New Member & My CM23

[nolaboater99]

While we were in Alabama for the races last weekend we were waiting for a shuttle to the pits and my wife, who is wearing an LSU shirt starts a conversation with a guy wearing an LSU shirt. Remember, we're in Alabama Crimson Tide country. Anyway it turns out this guy used to race in the 280 class hydros and lived about 90 minutes from us. As we were talking the problem of the power steering on my Cobalt comes up and he tells me to go see Billy Allen at Pier 21 boat shop in Kenner, LA about 45 minutes from my house. He tells me they are the Gulf Coast service center for Sea Star Hydraulic Steering and know everything about hydraulic steering on boats.

So I drive there Tuesday and tell him my story and not only do they know steering but his son, Mike Allen used to drive Unlimited Hydroplanes. He drove the Formula Boats hydro in the early 2000s. The Formula boat was/is the former Miss Budweiser. when the Miss Bud's owner, Bernie Little died the boats and all parts and pieces were sold to Formula Boats. Billy Allen also functioned as a Crew Chief for several of the unlimited boats. Based on their diagnosis I ordered a power steering assist actuator yesterday and it will be here next Tuesday.

I was also able to pick up my trailer at the welding shop this morning. All of the bunk supports have been repaired and tomorrow I will be installing the new bunk boards and carpet them. I put on a new winch this afternoon and I just need to address a little wiring issue and the trailer will be good as new....still ugly but fully functional. Kinda like those Rat Rods.

Meanwhile we are finishing the cuddy cabin cushions and they should go in this weekend. If I can get my in-op fuel gauge working I can start putting the rest of the cabinets and trim back in. Moving right along....

[AsLan7]

Now that’s a fruitful couple of days! Great history too, NB99.

[Big Block Power]

That's a cool story. I remember when circus circus and miss bud raced against each other all the time.

[nolaboater99]

It was really interesting at the races. I met or just talked to so many people who used to go to the races and were so knowledgeable. We met a guy from the Tri-Cities in Washington now living in Atlanta. He used to go to the races every year in the NW. I met a guy from Florida who had to be close to 80 who told me he used to go all around the country to watch them. And then we me some younger people that had never seen the boats before but wanted to see more.

Having the races in the South really brought a varied mix of people in to see these great boats. And that's what this sport needs. It needs a new generation of fans to show the sponsors that there are people interested in the boats. In the past Miss Budweiser was sponsored by Budweiser....period. But now it's OK to have multiple sponsors. Look at NASCAR, the TIDE sponsored is not only sponsored by Proctor & Gamble. There are 10-20 different sponsors with their logos stuck in strategic places. More sponsors will create more race venues, more boats, TV coverage which will bring more fans.

I don't know if I see a time where we'll 18 boats show up for a race but it would be nice to see 10-12. One can hope....

[nolaboater99]

The new steering assist actuator showed up late Tuesday so I thought I'd see how far I could get without moving the fuel tank. A friend came over Tuesday morning and helped me remove the seat. There really isn't anything too difficult in swapping these parts out. There's the 2 hydraulic lines (very messy), the keeper for the steering cable nut, the steering cable nut, the nut and bolt for the outdrive steering arm as well as the same for the cable end to the actuator ram and the 2 threaded hinge pins....one on the top and one on the bottom. So I just started taking things apart to see how far I could get. Thirty minutes later I have the whole thing in my hand.

I get the new (used) actuator and lo and behold, 30 minutes later it's back in. I started the priming sequence which consists of turning the wheel lock to lock slowly pausing for a few seconds and the end of travel each way, first with the engine not running, top off the fluid then repeat the priming process with the motor running. Before I could get to the engine running part the sky opened up and it's been raining buckets. Even though I have it in a nice carport rain still blows in. So here I sit waiting for the weather co-operate. Looks like it might be clearing.... It didn't. I'll finish it in the morning.

[thunder550]

Any updates Shawn?

[nolaboater99]

Any updates Shawn?

On the trailer is seems to be OK but the real test is getting it in the water. Unfortunately, launching and loading a bit for me to handle alone. I also want to install the new bimini top and I have a new prop coming so I want to get that all on before the next trip to the lake. I should have it in later this week. Meanwhile, there are still some little things to finish. As you know, it never ends.

