Getting started on getting the 245 Explorer ready

[wingtime]

Well, I started working on getting the 245 Explorer into top shape.  Picked up some spark plugs, racor filter, fuel hose, and a primer bulb. I figured I'd try a test spot of buffing on the hull to see how the gel will come out:



I started to change the Racor but when I saw how nasty the fuel was I drained out of it I figured I'd better drain some out of the tank to see what I had in there...  this is what came out:




After sitting for a few minutes the fuel turned cloudy like this:


Yuck!  so I decided I'd better start draining it.  While it was draining I figured I'd see if I could clean the bilge.  I mix some bilge cleaner and water in a pump up sprayer.  I sprayed the bilge down, let it sit and rinsed it off.  Much better:  Here's a few before N after pics:







After:









Much better!

Oh and I found this along with a scrub brush, bait bucket lid and funnel down in there.  Bob did one of your buddies leave that in there?:




I drained 30 gallons out of the boat.  The mechanical gauge on top of the tank said 1/2 when I started.  When I was done.. it still said 1/2.  Oh no!   So I'm guessing the sender is totally not working.  Now I have no idea how much fuel is in there.  It could be almost empty...  or there could be 110 gallons left in there!  I guess I will have to pull the sender off and peak in there.

[seabob4]

Bruce,
Oh man, those are some GREAT pics!  Now I know what that plug was you were talking about.  That's a plug for a t/hull transducer, should for some reason you want to pull the element out.  I would assume you have a bronze shoe on the hull somewhere...

That fuel?  Doesn't look good.  To be honest with you, I'd pump it all out.  Ethanol fuel, untreated, turns an orangy color as it degrades, and that looks orangy to me.  There's an outfit in N. Pinellas that does fuel testing and tank pumpouts, costs around $150, can't remember the name but they were at a house I was working at, an old Proline, in Seminole.  If you can do it yourself, that would be great.  But that fuel doesn't look good...

You definitely need a ground bus, and you should pull down the breaker/fuse box and check the condition of the fuse holders and breaker.  Also, check the condition of the wiring, take off any ground on that bus bar, cut off the ring terminal, then strip back, tell us what you see...

That "cut out" you found?  Well, you'll probably find more than that!!!  

BTW, interesting place for an hourmeter...

Bruce, hope I'm not overly critical.  Just kinda know that back end pretty well.  See that string tagged "pull wire"?  About worthless as tits on a boar hog, as it gets wrapped around the hull harness, about impossible to pull anything through with it.  And one time, when we had an Explorer already built, a customer bought it and wanted a set of tabs installed.  Got the planes installed, was drilling for the actuator mounting holes, felt something hard just after I broke through the transom pocket, kept drilling (we installed our Racors in a different location on Ospreys)...damn, drilled right through that Racor cannister!

[flounderpounder225]

Looks good Bruce   just make sure you take care of that old nasty gas, if you have someone around you that does tank cleaning and fuel polishing you might consider it?  I wish I had, it would have saved me a lot of trouble later on, but that big carb'd Johnson is a lot more forgiving than these direct injected motors.  Keep up the great work
Marc

[wingtime]

I didn't think of a fuel tank cleaning company. I did that once on another boat a LONG time ago.  Duh!   I think I know a guy that knows a guy.  I think that is the way to go.  So far I drained 30 gallons out of it and I have no idea what I will do with The drum of that stuff.

Your not overly critical Bob.  That ground bar does look funky.  It's painted with some sorta black paint.  I'm guessing some sort of a sealer. Your right the trim tab cylinder is RIGHT behind the Racor canister.

[seabob4]

I didn't think of a fuel tank cleaning company. I did that once on another boat a LONG time ago.  Duh!   I think I know a guy that knows a guy.  I think that is the way to go.  So far I drained 30 gallons out of it and I have no idea what I will do with The drum of that stuff.

