jigngrub
Well-known member
Where did you get those rivets KK?
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'89 Tracker Pro 17 Investigation (lots of pics to come)
- Thread starter kofkorn
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I cut out the main deck this morning, using the original as a guide. I took out the hole in the center of the board and added a few drain holes at the back of the deck. My thought was that the water is always going to run to the edges and towards the back and never in the center of the deck.
I got the first coat applied to the top of the decking. It's like trying to spread Elmer's glue, but I'm sure that it will protect the wood well. It looks like I should have enough to give two good generous coats with the amount I've got. As I expected, it's going to take a good long while to dry off. I'm going to see if I can get a hold of a kerosene heater to warm up the garage a bit and speed up the drying time.
I've been playing around with the idea of a little extra storage under the front casting deck. The foam under the front casting deck leaves a lot of extra room underneath. It's too tempting
I'm thinking about a small storage box in front of the seat that I can use for a few of my plastic cases and other fishing accessories. I've also thought about a couple of tubes that I can use for rods or maybe I can use the tubes for the navigation light storage and then use the space on the side of the deck for rod storage. That's the one thing that I feel is missing from this boat, rod storage.
Jig, the rivets came from McMaster Carr, which surprises me, as I've always had good experience with their products before. The sealed end rivets are fine and work well, but the open ended ones are a PITA. I might contact them and get my money back. It's not worth the hassle.
On top of that, I got the shortest handled version of long handle rivets I could find. They work well, but even these shorter handles limit where I can put rivets. I really wish I had the money and need for a pneumatic rivet gun
I got the first coat applied to the top of the decking. It's like trying to spread Elmer's glue, but I'm sure that it will protect the wood well. It looks like I should have enough to give two good generous coats with the amount I've got. As I expected, it's going to take a good long while to dry off. I'm going to see if I can get a hold of a kerosene heater to warm up the garage a bit and speed up the drying time.
I've been playing around with the idea of a little extra storage under the front casting deck. The foam under the front casting deck leaves a lot of extra room underneath. It's too tempting
I'm thinking about a small storage box in front of the seat that I can use for a few of my plastic cases and other fishing accessories. I've also thought about a couple of tubes that I can use for rods or maybe I can use the tubes for the navigation light storage and then use the space on the side of the deck for rod storage. That's the one thing that I feel is missing from this boat, rod storage.Jig, the rivets came from McMaster Carr, which surprises me, as I've always had good experience with their products before. The sealed end rivets are fine and work well, but the open ended ones are a PITA. I might contact them and get my money back. It's not worth the hassle.
On top of that, I got the shortest handled version of long handle rivets I could find. They work well, but even these shorter handles limit where I can put rivets. I really wish I had the money and need for a pneumatic rivet gun
Managed to get a couple of more hours in tonight. The epoxy is drying VERY slowly. I set up a Kerosene heater to elevate the temp in the garage, to help it set quicker. I'm hoping to be able to flip it tomorrow and do the first coat on the bottom sides. I am sure that the second coat will take three times as long.
I tackled the livewell this evening. It had a whole bunch of deposits built up over the years and looked pretty cruddy. I first tried the cupped wire brush, and while it cleared off the gunk, it took a really long time. So next I went to some steel wool that I had available. That actually worked pretty well, and was faster than the cupped brush. After a bit, I decided to hit the deposits with some Simple Green cleaner. Wow, what a difference. I was able to spray it on, wait a minute and then wiped everything off with a rag. It took nearly all of the deposits off without any effort.
I also started cutting foam to replace what I took out when I opened everything up. I'll use 2 pieces of 2"x2'x8' insulation under the rear casting deck, plus 1 piece of 1.5" x 2' x 8' for under the two side panels. The PO had replaced the foam under the main deck, so that's going back down.
It feels good to be finally putting things back together
I tackled the livewell this evening. It had a whole bunch of deposits built up over the years and looked pretty cruddy. I first tried the cupped wire brush, and while it cleared off the gunk, it took a really long time. So next I went to some steel wool that I had available. That actually worked pretty well, and was faster than the cupped brush. After a bit, I decided to hit the deposits with some Simple Green cleaner. Wow, what a difference. I was able to spray it on, wait a minute and then wiped everything off with a rag. It took nearly all of the deposits off without any effort.
