Zodiac 733 rebuild

Bigtalljv · 31 August 2012, 16:15

Hi,

I thought I'd make a thread for my zodiac refurb. It should be a quick one for now.

Picture one as she was unloaded form the flat bed she arrived on. Notice there is no bow post on trailer, not good on a roller trailer.

I then proceeded to get the tubes off and get the console out with the help of a buddy with a big fork lift.

Jason

Bigtalljv · 31 August 2012, 16:23

So the plan is to go outboard(s). I have the plans for the bracket and a talented fabricator with a CNC plasma table.

I also need to figure out how to carry passengers. step one is to cut a foot or two off the front of the console so the forward portion isn't so big. It should make a nice bench seat for two. I'm not sure if I should move the console forward when I do that or gain deck space up front? I'd like to put a leaning post in but then I'm not sure if I have space for seating behind that.

Related to that I'd like a big cooler for fish. Option 1 is to put it against the transom and use it for seating as well. Option 2 is to perhaps build one below decks. With the engine gone there looks to be a ton of room under there.

Well that the thinking. The doing starts this weekend with 25 years of military bilge grime and a pressure sprayer and lots of soap.

Jason

jyasaki · 31 August 2012, 16:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigtalljv

I also need to figure out how to carry passengers.

I vote for bungie cords to the tubes.

captnjack · 31 August 2012, 17:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyasaki

I vote for bungie cords to the tubes.

Enough bungie cords for 150% of your capacity if you want to pass your COI.

Bigtalljv · 31 August 2012, 18:58

that a lot of bungie, navy said I can hold 18 people....

On the ice chest front I just discovered that insulated fish bags are all the rage for the last few years. I think I'll go that route, more flexible space, cheaper, easier.

I forgot I need a leaning post with either food size cooler or scuba tank storage or both.

Jason

Bigtalljv · 01 September 2012, 00:14

So how does the stock fuel tank come out? Either I need to get the hoses off or the piece of deck above them.

avius · 01 September 2012, 01:18

Hey man,
Welcome to the RIBNET. The possibilities for your project are endlessss! Instead of cutting your console shorter, you could hinge the seat section and put a toilet down there, since you'll be doing tours. For my 733 project I plan to make the section foreward of my inboard as a multi purpose storage depending on weather I'm fishing diving or booze-cruisin. My buddy uses a fish bag here in Hawaii and on longer trips the ice melts pretty quick.

Screaming04 · 03 September 2012, 02:18

The beauty of the 733 is that deck plates are easy to remove. If yours is like mine, you'll probably find only a small 48 gallon fuel tank forward for the diesel. You'll need to use up a bunch of the aft below deck space for another fuel tank if you're running twin outboards.

Bigtalljv · 03 September 2012, 03:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Screaming04

you'll probably find only a small 48 gallon fuel tank forward for the diesel. \

I found a tank that looks to be a lot smaller. I was wondering about adding a second tank or even moving the new tank back to where the diesel used to be but I wasn't sure what they would do to the balance of the boat or if it would affect planing or anything.

It's an odd number day so I am leaning towards a single engine and a kicker today

Any thoughts?

Jason

ncp · 03 September 2012, 03:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigtalljv

I found a tank that looks to be a lot smaller. I was wondering about adding a second tank or even moving the new tank back to where the diesel used to be but I wasn't sure what they would do to the balance of the boat or if it would affect planing or anything.

Any thoughts?

Jason

Willard put in 34.6 gallon diesel tanks (for the couple of boats I've seen) and the only 733/Cummins/Konrad that I've seen had a 60 gallon tank.

Bigtalljv · 03 September 2012, 03:48

I think the might actually be right in there, it just doesn't seem as big as all the calculators say it is.

Well on the other front i got the hull pretty much stripped today. Scrapped out a bunch of muck from the bilge and will try and get the pressure washer going tomorrow. Then I can do something about the hole in the back.

oh, and i guess i need to remove the engine mounts, forgot about that.

