of how I make them in the post for the return manifold that I'm working on now.

 

[Timeless72]

Yup. I've got a 1972 240z convertible that I've owned since 1984. It was a gorgeous car back in 1992, but then I left it with my brother while I went abroad for a while. Now it's totally disassembled on a rotisserie in the garage. 3.1l L28 is rebuilt and ready to go back in. G-nose with the OEM headlight covers is sitting on a shelf screaming at me to install them.

"Priorities" lol

Right on! I have a '72. Dream car since a little kid. Sadly, not enough time to enjoy but love to stand and stare. Good luck with everything. Can't wait to see this old beauty back in the water.

 

[q240z]

Here's the only pic I can find of mine. I think it's from ~1990. IIRC, it looked lots better once I installed the bumpers.

 

[Timeless72]

That is wild! Reminds me of the second gen RX-7 from that angle. Anyway, keep up the good fight on your boat. Can't wait to see more pics.

 

[q240z]

I rehabbed the OEM engine room vent fan over several years and recently installed it. On a diesel boat the vent fan isn't necessary, as it is on gas boats, but the fan and hose were getting in my way so I decided to just install them. I upgraded the fan by making a nitrile-isolated hanger strap out of some 316 stainless I had laying around. I also repurposed one the of the hose clamps (also rubber-isolated) from the twin turbo and intercooled Super Seamaster gas engines that the boat was repowered with back in 1972. The clamp holds the strap to the motor, and the strap attaches to the cabinet framing overhead. So instead of having all that motor weight hanging off the plastic flange, like Chris Craft did (which broke), it's all nicely supported now. And the warning label on the repurposed clamp is a cool little Easter Egg: "MAINTAIN ALL 12 TURBO HOSE CLAMPS AT 6-8 FT. LBS. TORQUE. DO NOT OVERTORQUE."

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Engine Room Vent Fan

Cheers,
Q

Before

After

 

[jim rosenthal]

Where did you buy the industrial vent hose? I have some ideas for that.

Also do you know Agee (? spelling) the Datsun guy in Northern VA? Friend of mine works in his shop occasionally.

 

[q240z]

I don't know anybody named Agee, and I haven't really been involved with Datsun stuff since I started my Chris Craft addiction.

My spreadsheet indicates I got the hose on ebay. Looks like it might be Duravent 0212-0300-0001, though that costs 10x what I paid for this one.

 

[jim rosenthal]

Thanks!

 

[q240z]

I got back on the fuel system next. I assembled the fuel filter assemblies, then attached them to the manifold. They turned out real nice. This is good progress toward splashing the boat, which I hope will happen before November. New management at the marina just bumped yard rental 33%!


1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Fuel Filters


Cheers,
Q

 

[q240z]

Where did you buy the industrial vent hose? I have some ideas for that.

Hey Jim. Flagship sells fiberglass reinforced duct hose for a lot less than what they're asking on ebay: https://flagshipmarine.com/product/flexible-duct-various-sizes-2/

 

[jim rosenthal]

Thank you again.

 

[Captain Ralph]

I got back on the fuel system next. I assembled the fuel filter assemblies, then attached them to the manifold.

I worry about the lack of support holding up those fuel filters. When full of fuel, that's a few pounds shaking around out there.
I do luv all those shinny fittings and valves.

 

[q240z]

In a previous life, I was a homebrewer. But I only ever had a single tap. These manifolds are much more complicated!

As far as support for the fuel filters, Tony Athens over at Seaboard Marine has tips and tricks articles on multi-filter setups he's installed that includes numerous examples like mine. When there's room and it makes sense to install them on a bulkhead, he uses brackets and bolts on all of the filter heads. But in other situations, like mine (where bulkhead space is limited), he uses bolts to attach the secondary filter head, with the primary filter attached with a close nipple just like I did. I'm pretty sure the 1/4-20 machine screws and close nipples don't much notice a few extra pounds.

Also, in Tony's examples he uses hose at the filter inlet while I'll be using stainless tubing. The rigid tubing will offer some additional support at the end of the primary filter head inlet.

Anyway, with the supply manifold and fuel filters done, next I bent a long stretch of 3/8" 304 stainless tubing to supply fuel from the manifold to the forward fuel tank. Rather than drilling more holes in the exterior and installing another fuel fill, I decided to just use tubing internal to the boat and fill the forward tank from fuel in the aft main tanks.

One question I still wonder about is how pros straighten coiled stainless tubing? Even the 3/8" tubing is impossible for me to straighten out like it was never coiled. I get it close, then use rubber-isolated p-clamps to hold the tubing in position and straightened out. If anybody has tips and tricks for straightening coiled tubing, I'd appreciate hearing about it.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Installing the Forward Fuel Tank Supply Line

Cheers,
Q

 

[q240z]

In my quest to splash the boat before the end of boating season 2022, I'm wailing away on the fuel system for the main engines. I recently got the 304 stainless fuel return lines installed, connecting the bulkhead fittings to the on-engine hoses. Bending the tubing has given me great respect for the artisan skills of guys who do this for a living.


1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Bending & Installing Main Engine Fuel Return Tubing


Cheers,
Q

 

[whoover]

Q you need a guy that was in the electrical construction trade, they are masters at bending conduit. Boiler makers are pretty good too!

 

[q240z]

Too late, whoover! The tubing's already bent!

Q

 

[rsmith]

What did you use on the stainless threads? We did a lot of work in the chemical industry always had problems with sealing SS pipe threads. It was a problem with the threads galling from what I remember.

 

[q240z]

Depending on the application, I use TefGel mostly for nuts and bolts and Gasoila for pipe fittings. Both contain teflon.