My First Ski Nautique
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: Repairs and Maintenance
Forum Name: Boat Maintenance
Forum Discription: Discuss maintenance of your Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=51324
Printed Date: May-08-2024 at 11:55pm
Topic: My First Ski Nautique
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Subject: My First Ski Nautique
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 3:47pm
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This topic has been something I've wanted to do since I have
substantially completed my project but I have been waiting to create it until I
could organize all the photos and consider the best layout. After much
consideration, deliberation, and delay I figured I just better get on with it
lol. Thank you to all those who post on this site and help the
newbies. I am on this site regularly lurking in the background, soaking up
information and I learn something new all the time. I can honestly say this
site and those on it gave me the knowledge and confidence to complete this
project. I know there is still a lot to learn about these boats but with this
site I know about 1000% more than what I did when I started. Cheers to all of
you! This topic is about my introduction to Ski Nautiques and my journey to restore the boat I ended up buying that I wanted to share. I have always loved boats/boating/tubing/fishing etc. I
previously had a 1984 Bayliner Capri Cuddy Cabin which was in very poor shape.
Mechanically it was pretty good, but the floor was rotting, the interior was in
poor shape etc. The wife was always worried about taking it out with irrational
fears (or maybe not so irrational) of it catching fire or sinking, that’s the
kind of shape it was in lol.
https://ibb.co/DW5Fbmy" rel="nofollow"> ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Replies:
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 3:50pm
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The hull was in great shape, the gel coat/exterior looked good
for the year and the interior was almost flawless. The carpet had been removed
and the PO had sprayed this so-called black bilge epoxy everywhere inside the
boat which I realized later was NOT a good thing. The motor was a big question
mark too, the PO knew nothing about engines. The marine shop he took it to had
pulled one of the heads, not sure why but the PO ultimately decided it was too
much money to warrant the repairs and decided to sell it. Lots of rust on
anything metal as well.
https://ibb.co/CJX9bVN" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/PFcY4qm" rel="nofollow"> ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 3:51pm
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I pulled the motor out to check the condition of the main
bearings and all were in pretty good shape except the rear. It had significant
scoring as well as the crankshaft for that bearing so off it went to the
machine shop. The carburetor was not rebuildable either. Intake manifold was
full of rust on the inside and not usable. I also found a broken tooth on the
distributor.
https://ibb.co/KrkKX8n" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/Gt0yWBw" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/G0JBc3K" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/kS89cNw" rel="nofollow"> ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 3:54pm
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Machine shop bored and honed the block, installed new cam
bearings, resurfaced the rods and the crankshaft, and sold me new pistons,
rings, main bearings, and rod bearings. I ordered all the marine gaskets, new oil pump, ARP oil pump shaft, rear main seal, a blue one piece rubber oil pan
gasket, new RR Pertronix distributor, new water pump, new impeller pump pulley(because
I damaged the old one), new impeller, all new hoses, new elbow hose fittings
for the exhaust manifolds, new 160 degree thermostat, new coil, new plug wires,
new plugs, new Edelbrock Perform RPM intake manifold, ARP bolts for everything
I could get them for, Holley Sniper EFI system, new starting relay, and a new
alternator. Was rustier than I was expecting but I spent some time after this picture with a dremel and a sanding disc to clean it up.
https://ibb.co/3Ry7jGY" rel="nofollow"> ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 3:56pm
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I also picked up a used set of GT40 heads out of a 1997
Explorer. One of the heads had a broken intake manifold bolt so I used the mill
at my work to get it out and installed a helicoil.
https://ibb.co/pXJtqTh" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/4NDyhG0" rel="nofollow"> ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 3:59pm
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I did a home valve job on the heads, stripped, cleaned,
painted, installed new brass freeze plugs, drilled out for larger head bolts,
and replaced all the valve seals.
https://ibb.co/syKjkym" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/GR9dzvy" rel="nofollow"> ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 4:18pm
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I sand blasted and powder coated or painted anything and
everything I could including the engine mounts, transmission, transmission
mounts, new Edelbrock intake manifold, steering cable arm and bracket, timing cover, all water pump/thermostat pieces etc.
