'98 Outback Transom repair/ restoration

Got to put her in the water today at lake Tobesofkee (a tiny lake in Macon, GA) and actually got to wakeboard behind her! The rebuilt carb and tuneup did the trick and she ran GREAT.
I did, however, find a water leak where the exhaust pipe clamps to the tip. It was a pretty good stream from the port exhaust tip. I noticed that the added thickness of the transom drastically reduced the amount of area the rubber pipe can clamp to, there's maybe only about an inch of exhaust tip for the pipe to seal around. The starboard didn't leak at all. I think my solution will just be to order new exhaust tips that, from the pictures, look way longer than the stock ones and they come with flappers. So I'll probably order those soon. For now I'll see how silicone does so I can take her up to Sinclair Sunday.
I also took the speedometers apart because one was sticking and both had dead bugs and crap all in them. Got them moving freely and both seem to work great. I cleaned the lenses, faces, housing and painted the bezels since they were faded to metal.

Here's a few pics right before I left for the lake, at the ramp and the speedos apart.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...8/IMG_3196.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...8/IMG_3198.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...8/IMG_3199.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...8/IMG_3200.jpg

Una mas
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...8/IMG_3201.jpg

Just a note. I'm not sure if you remounted the Airguide speedo pickups but the aftermarket pickups is all that is available and they have a different hole pattern. You may want to consider going directly to those as Airguide is no longer around and save from redrilling holes if you glassed that area over. Skidim has the replacements and mine will need to be changed out soon. BTW, the boat looks sharp.

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Originally Posted by 98Roo

For now I'll see how silicone does so I can take her up to Sinclair Sunday.

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Baker,

I'm really wanting to see your boat! It's looking great. I have to leave Sinclair earlier than usual on Sunday, but if you get out early enough, I will be in the Island Creek area.

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Originally Posted by zabooda

Just a note. I'm not sure if you remounted the Airguide speedo pickups but the aftermarket pickups is all that is available and they have a different hole pattern. You may want to consider going directly to those as Airguide is no longer around and save from redrilling holes if you glassed that area over. Skidim has the replacements and mine will need to be changed out soon. BTW, the boat looks sharp.

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The deed is done and the factory ones are already mounted back. If they break I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Thanks!

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Originally Posted by wolfeman131

Baker,

I'm really wanting to see your boat! It's looking great. I have to leave Sinclair earlier than usual on Sunday, but if you get out early enough, I will be in the Island Creek area.

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Wolfe,
If things go as planned, I'll have the leak repaired tomorrow and plan to be up on Sinclair Sunday morning as I'd like to get some skiing in before the water gets choppy. Well, at least I'll try to. It's been a while since I've been on a slalom.

Let me know. I'll PM you my cell number. Wind has been bad the last few days. We had whitecaps breaking around 2-5 pm today, but it cleaned up after that.

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Originally Posted by wolfeman131

Let me know. I'll PM you my cell number. Wind has been bad the last few days. We had whitecaps breaking around 2-5 pm today, but it cleaned up after that.

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I was on the way to the lake when I texted you the other day. I left my phone in the car when we got on the water so I didn't have your number but we did some wakeboarding around the island creek area for quite a while Sunday.

The boat ran great with no issues...other than a tiny leak around the exhaust tip. New tips from GLS are on the way, hopefully I'll get them tomorrow. They look quite a bit longer so it should solve the leak. My only hickup was in the evening when I decided to take the boat out of the water. Idled around towards the cove over where the ramp is, throttled up and nothing. Died and wouldn't crank back up. Fuel gauge said I had an 1/8 tank. Turns out the gauge is wrong and the tank was bone dry lol..luckily my cousin was cruising around in his boat and gave me a tow.

