240/246 Inboard Rebuild

[pairomedicsfish]

Thats it!  Mine has a full, folding tower and the teak gunwales.....I am seriously considering eliminating the console and replacing it with a motor box, running the boat from the tower controls....thoughts?

[RickK]

You can cruise through the photo gallery by going through the pages at the bottom.  Not very elegant but it works.

[LilRichard]

Thats it!  Mine has a full, folding tower and the teak gunwales.....I am seriously considering eliminating the console and replacing it with a motor box, running the boat from the tower controls....thoughts?

Ehhhh... I think if the seas kick up bad you might regret that.  I understand the thought process, but driving from up top in big seas is no fun.

[seabob4]

Thats it!  Mine has a full, folding tower and the teak gunwales.....I am seriously considering eliminating the console and replacing it with a motor box, running the boat from the tower controls....thoughts?

Ehhhh... I think if the seas kick up bad you might regret that.  I understand the thought process, but driving from up top in big seas is no fun.

This is VERY true!  

[pairomedicsfish]

Not much different than being on a flybridge.....or is it?

[flounderpounder225]

I have a early 70's 240 that I am(slowly) rebuilding. Mine is the seahunter, with the side console and little cabin up front. It appears that mine was an io originally, then it was changed to an outboard, an OMC seadrive. I am going to rebuild mine back as a diesel center console. I am going to leave the cuddy upfront, and shorten the bench seats up front. Kinda like a Dorado 30'.

http://www.thehulltruth.com/boat-commer ... 995-a.html

kinda like that boat. I want to put a prop pocket on the transom to make it a little shallower draft. I want to put an old 453T detroit under the console. I thought about jackshafting it back to an outdrive, but those engines will make alot of torque, any diesel does, and I hear that they will break an outdrive.

I really want a drive similar to this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U60rx06Dmtk
that seems to be an articulating surface unit, running a subsurface prop, just behind a nice size prop pocket. I cannot justify the $$ for an articulating drive like that...but I would sure love one. I think that guy built his own.

Watch the government liquidations and any DRMO's that might be in your area, the 4-53 was a very popular diesel in the military, and especially in the Navy.  The 3-53, 4-53 is all I worked on for 22 years active duty, and still maintaining them everyday in our shop.  Everyone of these engines is at least 20 years old, and still going strong, have never seen any catastrophic internal failures, just normal accessory failures.

[orb]

Thanks flounderpounder225
I have had a few machines that had the 53 and 71 series detroits in them. I had one, a 353N, that ran low on oil, ran hot, blew the head gasket. I tore the engine down. I put new liners, pistons, rings, rods and main and rod bearings in it. I did not change the cam bearings, several were spinning, but I just left them. That joker ran strong for years after that, and I ran it wide open all day, every day. Those engines just wont quit.

That is why I want one in my boat. But I want to find a marinized one. I am afraid of trying to marinize myself.
I am not to the point where I looking actively for an engine, but if I come across a good deal, I will pick it up. I really want a 453 TI, that one runs about 200 hp. Thanks for the info.
 
I do really like the tower on the 240 under discussion here, although I do agree, that driving from that height in rough weather could be very rough. Having a lower station would be a must for me.

[Mark Sr]

Here's some photos of my 1976 SeaHunter 240

[LilRichard]

Not much different than being on a flybridge.....or is it?

It is the same thing, but the term "flybridge" normally applies to much larger boats.  While the 240 is a very seaworthy boat, a 31 Bertram it is not!  Your choice though...

[pairomedicsfish]

I get your poin exactly....My plan is to rig the boat for tower only.....with a pigtail set up ti plug into the console. I am not removing any of the steering components.

[LilRichard]

Interesting.  So you could run form either place by moving the throttle?

[pairomedicsfish]

The lower station steering cable would be secured in the engine room, the wire harness going up to the tower would have a pigtail also in the engine room. If I wanted to put the console in, I would just remove the motor box, drop in the console, plug it in, connect the steering cable and the shift trottle cables. Not a process that you choose to do on a day to day basis, but I can run the boat from the tower for a while, if I don't like it or plan to fish way offshore, the I can add the console. This boat will only have a tach, temp and oil pressure gauge....a GPS/plotter, compass and two vhf radios......a very simple system.  That's kinda where I am at. By not doing a console there would be tons more room on deck, and I can be done with the re build quicker......then later, build out the console, maybe with a teak console pod, Rybo style......

[Capt Matt]

Docking from only one upper station is no fun either, running up and down to grab the lines.
Capt Matt

[gran398]

Hi orb,

The link you posted to the articulating surface drive....that boat is from Middle Sound, about 5 miles as the crow flies from my house.

I'd be happy to find out who owns her, and put you in touch with him. Just give a holler.

[orb]

gran398,
I think it is owned by a guy named Eric RYDZEWSKI. I tried sending him an email, but no reply. I am facebook friends with John Riggs, the guy who helped him with the boat, although I am not a "real" friend, just in facebook land. The way I understand it, he built the drive to, patented it, and was going to try to manufacture them. I just read info on the internet, in various places, that insinuated that. I have not asked Riggs about it, just because I do not want to infringe on the guys cool product. I would love to see it up close. If you are over that way, and can take a pic or two would be awesome. Although, I think the drive is mainly below the water line. I am not really working on my 240 in a hurry. I am repairing the stringers now, where they have separated from the hull, then I will cut them open and pull the old foam out and refill them, so I have quite a bit of work to go before I get to the point to where I am configuring a drive for it.  But, any info would be appreciated. If you can get his number or info, I will give him a call and see if he will share information.
thanks