Your not overly critical Bob.  That ground bar does look funky.  It's painted with some sorta black paint.  I'm guessing some sort of a sealer. Your right the trim tab cylinder is RIGHT behind the Racor canister.

Bruce,
The bus bar was coated with Liquid Neoprene (we actually used the OMC branded version of it), I just bought a can of spray-on liquid electrical tape yesterday at HD, gonna see how it works.

I've got a bus bar in pretty good condition if you want it.

[slvrlng]

Nice shine! Crappy fuel! Great advice already given!

If you fly me down there and back I will buff it for free!  

[seabob4]

Nice shine! Crappy fuel! Great advice already given!

If you fly me down there and back I will buff it for free!  

Lewis,
Right now it is 48 degrees with a cold west wind at about 15 knots...wait a couple days!

[wingtime]

I've got a bus bar in pretty good condition if you want it.

Thanks I'll keep that in mind. I think I may have one.

My bilge floats...  I need to see if they work or not. (I'm thinking not).  They are a blue box type.  The aft one looks like it will be fun to get to.   Is there a particular type that you like best?

[slvrlng]

That would actually feel really warm. Right now its 24 on the porch and gusting to 35 mph. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!

[seabob4]

That would actually feel really warm. Right now its 24 on the porch and gusting to 35 mph. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!

DAMN!!!

Bruce, that's a Sure-bail float.  OK, as far as performance, I do recommend Rule floats, but I have had real good luck with Attwoods that you can buy at wally world for $18 without the cage.

What I DON'T recommend is swapping out the pump for an combined pump/float like a Rule-Mate.  Pumps don't really crap out, but floats do.  The float craps out on an all-in-one, and you have to replace the whole unit...

[gran398]

These problems suck. Feel the same as if they were my problems....since I had a hand in it.

From the trailer on the pull down.... to the weird sump.... and now the bad gas.

We heard the motor idle down sweet on that gas. The gas may look like chit...but the Ocean Runner could have cared less.


Bottom line....hope you have no regrets. Did our best on this end.

For what you paid...IMO...you did well.

[wingtime]

No regrets what so ever Scott.  The gas doesn't smell bad at all...  and the motor does run on it...  but watching it change color when exposed to the air...  thats wild stuff.   Gotta love that ethanol!   I pretty much planned on doing this type of work on any boat I bought to bring it up to my standard.  So it is no surprise.  Besides I enjoy bringing the shine back to a diamond such as this.

Lewis, It's windy and chilly out down here so I know it's gotta be freezing up there.  Supposed to be in the 30's here tonight!     I'm drinking a big cup of coco with a blob of marshmallow fluff in it right now!

[Circle Hooked]

When you remove that float, be somewhat careful, it does contain some Mercury.

[gran398]

No regrets what so ever Scott.  The gas doesn't smell bad at all...  and the motor does run on it...  but watching it change color when exposed to the air...  thats wild stuff.   Gotta love that ethanol!   I pretty much planned on doing this type of work on any boat I bought to bring it up to my standard.  So it is no surprise.  Besides I enjoy bringing the shine back to a diamond such as this.

Lewis, It's windy and chilly out down here so I know it's gotta be freezing up there.  Supposed to be in the 30's here tonight!     I'm drinking a big cup of coco with a blob of marshmallow fluff in it right now!

Good deal. Like your thinking.

Makes me feel better. You guys may not believe this...but I agonized over this deal  probably more than Bruce did. Only because I had already felt the hard sting of a bad deal.

So....go forward, little brother.

 

[wingtime]

just make sure you take care of that old nasty gas, if you have someone around you that does tank cleaning and fuel polishing you might consider it?   Marc

Well that didn't take too long to find. :
http://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/mas/2813975465.html

http://wffpms.com/

 I guess I will try to determine how much fuel is in there then decide my next course of action.  I did notice my tank has two fuel pick ups.  I can uncap the unused one and temporarily install a hose barb to pump out the fuel.