I also started cutting foam to replace what I took out when I opened everything up. I'll use 2 pieces of 2"x2'x8' insulation under the rear casting deck, plus 1 piece of 1.5" x 2' x 8' for under the two side panels. The PO had replaced the foam under the main deck, so that's going back down.
It feels good to be finally putting things back together
spotco2
Well-known member
Looking good!
A tip for jacking the boat up in the back so you can get to those rivets behind the fenders.
Drop the jack in the front all of the way down, support the transom of the boat and jack the front back up as far as it will go. This will hold the rear of the boat up and push the rear of the trailer down. Just don't forget to chock the tires while the boat is suspended.
If this does not raise it enough, put some support blocks between the bottom of the boat and the bottom bunks to keep the boat up, drop the jack and do it again with taller blocks under the transom.
A tip for jacking the boat up in the back so you can get to those rivets behind the fenders.
Drop the jack in the front all of the way down, support the transom of the boat and jack the front back up as far as it will go. This will hold the rear of the boat up and push the rear of the trailer down. Just don't forget to chock the tires while the boat is suspended.
If this does not raise it enough, put some support blocks between the bottom of the boat and the bottom bunks to keep the boat up, drop the jack and do it again with taller blocks under the transom.
Thanks for the suggestion Spot. I have to put new bunks on the trailer, so I may try to kill two birds with one stone. I'm thinking of taking one of the new bunks, use some floor jacks and lift the entire side of the boat with the new bunk. Then I can set the rivets, and replace the rotted bunks at the same time. Then flip and repeat for the other side. I just got my new bunk slides in today, so I can get to it pretty soon.
I also got my new bow roller in today. The old one looks pretty beat up. I'm thinking of adding another roller near the middle support, as the local ramp here is pretty steep, and the last time I launched it, the keel scraped on the support when I was retrieving.
I flipped the main and casting decks and started epoxying the bottom side. Unfortunately, I don't think I'm going to have enough epoxy to finish the bottom side of the casting deck. Since the bottom side of the casting deck didn't show any evidence of water, I'm going to use a few good coats of polyurethane instead. I can pick it up tomorrow for a heck of a lot less money. I did use the last of the epoxy to do a border around the outside of the casting deck, which is where the vinyl will be attached.
I also set up our kerosene heater to keep the garage a little warmer. The first coat was able to be handled in a little over 24hrs, so it wasn't as bad as I had feared.
I fit all of the foam under the rear casting deck. It went quite well using a handle made for a sawzall blade. There is one small area that needs to be filled with a piece of 1" foam to level the foam.
Finally starting to see some progress in the right direction. I'm looking forward to seeing the final result.
I also got my new bow roller in today. The old one looks pretty beat up. I'm thinking of adding another roller near the middle support, as the local ramp here is pretty steep, and the last time I launched it, the keel scraped on the support when I was retrieving.
I flipped the main and casting decks and started epoxying the bottom side. Unfortunately, I don't think I'm going to have enough epoxy to finish the bottom side of the casting deck. Since the bottom side of the casting deck didn't show any evidence of water, I'm going to use a few good coats of polyurethane instead. I can pick it up tomorrow for a heck of a lot less money. I did use the last of the epoxy to do a border around the outside of the casting deck, which is where the vinyl will be attached.
I also set up our kerosene heater to keep the garage a little warmer. The first coat was able to be handled in a little over 24hrs, so it wasn't as bad as I had feared.
I fit all of the foam under the rear casting deck. It went quite well using a handle made for a sawzall blade. There is one small area that needs to be filled with a piece of 1" foam to level the foam.
Finally starting to see some progress in the right direction. I'm looking forward to seeing the final result.
whistler
Well-known member
kofkorn, The next time (not wishing any bad luck on you) you need to clean something like that live well again you might try a product called CLR. If you're not familiar with it CLR stands for Calcium, Lime, Rust, it removes most deposits from metal surfaces. Just a suggestion might ease the pain.
