Harley 42'

Hey Ron - did you say you were running 454s in that Superstar? What HP are they and how does it perform? I am removing my 502s and putting in some FWC 454s and am very curious how things will run. I have 19x19 heavy cut rolla 3-blade choppers and borg warner 1.5:1 reduction gears.

When you get a moment refresh my memory as to what you are running. Thanks!

 

Swamp,
Yes I still have the original carburated PCM (GM) 454s and Twin Disc 1.54:1 gears that came with the boat new in 1985. I think they were rated at 330HP with 800 Holleys. (I hope to switch to EFI someday). After I replaced one ASD8 last fall I installed a new set of 4 blade cleaver props that I got from Steve Hixson. I think they are 19 x 20s and they seem to make a big difference over the original 3 blade old school props I that came on the boat. Last time out with the new props I topped out a little over 40 MPH on GPS at about 4200 RPM. Felt like she would trim out a little faster but I didn't want to push the old engines too hard. More testing to come once the weather warms up and my bank accout heals.
Ron

 

Well I guess they can be anywhere lol .Will keep you posted
There is not much history on the Harleys except for you guys thank you . Keep on posting

 

Out with the Cats today. Gonna have a re-furb done to all cooling systems, turbos & aftercoolers, water pumps, all hoses & filters, new paint jobs, etc. $$, etc. Steam clean engine room tomorrow and start an inventory of all bilge and other hoses to be replaced. Remove thru hulls too. Fix some dings and cracks so we can Awl-Grip the engine room before putting engines back. Got 2 guys just sanding and filling any minor cracks on hull and deck while I work the engine room with my son. Hope to paint in 2-3 weeks. Would be sooner but gotta go to Fla. to get girlfriend & tow her boat home (planning on coming by Swamp!) Looks like Insignia White is the current color so I probably stick with that. Nothing fancy just all white hull & deck-black bottom & boot stripe.

 

Man Lee those puppies are huge aren't they?

Tomorrow I reinstall the Arnesons and if time allows lower engine two back into the engine room. Then it will be a few days of replacing hoses and such and hopefully get her home soon.

Ron, thanks for info and the picture - she looks great. As soon as I get mine running again I will no doubt be hunting for used props myself. So are you cruising at 3600 or 3800 rpm and what cruise speed are you seeing? Frankly I'm glad to hear she will get on plane with twin 330HPs. Thought I was going to be a trawler for a while ;-)
Swamp

 

Swamp,
I've never had any problem geting up on plane.......... except when my wife brought along her fat sister and her 4 fat kids. Another story for another time perhaps?. Sorry dear!
I generally cruise at about 3200 RPM. With my old props that got me to about 30 MPH, maybe a little more. These new props feel a little slower.........is that the right word? Feels like my RPMs are up a bit for the same speed, but now I can get higher trimmed out RPM, which gives me a little more top end speed than before, I think. She'll do 45 I'm sure. Does this make sence?
Ron

 

Hi Ron,

I just punched your numbers into a prop caculator and it looks like you are right on.
Assumptions: 14,000lbs
330 hp
3200 cruise rpms
4200 max rpms
Cruise would be 27.1 kts or 31.17 mph. Max would be 39.2 kts or 45.08 mph

If anyone elso wants me to crunch some numbers I would be glad to.

Steve

 

Welcome Andy! Hope everything goes well for you and you will certainly enjoy the boat. We are a "SELECT FEW" here - and owning such a unique boat always give me something to talk about - nobody else has these. My hull number is etched into the hull on the upper starboard side on the transom.

SWAMP - I think that you were looking for some protection for the drives/tabs? Take a look at Sherwin-Williams Macro-poxy 646 - it's a hard epoxy paint that is designed for underwater use. There is a guy here that is using this stuff as bottom paint on boats and also drives/tabs/cylinders/etc. He's been using it for about 5 years and seems to hold up really well. I also will be installing "Mercathode" systems for the running gear and tabs. That should fix any electrolosis issues.

