1988 Malibu Skier...not every boat should be saved.

[chasetepher]

1 hour ago, Rack said:

Your Are Brave Man. 

I will join the Rest of the crew and wait for next season and new episodes of " Saving the 88 skier"

Keep us posted

 

 

 

Brave or dumb, we're not sure yet :P 

I enjoy making videos of projects like this so maybe I'll find some time soon to make a quick episode.

[Michigan boarder]

Pics for reference when I pulled my engine.  The HF hoist that I borrowed would not span far enough so I had a small extension made up.  Also, doing that put too much weight (by just barely) on the end so I loaded it up with some spare lift truck forks that we had laying around.  I think we've both been referencing the same safety manual...

Honestly - it's really, really easy to do.  You will more than make up for the time spent on pulling it.

 

[chasetepher]

2 hours ago, Michigan boarder said:

Pics for reference when I pulled my engine.  The HF hoist that I borrowed would not span far enough so I had a small extension made up.  Also, doing that put too much weight (by just barely) on the end so I loaded it up with some spare lift truck forks that we had laying around.  I think we've both been referencing the same safety manual...

Honestly - it's really, really easy to do.  You will more than make up for the time spent on pulling it.

 

 

 

 

 

Ok that's farkin amazing. The extension, the forklift tine counterweight. 100%. As long as you were wearing your safety squints the whole time and keeping no more than two extremities under the load at one time, I'm sure it was fine.

[chasetepher]

Finally got a small break from class to look at this thing. I was kind of hoping I'd come back to it and find somebody had just done the work for me. Hasn't seemed to happen that way.

I used an oscillating tool and a sledge to remove the starboard outside stringer. What a disaster. 

Then I decided to pop open the stringer ahead of the motor. Glad I did, as this is what I found.

I've seen compost with more structure than that.

I stopped here for the night, having found mostly good wood on either side, and having accidentally cut through that aluminum reinforcement plate that runs along the motor stringers...whoops.

Edited February 16, 2022 by chasetepher
I still don't know my ports from my starboards

[german88]

What a hot mess!  I'm rooting from the PNW. Keep it up. 

[Woodski]

@chasetepher - The Echelon is a 90" beam, Skier IIRC is more like 85" and if trailer similar, a standard Harbor Freight cherry picker should just make it without forklift parts:-)  You'll still need to pop off the trailer wheel.

[BlindSquirrel]

Don’t forget the box on the side of the boat like @EchelonMike put down for protection if the engine falls. 

[chasetepher]

10 hours ago, german88 said:

What a hot mess!  I'm rooting from the PNW. Keep it up. 

Thanks German. It's a disaster, but with its current condition, anything I do to it is an improvement. Hence, hard to screw up.

1 hour ago, Woodski said:

@chasetepher - The Echelon is a 90" beam, Skier IIRC is more like 85" and if trailer similar, a standard Harbor Freight cherry picker should just make it without forklift parts:-)  You'll still need to pop off the trailer wheel.

That's news you can use! I'm still going round and round trying to find a way to use my two post lift for this project...

31 minutes ago, BlindSquirrel said:

Don’t forget the box on the side of the boat like @EchelonMike put down for protection if the engine falls. 

I reckon that box is more structural sound than most of this vessel though...

[martinarcher]

2 hours ago, chasetepher said:

Thanks German. It's a disaster, but with its current condition, anything I do to it is an improvement. Hence, hard to screw up.

That's news you can use! I'm still going round and round trying to find a way to use my two post lift for this project...

I reckon that box is more structural sound than most of this vessel though...

I've got a MPI 350 that's going to get swapped into my Sunsetter this spring and I've got to figure out a way to use my two post lift too.  It just seams wrong/stupid not to.    So far the best I can figure is a beam across the top of the towers with one of those electric winches bolted to it.  My towers are 12' 6" so I'd have plenty of height to the beam across the top.  

[EchelonMike]

11 hours ago, BlindSquirrel said:

Don’t forget the box on the side of the boat like @EchelonMike put down for protection if the engine falls. 

I think you wanted to reference @Michigan boarder, but I am fully supportive of the heavy cardboard protection he used and could tell nothing would go wrong in that photo.  :-)

I do like the Harbor Freight lift.  Worked great for my Mustang build!

[justgary]

52 minutes ago, EchelonMike said:

I think you wanted to reference @Michigan boarder, but I am fully supportive of the heavy cardboard protection he used and could tell nothing would go wrong in that photo.  :-)

I do like the Harbor Freight lift.  Worked great for my Mustang build!

