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Ongoing ProgressClick on the buttons below to get the updates for those two weeks. ( I'll put the newest information near the top of the
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May 30, 2008 6:20 PM Trailer is Now Mostly Finished
This week I have been mostly working on the trailer. Other then the
carpeting that is needed to cover the wood for cushioning and protecting
the boat wood. Craig, who we bought the trailer did most of the work, he
re-built it from stem to stern, he even painted it the right color for us.
Thx Craig. after getting it home, we (I) added some diamond plate to the
fenders and up front. Then I added a wood cat walk and completed the brake
system. Just for giggles, I also polished the upright supports.
The wooden blocks you see attached to the bunk rails are to help support
the canted airtrap, sponsons and to help protect the wood on the other
sponson from any exposed metal after having to move the right bunk in
several inches because of narrowing airtrap. When the trailer is tilted it
requires a little extra support to keep if from wanting to slide off the
trailer. You can see from my sponson template that it should be a nice
tight fit. When the boat is laying flat, it is no problem, we just don't
want it to slide off while cruising down the highways and by-ways.
Tomorrow the longer push rods should be here. If they work as I hope they
will, the trailer and engine will be on the most part complete. If the
longer length push rods work as hoped, I will be able to clay the
clearance between the piston and open valves. If it has at least
.050" clearance, I can finish assembling the engine and put it on the
back shelf until installed back into the boat.
Upon finishing the wiring, plumbing and fuel system, the final engine test
can be done. Much like testing the brand new 787, one can't start the
engine until all other support systems have checked off as meeting our
(my) minimum standard.
Only the boat (which was the actual project) is left to me done. I'm
sanding the center section and getting ready to add new wood to the engine
rail to make them look as good as brand new. After the new wood is added,
a couple of coats of sealer epoxy will be laid down - then the decking can
be started.
I added something blue and something old to the trailer. The "N-22
225 Hydro" is all we have left of a license plate frame we used to
have yrs ago. At the bottom of the license frame, it used to also say
"Bob & Kathy Boat". The "Coeur d'Alene" logo is
something from my Uncle Elmer's estate. He would of been very interested
in the project, so I thought it would be fun to show where we are from and
something from my uncle.
The vintage stickers are from Doug Whitley, our region 10 vintage
director. Thx Doug. I asked if he would mind sending me a couple extra so
that I could dress up the trailer a little. It will show our Vintage Logo
while trucking down the highway and when we are showing the boat at static
displays - and with the price of gas, we maybe doing more static displays
from the shop.....
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May 23, 2008 4:02 PM It Floats
Well kinda sorta. After I finished indexing the engine (finding TDC of
cylinder #1) and then marking the flywheel with 0 degrees, 35 degrees, 38
degrees and 40 degrees. I installed the flotation foam.
One head is now torgued down - can't do the other one until I
playdough the piston to valve clearance and that can't be done until the
new longer push rods arrive.
If this engine runs and keeps running, it will be a miracle. Nothing and I
mean nothing is configured as original (or our other V6 for that matter).
Per a very respected region 10 inspector, we added nuts to our freshly
installed steering turnbuckles. It took me four stores to find one that
had left hand nuts. It takes two left hand nuts and two right hand nuts to
lock down the turnbuckles. I still need to safety wire the turnbuckles.
That will have to wait until I get a coat of sealer down inside that
portion of the boat. It is so cool to have so many friends helping me do
it correctly before we bring it to the first race - THX Bill.
Now back to the foam. We removed all the original foam to inspect the
wood, and then finding it to be near perfect, I wasn't going to re-install
the floatation. But the better half suggested in a polite quiet way, that
it would be a good idea to at least add something back for floatation - no
sense spending all this money and have it sink to the bottom of the river
to never be seen again - thx Kath - good idea. Two gallons of foam
will support approximately 1600 lbs of dead weight (considering that wood
will mostly float and fiberglass has neutral buoyancy). We didn't add back
as much foam as originally installed, but we added to the area where the
heaviest weight is (engine area).