Lee - SIT DOWN - THIS IS GONNA HURT. I finally got a break in work and could spend some time getting upholstery out - which is being done now. We came up with a great design (carbon fiber imprint in silver and charcoal with white and all new foam) and will post pictures in a week or 2 when they get done. Cost only $3700

Got the starters back from rebuild shop - installed - got the starboard motor to turn over but not start - not yet anyway. Were there any secrets you had to getting the Merlin fired up? More on the port motor later in post.....

My buddy at the yacht repair yard down the road said he would give me a bottom job - fair out bottom, fix the keel where the previous owner used to run it on the beach - epoxy barrier coat - and some cool shark grey bottom paint for $2,400 ((not too bad I think))

The paint job that I want to do for the outside was quoted at $4,000 - will do that this coming winter. (picture was earlier in the postings)(not bad either)

Parts to redo shaft and seals for both 8's from Arneson is around $2000 (not to bad)

PORT MOTOR - BAD NEWS - I NEED ADVICE ON THIS! Once I got the starters on, fiddled with the stbd motor first - (still need to know if there is a secret to getting started) - then switched over to the port motor. Installed a new impeller in the water pump, installed the starter, did a quick bump on the ignition switch - it was powered up - GREAT! Then I went to try and crank her up - hit the starter and "CLUNK" - motor didn't turn over but starter was trying to move it. Pulled valve cover - all looked good. Called my diesel buddy and he said pull the injectors - may be a vapor lock. Did that and low and behold - right there in cylinder number 4 - WATER TO THE TOP WHERE THE INJECTOR GOES THROUGH.

SO HEREIN LIES THE ISSUE - WHAT TO DO NOW TO GET HER SPINNING? Should I pull the head first and see if I have other issues? I think that I know how the water reversion happened when the mech was doing the survey in Houston - thats another story. (leak in the exhaust tube that possibly could have reverted back through the turbo to the open exhaust valve)

SO - whatcha think?

THANKS AGAIN LEE for the hospitality when I was up there. We really enjoyed meeting you and you sharing the knowledge - and of course the goodies you sent me. Give me a call on my cell when you get some time.

ANY ADVICE FORM ANYONE WOULD BE APPRECIATED!

WHEWW - THATS ALL FOR NOW!

 

hey Steve, sure I would like you to run #'s on my props. Bout 2 years ago I "shaved" 1/16" off trailing edge as per ken martin to gain 75rpm @ cruise. I think it helped and plan to take another 1/16" off this year (to gain another 75rpm) because I liked what it did and I want to keep the diesels wound up. owner manual says cruise @ 85% of WOT which is 2850 which means a cruise of about 2400rpm. So my # would be 17,500lb. 420 hp diesel, cruise 2400 rpm, WOT 2850 rpm, prop 4 blade 20 x 25. Thanks for checkin it out.
Had little time to post since I pulled engines on Friday. They been steam cleaned and sent to CAT dealer for a little DNC & paint. Cleaned bilge too and started stripping hoses and pumps for upgrade. Tried to post photo of fuel manifold with all new hoses (fuel tanks & hoses complete). All hull side cracks and dings repaired and sanded out. 2 coats Awl-Grip primer now on. Gonna sand and fair out a little more for next few days and hope to put on Top Coat Awl Grip in 2-3 days. hull & deck sides only. Bow-deck-cockpit-bilge gotta wait a few days. Got a lot of stuff coming in to b installed- New bilge pumps & hoses, LED lites, thru-hull fittngs, steering & trim hoses, etc. Gotta go to Fla. next week to retrieve grlfriend & dog. Hope to see you Swamp! When I get back will need few days in office to catch up adn then have @ Harley again. Hoping to complete before June. Hope not to do all this for a (long) while. It is costly and tiresome. Hope to see a much improved vessel when done Good luck to all. How bout "Boating" in Maryland? you still lookin @ a used harley 4 sale?