Thanks for the suggestion Whistler, I was honestly surprised at how easily it cleaned when I hit it with the Simple Green. I've used the CLR in the past, but didn't need it in this case.
I went to Home Depot today and picked up a quart of Spar Urethane. I used that on the bottom side of the casting deck, and I managed to put two solid coats on it today. I'll give it one more tomorrow after it dries.
I used my dremel to clean out the leaking weld. Then I coated it with JB Weld Marine. I'll let that set for the next couple of days.
I'm guessing that it is going to be pretty busy over the next few days. It'll give the epoxy on the decks a good chance to solidify before I start applying the vinyl.
Have a great Turkey Day!
I went to Home Depot today and picked up a quart of Spar Urethane. I used that on the bottom side of the casting deck, and I managed to put two solid coats on it today. I'll give it one more tomorrow after it dries.
I used my dremel to clean out the leaking weld. Then I coated it with JB Weld Marine. I'll let that set for the next couple of days.
I'm guessing that it is going to be pretty busy over the next few days. It'll give the epoxy on the decks a good chance to solidify before I start applying the vinyl.
Have a great Turkey Day!
jigngrub
Well-known member
Looking real good KK!
You may want to sand the epoxy before applying the adhesive for the vinyl to give it some extra grip, I used 120 grit to dull the shine on mine.
You may want to sand the epoxy before applying the adhesive for the vinyl to give it some extra grip, I used 120 grit to dull the shine on mine.
Definitely a good idea. I'll wait until after the holiday, as it's still tacky right now.
Thanks!
Thanks!
It's been a slow few days with the Thanksgiving Holiday and prepping the house for Christmas. I managed to get a little done, but most of my efforts have been to finish up the urethane on the front casting deck and to arrange all of the little details related to the plumbing on the boat.
I ran the new hose for the water pressure gauge from the port on the motor with little problems. I stretched the tubing out for a day or two before running it. It made a world of difference as it was all coiled up in the package. I originally tried to pull it through by using some electrical tape to connect the end of the old hose to the end of the new and pull it through the wiring loom. That really didn't work, so I got out my wiring fish tape and just ran it separate outside of the loom. I'll just snip the old tubing as much as I can to get it out of the way.
I also received in my new livewell drain hose and fill tubing. Now getting this out was a serious challenge. It made me think that my original goal of leaving the foam side compartments in was not so swell. I was able to free both ends of the livewell drain hose by using various tools to remove as much of the foam around the hose as possible. Once I was able to get the ends free, I was figuring that I should be able to apply a bit of force to pull the hose through the opening that was there. This is where working blind really hurt me. I found out (after the fact) that the hose is held in place to two of the frame members by plastic loops. I figured that they placed it in the correct spot and let the expanding foam do its job. So after pulling, wrenching, destroying and scraping my knuckles raw for about a half an hour, I managed to get it free by using my longest sawzall blade with a manual handle and slicing the hose lengthwise. When I did this, I cut through the plastic loops as well. This made it fairly easy to pull the hose through as I was originally intending. Running the new hose was fairly straightforward. I did discover that Tracker used some pretty cheap plastic hose for the drain. The same stuff that is listed online as not to be used for below waterline use.
I also took my palm sander and cleaned up the bilge floor. Again pretty straightforward except for the gunk under the VRO tank. This stuff gummed up my sanding disk quickly, and even after scraping as much as possible with my chisel, it still gummed up another one before it was gone. But it looks pretty nifty right now compared to where it was.
I also put the floor back in place, now that the drain hose was in. This was pretty easy, but aligning the original holes on the second side took a bit of effort. I managed to get all of the original holes re-aligned and riveted. I'm really hoping to not have to drill any new holes, although I know it really wont affect anything.
Over the next few days, I'll be starting the work on the vinyl. I am concerned, as the epoxy still doesn't feel right yet. When I touch it, it still leaves a sticky residue on my hands, I did sand it down (again sacrificing a number of sanding disks), but even then, it feels like a residue is on the surface. If I prep the surface with Acetone, will this remove the residue, or am I looking at a major problem? I certainly don't want to lay down $250 worth of Nautolex to find out that it doesn't adhere to the surface. Any suggestions from the group??
