Nesscraft 488 refurb

[Mopheus]

I've been handed down my dad's boat - a 1984 Nesscraft 488 (16') half cabin with original Suzuki DT85 (193 hrs). It holds sentimental value so I'm going to refurbish her, regardless of how little financial sense it makes. That's what'll make me happy so that's what I'm doing.



Photos are just what I have hanging around. I'll try to remember to take some as I progress with the refurbishment. Ideally I'll have her ready for use come end of 2021, though I'm juggling work and other projects so we'll see.

This is what she was like on the old trailer - it was still solid but not up to crossing the Nullabor (boat was in Adelaide; I live in Perth) and would have needed a lot of work to pass the pits here, so I hauled across a new trailer at Christmas with the family and towed her back. Sat on the speed limit all the way back with no attempt at economy driving and managed 12.8L/100km behind the VFII Calais 3.6L. Here's the new trailer thread.

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Since then I've pretty much been stripping it back and working out what I need for the refurb. Gelcoat is good so will just give that a compound and polish. Replacing the windscreen, windows, canopy, seat, fuel tanks and pretty much everything else though - just keeping the gauges and DT85. A few gnarly stuck screws but not too bad in general. Removed the Merc 7.5hp auxiliary for good - don't want the extra weight on the stern and will always be either inshore or with other boats.

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I haven't entirely settled on what I'm doing but in general terms:

- the DT85 will stay and get a freshen up
- twin 62L tanks under the rear seats
- relocate battery to the port bunk
- flip up bolster + flip back seats on fridge hoops
- 70L split lid fridges under the seats
- new bimini or rocket launcher + targa (the old canvas was toast anyway)

Having 124L under the seats rather than under the floor isn't ideal but the tanks fit perfectly and will weigh about 30kg less when full than the old setup with the auxiliary. I will do the floor at some point so I can foam fill under and tidy up some of the glasswork shown in this thread, but I'll probably do that next year. The transom and stringers are sound so there shouldn't be any surprises.

Anyone in Perth looking for a Merc 7.5hp?

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[ranmar850]

I don't think I';ve ever heard of them--where were they built?

[Mopheus]

South Australia in the 80s. I've heard the moulds were bought by Goolwa Craft when Nesscraft closed up shop, but haven't found similar Goolwa Craft hulls so that may just be rumour.

[tjotter]

Consider stainless prop, my squeeze you a little more push on the water.

Sent from my SM-A520F using Ausfish mobile app

[Mopheus]

What's on there is a painted stainless prop as far as I can tell. It does have a nick so I might consider replacement, but not until I've run it with the new trim and freshened-up motor to see where it revs to.

(edit: this is wrong - existing is definitely aluminium)

[gazza2006au]

Sentimental value alone is worth are build on its own, that gelcoat is areally nice job i like the bottom half of the hull it appears a very 80's era gelcoat job so it perfectly suits the hull shape

I hope your old man isstill around to see the transformation

If the old suzuki isin asgood condition asa the exterior of hull i think it may be a good choice to keep it you can always upgrade later if need be

Keen to see how u get along with this

[gazza2006au]

Btw thats really nice fuel economy from a commodore/calais, my sister owned a VN Calais 5.0 litre V8 i love the older holdens VX and older 20 years ago i owned a VB 253 Baby V8 mags, tints, lowered, 3 inch strait thru exhaust, i had it resprayed by my uncle metalic gray the thing made wet dreams..

My current car is a Ford Fairmont V8 1999 gets 3 kilometers to 1 litre of fuel must have a hole in the tank

[Mopheus]

I hope your old man isstill around to see the transformation

If the old suzuki isin asgood condition asa the exterior of hull i think it may be a good choice to keep it you can always upgrade later if need be

Yep, dad is still around thankfully. Hope to get in some good fishing sessions with him here in Perth when he visits.

The DT85 has always been well maintained and run well, but I was a bit too optimistic when I tried popping the head last night. Of the fourteen bolts, six came out intact, three stripped the block on their way out, seven snapped the heads off and one I can't get a socket on without removing the powerhead.

Doh.

So the powerhead is coming off. Got it mostly stripped back last night but need to finish some shed projects to free up the engine crane. Haven't decided yet whether to try removing the bolts myself (most broke proud of block - easy to weld nut to) or take it to a machine shop and not risk making it worse.

I'll helicoil all 14 to avoid the same corrosion issues in future. Aluminium block + stainless bolts + sea water is a bad combination. Not sure my mill will fit the block or how I'd clamp it so might be another job for the machine shop.

The silencer cover bolts were gnarly too. Everything else has come out easy as.

[Noelm]

The problem with stainless bolts is what's called "galling" the stainless just kind of comes off in little balls and rips threads right out, that's what's happened to yours. The ones that are still sticking out should be easy to get out, you need heat on and off on the bolt, welding the nut on will heat it up good, try turning back and forth too, regardless of who takes them out, they have to come out, so you have little to lose, you can do helicoils yourself easy enough, why did you take the head off?

[Mopheus]

The problem with stainless bolts is what's called "galling" the stainless just kind of comes off in little balls and rips threads right out, that's what's happened to yours. The ones that are still sticking out should be easy to get out, you need heat on and off on the bolt, welding the nut on will heat it up good, try turning back and forth too, regardless of who takes them out, they have to come out, so you have little to lose, you can do helicoils yourself easy enough, why did you take the head off?

I think it's just galvanic corrosion of the aluminium. The intact bolts have come out with dense-packed white/brown powder in the threads.

The head's coming off because it's is meant to be decarboned and gasket replaced every 50 hours. I can't recall it ever being done, so it was time. I knew there was a high likelihood of stripped and snapped bolts - not my first rebuild, though the other one was a 1.3L 4 cyl out of a Suzuki Sierra.

Actually just checked and there are three snapped off in the block that I'll probably drill out using a left handed drill then helicoil. Four snapped off just below bolt head and can have a nut welded on. Six are intact (three stripped the block on removal) and one is still in the head that I have to remove the powerhead to get a socket on (was just rounding off using a ring spanner).

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[catshark]

also sometimes as you do, you have to apply heat to bolts to free them up , next time just melt a bit of candle wax in the threads as well , you might be very suprised how easy they come out

[gazza2006au]

Made a video some years ago on one of two of the worse engines i have worked on, if u weld the block u need to take everything electronic off before welding

Heres my video
https://youtu.be/ASHyr6L64-Y

[Mopheus]

Thanks guys. The bolts that sheared off did so without budging so the candle wax trick wouldn't have worked unfortunately. I had been spraying them with WD40 for.a week and a bit before but they were sucked down pretty tight and I doubt much got in.

Yep will strip all electronics off before welding. Have a MMAW/TIG here so should be able to weld the nuts on, though I think I'll be a little more cautious and make up a slag shield! Thanks for the vid.

[Noelm]

Are you sure it's suggested to strip it down and remove carbon every 50 hours? I can imagine maybe using a decarb product to do it, but remove the head?

[Mopheus]

Yep, below is the original DT85 Service Manual 99500-95502-01E based on the 1982 model. The Owners Manual 99011-95526-01M dating from 1983 states the same.

I used to ride a Honda Nifty Fifty moped to uni each day. I'd get 60kph out of it on the flat for about 500km after decoking the head, then it'd gradually slow until I couldn't do more than 52kph at about the 2500km mark. I'd know it was time to decarbon the head again at that point and the cycle would repeat.

Figured it was well and truly time to treat the DT85 to the same. Plus I just like pulling stuff apart. Sometimes I even put it back together again =)

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