I built several dams to keep the foam from flowing into adjacent frame
cells. It worked almost flawlessly, until the very last frame cell was
being poured - the damn dam broke and required more clean up then the
others. On the most part I think it worked and we are one step closer to
decking.
I still have to finish sealing the new wood installed on the sponsons and
SAND the center section - build the new engine stringer dress up wood.
After they are built and installed the engine stringer will look NEW
again. YIPPEE!!!!!! Then we can deck.
When you mix the foam it expands 25% and fills the cavity with sealed
foam.
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Pour in the mixture
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Mix the two substances together
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then ... watch it GROW!
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May 20, 2008 4:46 PM Oh My Gosh
For the last two or three days I have been trying to build the steering
system. When the boat returned to us, it didn't have a rudder, a steering
wheel, any pulley's or cables. In a pictured called "ORIGINAL
STEERING SYSTEM", is all I had to go by to build the complete
steering system. That picture was taken in 1981 and doesn't have very much
detail.
Now, I'm no engineer, but I'm beginning to think I just might become a
wanta be engineer. The pulley's are aircraft grade, the cable is
3/16" stainless steel cable. All the aluminum brackets are 6061 T6
aluminum. I think we have doubled the strength of the entire steering
system and that is a good thing. The last thing you want is turn the
steering wheel and still be going straight or go around backwards at 110
MPH.
Don helped us figure out how to drill the big steering quadrant that
sits on top of the rudder and how to lock down the cable so that it
DOESN'T move while going fast and turning left. Thx Don.
The rudder was purchased through Rod Bourke after he upgraded his rudder
system. I cut the aluminum brackets and kinda sorta figured out where they
went. Tested the steering to see if when you turned the steering wheel to
the left, the rudder turns in the correct direction - it did, but I didn't
like the sound I was hearing (the cable wasn't aligned correctly enough
and the cable was grinding within the pulley). I took the whole pulley
system apart and reconfigured it. This time it quietly pulled the cables
and turned the rudder.
I haven't safety wired the turn buckles yet, but will tomorrow.
I took the cables up to our local NAPA store and a friend that works there
helped me swage the cables onto two of the connectors. He didn't charge me
anything for swaging those two cable connectors. I made the other four
swaging with a special tool. You can see I wrapped electrical tape around
the cable ends. I have learned over the years and the hard way that your
hand will find those sharp stainless ends if you don't wrap them
with something.
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Original Steering
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New Steering
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May 17, 2008 Vintage Show
We have GOLD, N-22 sticker on the tongue and now I have added our APBA
Vintage sticker on our trailer fender. Looks pretty spiffy - I think.
I only have one, but have asked the powers to be if I can get another one
- otherwise, I will just wait until next yrs renewal and get the second
one with our 2009 cards.
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May 16, 2008 4:52 PM Trailer 95% Ready
Today I pretty much finished the trailer. The only thing left is to build
the two wood bunks for the boat to sit on.
I added two walking platforms, one that is diamond plate up front and one
that is wood for when the boat is down level, that way we can work on it
and get up onto the deck. Without this walking platform, it is a LONG way
to the ground.
Also today I finished adding the diamond plate to the other trailer
fender. Between what Craig did, what his Dad did and what I have done, the
trailer looks like it will work GREAT to get N-22 to the races.
Now, back to work on the boat and engine. I also enclosed a before
picture.
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Before Craig & his dad restored it
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Before Craig & his dad restored it
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After Bob fixed it up
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After Bob fixed it up
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After Bob fixed it up
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After Bob fixed it up
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May 15, 2008 7:21 PM Another Boring Day
Another boring day at the Bolam household - NOT!!!!!!!!!
Bottling season started down at the winery (http://www.cdacellars.com/).
Today we bottled, 259 cases of 2007 L’Artist, 380 cases of 2007
Chardonnay, 430 cases of 2007 Viognier, 245 cases of 2007 No. 6 White.
After I finished my stint, I made a quick trip to Forrest Steel and
picked up some aluminum diamond plate for the fenders and a short walkway
on the downside of the trailer.
If we are VERY careful, I think the trailer will be excellent when tilted for
towing and excellent when lowered to work on.
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Bolam's Express - Ongoing Progress
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