Building/ freshening up my 175 big bore crossflow

**keefallan** · 05-15-2019, 03:10 PM

I got the motor cover shot in epoxy today...........along with the 2 louvers and rear lifting piece. I only took the pics of the cover itself. It still needs a couple of coats of primer so I can block it in some areas. But its looking good. I see where I need to work it some more etc.

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When I said the other day that I was finished on the intake manifold, I forgot about installing the reed cages. I did that today. So, I lapped the mating surface of the cages since I had intake stuffers from CCMS to go behind the cages as well as the rubber factory stuffers. SO the two pics show the process. In the first pics, you see the stuffer laid down on top of the gasket. Since there is not gasket to go on the composite stuffer, I made sure that the reed cage was dead flat.............started with 180, 240, 400 grit...........about a minute per cage on my lapping plate. I really like those stuffers from Chris.

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Right now, I want to take the time to thank Chris Carson. I know my motor is not done(besides what happens from here on out is up to me). But I believe in giving thanks/credit where it is due. He is a great guy. He has always taken my phone calls and helped me getting to understand 2 strokes more and more. He odes great machine work........he did a small bore 235 for me about 4-5 years ago. He even sent me a hone I needed (on the honor system) so I could chamfer my ports first and then hone the block after he machined it .010 over. I had no issues with sending him my block from Md to the keys......And I will continue to send him my business. He has become a friend to me in this 2 stroke world. I know there are a few machinists on this site, and I am sure that they all do good work. But if you are looking for a guy....
Chris didn't ask me to do any of this. He's a very quiet guy, and I haven't seen him write much on this website. I just wanted to publicly thank him and tell you guys what I personally thought of Chris and his business.

Lastly..........on a completely different note, when I was putting the old factory intake stuffers in, I started thinking. Why in the heck did OMC stop making these things? That makes no sense to me. Does anyone have an answer to that?

**FMP** · 05-15-2019, 03:14 PM

Did you spread the stops wider?

**keefallan** · 05-15-2019, 03:18 PM

FWIW, I see in the intake manifold picture, that a stuffer is in backwards. I only threw them in for a picture. They all came out and it was done one cage at a time, since I had to turn the manifold on its side to get to both the screws on the top and hold the cage on the bottom to install them.

**keefallan** · 05-15-2019, 03:19 PM

Originally Posted by FMP

Did you spread the stops wider?

No need. The reeds wont open as far because they flow so much more air than the original design. I had that conversation with Chris. But I did put them all back like original, including the shim on one side.

**keefallan** · 05-15-2019, 03:30 PM

Let me clarify. I didn't directly ask Chris about the stops. He said in a conversation that these 2 plus 2 reeds wont open up as far based on a conversation we were having. So, I saw that the factory stops were not going to be an issue. At first, I was a little concerned when I was building them......thinking what good are these reeds when I have to put the factory plates back on? I think a day later he was describing to me the fact that the reeds wont need to open as far to flow the same amount of air as a factory petal.......and thus close faster as well. After that conversation, I didn't worry about the stops anymore. If push comes to shove, I will take a zip wheel, and cut them off just above the bolt flanges.

**FMP** · 05-15-2019, 04:58 PM

To each his own.

**Hydrovair** · 05-15-2019, 06:17 PM

Sent a PM about inspection covers

**keefallan** · 05-18-2019, 01:28 PM

I went in today not knowing what I was gonna work on. But since I was in the middle of installing a nose cone, I decided to finish it out. If anyone thinks bodywork is easy and simple, they have never done it right. You add some filler and sand too deep and need to add more filler.........LOL. I drilled the exhaust relief holes in the lower unit right at the top...............3 on each side. I spaced them exactly the same and exactly from the same point of reference. I drilled them straight down to match the direction of exhaust flow. So, I can check the exhaust reliefs off my list. I finally got everything smooth enough to shoot epoxy over everything. And of course, like always, I didn't have anything to take a picture. I will shoot a pic on Monday. But I need to add some primer to fill in some spots and block it down flat............I have come too far to cut a corner now. Blocking is not fun, but its well worth it for those who have never blocked before.............by far the most tedious, least rewarding job of anything out there...............yet worth it all in the end.