You lifted that engine by the scruff of the neck!

[LateNightSalami]

@EchelonMike Did you really put an old boat engine in a car? That is soooooooo cool!

[chasetepher]

10 hours ago, martinarcher said:

I've got a MPI 350 that's going to get swapped into my Sunsetter this spring and I've got to figure out a way to use my two post lift too.  It just seams wrong/stupid not to.    So far the best I can figure is a beam across the top of the towers with one of those electric winches bolted to it.  My towers are 12' 6" so I'd have plenty of height to the beam across the top.  

Exactly. I spent enough time and money getting my lift setup, it needs to be something besides a permanent aerial home for my 240 project.

[EchelonMike]

7 hours ago, LateNightSalami said:

@EchelonMike Did you really put an old boat engine in a car? That is soooooooo cool!

No, it's a roller cam 306 cube Small Block Ford.

[Michigan boarder]

On 2/16/2022 at 8:47 PM, BlindSquirrel said:

Don’t forget the box on the side of the boat like @EchelonMike put down for protection if the engine falls. 

Guys it was marine grade.  The good stuff.

[justgary]

5 hours ago, Michigan boarder said:

Guys it was marine grade.  The good stuff.

Last time I priced that stuff it was $10 per square foot!

[martinarcher]

12 minutes ago, justgary said:

Last time I priced that stuff it was $10 per square foot!

That's one of the perks of a Prime membership....marine grade cardboard boxes.    

[chasetepher]

I found another afternoon to work on this turd. My plan was to pull the motor so that I could access the borked starter and more easily do the stringers and such. But as I was prepping the boat, I noticed something odd...

Apparently pulling all the floors and foam out of this boat and having one flat tire resulted in a perfectly balanced trailer. Thought that was funny.

I didn't have any forklift tines so two 45lb plates had to work.

Got it out without tearing up the walls too much, a little bit of marine grade cardboard would have been nice but we survived.

Still not convinced this is any better...

Boy was I surprised when I looked in the boat and found that these were still in there. Some moran broke off multiple bolts from the trans mounts to the trans so who knows how long the whole setup was flopping around in there with the transmission not held down. 

 

uggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh why

[UWSkier]

The exhaust tube patch kit is a lovely touch.

[chasetepher]

2 hours ago, UWSkier said:

The exhaust tube patch kit is a lovely touch.

Lol is that not factory? No clue what's going on there.

 

Also, does anybody know if I can put a standard SBC starter on here? Not sure if the Mercruiser starter is different.

[Woodski]

@chasetepher - Noooo!!!  Starter, distributor, alternator are actually marine specific.  Basically the difference is the electrical components have spark guards so you don't twist the key and go Boom!  Cars naturally vent the engine compartment, boats don't hence the difference.  The blower is used to purge the stagnant air out of the bilge before you twist the key.  

Also, make sure you get all the tools, parts, hardware out of the hull before you cover it up.  Would be a bummer to hear a wrench or socket rolling around after you launch and can't get at it  

Edited March 15, 2022 by Woodski

[Michigan boarder]

On 3/14/2022 at 3:09 PM, chasetepher said:

I found another afternoon to work on this turd. My plan was to pull the motor so that I could access the borked starter and more easily do the stringers and such. But as I was prepping the boat, I noticed something odd...

Apparently pulling all the floors and foam out of this boat and having one flat tire resulted in a perfectly balanced trailer. Thought that was funny.

I didn't have any forklift tines so two 45lb plates had to work.

Got it out without tearing up the walls too much, a little bit of marine grade cardboard would have been nice but we survived.

Still not convinced this is any better...

Boy was I surprised when I looked in the boat and found that these were still in there. Some moran broke off multiple bolts from the trans mounts to the trans so who knows how long the whole setup was flopping around in there with the transmission not held down. 

 

uggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh why

See, aren't you glad you pulled that engine?  Where you're at now actually doesn't look all that bad, it's going to be easy to fix with some time and patience.

[Bozboat]

41 minutes ago, Michigan boarder said:

See, aren't you glad you pulled that engine?  Where you're at now actually doesn't look all that bad, it's going to be easy to fix with some time and patience.

Pulling the engine provides major talking points from that point on.  It’s kind of like being able to say “frame off restoration” although I have not performed a frame off restoration. 

Edited March 16, 2022 by Bozboat

[shawndoggy]

Am I the only one who really really really wants to fly out and shop vac all the leaves and debris out of there? It’s makin me crazy!

[Rack]

Great Job,

We can now see a light at the end of the tunnel,  Albeit faint