Ben at Holy City and I got the motor prepped and primed yesterday. A little hand sanding was required to touch up some areas that the blaster didn’t get (sensitive areas).
First coat of primer is AwlGrip wash primer, a chromate free etch primer. Did have to sand a couple of spots down after first coat to remove a piece of trash, but they covered well in later coats.
3 coats of wash primer, followed by 4 coats of Awlgrip 5-45 primer (had to use white instead of gray), and she’s ready for a sand and final topcoat.
Got all the wires and hoses and cables and TM power wire and all pulled in the boat. From console cutout to bilge area and distributed where it needs to go. The pathway molded into the stringer to get wires from console to bilge area was full of foam…and I’m not really designed for upside down confined space work…had to call in the help. My buddy Mike fit perfectly and was able to carve out the foam to clear up the obstruction. Can’t believe the amount of stuff I had to pull through there…but it’s all there and it all fits.
Also set the console in. Tomorrow I’ll start tying it all together. Still have to make battery cables. Did the 10 AWG stuff for power to fuse panel today with solder pellets and heat shrink…very pleased.
Did run into an issue though of course. The only way I’ll be able to use the trolling motor is to ditch my bow mounted flip up NAV light. The flats boat Bentz Craft has a forward anchor hatch in the deck. It will also be disabled when motor is MOUNTED on the boat. The quick release piece will cover where the bow light was going to reside.
So now I have to decide…shark eye lights with housings powdercoated black? Or rub rail LED NAV lights…not sure if I can take them apart, so will be a big stainless spot in the black rub rail. Thoughts?
there isn’t a good option for running the wires to the led rubrail lights.
we just use the shark eyes.
we are struggling with trolling motor mounts for the flats boat also.
there isn’t a good option for running the wires to the led rubrail lights.
we just use the shark eyes.
we are struggling with trolling motor mounts for the flats boat also.
Yeah, I’m not going to go with rub rail lights…just not a fan really. I just ordered some black plastic vertical mounts to use on side of console.
I’ll snap some pics when I mount TM bracket, but the ONLY way I can figure it to work is to put the small piece of the quick release bracket directly in the very forward point of the bow. When the TM is installed on it, the hatch won’t be able to open…but that’s what the spot lock feature is for I reckon.
Worst case scenario if you need the anchor, you can open the hatch prior to installing the motor, or remove it for a second to get into hatch then put it back on the mount. Not ideal…but I will have to deal with it.
Considering how much other work you’re doing on this girl, and how well she is turning out, I’d go for the shark-eyes if you can get the wiring up there.
Ulmer Boatworks
Bentz-Craft boats - built in the Lowcountry for the the Lowcountry
Console mounted it is. Ordered some Innovative lighting ones, stainless will get powder coated prior to install.
Got motor back and hung. It is black as black gets and looks phenomenal. Got all new parts to rebuild the tilt/trim with all new seals and o rings, thankfully a buddy stopped by just in time today to help with his Yamaha tools to break loose all of the caps on the cylinders. Tomorrow I’ll reassemble and have a (**() near new system.
Well, got the tilt and trim cylinders rebuilt. Today I’ll get it filled and bled and replace the motor. My first time doing these, not too bad but getting those caps off is a PITA - even with the Yamaha tools. Once again have to thank a friend, Mike with Overboard Marine, for lending out his tools and his brain for this one.
JumpNCobia, that chartplotter/fishfinder mount is awesome. Would love to have one for my Lowrance HDS12 Gen2 Touch that I have mounted to the top of my console using the factory bracket. Wouldn’t worry near as much about somebody stealing it. Let me know if you’d be interested.
Well, got trim and tilt cylinders all rebuilt and torqued in and all. Went to fill reservoir to operate the trim so I can link the tilt rod back to the motor and wouldn’t you know the dadgum fill port on the reservoir is stripped out. I can’t even get the (**() bolt out…
Just how my luck goes I reckon.
Also discovered that at full up, my steering cylinder is just barely touching the transom…ugh not good at all. Gonna have to reassess that one tomorrow. Might have to just remember to never tilt motor full up unless jack plate is ran up a bit…
AND…to top it all off, my battery cables from motor to battery are going to be too short. So here goes another pile of money for some more battery cable…
Tomorrow I’m going to mount the helm and the controls and get them all plumbed and wired up. Then I’m going to begin tackling the wiring connections in the console to the boat…and have a half day Friday, so I hope to get a LOT done then.
JumpNCobia, that chartplotter/fishfinder mount is awesome. Would love to have one for my Lowrance HDS12 Gen2 Touch that I have mounted to the top of my console using the factory bracket. Wouldn’t worry near as much about somebody stealing it. Let me know if you’d be interested.
My brother has an HDS12 and I have a HDS7. I LOVE using my HDS on the Wando it really cuts down on the learning curve for new water! I too am concerned about theft so I remove it at night, etc. These mounts will not prevent theft but it would surely slow someone down.
The HDS12 is huge so it might be beyond my printers size capacity(width). Let me check on this later tonight to confirm. Either way I can design something that should work.
I have already updated the design to version 2 after printing Buddy’s. He has been very kind not to show the rear of the mount. One of the complications of FDM 3D printing is extruding horizontally in mid air. It requires a lot of calibration and engineering experience. To get solid bonding, the calibration needs to be perfect and mine was not. There was about a 2mm sag across the 150mm span(about 6 inches). The end result was that the rear was spongy. I was able to overcome the quality issue to give it strength but it was not my best work and I hesitated sending it out.
Any way here is a link to an interactive view of version 2 so that you can decide if its something you want. The rear is now attached as a lid with 8 ss screws.
Pulled the motor today to take the reservoir off so my neighbor can fix it for me, and of course a bolt wrung off after making 3 turns out like nothing ever happened…did this by hand with a tiny ass 10mm wrench. It was like butter, came out fine then it was wrung off, no warning.
So I guess tomorrow I’m splitting the bracket so I can get it out and get it in a vise to get the bolt out.
I swear, this thing is doing everything it can to piss me off and make me quit building it, but I’m determined now.
Well, got trim and tilt cylinders all rebuilt and torqued in and all. Went to fill reservoir to operate the trim so I can link the tilt rod back to the motor and wouldn’t you know the dadgum fill port on the reservoir is stripped out. I can’t even get the (**() bolt out…
Just how my luck goes I reckon.
Also discovered that at full up, my steering cylinder is just barely touching the transom…ugh not good at all. Gonna have to reassess that one tomorrow. Might have to just remember to never tilt motor full up unless jack plate is ran up a bit…
AND…to top it all off, my battery cables from motor to battery are going to be too short. So here goes another pile of money for some more battery cable…
Tomorrow I’m going to mount the helm and the controls and get them all plumbed and wired up. Then I’m going to begin tackling the wiring connections in the console to the boat…and have a half day Friday, so I hope to get a LOT done then.
Wadmalaw native
16’ Bentz-Craft Flats Boat
I have enjoy this thread and had a thought on your issues. Ive heard you can cut off jumper cables for battery cables as a lower cost alternative. Probably wont be tinned but I bet they would work fine.
Also, my outboard has a mercury (the element) tilt stop/kill switch that prevents the outboard from hitting the deck. This may be on option to keep you from tearing up your deck which you know will happen eventually.
