Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife

[65Bowrider]

Dave,
I like your wind chimes!
The non-skid turned out vey well and I like the stripping ... Gives it a very classic look.
Awesome job ...

[Blue_Heron]

Thanks, Carla.

I've been working on putting the shiny black parts back together. I'll post some pics as I get them done. Ran into a problem with the u-bolt in the gimbal ring and had to start over after ordering a new one. Had to do a little improvising on tools, too.

There are a lot of specialty tools required to work on marine engines and drives. Some are must-haves, like the hinge pin tool for removing the hinge pins from the Mercruiser Bravo bell housing. It does the job and only costs about 15 bucks, so it’s a no-brainer that you’re going to buy one if you’re going to do your own work.

On the other hand, there are some tools that you just can’t talk yourself into buying. For removing the upper swivel pin bushing from the Bravo transom assembly, the Mercruiser manual lists a part number for a blind bushing removal tool. The part number is for a Snap on set that has different heads for different size bushings, and it only cost $450. I needed to remove the bushing, but I just couldn’t throw $450 at a tool I’ll only use once in ten years. So I put my thinking cap on.

My first attempt at a blind bushing remover was a dismal failure. I cut it out of thin SS plate and it crumpled when I put a load on it. Here’s what it looked like before I killed it.



After two attempts with the stainless failed, I decided to go with some ¼” steel plate. Using the same shape as the stainless prototype, I cut a stouter piece.



Once I slipped a shim into the groove in the tool, it gripped the bushing and out it came.





I love it when a plan comes together.

Dave

[McGillicuddy]

If necessity is the mother of invention, then 450 clams is the fertilizer. WTG Dave! The old timer I seek Merc advice from does the same thing - said he makes most of his own specialty tools for the same reason - silly pricing. The coupler alignment tool is a classic example:90 clams from merc or 15 bucks of cold steel and a lathe, or $29 from heartland on ebay...
Carry on skipper, it's a pleasure to watch your progress and learn, even from afar.
Merry Christmas.
McG

[wtenglish]

Nice job!

[Blue_Heron]

Thanks for the comments Gillie and Will,

Originally Posted by McGillicuddy

... or 15 bucks of cold steel and a lathe, or $29 from heartland on ebay...

Yep. My alignment tool, gimbal bearing tool, hinge pin tool, etc. all came from Heartland.

I got the gimbal ring and steering arm back together on the gimbal housing last night. Hopefully, I can have the rest of the transom assembly back together and mounted on the transom in the coming days.
Dave

[Blue_Heron]

Ok, it’s time to catch up. The following pics were taken over the last three weeks, but things have sort of come together, so it’s time to post.

I hit a couple glitches reassembling my shiny black parts. First, the u-bolt for the gimbal ring, then a couple o-rings for the outdrive. I got those parts this week, so things are starting to come together. First, I got the outdrive put back together.



While I was waiting on the gimbal ring u-bolt, I drilled the transom for the gimbal housing. The motor I bought came with an installation manual and a template for the transom, which made re-drilling the holes a lot easier.





I overdrilled the holes and filled them with thickened epoxy when I was working on the transom. I must have put the template in the right place, because all the drill shavings were epoxy. Hard stuff.

I forgot to take pics of the transom assembly as I put it back together. I got as far as re-installing the wire harnesses for the trim limit switch and trim sender and realized that the insulation was dry rotted. I ordered the new parts today and when they come in next week, I’ll be able to install the bell housing. I put about $350 worth of new parts in the transom assembly. Gimbal bearing, seals, bushings, bellows, etc, etc. The single most expensive part was this fancy new stainless steel upper swivel pin. Even at $175, it was considerably less than the OEM part. Hopefully, it will last longer than the last one.



I went ahead and mounted the transom assembly on the boat. I can install the bell housing just as easily on the boat as off. Although you can’t see it in this pic, I also replaced the gimbal housing anode with a Mercathode thingy. Technology is cool.



And once the transom assembly was back in place, the Y-pipe was next.



I’ve got to locate the through bolts for the swim platform brackets before I mount anything else on the inner transom so I don’t mount something in conflict. But having the transom assembly in place allows me to locate some rigging tubes and plumbing without having to worry about conflicts, so that’s probably what I’ll work on next.

Tomorrow, I'll be putting in time in Santa's work shop, but I've got Monday and Tuesday off, so hopefully, I can get some more boat time in.

Dave

[Islandtrader]

Looking good...

[SBD]

All that PM should make things much more reliable once you're done. Looks killer.

[strick]

Keep at it Bro....they never called me back about the glass....I think it's Lexan or Luan because the "Tap" is definitely different then the tempered.

strick

[kerneltugboat]

Looking good, I got an update on the notch, my friend seems to remember it was because of a pulley, but I have a hard time believing it. He was going to take some pics, but I have not seen them yet. I also mentioned it to my marine mechanic and he remembers having to do it on a 23 SC he did as well, but does not remember why! Maybe you will be OK with the 25 but be careful dropping it in, and keep a close eye on the drain plug, because that is where I think the issue is.

Good Luck,

Dan