Nothing was left with the original paint. I even went as far as taking the
alternator apart so I could paint the housing black lol.
https://ibb.co/y8n5xL9" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/5MhLnDF" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/r6y92k6" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/WHd76zW" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/r6SxwM4" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/SdJJVtw" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/ZWKrT73" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/KDz02ym" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/BGbcCby" rel="nofollow"> ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 4:20pm
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For the exhaust manifolds I spent hours sand blasting these
things. They were so rusty! I also resurfaced the mounting surfaces. I powder
coated them and then stripped the powder coat on the spots that attached to the
head and receive the most heat and coated them with KBS extreme temperature
primer and paint inside and out to hopefully deter some of the rust for a while.
https://ibb.co/R3zkRsg" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/1n2yykq" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/Pg18rBR" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/QKRLDhL" rel="nofollow"> ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 4:31pm
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I also stripped all the black so-called epoxy from the
entire bilge area. In the process I realized that some of the fiberglass was
delaminating from the wood substrate at the corners where the floor meets the
exhaust channels. I decided to cut the fiberglass out and just address these areas. I know there is some wood rot going on the exterior stringers, but I was not ready to do a full stringer job yet. The main stringers seemed to be in good shape, so I proceeded just fixing these areas. I cut out the old delaminating fiberglass and covered with 3 layers of biaxial 1708 fiberglass cloth and Isophthalic Polyester Resin which after reading on this forum doesn't seem like the best choice...but it was already done so maybe next time lol. After I was satisfied with the
fiberglass repairs, I finished stripping the bilge and I applied 2 coats of
Total Boat Bilge Epoxy.
It went from this:
https://ibb.co/4W0Sj8z" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/98ZrMJG" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/3SPT9SL" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/w486sKN" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/5WBD2KQ" rel="nofollow">
To this: https://ibb.co/GnkZd9F" rel="nofollow"> To this: https://ibb.co/QXwQGRJ" rel="nofollow"> ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 4:35pm
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Then I cleaned the engine cradle and coated it with 2K SprayMax high gloss epoxy. I also drilled and countersunk 1/4-20 stainless flat head bolts through the cradle so I could attach fuel lines, wires, steering and throttle cables etc. While the engine cradle was out, I poured Restore-Rite StongBond Epoxy Wood Sealer into all of bolt mounting holes in the stringers. Then when I reinstalled the engine cradle and used 3M 5200 in all the holes. I also sanded the gas tank boards and applied the same wood sealer to them before I resinstalled them with new stainless hardware. I installed a new blower, blower hose, new gas tank filler hose and filler port and wired everything up. Also I bonded the gas tank filler port to ground.
https://ibb.co/Bc2y28Q" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/y5dP0GR" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/YytB5PL" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/xq7J88y" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/5kM80XJ" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/pRGvSYt" rel="nofollow"> ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 4:45pm
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I couldn't fit the boat in the garage without removing the
swim platform, so I had to buy or make some removable mounts. I made several attempts
to contact Alloy Marine to get a custom set of brackets made but I never got a
call back. So, I decided to make my own using some stainless flux cored MIG
welding wire. Also I had to make a swing away tongue for the trailer to fit as well. https://ibb.co/xLrNg88" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/Y3bkJJT" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/3TYj6YC" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/sv8bf76" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/VgLrM2R" rel="nofollow"> ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 4:47pm
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I installed new carpeting and remade the removable floor
piece because the old one was falling apart. I cut it out of plywood, coated it
a layer of fiberglass and polyester resin, then painted it with the Total Boat
Bilge epoxy. One of my helpers for the project.
https://ibb.co/tzMCnyB" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/V3668Hv" rel="nofollow"> ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 4:53pm
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Assembled the motor and reinstalled everything with
stainless hardware anywhere I could and used some anti-seize on all the bolts
to try and prevent future rust issues.