 

Hey Tom, glad to hear you makin some progress. With regards to water intrusion there are many possibilties as you know. As mentioned earlier the Merlin guys did so much custom welding of water-jacketed manifolds, after-coolers and such that they created a possible fault along every weld due to the stress of the marine environment. They never had a chance to work out the bugs by working with people in the field, it was over too soon. I would not rule out any of the apparatuses made by Merlin. Having had water sit in engines for a while not good. I think you should probably pull head to see what walls look like. I am not sure how to advise on that one, but wishing you luck. My pleasure to have you up in OC, come anytime.
Some ugly stuff happened with Awl-Grip primer, The last 10'-12' of hull side near transom buckled up and caused primer to go soft like glue. Had to use a case of sand disks to get off and then had to skim a 407 epoxy coat over 30 - 40 sq. ft. of hull sides to "encapsulate" the problem area. Will require full sanding, another coat and sand and then back with primer. Very ugly. But we be moving on with a git-r-done attitude. Got 2 super guys on the job with me and weather is perfect!

 

Harley

Thanks Dreamchaser 69 for the welcome. Yes Pizzacutter still looking to become a Harley boat owner (looking now). I may need to rent a trailer to get the one Im looking at, does anyone know where you can rent such a trailer 42 ft . Trying to save cost of a trailer for purchase of the boat I will buy a trailer after purchase of the boat. You guys all seem to be enjoying life with the Harley and Lee looks like he loves life even when he is working on his Harley. Well I hope I can say the same thing within a few weeks I will keep you all posted either way Thank you

 

Trailer

Andy, glad to hear you still are lookin @ gettin a Harley 42. I could be a possible source on the trlr to help U move it. The probelm is I don't think my trlr is free for 30+ days and my guys who are licensed to haul such a beast are tied up on other jobs. But do not hesitate to ask when the time comes. It would be my pleasure to help. ANYTHING to get away from office to work on boats! Aren't U in MD. around bay bridge? that be only 90 miles from OC. Anyway good luck on purchase and keep site posted about progress. Lee

 

Lee - heres some good news on the ordeal. I pulled the injectors off of the other motor - clean as a bell - looking good. Got some charge on the batteries and the starboard motor spins like a champ - so I think that I'm good to go there - I hope.

ON the port side - I rigged up a vacuum line to the shop vac and sucked out the water - did the other cylinders just for good measure. shot the cylinders with the JB penetrating fluid and she is sitting tonight. If that doesn't get her loose then I'll try the seafoam stuff called "deep creep" - it's supposed to be the bomb at unlocking crap - 12 bucks a can though. Diesel fuel systems here in ATL said they could rebuild the corroded injectors for about 50 buck a pop - doing that tomorrow. Checked the valves and they were up on the cylinder that had water. The injector guys said that the way the manifold is on the Merlin / Ford 7.8L is inherent to water intrusion through the injector. If the there is a breach in the cork gasket and a worn out o-ring - water will flow right into the cylinder head. Hard to believe but that's what he said happens....??

Another guy at a Lehman rebuild shop (actually located in N Ga) said swap 'em out as fast as I can - no parts unless I can find a dealer somewhere that still has Ford Combine parts.

So that's it for now!

Sorry to hear about the paint deal - that SUX!!! We might try and come up this summer again - time for some boating and that Orange Crush place we went to the next night - awesome food and drinks. Keep you posted!

 

Thanks Lee , I will ask when and if time comes. We have a place in OC my father and I built and own the castle for the family to enjoy. It was an 11 year weekend project lol you might of seen it. The castle is behind the green turtle bayside on capt quarters road off of Jamestown rd the street before 118th. Tryin

 

ANDY - if you decide to move forward - i suggest having an oil sample tested from both engines and analyzed before you buy. This will give you a good idea if anything is wearing out. Your local CAT dealer can do this for you. It's like a friggin blood test for a motor - it's amazing what they can tell you from it

I went into my deal knowing that I may have issues - STBD motor was running when I bought the boat - the PORT was not (bad starter) but would turn over. The documentation that came with my boat showed an OEM rebuild about 250 hours before I bought it so I thought it would be a good risk. OOPS! You just never know - but the boat is so rare - I had to buy it.

What drive's does the boat have?