Troy · 03 September 2012, 08:33

The tanks obviously vary in volume, my zodiac hurricane (Australian built) has a single 200 liter (52ish gallon) but the specs say 300 liter from zodiacs website.
Why are you planning to go away from a diesel engine? I just installed a new Steyr 260 Hp (300 kg) in my boat, it was cheaper than outboard engines and more fuel efficient (and quieter).
I maxed out the capacity of the boat yesterday (17 + gear) and it easily got on the plane and I was cruising at 25 Kts with 75% load on the engine through a 17 year old Volvo duo prop.

Troy · 03 September 2012, 10:22

I would think that the cummins / Detroit engines would be a dime a dozen and pretty cheap to rebuild a second hand unit.

ncp · 03 September 2012, 14:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Troy

I would think that the cummins / Detroit engines would be a dime a dozen and pretty cheap to rebuild a second hand unit.

A remanufactured Cummins (6BT 5.9 180/210) is ~$10-12k (US) and he didn't get an outdrive with his. I've never priced a drive but someone said $3-6k. I guess when you put it that way, a new 200hp outboard and fabricating a aluminum transom bracket would be more. Used ob, and you're under. A large ob (or two) will be a lot more fun performance-wise!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Troy

I maxed out the capacity of the boat yesterday (17 + gear) and it easily got on the plane and I was cruising at 25 Kts with 75% load on the engine through a 17 year old Volvo duo prop.

Those are very impressive! I don't get close to that with the Cummins/Konrad combo.

Bigtalljv · 03 September 2012, 16:05

i guess you go with what you know, I don't know much about diesels. NCP is correct, the boat came stripped, no engine/drive components of any sort. The outboard project seems much easier and more manageable to me.

Troy, is that the stock location of you console? Mine looks to be farther forward and I was thinking about moving it back to gain some deck space.

jason

ncp · 03 September 2012, 18:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigtalljv

i guess you go with what you know, I don't know much about diesels. NCP is correct, the boat came stripped, no engine/drive components of any sort. The outboard project seems much easier and more manageable to me.

I would think an outboard would be easier and less daunting! Enjoy the extra deck space and performance.

Troy · 03 September 2012, 21:11

The console is a standard design here in Australia for all military rhib's, the position hadn't changed even when the Royal Australian Navy changed from leg drives to Jet units. The company that installed the Steyr engine does all the work for the Navy jet ribs and were "blown away by the performance" of my boat compared to the jet boats. My boat has the wrong props and does 35 knots if you have 1 person on board or 15. My next job is to sort that out so I have a higher cruise speed as I won't normally be carrying many people.
Enjoy your project, don't stress or cut corners to 'get out there sooner'. Shop around for people to do the work that you can't / shouldn't do yourself and agree on the price and time line. Pay some of the money up front and don't pay for work not yet complete.

Bigtalljv · 04 September 2012, 00:28

Thanks Troy!

The engine mounts aren't structural to the boat in any way are they? I was going to pull them out but I thought I might check first. Seems a long shot but never hurts to ask.

Thanks,
Jason

Troy · 04 September 2012, 06:00

They probably aren't structural, they will have been fixed to the hull in a way that will make you question your sanity for starting a project boat!
If the mounts won't come out easily it may be a option to use a powered saw (that doesn't generate too much heat) and reduce the aluminum mounts to the bare minimum.
Good luck.

Bigtalljv · 18 September 2012, 19:26

I talked to somebody at Zodiac and they didn't think the mounts were structural. they did suggest, as Troy did, that they would like to watch me get them out. Currently they install them with enough epoxy to make removal virtually impossible. fortunately mine was not made in such a fashion, they popped out with a couple gentle taps from the BIG sledgehammer. Gentle taps to get the bedding material to crack. The bedding is kind of white and brittle now, not sure what it was.

Next question is the lips that the deck cover boxes secured to, the out drive box and the center console. I want to remove those but don't know if they get cut off or if the whole panel unscrews and can be removed? (Ryan, any thoughts on that?) There are screws at regular intervals along their length below decks. If they are panels then I assume they are glassed in along the bottom or something? (Yes, I will get some pictures and save 1K words)

Thanks,
Jason