https://ibb.co/zxkdrfN" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/THNTB16" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/Xj55d76" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/479BZtL" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/Gp5zZfz" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/CP5T8wR" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/3dYkN1p" rel="nofollow"> ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 4:57pm
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Here it is going in and installed in the boat, working on
wiring, hoses etc. Big thank you to my helpers! https://ibb.co/fYg6Gz6" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/WVYqmHX" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/SvKkmtS" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/vYS9wzq" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/rGSdVCD" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/4Ywj7Pb" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/NWFcFG0" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/xhgVDpk" rel="nofollow"> ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 5:04pm
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I installed a new stereo, mono channel amp, 4 channel amp,
2 5.25" marine speakers, and a custom subwoofer box for 2 6.5"
subwoofers that I mounted under the bow above the drivers footrest. New yellow
top optima battery and all new DLO battery cables with crimped on lugs.
https://ibb.co/sV7bg6K" rel="nofollow"> ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 5:05pm
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Replaced the popout window latches as well. Applied teak
oil to the swim deck, steps on the gunnel, and the howl wood pieces. New bilge
pump and fuel/water filter.
https://ibb.co/T4vkmhS" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/J3YVm92" rel="nofollow"> ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 5:09pm
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First time in the water and running the engine. Didn't even disconnect it from the trailer because I wasn't sure if it would float or not lol. https://ibb.co/7k1nSs0" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/3d4VqgC" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/ctBht4T" rel="nofollow"> ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 5:13pm
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Here it is getting some proper use. I have so far learned
how to double ski and wakeboard behind it, next on the list: slalom ski!
https://ibb.co/bv8YqsC" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/G06ZxKc" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/kgSnXKz" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/9NpVjLz" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/ZKNCQ5g" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/mz2PTkF" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/gm9wj5v" rel="nofollow"> https://ibb.co/rfV51Km" rel="nofollow">
Still need to finish the carpet on the motor cover, replace
all the fuel lines with USCG approved fuel lines, replace the throttle and
steering cable, replace the prop shaft packing, install a warning light/buzzer
for temperature and oil pressure, and
I'm sure some other small things I can't think of right now.
My next project on it is building a custom replica of the
FCT2 tower. I'll save that for another topic. :)
That’s my story, I hope it wasn't too wordy or unnecessarily
detailed but I know you guys are all about the details...and pictures, lots of
pictures! ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: Gary S
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 5:28pm
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You did an amazing job,something to be proud of for sure. Thanks for sharing ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1711&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1966&yrend=1970" rel="nofollow - 69 Mustang HM SS 95 Nautique Super Sport |
Posted By: MrMcD
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 5:33pm
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Nice work, those are great boats that can serve you for many years if taken care of. I see you are in Rocklin, what lake is that you are launching at? ------------- |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 6:08pm
Thank you Gary S.  ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Gary S wrote:Posted By: KENO
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 6:09pm
Last I knew Pertronix only has a normal rotation 351w marine distributor, so was there some magic involved like a new gear that had to be drilled or bushed down to fit the Pertronix shaft? Good job with the Sniper
 |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 6:11pm
Thanks MrMcD. Yes, I'm in Rocklin and I've been following the "PARK JOB" thread you have going very closely lol. Folsom Lake is my home lake, got an annual pass this year for the first time. The picture of it in the water the first time is at the granite bay launch, way down low because it was in the winter time(I think January). The other pics are all in Folsom as well but over by Rattlesnake Bar. ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 6:15pm
