New/Old Airboat Hull

[kwanjangnihm]

Come on Rick we don't want this to happen!! Let's get those last few punched!!

[rick]

Hey I need the "Pull a CM Guy to Dock" punched. Gotta confess though...I have been pulled in per CM boat at least once in my life

Should be punching that "Build Airboat Rigging" spot real soon...maybe in the next day or two.

Rick

[NorthWestFloridaBoy]

I like the new ride Rick. Trailer is really nice as well. I am jealous of the access y'all have to all the airboat hulls, parts, people. I've been wanting another boat so bad I can taste it, but up here in the Pensacola area where I live there are none. Only bass boats, runabouts and CC boats. I want an aluminum hull deckover. A little small ultralight hull, but finding ANY airboat hull up here is impossible, let alone what I'm looking for. I've got a half ass machine shop at my house and I'm gonna build my own redrive when I figure out which power plant to use, but before I decide on power I need to have a hull so I know what I'm building for etc etc. I really miss my last Gilileo I got from Gruprgetr. It was simple and fun but this time I want a little deckover. Anyways, good job, I like your new boat. Oh crap, power just came back on here at house as I was typing this, hurricane Sally, so I gotta go and do stuff around the house now. And let the cleanup begin...... Lol

[rick]

Thanks NorthWestFloridaBoy. It is pretty easy to put together an airboat in Central Florida.

Good Luck with the hurricane cleanup and finding a deckover for your next ride.

I'm gonna try to get some new pictures up today.

Rick

[rick]

Starting to look like an airboat now that the 540 is mounted on some nice stainless rigging.

PM'd Darrin with Sensenich (DAGWOOD0520 on SA). He set me up with a 3 blade 72" JN for the 540. I love the way that prop can be taken off and not change the pitch on the blades. First time to ever have that luxury for me lol. Should push that little boat around pretty good imo.

Rudders, gas tank, oil cooler, seats, etc., getting all that stuff from Diamondback.







Rick

[Slidin Gator]

Rick,

I'll race ya, but only in the thick stuff, cause your gonna blow right by me on the water for sure.

Also, that rudder wrap job you got looks like crap.

[kwanjangnihm]

Also, that rudder wrap job you got looks like crap.

x2

Rigging looks great Rick!

[Smuggler]

Looking great Rick!

[FISHSTICKER]

Very nice. Love the trailer. What HP and TQ does this 540's make? I know there are several variants.

[rick]

Thanks everybody.

I'll race ya, but only in the thick stuff...

No way. I've seen those Stossel boats run that St. Johns River switch grass

What HP and TQ does this 540's make?

I'm no expert, but from what I understand the 8.5:1 straight valve 540's are rated at 260hp @ 2700rpms. This torque calculator says 505.7 ft·lbs using those numbers. I bought this 540 as a used motor and it's supposed to have 9:1 pistons. Not sure how much of a difference that should make.


Damn...wished I'd a called painterchic instead of trying to wrap those rudders myself

Rick

[kwanjangnihm]

Rick any updates on your build? Do we need to take up a collection to buy more beer for you??

[rick]

Well I finally filled her up with avgas this morning for the first time and as soon as my grandson gets here, we're gonna take it out for a short run and see how it does. Seems to run real good sittin on the trailer.

I'll post more pics later this evening.

Rick

[keys2pines]

Looks awesome!

[rick]

Thanks...had a great first ride. Been many years since I rigged a boat out and it took a lot longer than I thought it would, but I am tickled shitless

The one concern I do have though is that the motor probably runs a little cooler than it should. If the new oil temp gauge is correct, it never got over 140°. Along with that the oil pressure runs around 80-90 lbs. when running. Not sure if that's a little high or not, but would like to hear from some of you 540 guys on the temp & oil pressure.

I think Darren nailed it with the 72" JN 3-blade. He already had it pitched to where he thought it should be when I got it and it cruises easily @ around 1500 rpms. Pretty damn quiet too. Don't have a max rpm reading yet cause the boat is a little more squirrelly than I'm used to on the top end and I ain't looking at the gauges at that point. I think it'll probably be around 2800+ when I find a place to comfortably open her up.

I would have bet money that hull was gonna porpoise after seeing how it ran with the gpu, but it runs extremely smooth with no trim tab.

Oh yeah...I ordered those ButtRaxx seats through Diamondback and got them in 1 1/2 months instead of the 3 month lead time I've recently heard about. Best looking and most comfortable seats I've ever had by far.

Here's a few more pics...

Rick

[kwanjangnihm]

Rick the new boat really turned out great!!

Where is the oil temp sending unit located? Mine was originally in the sump (was always cold and never read temps worth a shiz) and I moved it to the oil filter adapter and it read spot on there. My usual cruise with the 540/Cottonmouth was right at 1900 rpms with oil pressure 65-68#. My temps were 175-195 depending on how hot it was or running dry spots!!

[Slidin Gator]

Thanks...had a great first ride. Been many years since I rigged a boat out and it took a lot longer than I thought it would, but I am tickled shitless

Rick

Excellent! You did a great job on the boat, glad to hear she performs When you said you would post more last night and then didn't, I stayed up all night worrying that we needed to send out a search party.

Just kidding, I slept like a baby now that we can open the windows.

The one concern I do have though is that the motor probably runs a little cooler than it should. If the new oil temp gauge is correct, it never got over 140°. Along with that the oil pressure runs around 80-90 lbs. when running. Not sure if that's a little high or not, but would like to hear from some of you 540 guys on the temp & oil pressure.

Kwan is correct, oil temperature should be measured at the bypass valve and screen housing for a proper reading, this would be the hottest oil, just prior to the cooler. Lycoming spec is 165 F minimum operating temp and 95 PSI max.



So your oil pressure is fine, but temp is low. It is also possible the oil cooler bypass valve is stuck in the closed position, pushing all oil through the cooler. More than likely you have the Varithane valve which you can test for operation in a pot of water on the stove, you will see it operate as the water heats. Use the wife's good turkey thermometer to make sure it operates in the right range. It should be fully open around 180 F. If it's a spring loaded valve, make sure it operates properly, there have been a couple of threads on here with low oil temp that turned out to be a stuck bypass valve. When closed, all oil goes through cooler so temp runs low. When full open, most oil bypasses cooler to speed up warm up.

If all above checks out correctly keep in mind that it was a cool night and it does not sound like you put a lot of load on the engine. I would add some tape to the cooler Nascar style and wait until summer before making any changes to the cooler setup. Also note that SAE 40 or a multi weight oil might be more optimum for you, but it's not so easy to find vs. the 50 weight.

[rick]

Appreciate the info. and compliments.

Where is the oil temp sending unit located?

Sending unit is located at the oil filter kwanjangnihm.

I would add some tape to the cooler Nascar style and wait until summer before making any changes to the cooler setup.

I like that idea. Gonna put some time on it next week and will get me some of that aluminum tape and try to keep it at 180°-190°.

If it still seems to be a problem after next week, I'll pull that vernathing out to inspect.

Thanks again for the input.

Rick

[Prototype]

Rick,
Looks real nice! I hope it scoots and totally understand the time factor of the build.
Pm me if you need some htr weld mark pickleing paste? Glass hull friendly but will dull that raw tank if dripped on. Need to scoot the drain plugs aft of that sweet trailer also. Sweet for weld marks to polish after a wash but not for raw metal to not afterwards. It also takes rust pits out if using tri gas but has to be hit with at least a purple stick and buffer wheel,
Will be on the lookout for it, if I see ya stuck or otherwise. Pulled a few twice yours!

[rick]

Appreciate that Prototype. I plan on running it like it is for a short while, then putting some paint on the rudders & gas tank and maybe doing the pickling paste afterwards.

I did get it out this weekend with some tape on the oil cooler and got the temp up to 150°+ per the gauge. Shot it from the outside with the infrared temp gun I use for screen printing and the hottest spot I found (other than cylinders) was about 190° near the vernatherm. Not sure it that's good for any kind of comparison or not lol.

Gonna put some more time on it this week running side by side with my brother-in-law's Gary Armstrong SV 540 to compare.

Rick