I plan to take a lot more pictures of the boat this weekend. Only got a few of me on the board and also on a ski for the first time in close to 10 years. I am still sore 3 days later.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...8/photo1-1.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...j8/photo-1.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...8/IMG_1986.jpg

Here are some final updates probably until I decide which tower I am going to buy and install.
I had an issue where the exhaust hose wouldn't seal to the exhaust tips and had water leaking into the boat when sitting or idling. I ordered some new 3" tips from greatlakesskipper. You can see how short the stock tips were inside the boat. They probably sealed fine without the extra thickness of the transom but since about an inch of thickness was added to the transom and the fact that the tips are actually only 2.75", even on the outside where the flappers connect, the hoses wouldn't seal. The new tips have about 6" for the hose to seal to and are 3" for the whole length. I didn't cut any off which means I'd probably have to remove the tips to take out the exhaust hose but I really don't plan on doing that ever again.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...8/IMG_3205.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...8/IMG_3203.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...8/IMG_3204.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...8/IMG_3206.jpg

Lookin' good!

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Originally Posted by kaneboats

Lookin' good!

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Thanks!

Here's a couple more pics of the boat in the water.. Still waiting on Seadek to make my platform pad....
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...8/IMG_0538.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...8/IMG_3202.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...8/IMG_0539.jpg

shes looking good.. you wanna come up here and buff out my boat? haha
i like your bench too by the way haha

Haha! Thanks! That's our "old dock" that needs to be redecked and apparently the bench needs redecking too haha!

98Roo - I admire your talent and taking some risk on this project boat. Nicely done. - Deerfield

Just a small update. Finally got my SeaDek platform pad. Color is storm grey over black. I love it!
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...8/IMG_3231.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...8/IMG_3229.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...8/IMG_3230.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...8/IMG_3232.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...8/IMG_3237.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...8/IMG_3238.jpg

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Originally Posted by 98Roo

Just a small update. Finally got my SeaDek platform pad. Color is storm grey over black. I love it!
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...8/IMG_3231.jpg

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Your boat, progress pics and story are fantastic!!

1. Did you get that SeaDek from thier online store?
2. Do they charge extra for the logo?

Again, GREAT Job!!!

Eric.

That's an old school looking Connelly ski.

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Originally Posted by EricU

Your boat, progress pics and story are fantastic!!

1. Did you get that SeaDek from thier online store?
2. Do they charge extra for the logo?

Again, GREAT Job!!!

Eric.

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Thank you! It's been a lot of work but it's paying off on the weekends now! I ordered the pad directly from SeaDek. Just call and you'll talk to Susan. I think the pad drawing they used was for a 2000 model but the measurements she gave me matched my platform. The logo was $30 extra so I believe I paid $270 total.

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Originally Posted by maxpower220

That's an old school looking Connelly ski.

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It's actually just a new combo I picked up from Academy Sports for like $65 on sale. I'm no pro so the slalom is good enough for my low skill level for now.

The SeaDeck looks great in the grey and black! The boat has turn out amazing! Great work. This has been a fun thread to follow! Thanks again.

Yea, I've really enjoyed following it too. I had a 2000 Outback and loved it but we just outgrew it. 8 people every time out plus surf bags on the floor was just too much. But, I sure miss the speed sometimes. She's fun to drive, ain't she?

Very Nice man, Congrats on all of the work!! The pad is next on my list also, was it easy to put on?

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Originally Posted by moombacraze

The SeaDeck looks great in the grey and black! The boat has turn out amazing! Great work. This has been a fun thread to follow! Thanks again.

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Thank you!

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Originally Posted by kaneboats

Yea, I've really enjoyed following it too. I had a 2000 Outback and loved it but we just outgrew it. 8 people every time out plus surf bags on the floor was just too much. But, I sure miss the speed sometimes. She's fun to drive, ain't she?

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She is very fun to drive and pretty quick! Over the winter im going to add a tower so I can actually accommodate more people when towing someone.

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Originally Posted by BGeorge01

Very Nice man, Congrats on all of the work!! The pad is next on my list also, was it easy to put on?

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It was super easy to install. I watched the seadek vids on YouTube before I did it.

I put a tower on mine. My albums show pics of it in my living room. I was a lot more excited than Mrs. Kane was-- she actually cried when I brought the "junk" Moomba (Outback LS) home even though I spent $10,500 on it.