Thank you KENO. I believe you're right because if you peruse the Pertronix online catalog there is no RR distributor. I got this distributor from Ron at skiboatpartsonline.com and I think he has a RR gear made for it and markets it as such. I considered buying an additional gear for it from AAAmarine.com in the event that this gear fails. AAAmarine.com seemed to be having a close out on them about 7 months ago but I hesitated and then it seemed like they closed up shop and the gears are no longer available. ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 6:25pm
Looking at this picture I realize my efforts to install a temperatue warning light/buzzer have been thwarted by the sniper system...  https://ibb.co/whVjTcY" rel="nofollow">
 ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: AZ86SKI
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 6:39pm
| Well done! You put in a ton of work and it really came out great. Thanks for documenting and posting. It's educational and provides motivation for others to complete projects of their own, including me. |
Posted By: KENO
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 7:38pm
Consider your thwarted efforts to be "unthwarted" if that's a word See the yellow arrow pointing at a pipe plug in your water pump, that's a good spot to screw a temp switch into. The gt40 engines used that spot for the temperature sender for the gauge on the dash. It'll work just fine for your switch. https://ibb.co/fvszQp6" rel="nofollow">
 |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 9:35pm
Thank you AX86SKI. I hope it helps someone, or at the very least people get some amusement out all the blood sweat and tears I put into this project lol. ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 9:36pm
Genius, it is unthwarted! Thank you once again KENO! ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: Jonny Quest
Date Posted: August-23-2023 at 11:30pm
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Damn fine job!! You can be proud of your efforts and how the project came together. Well done, lad. Give us some feedback on the Holley Sniper EFI system. I'm very curious... JQ ------------- Current 2003 Ski Nautique 206 Limited Previous 2001 Ski Nautique Open Bow 1994 Ski Nautique Open Bow Aqua skiing, ergo sum |
Posted By: ultrarunner
Date Posted: August-24-2023 at 6:12am
| Wow! beautiful work and craftsmanship. I've envious of your fabrication skills! |
Posted By: Mpost
Date Posted: August-24-2023 at 7:59am
Very Nice  ------------- 84 SN Sold 98 SN Lund Pro V 1975 Alumacraft |
Posted By: KENO
Date Posted: August-24-2023 at 8:10am
Speaking of the kit you saw at nautiqueparts, here's the same thing from Sierra, the price isn't the same though. The Tee is easy to find also http://marinepartssource.com/audible-warning-system-mp41400" rel="nofollow - link
|
Posted By: fanofccfan
Date Posted: August-24-2023 at 9:08am
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Nice work and great documentation! Keep those little ones interested in the sport as we need more of that and less of the thumb and finger tapping video gamers! ------------- 2004 196 LE Ski 1969 Marauder 19 1978 Ski |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-24-2023 at 11:06am
Thank you JQ, I appreciate the kind words! Sorry, to do this topic right it needs to be a long boring lengthy reply... Full disclosure I did buy the remanufactured version of the Holley Sniper EFI system to save some money and so far it hasn't come back to bite me yet, fingers crossed.  This being my first Ski Nautique I can't really compare the Sniper system to a carburated or GT40 Nautique but it seems to be working well. I went this route to avoid problems on the water. This boat needs to run perfectly all the time otherwise I will hear about it from my wife lol.  It has been reliable so far. Initiallly when I first got it on the water it was having trouble keeping the AFR(air fuel ratio) near the target of 14. It would bog down and hesitate when I tried to accelerate. The unit comes with a small LCD screen where you can see the RPM, temperature and AFR. It would swing wildly from 10 to 40 when it should hover around 14 all the time including idle or accelerating. I struggled to figue it out but eventually decided to re-route the O2 sensor wire away from the coil and spark plug wires and that fixed it immediately. I am guessing the O2 sensor was getting some induction interference. I also forgot to install a pre-fuel pump filter so I did that, and I installed a fuel pressure guage at the inlet of the Sniper to help diagnose the problem. You can see in this picture the O2 sensor wire tucked up and away from the coil versus where I originally ran it between the valve cover and the coil. https://ibb.co/8zfT9FP" rel="nofollow">  The fuel guage came in handy about 4 months later as I was having some issues at high