New here AQ130 manifold question.

On another note, when I first got the boat. I had 2 soft spots/deck rot between the captains chair, and the mates chair if you will, center line of the boat. I ripped the seats out and started digging and shop vac'd the rotten crap out. I probed the stringers and am pretty sure they are foam and they seemed solid and not mushy or full of water. Being this is a 1976 boat, I am thinking it has foam stringers in it, which it looks like they did on many in that time period, and even patented? They are defiantly not wood.

So overall I have a decent size section 5 x 4 if that cut out of the deck in the center of the boat. I have cut out all the rot to hard wood and treated and will move forward from there.

Tonight on a crazy whim, because things I read make me wonder, and drive me crazy with doubt. I decided to cut out a 8" x10" section of foam down to the keel at the center of the hull.

It was bone dry down to about a 1/2 to 3/4 inch of wet foam at the keel. Some water from the angle of the boat was moving aft. I may dig back under the solid deck a few inches off the keel and see what I see. I may have side stepped a land mine here from what I have read. I know they are built in sections like a big dbl H like look? I am thinking of drilling a hole just forward of the engine, forward and tight to the keel and let any water flow down to the drain hole. While I know that is not the cure-all. It would allow much of any water that is there to flow aft. The amount of wet foam left, is what it is. There is a small amount of fiberglass covering the actual keel maybe a 1/2 if that. I cannot see ripping that down to the bone at this point. Forward and down towards the keel/ deep bow portion, I have no idea? Again I am not going try and rip into it. The deck forward of the wheel is rock solid, and honestly not that much of it exposed to water. and any deep probes I can do have been dry.

Okay now I a done for the night.

I got the deck down yesterday, and it came out surprisingly well. First coat of resin is on, mat tonight then epoxy. And finally will gel-coat it hopefully Sunday.


Anyone know if the drain line on the engine block is removable? Its copper, and the drain fitting that should be there is gone. Someone had a bolt with silicone stuck in there. I tried unthreading the tube/pipe but it won't budge, and I don't want to twist it off. Right now I slipped a hose over it and plugged it.

JimA82 said:

Anyone know if the drain line on the engine block is removable? Its copper, and the drain fitting that should be there is gone. Someone had a bolt with silicone stuck in there. I tried unthreading the tube/pipe but it won't budge, and I don't want to twist it off. Right now I slipped a hose over it and plugged it.

Click to expand...

Yes, it's removable. I replaced mine a few years ago. 1/4" NPT

Thanks, I am not sure it's going to come out though. I was taking it to the point where I would have twisted it.

Took a bit but the deck is done. Final coat of waxed gel coat on, going to have to throw the old seats in for now. They are not the prettiest things, but I need to get this thing in the water and see if she will go.

A word of advise to those thinking of buying a old boat. It is time, hard on the back and money. Aside from the engine parts, it gets expensive from there and nothing goes the way you plan, or is easy. If you enjoy that, then it's for you! Do your research before buying and make sure parts are still available!

I need to add the dollars up, but guessing close to a 1000 at this point with everything, plus the boat. Freaking registration, with plates and taxes were 280 of that. Throw on the required boater class (which was good) was 35 bucks. To go on the lake another 60 or 10 bucks a day (not paid yet) 100 for the gel coat and wax, 150 + or so for chop strand misc buckets and resin/hardener rollers and crap. Then engine parts and misc. Again it's a labor of love, so no charge there. Yeah right....

All that aside, it has been challenge and a great learning experience, for me and my son/family everyone has pitched in and its been good.

I have done a lot in my life, from the military to working freighter's all over Alaska, to running a shipping dock in Dutch Hbr Alaska for close to 18+ years after that. I knew the deadliest catch guys Sig, Phil (rip) and the others before they were even such a thing! We stored their pots and dealt with countless others there as well.

All that said, I Never Thought I would tackle a job like this boat has been! Would I do it again, doubtful. I would buy something newer. LOL

Anyway, I will up date one more time after it's the maiden voyage. I pray it goes well. If problems arise, I will look here for advice!

Thanks to those for the info!

Any info on how tight the alternator belt should be? I have maybe 3/4" maybe more of movement. To me it seems loose, but catches fine.

JimA82 said:

Any info on how tight the alternator belt should be? I have maybe 3/4" maybe more of movement. To me it seems loose, but catches fine.

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I am by no means an expert but 3/4" seems a little loose.

I'm thinking 1/4" is more what you're looking for. Might start getting a squeal with it that loose....

Thank guys I will tighten it up. Were going on the lake tomorrow for sea trials, so hoping all this effort pays off.

I've restored more than one boat and my current one is 50 years old. Restoring boats is a labor of love. If you have to add up the dollars spent, you probably shouldn't restore a boat. Pick your hulls carefully. All my restoration ( full and partial) projects have been on Chriscrafts, a Bertram and a Bristol. These days i'm into what I call "floating restorations", i.e. I restore/repair a boat until its safe to run and do non critical projects on an annual basis. I learned this after my first restoration project left me without a working boat for 4 summers.

sandkicker said:

I've restored more than one boat and my current one is 50 years old. Restoring boats is a labor of love. If you have to add up the dollars spent, you probably shouldn't restore a boat. Pick your hulls carefully. All my restoration ( full and partial) projects have been on Chriscrafts, a Bertram and a Bristol. These days i'm into what I call "floating restorations", i.e. I restore/repair a boat until its safe to run and do non critical projects on an annual basis. I learned this after my first restoration project left me without a working boat for 4 summers.

Click to expand...

Thanks! I hope I can get 5 or more years out of this. With the deck done now, and the hull/transom in really good shape. I will start the restoration of the interior, new seating and trim/what not. Were sticking with the original teal colors that are now tired, old and faded. Will change a few things looks wise but not to much.

What's kind of sad should the engine die, the price of a new motor (if something is still available) out weighs the rest by age and not worth the overall price of the boat I suppose?

That said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The older it gets, the better it looks. As it has a really nice retro look to it which I love.

Have you looked at the price of new GOOD quality boats ????

Well of course I have. I just hate seeing something decent turning into lawn furniture. Cost to fix I am sure is why you see so many boats sitting in yards wasting away.

Lots of boats sitting in yards not worth restoration. Remember a gallon of epoxy and a yard of fiberglass cloth cost the same if you put it in top tier boat (Chriscraft,Bertram, Mako, Wellcraft...etc) as in a no name copy cat commodity boat... and 200 series Volvo drives, with minimal care last a loooong time. There was nothing wrong with the 250 drive that I took off my current boat 10 years ago, I just wanted the upgraded gears of the circa mid 80s 280 drive ( a salvage drive) that has been giving me trouble free service ever since.

Good thoughts sandkicker!

So the son and I just got off the lake after a 2 hr run. She fired up and again the water pump was dripping from the back side as far as I can tell. Guessing spit maybe a 1/2 gallon over all, I had a bucket under it that I brought. Everything else cooling wise, the copper tubes etc., were good to go and not a drop anywhere this was a huge relief!


Couple of notes,

Steering was really hard or more effort to turn to the starboard side. Port no problem, not sure what's up with that yet. Maybe the prop turning/spinning direction which doesn't sound right?

Temps stayed good, so all is working there.

Throttle wise, kicking it in gear seemed stiff and I had to increase speed slowly up to 2500 rpms. To get it to plane, if I went to fast it wanted to stall out. Back off a bit and increase slowly and wait, it would start going faster then plane. I never went above 3000 rpms. It actually went pretty good once it kicked in. Doubt it would pull a skier up, maybe my son & daughter or on a tube. When I hooked the throttle to the carb, there were two places to hook to, one at the end which is where I put it or a inch or so before that. Could not remember how it was originally so went with the end?


It also to my ear sounded like it was missing a bit but I could be wrong. No idea how old the plugs and distributor are or when they were changed and timed?

I can tell it's an old motor and I am only going to get so much out of it, was hoping for a bit more, but expectations are always high. Overall I would say today was a good start! Need to figure out that water pump leak. I think it's going to be a corroded timing cover or a broken off chunk where it meets. Not sure JB weld or gasket crap will work or not?

That cover does not look like fun to remove?

Would love some feedback

Thanks, Jim

JimA82 said:

So the son and I just got off the lake after a 2 hr run. She fired up and again the water pump was dripping from the back side as far as I can tell. Guessing spit maybe a 1/2 gallon over all, I had a bucket under it that I brought. Everything else cooling wise, the copper tubes etc., were good to go and not a drop anywhere this was a huge relief!

<content deleted>

Need to figure out that water pump leak. I think it's going to be a corroded timing cover or a broken off chunk where it meets. Not sure JB weld or gasket crap will work or not?

Click to expand...

The water pump has two separate seals inside of it...one to seal out water (front side) and the other to seal out oil (back side) with a small space between them which is known as the "weep hole". If it is leaking water, then the water seal may be bad. You can buy rebuild kits for these pumps. Make sure you know exactly where the leak originates. If the pump cover and/or cover gasket is not in good shape, then it can leak water there.

Re: "It actually went pretty good once it kicked in. Doubt it would pull a skier up, maybe my son & daughter or on a tube."

Well...unless I missed it you never told us what kind/size boat this is. While the Volvo 4 bangers are great engines, there is no substitute for cubic inches as boat size increases, hull deadrise increases and the desire of family to use water toys.

The real test of boat engine condition and correct prop size is the ability to get the boat engine to reach the full rated wide open throttle RPM range with calm waters, "normal load", half to full tank of gas, and a clean hull bottom. I found that when I owned a Volvo 4 banger on an 18 ft Deep V, that pulling a water skier or taking more than one or two passengers required that I change the prop to one with less pitch for that excursion, i.e. for the years I owned that boat (1964-79), prop selection was an every trip factor....depending.

am_dew said:

The water pump has two separate seals inside of it...one to seal out water (front side) and the other to seal out oil (back side) with a small space between them which is known as the "weep hole". If it is leaking water, then the water seal may be bad. You can buy rebuild kits for these pumps. Make sure you know exactly where the leak originates. If the pump cover and/or cover gasket is not in good shape, then it can leak water there.

Click to expand...

Thank you!

I got the water pump off, there is some corrosion at the btm rim timing case side, but there is enough rim left that it should seal, 1/8" compared to what looks like a 1/4" or so all around. I know the water pump impeller is new as is the front gasket it's not leaking there. There is a O-ring that looks good as well.

There is another rubber fitting that is removable that turns the impeller, one side is flat with the pin inside, tight against the engine side. Towards the impeller side the pin is recessed is this correct, or should it be flipped around? I am researching it after this post.

I can tell by the amount of corrosion this has been leaking for awhile. Can't tell if it is from the weeping hole or not? From what I could see I don't think it is. On the pump side looking in, I can see what looks like a little spring thing that is wrapped around what is I guess the impeller that would butt uptight against that other rubber fitting that is on the engine side?


Putting it back together I am going to confirm exactly where it is leaking from back there The timing case will need to be replaced at some point for sure, but my budget and knowledge on it will have to wait. I see that alternator pulley will have to be removed, and it looks like a pain more research! LOL

Nice thing is, those covers seem to be abundant on ebay, I assume there is gasket behind it as well?

Thanks again!

sandkicker said:

Re: "It actually went pretty good once it kicked in. Doubt it would pull a skier up, maybe my son & daughter or on a tube."

Well...unless I missed it you never told us what kind/size boat this is. While the Volvo 4 bangers are great engines, there is no substitute for cubic inches as boat size increases, hull deadrise increases and the desire of family to use water toys.

The real test of boat engine condition and correct prop size is the ability to get the boat engine to reach the full rated wide open throttle RPM range with calm waters, "normal load", half to full tank of gas, and a clean hull bottom. I found that when I owned a Volvo 4 banger on an 18 ft Deep V, that pulling a water skier or taking more than one or two passengers required that I change the prop to one with less pitch for that excursion, i.e. for the years I owned that boat (1964-79), prop selection was an every trip factor....depending.

Click to expand...

76 Reinell T1801 Tri hull, listed as 17ft on the title. Have not actually measured. Btm is as clean as I could get it on the trailer, flat calm today. Assuming it is the original prop, really no idea!

am_dew said:

The water pump has two separate seals inside of it...one to seal out water (front side) and the other to seal out oil (back side) with a small space between them which is known as the "weep hole". If it is leaking water, then the water seal may be bad. You can buy rebuild kits for these pumps. Make sure you know exactly where the leak originates. If the pump cover and/or cover gasket is not in good shape, then it can leak water there.

Click to expand...

Ok after the last long drawn out reply, the water is coming out of the back weep hole. If I plug it, after a couple of second's it comes out the top. Which the good news is the O-ring between the pump and case are holding with no gasket crap.

So I should probably order and entire impeller/gasket kit/the whole shebang while I am at it and replace it for pcs of mind. Thoughts?

And thanks this helped a lot! Any good links on prices and where to buy that you have used? PM if you need to. Thanks again!

Ok so we got the interior done and it came out really good. A lot of the original trim pcs were pretty rotted out, but we were able to trace them and I cut new shapes out of 1/4" ply which we sealed. My wife bless her heart put a lot of effort into cutting and a few 1000 staples with new vinyl, and we used foam from an old memory foam mattress we were getting rid of. Not perfect but it looks really nice. And we went with the original teal colors.



Motor wise, One more good sea trial today. Engine fired right up, no more leaky raw water pump, temps were fine. Cruised around, a bit then took off. Stalled a little, then came up to speed and plane. The sweet spot seems to be right at 3000 to3100 RPMs Can't judge speed, 30 to 40 mph maybe a bit more? And is this where this 43 year old boat should be at? I really cant see or want to be pushing it higher?



And I want to personally say thank you to Bob (am_dew) for taking the time with me behind the scenes, He has been a great help!

Just a couple of things I took note of.


Taking the boat out of the lake, I noticed the exhaust bellows squirting water out the top,. Thinking this is bad, only to find out after a search once home this is normal. The guy I bought the boat from changed both last year or so, obviously he didn't know that or care. Guessing the second.

Question is, can I drill or cut a small hole into the btm vs trying to undo the clamps and spinning this around so the hole I at the btm?


Second, while running at full speed, my buddy and I could hear a tick, tick, tick sound, not constant, but intermittent. And when I dropped the RPMs it was less noticeable, even more so when boat was slowing He thought the valves might need to be adjusted, timing seems fine, no missing that I can tell. What are your thoughts?

Lastly, when running at full speed say 3000 RPMS. When I start to slow down the RPMs are still sitting at 3000 or 2950 or so but the engine is winding down, and the boat is slowing. Only when I bring the throttle back to a point do they start dropping, If that makes sense?


I think that's about it. Would love to hear some thoughts on these questions!

Thank once again! Jim

JimA82 said:

Ok so we got the interior done and it came out really good. A lot of the original trim pcs were pretty rotted out, but we were able to trace them and I cut new shapes out of 1/4" ply which we sealed. My wife bless her heart put a lot of effort into cutting and a few 1000 staples with new vinyl, and we used foam from an old memory foam mattress we were getting rid of. Not perfect but it looks really nice. And we went with the original teal colors.

Click to expand...

JimA82 said:

Motor wise, One more good sea trial today. Engine fired right up, no more leaky raw water pump, temps were fine. Cruised around, a bit then took off. Stalled a little, then came up to speed and plane. The sweet spot seems to be right at 3000 to3100 RPMs Can't judge speed, 30 to 40 mph maybe a bit more? And is this where this 43 year old boat should be at? I really cant see or want to be pushing it higher?

Click to expand...

JimA82 said:

And I want to personally say thank you to Bob (am_dew) for taking the time with me behind the scenes, He has been a great help!

Click to expand...

JimA82 said:

Just a couple of things I took note of.

Taking the boat out of the lake, I noticed the exhaust bellows squirting water out the top,. Thinking this is bad, only to find out after a search once home this is normal. The guy I bought the boat from changed both last year or so, obviously he didn't know that or care. Guessing the second.

Question is, can I drill or cut a small hole into the btm vs trying to undo the clamps and spinning this around so the hole I at the btm?

Click to expand...

JimA82 said:

Second, while running at full speed, my buddy and I could hear a tick, tick, tick sound, not constant, but intermittent. And when I dropped the RPMs it was less noticeable, even more so when boat was slowing He thought the valves might need to be adjusted, timing seems fine, no missing that I can tell. What are your thoughts?

Click to expand...

JimA82 said:

Lastly, when running at full speed say 3000 RPMS. When I start to slow down the RPMs are still sitting at 3000 or 2950 or so but the engine is winding down, and the boat is slowing. Only when I bring the throttle back to a point do they start dropping, If that makes sense

Click to expand...

Okay time for this threads final thoughts.

Boat is running good, got a good month of Summer left and the wife and kids are happy.


Again I want to thank Bob (am_dew) for being so helpful here and behind the scenes! He may not know it all, but he did help me a great amount!


The few others here I will thank as well, Ricardo an sandkicker for some of the help I got. That said, yes I was a bit of an ass and was looking for answers in a timely fashion.

But for a boat forum with "experts" that seem to pick and choose what they want to answer and or ignore, not so much. It really isn't what forums are about. Least the countless others I have been a part of helping poor saps like myself trying to get through it. So good luck to you!


I do hope anyone searching for info on the AQ130 finds this thread, and learns from it! It was a huge project for me to jump into, and it actually came out pretty dang good for someone not knowing anything about a old boat.


Thanks again! Jim

.................

JimA82 said:

Okay time for this threads final thoughts.

Boat is running good, got a good month of Summer left and the wife and kids are happy.
That is great..... kids generally love boating.
Having a boat that does not give us trouble, makes the experience and enjoyment even better.

Again I want to thank Bob (am_dew) for being so helpful here and behind the scenes! He may not know it all, but he did help me a great amount!

The few others here I will thank as well, Ricardo an sandkicker for some of the help I got. That said, yes I was a bit of an ass and was looking for answers in a timely fashion.
Well, perhaps not an ass, but yes, your initial forum behavior was the reason why I backed off.

But for a boat forum with "experts" that seem to pick and choose what they want to answer and or ignore, not so much. It really isn't what forums are about. Least the countless others I have been a part of helping poor saps like myself trying to get through it. So good luck to you!
Jim, you are doing it again! If you can be polite, respectful and grateful for ANY help, you will receive more than enough.


I do hope anyone searching for info on the AQ130 finds this thread, and learns from it! It was a huge project for me to jump into, and it actually came out pretty dang good for someone not knowing anything about a old boat.
You did well for a person with little to no initial Volvo Penta experience!

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.

RicardoMarine said:

.................




.

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Ricardo, I was more then respectful after our little BS episode! I let it go and I thought you had as well. I suggest you go back and read it. Last time you responded with anything vaguely helpful was the 8th of July. And I was more then thankful to you, sandkicker and am_dew (Bob) prior to that! Bob was great here and in text and I thanked him numerous times.

Doesn't matter at this point. And I will give you the benefit of the doubt, that you did not come back and read the pages after July 8th till yesterday. (that said, hard to believe) Just not that much going on in the volvo section. No matter, as long as you feel good about yourself in helping "those so thankful for your timely replies"

Take care wish you the best!

JimA82 said:

Ricardo, I was more then respectful after our little BS episode!
Perhaps see post #83 again!
In fact, see posts #25, 27, 28, 29 and see what Bob had to say in post #30.

I suggest you go back and read it. Last time you responded with anything vaguely helpful was the 8th of July.
**I was reading your thread all along, I simply did not respond to each and every one of your posts.

And I was more then thankful to you, sandkicker and am_dew (Bob) prior to that! Bob was great here and in text and I thanked him numerous times.
Understood!

Doesn't matter at this point. And I will give you the benefit of the doubt, that you did not come back and read the pages after July 8th till yesterday. (that said, hard to believe)
See above **!

Take care wish you the best!
I wish you the best also.

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As a side note.......I would also suggest to anyone who is new to boating, that they take a boating class. Some states now require that the operator enroll in and pass the class in order to obtain the State Marine Board Certificate!

There is much to be gained by learning the rules of the waterways, safe operation, safety precautions, requirements for Navigation lights, anchoring light, docking and loading ramp etiquette, insurance, etc.

Also, I still suggest that during your testing and trial runs, that you go out alone and with a follow-me-boat-buddy for safety reasons. You DO NOT want your family with you for these test runs!
If you were to have any trouble, it would sour your family's experience.

Also, make sure you have a good anchor and plenty of anchor rode.


After all is in order and after you have all of your ducks in a row, I hope that you and your family are able to enjoy safe and fun boating.

JimA82 said:

Okay time for this threads final thoughts.

Click to expand...

I fully agree........., let's please put this thread to rest!
No need to post any further!


.

JimA82 said:

Ok

Lastly, when running at full speed say 3000 RPMS. When I start to slow down the RPMs are still sitting at 3000 or 2950 or so but the engine is winding down, and the boat is slowing. Only when I bring the throttle back to a point do they start dropping, If that makes sense?


I think that's about it. Would love to hear some thoughts on these questions!

Thank once again! Jim

Click to expand...

Tach issue....