I ran the new hose for the water pressure gauge from the port on the motor with little problems. I stretched the tubing out for a day or two before running it. It made a world of difference as it was all coiled up in the package. I originally tried to pull it through by using some electrical tape to connect the end of the old hose to the end of the new and pull it through the wiring loom. That really didn't work, so I got out my wiring fish tape and just ran it separate outside of the loom. I'll just snip the old tubing as much as I can to get it out of the way.
I also received in my new livewell drain hose and fill tubing. Now getting this out was a serious challenge. It made me think that my original goal of leaving the foam side compartments in was not so swell. I was able to free both ends of the livewell drain hose by using various tools to remove as much of the foam around the hose as possible. Once I was able to get the ends free, I was figuring that I should be able to apply a bit of force to pull the hose through the opening that was there. This is where working blind really hurt me. I found out (after the fact) that the hose is held in place to two of the frame members by plastic loops. I figured that they placed it in the correct spot and let the expanding foam do its job. So after pulling, wrenching, destroying and scraping my knuckles raw for about a half an hour, I managed to get it free by using my longest sawzall blade with a manual handle and slicing the hose lengthwise. When I did this, I cut through the plastic loops as well. This made it fairly easy to pull the hose through as I was originally intending. Running the new hose was fairly straightforward. I did discover that Tracker used some pretty cheap plastic hose for the drain. The same stuff that is listed online as not to be used for below waterline use.
I also took my palm sander and cleaned up the bilge floor. Again pretty straightforward except for the gunk under the VRO tank. This stuff gummed up my sanding disk quickly, and even after scraping as much as possible with my chisel, it still gummed up another one before it was gone. But it looks pretty nifty right now compared to where it was.
I also put the floor back in place, now that the drain hose was in. This was pretty easy, but aligning the original holes on the second side took a bit of effort. I managed to get all of the original holes re-aligned and riveted. I'm really hoping to not have to drill any new holes, although I know it really wont affect anything.
Over the next few days, I'll be starting the work on the vinyl. I am concerned, as the epoxy still doesn't feel right yet. When I touch it, it still leaves a sticky residue on my hands, I did sand it down (again sacrificing a number of sanding disks), but even then, it feels like a residue is on the surface. If I prep the surface with Acetone, will this remove the residue, or am I looking at a major problem? I certainly don't want to lay down $250 worth of Nautolex to find out that it doesn't adhere to the surface. Any suggestions from the group??
I finally got a couple of the last pieces of plumbing in that were holding me up from buttoning up the rear area. In particular, I was having issues with the livewell plumbing. All of my own making of course. I ordered the wrong style of livewell pump, receiving one that attached to a ballcock instead of having a thru-hull fitting. I figured, no problem just get a thru-hull with a pipe fitting on it. Well after a bunch of searching I discovered that there is no such thing. So I settled just getting a thru-hull with a barbed connection and a barbed to NPT fitting to go on the pump itself. So I ordered my parts, got the thru-hull in and it was the wrong size. Who's fault??? Mine, of course. Oh well. All's right now. I just need to tie in the bilge pump to the existing thru-hull and it'll be complete.
So I used the 3M 5200 to seal the thru-hull and livewell drain hose. Man is that nasty stuff. It sticks to everything and does NOT come off. I'm guessing it'll be days before I get it off my hands. But I am sure that anything sealed with that will never leak. After that, I was able to put the entire rear deck back in place.
It's really starting to come back together. I picked up some acetone today to wipe down the epoxy on the plywood sheets. It specifically states on the container that it is an excellent product to use on fiberglass jobs to remove residue. I'm hopeful that it will take care of the residue on the epoxy.
I also picked up a can of pimento red paint that I'm going to use to add some accent colors in various locations around the boat. It should match the new seats well and should dress it up nicely. I'm thinking of doing the two aluminum rails inside the main deck (where the light posts are mounted and near the controls) and maybe the seat mounts. Should be interesting
So I used the 3M 5200 to seal the thru-hull and livewell drain hose. Man is that nasty stuff. It sticks to everything and does NOT come off. I'm guessing it'll be days before I get it off my hands. But I am sure that anything sealed with that will never leak. After that, I was able to put the entire rear deck back in place.