RPM. It seemed like it was cutting out and I couldn't reach top speed. I had my brother drive while I watched the fuel guage during hard acceleration and it was dipping down to 10psi from 56psi where it normally is. I changed the pre and post fuel pump fuel filters and it fixed the issue immediately. Also after I have lowered my idle to be around 650-750, sometimes it doesn't stay running for the first time on the water without pushing down the accelerator handle in neutral. What I mean is, it will start but die and to keep it running I give it some gas to rev it up initially then back to idle and it is fine from then on. If the idle is higher it will start and stay running everytime no problem but I don't like the high idle so I deal with it. You would need to install a bulkhead fitting for the return line to the tank which was a little bit of a challenge. Luckily I already had the tank out and empty so that made it a lot easier. I would imagine anyone installing this setup would have to remove and drain the tank as well to install the bulkhead fitting to do it safely. Holley does offer a system that does not require a fuel return line but it is expensive. I talked to someone I work with who put the Sniper and the return-less system on his Mustang and he said it was giving him lots of trouble and would shut down due to overheating issues. Just thought I'd mention that in case someone was considering that option. You also need to install an O2 sensor in the exhuast stream. Nubf14 has also installed this system so I followed his lead and ordered the O2 sensor adapter from ebay as he suggests. The bolt holes will need to be enlarged to install on the PCM exhaust manifolds. https://ibb.co/Pc2dFN8" rel="nofollow">  https://www.ebay.com/itm/OXYGEN-SENSOR-PLATE-VOLVO-PENTA-1993-older-OUT-DRIVE-V-6-V-8-CHEVY/322489476520" rel="nofollow - https://www.ebay.com/itm/OXYGEN-SENSOR-PLATE-VOLVO-PENTA-1993-older-OUT-DRIVE-V-6-V-8-CHEVY/322489476520 Or if you have the skills like DayTony you can cut and weld an O2 port like he did on this thread. Very nicely done! https://www.correctcraftfan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=51210&KW=o2+sensor&title=o2-sensors-in-factory-risors" rel="nofollow - https://www.correctcraftfan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=51210&KW=o2+sensor&title=o2-sensors-in-factory-risors As far as wiring goes its pretty simple. Positive and negative directly to the battery, negative coil wire, coolant temperature sensor, fuel pump positive wire, and a switched +12V source all of which are included in the harness. The positive and negative cables included in the harness were barely long enough to reach the battery in my Nautiqe and might not be long enough in the later bigger Nautiques. The kit I ordered was the factory refurbished FR550-511 and the fuel system kit part # 526-7 which came with everything needed to install it including a fuel pump, all the fuel line, fuel line fittings, bulkhead return line fitting, hose clamps, fuel filters etc. As was discussed in another thread some members on here including KENO helped me realize the hose kit that you can order with it is not USCG approved and I will need to replace all the hose which is about 20'. Holley just released the Sniper 2 EFI system which appears to address some of the induction interference issues as well as add some features. I wanted to install the Holley Hyper Spark distributor so the Sniper could also control the timing but according to a technician I talked to at Holley you can not use their Hyper Spark distributor in a reverse rotation application even if I could get a RR gear for their distributor. The LCD screen cable is not long enough to reach the dash so I keep it coiled up on the engine when I am don't need to look at it. It would be nice if there was an extension so you could route it up to the dash. Because the Sniper system injectors fire randomly, the intake manifold you use has to have an open route to all 4 injectors. I used an Edelbrok Performer RPM intake which was a problem becuase the inlet port where the Sniper or Carburetor is mounted is divided down the middle. To avoid any issues I just removed the material of the divider using the mill at work. I can't say if it would have worked ok if I didn't do this because I did it before I assembled the engine. I ended up taking all of the divider out. https://ibb.co/SdkkqFV" rel="nofollow">  It sounds like FFIMarine is installing these units as well and seem to be having some success. I would recommend it and would do it again in a heartbeat. If this system starts giving me trouble I would consider buying the Sniper 2 system. ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-24-2023 at 11:08am
Thank you, but I really don't have any real fabrication skills. I kind of just dive in and hope for the best lol.  ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-24-2023 at 11:08am
Thank you Mpost, much appreciated. ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-24-2023 at 11:13am
Thank you fanofccfan and I totally agree, video games can definitely have a negative impact on kids! These boys are the main reason I got this Ski Nautique, to make lots of memories out on the water skiing, wakeboarding, tubing etc. Keep them off the couch and out of the house as much as we can.  ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: August-24-2023 at 11:16am
That is a significant savings, thank you again! How you know/find all this stuff boggles my mind lol. ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: KENO
Date Posted: August-24-2023 at 3:06pm
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Sometimes it just boggles my mind how some of these outfits can charge the ridiculous way over suggested list price that they do for certain things........and feel good about themselves or sleep at night Sometimes some of the things I do, just boggle my wife's mind too
 |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: September-11-2023 at 12:15pm
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Just a little progress update. I have substantially completed my FCT2 wakeboard tower replica. I still need to clean it up and I want to paint it black, but I did get out to test it this weekend and it worked great. I know a lot of you are Correct Craft purist and I am not sure how you all feel about putting a wake board tower on an older Ski Nautique so if you’re one of these people divert your eyes lol!  …but it was the best option for my current situation as we do a lot of things with this boat including wakeboarding, skiing, and tubing. Here are a couple pics of the build process. Unfortunately I can’t post a lot of progress pics as I took all those pictures at my work. I chose not to go with the oval tubing on the tops and sides as it was cost prohibitive. Instead, I went with ½”x4” aluminum plate. I also made the Flight Clips out of 1/4x2” aluminum plate, which also aren't complete yet but will be soon. I am fortunate to have access to a lot of tools at work so this made it all possible. I have experience bending tube and welding as well. This is the first time I welded aluminum and it was a steep learning curve, but I eventually got it to an acceptable quality level. https://ibb.co/3NR9164" rel="nofollow">  https://ibb.co/pd7t6Bk" rel="nofollow">  https://ibb.co/ZBvkLvf" rel="nofollow">  https://ibb.co/wsWRHKq" rel="nofollow">  https://ibb.co/0fJ30Vb" rel="nofollow">  https://ibb.co/YTCvt9d" rel="nofollow">  I ordered the bimini parts to modify my old bimini from http://towerbiminis.com/" rel="nofollow - https://towerbiminis.com/ to allow me to attach it to the tower. The fabric needs to be cut and sewn to get it to fit better. I also added a couple 6.5" marine speakers. https://ibb.co/hWjkK4Y" rel="nofollow">  If I could do it over again there are few things I would do differently but overall I am pleased with how it turned out. ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: samudj01
Date Posted: September-11-2023 at 4:45pm
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Wow. Great read and some nice work! ------------- 78 Ski Tique, 72 Skier w/302's, 93 SN w/351 & 17 GS22 w/zr409 Previous - 99 Sport Nautique w/GT40 and 87 Martinique w/351 |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: September-11-2023 at 11:01pm
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Thank you samudj01, I appreciate the kind words. So many of you have such nice boats, you guys set a high standard to follow. ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: Hollywood
Date Posted: September-12-2023 at 6:37pm
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1980 SN 2001… reminds me of a 75 Tique Great thread btw, thanks for sharing. |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: September-13-2023 at 9:10am
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Thanks Hollywood. It is a small boat to be sure. Not knowing anything about these boats when I bought it, I thought it was a 2001, hence my username. More space would be nice but at the same time I wouldn't be able to fit a 2001 in my garage so a blessing in disguise I guess. ------------- 1980 SN Project |
Posted By: 75 Tique
Date Posted: September-13-2023 at 10:18am
Hmmm, reminds me of a useful Hollywood comment. But James, great work, great project, nice documentation. Dont see as much of that here as we used to, so its nice to see. Well done. Also, his remark about a 75 Tique was not a commentary on the size of your boat. He was just poking at me since I also have a user name of a non existent boat. When I bought mine in 2004, I did not know that Ski Tiques were not a thing until 1976, but it was titled as a 75 and since I was a noob, I didnt know any better. Oh well.
------------- _____________ “So, how was your weekend?” “Well, let me see…sun burn, stiff neck, screwed up back, assorted aches and pains….yup, my weekend was great, thanks for asking.” |
Posted By: 1980SN2001
Date Posted: September-13-2023 at 10:56am
Ahah, I understand! We do have that in common then lol. ...and thank you 75tique, I appreciate the kind words.
------------- 1980 SN Project |