Kart receives a transplant

3hp (if it was even 3) wasn't enough for the kart. It had trouble with hills, turning, tall grass and basically wasn't any fun unless you were on a smooth straight-away.

I fixed the problem with a brand-new 5.5hp GX160 Honda knock-off engine from eBay for $100. What a difference! It's scary fast with the throttle wide open. Never fear, I'm using the built-in adjustable throttle stop so there's still plenty of torque but not much top end.

Another addition was a more conveniently placed kill switch. DJ and Adam helped with that one.

USS Minnow? D.A.M. Boat?

I like D.A.M. boat. Those of you who know my kids will know what that stands for!

The boat received $100 worth of wheels and tires this weekend, along with new lower unit drain plug seals, a new water pump, new prop shaft seals and a new drain plug.

Only things left to do are:

• Fill rear seat with foam
• Finish new wiring
• Clean
• Go fishing!
  
  

Floating: IsPossible

Dad brought over some caulking/sealant tonight and I plugged the 8 holes in the transom from the broken/missing transducer mounts I removed. I used sealed rivets from the boat shop and was done in about 15 minutes.

I also painted the welds where the tongue jack attaches to the trailer, and my father-in-law got the registration renewed, so I attached the stickers.

That's it!

Boat update with pictures

Quick update on the boat. Stuff finished today:

• Welded on a new tongue jack (didn't have one before)
• Replaced bow hook safety chain and both clips
  
• Replaced towing chains and hooks
  
• Replaced broken taillight
• Ran (but haven't connected) new wiring
• Installed new trim angle pin (original was missing)
  

I picked up the water pump rebuild kit and the associated gaskets and seals, as well as a handful of waterproof rivets to plug the holes from the old transducers. I spent around $150 on it today.

I finally got a pic or two taken as well. I thought I'd whip out my super awesome image editing capabilities and throw them around a bit to illustrate what's changed since I got it.

Check out this first picture - when I got it, the paint was PINK from oxidation. 4 hours of buffing later (oh MAN I HATE BUFFING), it looks presentable! The stern seat looks like it's installed weird. It is - it's warped because it doesn't quite fit yet. It'll settle down once it's filled with foam and screwed down.

Fishing for a new project

With the go-kart being done, it's time for a new summer project. A boat! It's too bad I wasn't thinking or I would've taken some before pictures of what it looked like when I brought it home. I might have something that's representative though, I'll have to look.

It'smy father-in-law's boat but had been loaned to his company for employee use for the last decade or so. Over the last 5 years it fell into disrepair and ended up being stuck behind the warehouse and unused for the last three years. It wasn't even seaworthy for that matter.

I thought I'd ask if I could fix it up and drop it into the water at their lake cabin, and got permission. So off we go!

It's a 16' '88 Lund fishing boat with 3 wooden seats in it and a 15HP Yamaha 2 stroke. It came with a trolling motor but that looks to be a piece of junk, and wasn't mounted correctly anyway.

Fixed thus far:

• Removed and threw away 3 unmatched, broken plastic seats that were screwed to the wooden seats.
• Removed and tossed old seat tops, made new ones out of oak plywood and coated with 4 coats of urethane.
• Removed and threw away really crazy wooden mounting "thing" for the trolling motor.
• Cut off engine lock
• Removed 2 broken transducer mounts
• Threw away rotten, holey cover
• Removed (maybe?) working transducer. No fish finder on the thing anyway.
• Removed all hardware related to the rear seat "conversion" performed by previous maintainer. This one was a good concept, but not the greatest in execution. All the floatation foam was hogged out of the rear seat, non-green treated plywood was cut and glued/silicone sealed/bolted/screwed into the inside of the seat like a box, and the seat was put back on using a hinge and a really undersized latch (which was broken). I guess this was so you could store your crap under the seat. If the boat ever tried to sink it would dunk the engine and sit bow-high in the water. Not a good idea and not safe.
• Buffed paint - BLEH. Buffing. Phooey.
• Removed numerous decals
• Sanded & painted trailer
• Removed and threw away old trailer skids and made new ones
  
• Replaced front rubber roller/bumper
  
• Installed new 2" trailer coupler
• Installed new trailer marker lights
• Cleaned, cleaned and cleaned.
  

Left to do:

• New tires
• Fill rear seat with new floatation foam
• Paint wheels
• New wiring and lights plug
• Registration
• Rebuild engine water pump (doesn't move water - bad bad bad)
• New lower unit seals (they leak)
• Plug holes from removal of multiple transducer mounts
• Get a new drain plug
  
• ....go fishing!

I'll post a few pictures later.