It's really starting to come back together. I picked up some acetone today to wipe down the epoxy on the plywood sheets. It specifically states on the container that it is an excellent product to use on fiberglass jobs to remove residue. I'm hopeful that it will take care of the residue on the epoxy.
I also picked up a can of pimento red paint that I'm going to use to add some accent colors in various locations around the boat. It should match the new seats well and should dress it up nicely. I'm thinking of doing the two aluminum rails inside the main deck (where the light posts are mounted and near the controls) and maybe the seat mounts. Should be interesting
I can't wait to see this thing done. It's really starting to come together. This weekend I did a little painting, and some foam cutting to finish up the floor.
Ever since I got the seats from AHAB, I've been really wondering how to bring some of the color into the boat. The outside has some good looking (Albeit, old) graphics that have multiple shades of red, black and white on it. So I went to Lowes and picked up a can of "Heritage Red" that matched the seats exactly. It matches one of the red shades on the graphics perfectly as well. So I decided to adapt the graphics on outside to the inside of the boat. I took the two aluminum rails that cover the side panels and masked them off for paint. Here is the result:
I thought they came out pretty well. I used the Heritage Red and a satin black together. I also hit the seat bases with the satin black. I think with some stainless screws, these will look really sharp.
I also mixed up a batch of epoxy to coat the little console between the two seats. I coated the light poles at the same time. They were really bad, giving me fiber splinters every time I touched them. I'm not quite as happy how the poles turned out, as there were some small bubbles in the epoxy that didn't come out, but they are functional.
And finally this weekend I finished up the foam in the main deck. The PO had replaced the original foam with some basic Styrofoam. I had some extra of the blue and pink left over, so I decided to use that instead.
The biggest trick with this was managing the wiring harness and cutting the foam to fit. I ended up using some aluminum tape that is used to seal flue pipes. This stuff is REALLY sticky and held the harness in place perfectly. A few cuts in the foam, and everything was all set.
I cleaned the epoxy coatings with acetone this weekend. It really did the trick, getting rid of the tacky feel and really solidifying it up. I've been dragging my feet getting the vinyl started, as I'm not entirely comfortable cutting into the expensive roll, but I really don't have a whole lot left to complete.
More to come!!
Ever since I got the seats from AHAB, I've been really wondering how to bring some of the color into the boat. The outside has some good looking (Albeit, old) graphics that have multiple shades of red, black and white on it. So I went to Lowes and picked up a can of "Heritage Red" that matched the seats exactly. It matches one of the red shades on the graphics perfectly as well. So I decided to adapt the graphics on outside to the inside of the boat. I took the two aluminum rails that cover the side panels and masked them off for paint. Here is the result:
I thought they came out pretty well. I used the Heritage Red and a satin black together. I also hit the seat bases with the satin black. I think with some stainless screws, these will look really sharp.
I also mixed up a batch of epoxy to coat the little console between the two seats. I coated the light poles at the same time. They were really bad, giving me fiber splinters every time I touched them. I'm not quite as happy how the poles turned out, as there were some small bubbles in the epoxy that didn't come out, but they are functional.
And finally this weekend I finished up the foam in the main deck. The PO had replaced the original foam with some basic Styrofoam. I had some extra of the blue and pink left over, so I decided to use that instead.
The biggest trick with this was managing the wiring harness and cutting the foam to fit. I ended up using some aluminum tape that is used to seal flue pipes. This stuff is REALLY sticky and held the harness in place perfectly. A few cuts in the foam, and everything was all set.
I cleaned the epoxy coatings with acetone this weekend. It really did the trick, getting rid of the tacky feel and really solidifying it up. I've been dragging my feet getting the vinyl started, as I'm not entirely comfortable cutting into the expensive roll, but I really don't have a whole lot left to complete.
More to come!!
fool4fish1226
Well-known member
Getting closer and closer!! Keep up the good work, it is all worth it in the end
bulldog
Well-known member
Looking great so far. Great posts also. Lots of info for other Tracker owners.