**keefallan** · 05-20-2019, 01:57 PM

I got some color on the lower today. I blocked the areas around the water intake and they blocked out without having to shoot anymore primer. I used Custom Shop epoxy primer..............pretty good stuff..........but its probably the thinnest of all the epoxies I have used. You could probably shoot it with a 1.3 tip. I used a 1.4 and it was fine. Anyways, it got sealed with white sealer and then color 30 minutes later. Again........no pics. But I have to shoot clear on it tomorrow............take pics then.

I do have a question regarding water inlet area. I blocked off the upper inlet hole, so I can raise up the motor on the transom or plate(whichever I have on the back). I had to break out the original screens to get them out, because they had become brittle. My question is this......I have always re-installed the screens, but do they really have to be in there? I really would like opinions on that. If I should put new screens in, I will, but if I don't have to, I wont.

**keefallan** · 05-21-2019, 07:57 AM

I wont have any pics today. It was dead calm this morning and I decided to spray the lower with clear. I am actually a pretty decent painter. But this morning I got greedy( and I haven't been spraying for almost a year either)............well it looked perfect for about 5 minutes.............then DOH! The lower got the runs!!!...........clear coat diarrhea. I knew better. I didn't listen to that little voice in my head. And even if I had laid it down properly, as soon as I was cleaning my gun(which was immediately after spraying), there was a gust of wind out of the blew(pun intended) and spit these little black boogers on the clear anyways!! So, wetsanding will be my friend and shoot another coat of clear after that.

Humility comes in many ways.............this is just keeping me humble.....LOL!

I will post pics when its an acceptable finish............that wont be today.

**mrichartz** · 05-21-2019, 08:14 AM

Originally Posted by keefallan

I wont have any pics today. It was dead calm this morning and I decided to spray the lower with clear. I am actually a pretty decent painter. But this morning I got greedy( and I haven't been spraying for almost a year either)............well it looked perfect for about 5 minutes.............then DOH! The lower got the runs!!!...........clear coat diarrhea. I knew better. I didn't listen to that little voice in my head. And even if I had laid it down properly, as soon as I was cleaning my gun(which was immediately after spraying), there was a gust of wind out of the blew(pun intended) and spit these little black boogers on the clear anyways!! So, wetsanding will be my friend and shoot another coat of clear after that.

Humility comes in many ways.............this is just keeping me humble.....LOL!

I will post pics when its an acceptable finish............that wont be today.

Come on have to post good and bad pics!
And you have an email

**Merc 2.5** · 05-21-2019, 08:25 AM

Any pics would b good. Build thread without pics is like pb&j without peanut butter. gotta have pics

**keefallan** · 05-21-2019, 08:50 AM

C'mon guys. Its embarrassing enuff just to say it...........much less show pics...........LOL! I'll see what I can do..........

**mrichartz** · 05-21-2019, 08:53 AM

No one's perfect..it's the finished product that counts.
If you've never had a run you've never painted!
Lol

And your fixing it, last time I painted my lower ended up with a color sag, can't see it from a few feet not to bad but should have fixed it. Its on the inside of the two motors Soo...yea it's staying

**keefallan** · 05-21-2019, 02:14 PM

Ok guys. I did go and take some photos of the lower unit for you.......runs and all. Lucky for me, the sun was too bright for the camera to pick up the really bad stuff. The one set of runs is the small set and it looks tiny........IT ISNT. So you can see the side profile looks pretty good........not. I am not being hard on myself. The camera just couldn't pick it up. Wet sand tomorrow......hopefully. You can see the fact that I removed the upper water fill hole as well. The first pic shows it in the shadows. I was trying to cut back the light so you could see the runs........nope.