Back from the dead!!............with a quick update.

Decided on a New Dimension Tower w/ Bimini last spring and enjoyed it all last summer. Just can't seem to find any in the lake...

I have another project I'll share once I get the rest of the pics sorted and uploaded to Photobucket but I do have a couple I'll leave as a hint...

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ps14789a0d.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ps3c7bab3d.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ps8d51ffd7.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...psea3d4eb2.jpg

With Bimini..

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ps1a0942ed.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ps83c06108.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...psa6f4d918.jpg



And as for the hint on the other project..Thanks to Great Lakes Skipper for having too much crap I don't need....

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...psb8500a6e.jpg

looks great already, can't wait to see the rest. Why don't they have a movie called the "Boat Money Pit"? that's where all mine seems to go!

She still looks fantastic. Now get busy on the trailer (after the dash project). :cool:

Hey there. I was admiring your work as I prepare to go much of the same on my 98 Outback. I'm going to start with some gelcoat oxidation fixes. Just curious, when you did your initial wet sanding and buffing that was at the beginning of your thread, how did you get around the trailer wheel fenders and side guides? Did you move the boat on the trailer or raise it up and move the trailer? The only other thing I can think of is good old fashioned elbow grease and do the sanding and buffing by hand.

Thanks

Karl

I got everything I could around the fenders. I was able to get by the guide posts with everything fine, just had to polish from both sides of them. I put it in the water for a test and when I loaded it on the trailer I left it off the bow roller enough (like 2 ft)to get the sides of the boat behind the fenders. Luckily my test lake wasn't far from home, it's weird pulling a boat hanging off the trailer. When done I just winched it back up snug. Kind of a pita but if you want to get everything... I suppose you could also tie it it a tree or something and pull the trailer out from under it.

Wow, great look. I copied all your pics a while back in case I upgrade mine. The tower is so much better than the stock one. Was the dash made from a mold of your old one? I like the new gauges. I have to say that my fiberglas is holding up real well with the metal-flake finish and all. Some people think it is a newer boat.

Only takes a few minutes to unbolt and take the fenders off.

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Originally Posted by jmb

Only takes a few minutes to unbolt and take the fenders off.

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They come off?!? Lmao! I can't believe I didn't check to see if they did. That's funny (embarrassing). Now if the guides came off too, I'd be set. I'm sure I can move the boat back a little to get to those areas. Any suggestions on how best to go about that?

Thanks

K

I don't know about yours, but my guide poles are just pinned in place. I just remove a D ring and they come out. Yours might be different

Looks great.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Few more crappy shots of the tower. I'll have to get the gf to drive it out so I can get some better pictures.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...psd5d85e41.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...psa4126fed.jpg

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http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...psdfc909f7.jpg

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Originally Posted by jmb

I don't know about yours, but my guide poles are just pinned in place. I just remove a D ring and they come out. Yours might be different

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I checked. Mine are welded on so no removing them. I think I've figured out a way to back it off the trailer 6" and I'll be good. But thanks for the suggestion.

K

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Originally Posted by zabooda

Wow, great look. I copied all your pics a while back in case I upgrade mine. The tower is so much better than the stock one. Was the dash made from a mold of your old one? I like the new gauges. I have to say that my fiberglas is holding up real well with the metal-flake finish and all. Some people think it is a newer boat.

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The dash I bought from GLS. I wanted newer, better looking gauges and rocker switches instead of the turn knobs. After pricing everything individually, it made more sense to go with that entire gauge/switch package with all wiring as well. GLS only pictures the gauges and switches. It was only when I received it that I found it was the entire dash. I think it's out of a '03ish boat if I'm not mistaken.

I thought about cutting mine out and making the new one fit in there for about 3 mins, and then figured it would be too much trouble and time. So I decided to just do something with my original panels. The original stuff had that fake, crappy carbon fiber sticker type deal on it...so I decided to just make new carbon fiber pieces using the old parts as to make molds..

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ps3c35992d.jpg

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