Thanks for asking....

[thunder550]

Yep there's always something. Crossing my fingers that your steering issue is fixed!

[nolaboater99]

Well…. finally got the boat in the water this morning. The plan was to test the steering repair and test out a new SST prop. So boat off the trailer, head out on to Lake Pontchatrain, get up on plane and the boat is no longer listing to port and the steering issue is much better. I think I may need to bleed the system one more time.

Like the new prop, WOT RPMs are close to where they should be BUT, the engine was sounding funny like it was only running on 7 so turned around and headed back in and when I pulled back the throttle to idle it was running really rough like a plug wire was off or something (I checked. Nothing seems amiss, visually). I could also smell raw fuel so I knew all the fuel is not being burned. There is a miss somewhere. Put it back on the trailer and came home.

The boat gods giveth and the boat gods taketh away.... I need a drink, or 2....
Shawn

[nolaboater99]

Quick update..... I took the boat yesterday to Pier 21 Marine in Kenner, LA. I've asked them to find the miss, install a new distributor and change the raw water impeller. The motor still has the original 33 year old distributor with points. I'm not sure why it was left on the motor when the motor was built for the boat.

Hope to have her back by the weekend....

[thunder550]

That's great news about the steering, and hopefully the miss will be something simple.

[nolaboater99]

Well the shop found the miss. They started it and like I told them it was only running on 7 cylinders. Further testing showed 0 compression in cylinder #4. Valve cover off and the discovery was a bent pushrod and a stuck exhaust valve. Really weird cuz 3 years and 3 engine hours ago I had the heads done at a machine shop in California before I moved here. The valve appears to be stuck in the guide. There is literally about 3.2 hours on the motor in that time. When I got the boat I gutted it and first focused on all the running gear before putting the rest of the boat back together.

So out comes the double helm seat, the engine cover, intake and exhaust manifold, the closed cooling system so the head can come off. Then to a machine shop the see WTF and maybe determine a cause, check the other valves then put it all back together. They have one week and I'm leaving for 8 days of vacation and they'll be stuck with it until I return.

This sucks....I see summer slipping away and all I've done is work on it.

[Big Block Power]

That sucks. Hopefully not bent from hitting the piston. I would send a bore score down the hole for a look.

[cmattj]

That sucks. Hopefully not bent from hitting the piston. I would send a bore score down the hole for a look.

Dammmmmmm it Nola

Usual cause is a broken valve spring or the guides where too tight, bent push rod is a tap usually from the piston. So as B.B. said get the head off and if it tapped on the piston near a edge you may be concerned about collapsed piston or ring land.. If no shiny tap.. weeeeeeew!

Geeze I’m Debbie downer again but I worry as old heads are usually loose in guides and when you said you just had them done I worry.

Hopefully a fluke one cyl deal but have them check the valve spring pressures to see if anything is next on the other bank. Maybe catch it.

it’s almost over.. Good news is she ran strong on 7.

[nolaboater99]

Thanks Guys. BBB the head is off by now so no need to scope it. It's an hour drive across the lake to the shop but I think I'll head over there in the morning to look at the head if it's still at the shop and talk to the guys. I really trust these guys. they're all boat racers and hydroplane guys and we sort of bonded. The owner, Billy Allen called me no less than 4 times today with updates and that was appreciated. I also want to take a look at the exhaust manifolds. They are IMCO PowerFlow Aluminum manifolds and I want to scope the one that is off for corrosion.

This motor was built about 12-14 years ago but probably has less than 300 hours on it. Most of that time was put on it when it was first built and then after my old boat partner sold the boat the guy he sold it to used it sporadically and then mostly for putting around the harbor from bar to bar. The shop in California that did the heads for me 3 years ago felt the motor was well built. Now I'm questioning the quality of his work. Anyway, while finishing the rest of the boat I only ran the motor on the trailer sporadically for testing as it went back together. It had been running really well....until last Saturday. We'll see what the machine shop says about this head and determine what to do with the other. Any hint of an issue with other valves, springs guides or whatever, the other head is coming off too.

Stay tuned....