Thanks for the encouragement guys! The main reason for this thread bulldog is that I couldn't find the info I was looking for on this site originally, so I figured I'd put it up here to help out the next guy. That and the ability to have a good record of what I've done for future reference by myself It's amazing what you can forget about once you cover it up...
It's amazing what you can forget about once you cover it up...bulldog
Well-known member
kofkorn said:Thanks for the encouragement guys! The main reason for this thread bulldog is that I couldn't find the info I was looking for on this site originally, so I figured I'd put it up here to help out the next guy. That and the ability to have a good record of what I've done for future reference by myself
I couldn't agree more. I'm going to sell my rig soon and my build thread will be a huge help for potential buyers.
I finally got around to cleaning the two side panels last night. I used a wire cup brush on my 3/8 drill and it worked like a charm, but it still took me about 1 hr to do both panels.
I also enlisted the help of my wife to install the two painted side rails for the side panels last night. I needed her to press and align the rivet holes while I popped the rivets in place. I tried doing it by myself, but the grip range of the rivets is on the very limit of the thickness of the stacked up materials. Once I had her helping, it worked great.
I had to play with the routing of the wire looms through the foam to align them with the holes in the aluminum side panels. Now that it's all lined up, I can get around to laying the vinyl.
And lastly, I replaced the throttle controls. It took a little effort to get the holes re-aligned, but I got them in the end. So far, no new holes have been drilled
Tonight, Vinyl. I swear...
I also enlisted the help of my wife to install the two painted side rails for the side panels last night. I needed her to press and align the rivet holes while I popped the rivets in place. I tried doing it by myself, but the grip range of the rivets is on the very limit of the thickness of the stacked up materials. Once I had her helping, it worked great.
I had to play with the routing of the wire looms through the foam to align them with the holes in the aluminum side panels. Now that it's all lined up, I can get around to laying the vinyl.
And lastly, I replaced the throttle controls. It took a little effort to get the holes re-aligned, but I got them in the end. So far, no new holes have been drilled
Tonight, Vinyl. I swear...
JonBoatfever
Well-known member
Looks great!
I had my first real "UH OH" moment this morning. I started on the vinyl last night, and I'm a bit confused by the instructions on the Nautolex 88 adhesive. It states that you should apply the adhesive like a thick layer of white paint. For installation over fiberglass, apply a thin coat to the bottom of the vinyl as well. Then wait until the "Wet" stage is over and the adhesive is tacky and put the layers together and smooth out the bubbles.
Well I applied the adhesive to both the casting deck and the vinyl and waited a while. It certainly felt tacky, but there didn't appear to be any visible difference vs when I applied the adhesive. I then put the two layers together and rolled out the bubbles.
I went down into the garage this morning to check, and it appears that the adhesive didn't work at all. It was no better than slapping a layer of peanut butter on both surfaces and put them together. As a matter of fact, it sounded just like peanut butter when I peeled them apart.
I'm hoping Jigngrub will pop in with a little experience on his end, as he seems to have had good success with his vinyl. How long should it dry before applying the vinyl to the decking? There is no timing anywhere in the Nautolex instructions, so I'm flying blind here.
Anyone else with experience with this type of water based vinyl adhesive???
I will say, if I get this right, it should look really nice:
Well I applied the adhesive to both the casting deck and the vinyl and waited a while. It certainly felt tacky, but there didn't appear to be any visible difference vs when I applied the adhesive. I then put the two layers together and rolled out the bubbles.
I went down into the garage this morning to check, and it appears that the adhesive didn't work at all. It was no better than slapping a layer of peanut butter on both surfaces and put them together. As a matter of fact, it sounded just like peanut butter when I peeled them apart.
I'm hoping Jigngrub will pop in with a little experience on his end, as he seems to have had good success with his vinyl. How long should it dry before applying the vinyl to the decking? There is no timing anywhere in the Nautolex instructions, so I'm flying blind here.
Anyone else with experience with this type of water based vinyl adhesive???
I will say, if I get this right, it should look really nice:
