Smokeysevin roll's his own swap adventure (Critical Failure) 1987 JS550 to 750 Build

[smokeysevin]

Hood Liner Installation Part 1 (Garbage Glass is a pain in the ***)

In the last post, I set about making a flat insert piece to install as a hood liner to keep water from raining into the carb intakes. I thought that by using a trash bag laid flat and slightly stretched I would get the surface flat enough for no one to ever see. That wasn't how it actually went down. Shortly after I did the layup on the glass, I decided it was a good idea to add another trash back on top so I could put some extra squeeze on the layup and keep bubbles from working into it (have I mentioned that I am not good at fiberglass layup?) On my previous project, I was fortunate enough to have a waxed melamine table or large sheet of glass that I used to do flat parts. I don't have that luxury right now since I have way too much crap in my garage at the moment. When I added the other trash bag to the glass stack, it apparently stuck and wrinkled the second layer before I put the weights on top which left bubbles that needed to be ground out. It also gave the glass a surface finish not unlike a spray on bedliner.

Given the above, I broke out the orbital sander and knocked back as much as I had the motivation for and called it adequate. That done, I laid out my cardboard template and traced out the shape, then cut it out with my scroll saw. I knocked back the rough edges and gave it a test fit. Reasonably happy with that, I mixed up 4oz of resin with some cabosil and I drilled several 1/4" holes in the hood and liner then used 1/4-20 bolts with washers and nuts to pinch the liner to the hood shape. Once the middle was secure, I mixed another 8oz of resin and cabosil up and went around the perimeter to smooth where the seam of the hood liner met the inside of the hood.

From there, I cut several strips of fiberglass cloth and reinforced the new joint and added another 2 layers and 8oz of straight to the corners where the hood seals with the ski.

Time Spent:
3 Hours (Learn from my mistakes, if you start with a garbage idea, you will get rubbish results.)

Tools Used:
Scroll Saw
Wiss Scissors
Orbital sander
Shop Vac
Drill
1/4" Drill Bit
Impact driver and 7/16' socket
7/16" wrench

Materials Used:
HF Bum-Hair Paint Brush
20oz Resin
1 Paint Brush
1 Stir Stick
36x12" Fiberglass Cloth

PPE Used:
GORILLA GLOVES
Organic Vapor Respirator

Number of times I cabosil'd myself to random objects in the garage after stepping on discarded gloves used to smear cabosil around:
12

Percentage of Garage Floor Epoxy Coated
11% (I almost slipped and died on the now loose trash bag that I left on the floor, planting my foot firmly on a blob of cabosil epoxy which I then tracked around like a roomba that ran over dog poop)

Percentage complete:
60% (I still need to figure out how I want to install vent hoses on the new liner, I think I will probably run them from the front of the hood to the area on either side of the fuel tank)

Sean


Garbo-Glass


Trash Layup


Rubbish Bubbles


Scrap Outline


Basura Surface Finish


Wasted Cabosil


Crappy Cloth


Cooper the Best Write-up Helper Ever (ignore the original and terrible 1980's carpet)

[smokeysevin]

Exhaust Tubing Part 1 (Swapping my bluetooth exhaust for a physical connection)

The list of remaining things I have that I can complain about being the reason for why this ski is still as dry as the Atacama Desert just got shortened. I finally connected my PJS pipe to my purple seadoo muffler and then connected that to the tube I stuck in this thing back on June 25th. The fit up went reasonably well, I started with the waterbox which uses a single 45 degree elbow from the stinger to the box inlet.

The stinger needs to get cut and welded to use the larger 2" exit I selected for the rest of the system but that is a minor mod that will hopefully get done soon since I am not the one who will be doing it.

From the waterbox (which is mounted at an odd angle but it fits so who is keeping score) another 45 degree elbow is used to space and angle the outlet tighter to the pole mount on the nose of the ski. The 45 connects to a chopped 180 degree bend which rises as high into the nose as I could get it before tucking up to the bottom of the hood flange with a straight coupler and another tight radius 90. That 90 connects to the straight tube with another straight coupler where it runs past the tank and carbs before connecting at a slight angle to the rear exit. I may pull the rear exit back further and use a longer section of coupler since I have 3' of straight 4 ply silicone tube to play with.

That done, I took one of the yoga blocks I piked up and used it to make a waterbox support. I am not thrilled with how that turned out but once I throw some turf on the backside of the box (or wrap it) and throw a strap over it, I think it will be fine (and no one will be able to see it)

Time Spent:
1.5 Hours (I will probably keep working on this or get back to tearing my stxr carbs down this evening)


Tools Used:
Portaband on Swag Table
New Boxcutter Blade
Belt/Disc Sander
Hackzall with 12" wood cutting blade


Materials Used:
1 180deg 2" U Bend
1 90 deg 2" Bend
1 24" x 2" Straight Tube
3 2"x3" 4 Ply Silicone Couplers
2 45 degree 2" 4 Ply Silicone Elbow
1 4"x6"x9" Foam Yoga Block
Painters Tape


PPE Used:
Reef Bottle Opener Safety Sandals


Times my Bunghole Puckered while freehand cutting the only aluminum tubes I bought:
69


Percentage of Garage Floor Epoxy Coated
11% (I am getting ready to bust out the cab or 5200 to glue the rear exhaust tube in so its about to get messy)


Percentage complete:
90% (Gotta order hose clamps and glue in a waterbox strap mount. I am pretty happy with how this went together.)


Sean


Waterbox and outlet peeking out


Weird U/J/L Bend to tuck the tube up high


Couldn't be happier with how that part fit


Not happy with how that fits...


Just barely touching the tank, I will either sleeve that with silicone or turf and call it good unless that's a major fire hazard...


System layout once in the open where you can see it and not my blurry closeups


Yoga block mount and routing


Top view


A photo of the inside of my nose from inside my nose.

[smokeysevin]

I had to do something today to make it feel like I was making progress.

Sean

[WFO Speedracer]

Keep up the good work

[theVetteman3]

Looking good. That hose routing looks ace.

[smokeysevin]

Thanks Lads, I had a huge shipment of stuff from JetManiac arrive last week but I am in the middle of rebuilding a 12f motor so this pile is on hold for a bit. I need the space that engine is occupying so I need to get off my keister and finish that.

Next up for this ski is to bead roll all the aluminum exhaust bits, chop the tip of the stinger off and swap for a 2" end, then glue the stainless tube into the hull.

I scraped off a ton more of the old paint and have been putting off sanding that because I loathe bodywork. I also have to install the aluminum pump shoe Rhaas sent me and do the wiring and refresh the engine. Gotta get all that done asap since I have a kiddo on the way due at the end of April. Too many projects, nowhere near enough time.

Sean

[Myself]

Just so you know you haven't been talking to yourself.....I have been following along and really enjoy your storytelling lol! Like the dog poop Roomba thing!!! I've VERY slowly been working on my wife's Superjet, and my Tigersaki.

[ryanpsd]

Just so you know you haven't been talking to yourself.....I have been following along and really enjoy your storytelling lol! Like the dog poop Roomba thing!!! I've VERY slowly been working on my wife's Superjet, and my Tigersaki.

Ditto!

I've been checking back for any updates. I am buying the same waterbox shortly to modify mine to a 2" exhaust on my ski this winter and have been studying your pictures, my ski is a front left exhaust so I'm not sure what to expect until I get the box and see what I'm looking at.

[smokeysevin]

Much appreciated y'all. I have not abandoned this and don't plan on it but I had some delays due to "real life" taking up too much of my ski time. Hopefully I will be able to get the remainder of the exhaust prepped so I can finish the conversion and move onto the more fun parts.

Sean

[ryanpsd]

Much appreciated y'all. I have not abandoned this and don't plan on it but I had some delays due to "real life" taking up too much of my ski time. Hopefully I will be able to get the remainder of the exhaust prepped so I can finish the conversion and move onto the more fun parts.

Sean

Same here. Life keeps getting in the way...

I just ordered the same waterbox today. Looking forward to seeing how it will fit as things slowly move forward.