Revenger build thread!!

[mark.saunders]

let me know when you want it, its sat here waiting.

[Chris1573]

Just read this from the beginning... nice work and great looking boat !

Is it in the water yet?

[larby]

Hmmm, no not quite!

I've actually just realised how long it is since I've done a proper update, a whole lot has changed since then!!

I've stripped the transom right back down, filled it all, re-cut it for the DPX, re-sprayed and fully re-rigged it.

Engine has been fired up and runs sweetly, it's now back in the boat mated to the DPX

New plan for the exhausts

I've just made a new engine brace which is waiting to be welded so it can go in next week

Ordered and recieved lots and lots of goodies

The list goes on!... I'll do a proper update this afternoon/evening with all the pics and try to stay a bit more up to date again from now on!

Cheers, James

[Peterjfinch]

Hi James,

Will be good to see an update... Lots of info and pics of the transom fill / re-cut, I hope

All the best

Peter

[larby]

Ok, so where to start then!

As I mentioned I bought a NOS DPX drive with all transom assy and props from Bernico. I just wasn't happy the Bravo would handle my power and I've heard a lot of good things about the DPX. It also means I'm moving to a new drive and it's duo-prop, which will help with stability on a 6ft wide boat!

It's about the most expensive thing I've ever bought new, so I got a bit excited with the camera when it arrived...

[larby]

First job was to build a drive stand to give me somewhere to store my precious new purchase and help when fitting & removing.
I made it with a 3/8 drive fitting in the back so it can be cranked from 1" off the floor up to 7" off the floor.

[larby]

Having only recently started rebuilding the boat by rigging the transom, now came the slightly depressing job of stripping it all back off again!!

Off came absolutely everything and I marked out for the much larger DPX cutout using the supplied template. Sadly with the Bravo drive having been so high (3" above standard x-dimension) and the DPX going in at standard height, the DPX cutout didn't quite cover it all.

[larby]

So, time for more woodwork and fibreglass, just as I thought I'd finished it all!

With the boat being so slender and sitting so low in the water, the exhausts were as low as they could possibly go with the height of the engine for the jacked up Bravo drive. With it all now sitting 3" lower in the hull, I had to come up with a new solution for the exhausts, so the old thru-hull holes had to be deleted while I was at it.

My old water pickup also fouled on the drive so had to go, as did the mounts for the external steering, no longer required as the DPX comes with it as standard.

On the bright side, the transom will be a lot cleaner looking when it's finished!

All of the holes were taken out, with a larger cutout inside and out to allow the ply to be staggered out. Ply was then bonded and screwed in.
I fibreglassed it twice to get it as level as physically possible with the original exterior to reduce the amount of finishing required.
Seeing as it was being painted, I skimmed it with filler twice and sanded it right back. It looks like a lot but in reality there's no more than 1mm thickness at any point.

[Ph@ntastic]

Thats a nice bit of kit you bought

[larby]

Next up was the spraying...
Following with the theme of the boat I decided to tackle this myself. Turned out quite well if I may say so myself! Epoxy primed, filler primed, flatted, yellow primed, 6 coats of colour and 6 of laquer. Took my time to do it right and the finish was like glass!

[larby]

Finished the interior with a few layers of glass and a new layer of flow coat.

Finally able to start re-rigging!

Everything had to stay as neat as possible so all the gubbins came off the trim pump and I bolted it straight to the stringer with a thick penny washer each side to spread the load. The hoses will then be clamped neatly to the transom and the wiring will all run from the main wiring box in the boat.

[larby]

Took a break here to start sorting my rub strip while I waited for engine goodies to arrive!

I didn't fancy the look of 'off the shelf' options and wanted to go for a really clean look with no showing bolts.

Ordered up some 3x30 316 stainless flat and welded suds to the back. These then bolt through the hull and the outside will be re-polished to remove the discolouration left by the welds. It was a total pain to fit and I really wasn't sure about the look to start with, but it's growing on me now!

[larby]

So in the meanwhile all the bits from America arrived. For some reason I didn't get pics of it all, I think the excitement got the better of me, but I recieved all the fuel system along with various engine bits and bobs from CP Performance. You'll see em as they go in!

Coronet Kip on here sorted me with a bellhousing to fit the drive from a smallblock, but sadly Volvo saw a need to make it slightly different to the bigblock version!

After much measuring etc and finding the price of a new item, I opted to machine this housing to fit over my flywheel. It needed 3mm extra diameter to fit over the ring gear, so hardly any strength lost given the extra supporting ribs on the outside.
The volvo housing is 8mm thick plus strengthening ribs and I took 3mm out until 1" in. As a comparison, a bravo housing is 4mm thick and has no strengthening ribs. I'm happy it'll be strong enough.
I also had to make a little cutout for the starter motor as it sits in a slightly different position. This was made as a round cut to avoid creating any stress points.

[larby]

So now I could get the engine back in!

I'm much happier with the new installation height. She handled well even with the engine way up high. Having dropped it 3" and with a duo-prop I should see a further improvement in handling!

I can also now fit the carb etc under a standard 9" high blower scoop, result!

I really should trim the Ivy.

[larby]

So now it was time to make up a new engine brace. Man I'm glad I work in a CNC machine shop!

Made a few improvements on the last design this time round, cut it all out in kit form, tacked it together (badly - I don't weld much!), and test fitted to check before it goes off to be welded properly this week!

Also knocked up a new 32mm thru-hull pickup while I was waiting for it to finish cutting. Just need to make up the nut tomorrow and I can get it fitted.
Next up is to fit all the water inlet system... Phew!

[Chris1573]

Any news Larby ?

[Jon Holmes]

I believe he sold it.