Tommywalton1974

Well I've been at it a few weeks now making patterns and sewing at night. its been a major undertaking so i thought I would share some success and failures of upholstery work for a newbie. the seams on the rear deck pieces are bad. I am much better now that I've learned some tricks using basting tape and very careful, slow work. i figure vinyl for the smaller seat skins, I'm in each one maybe 10.00 and the deck pieces 20.00 each, tops. anyway here are some pics. Oh the sewing machine and vinyl cost me about 1000.00 dollars. thats the same price i was quoted locally for the rear deck. so Im WAY ahead. I'm having trouble uploading pics.

So I've been wanting a new board and have noticed a lot of members here are loving soulcraft. I contacted Jeff Wahlers to begin the initial build. He suggested an HC pro 4'7" x 20.75"X1.5, I trust his suggestion. For those of you who ride soulcraft do you have any suggestions For the build? Also if I get on it now I hope I can get in some time on it this year!

I need a little help. I cruised the threads and cannot find any part numbers or measurements for pss shaft seal upgrades. I went to the site and there are many seals. I want to replace the seal on my 08 sv230. If anyone has any ordering tips or knows the particular part number I'd be grateful. Thanks

Well I have attempted to my best ability to make a suck gate for the transom. There is only one spot for it, mechanically it's a sucky spot. Anyway the "tab" protrudes down and to the side 2" or so. I've still got to tweak it. Y'all get the idea. It's made from a hacked up Amazon handle that claims 400lb of force. I tried to pull it off and it's held on like crazy! I'm using the divider material from my old Avy the stuff is great to work with and holds screws like hell. I have to fill the rest of the voids as if the transom has a sharp edge profile like a Nautique with their system. My hope is to fill my boat even or slightly to port with 3000lb or more of ballast and see if it will list and act as a surf gate. I think as Redneck as this sounds, I'll use gorilla tape to seal those gaps around the side, I don't want water getting behind it I'm sure that will rip it off in a hurry. Thoughts? I plan to test Sunday!

I knew you would get it. Have you run it much in the water yet? Under a load? I bet that bad boy runs like a champ with new injectors! Holy crap when you said melted I didn't realize you meant actually melted

Not sure about all these other numbers, if the L96 is the same as GMl96 it's beyond proven. Arguably one of the best pushrod engines ever produced. Light, reliable and powerful.

I checked it out really well again and I'm totally confident I can swing it. You know what I like that's as amusing as the mysterious knob on the dash? When new guys start working down in the bilge! I laugh and think about how hard I struggled changing my first impeller! Thanks again Nate

As far as the freeboard concern, I have a 08 sv230 and I load it around 3500lb of water plus crew. That sits it way on down. I've always paid attention and never had an issue or been worried at all. Others have and will come running thinking I'm sinking! Big freeboard boats equate to massive money. I think fx22 and my 230 have similar freeboard. I wouldn't worry with that very much. I stand behind what everyone else says about centurions rough water ride, IT's amazing.

I considered building a font in ps but have never done it. Other than once in school. It was very time consuming. I've seen font creator programs. Anyways I'd like to see what you do. Curious would you create a font? or the text or numbers you need in autodesk for your decal?

Well scratch that. I just looked for it and it not in my fonts anymore sorry. Let me know what you do I'll need to do the same.

I ordered my cutter yesterday I have a font in Photoshop that is as close as I've seen. I can't remember where I found it. If you use photoshop I'll send you the font if you're interested

I'm about to tackle it Troy as soon as my seal arrives. Yeah yeah I hear you Nate! I'm guilty of giving up on the search results pretty quick. Thanks for that link too. I can't wait to be leak free

no. Not at all. Tell you why, the obsession about upgrades and such and the compulsion to buy them is almost just like using. However I will gladly continue this behavior as opposed to my past. And yes centurions are a lot cheaper!!??

You have to approach this with backward reasoning. If your feet are not in the air, and your head and shoulders smashed against the floor and the exhaust manifold you will not ever reach it. Also there is no real advantage to being small, unless you have monkey arms. If you put your feet in the locker, you have already lost the battle

It's a 2008. My solution was add an extra bilge pump as a redundant safety. Not how I like to roll but it worked out fine. The leaky seal for one should be fixed on general principal but also, it's a damn pain to have to always pull it out of the water when I could leave it parked at a dock overnight. Probably what killed my bunks along with Rot! I'm cutting all new boards from cypress not treated pine. I have a sawmill so I'm using tight grained heart wood. Cypress is naturally more Rot and water resistant than treated pine. Hope this is the one and last time I do it. Nate did you install it? If so you have any tips or suggestions?

Sailrite.com sells every piece of hardware I have seen on centurions. The tubing, end pieces, hinges even the pins and those quick connects. Tubing also If your a handy man they sell sunbrella and the sewing machine too, you can make your own Bimini or repair any part of it.

23' 80's bayliner 19' 90 something Bay liner (I burned this one and kept the trailer) fiberglass boats burn faster than a love seat. 24' chaparral open bow. This was a 60mph boat. I saw someone wake surfing while in this boat... sold it the next month 2007 centurion avalanche 2008 centurion Enzo (current ride) Maybe some day before I'm 50 I can finally score an Ri

Thanks Nate. I've been putting it off for two years. I'm making some upgrades and this is the first thing I'm going to do. Have to replace all my boards and bunk carpet while I'm at it. Then the goodies!

When it is misbehaving, grab the linkage at the throttle body and see if you can return it to idle there. That will eliminate vacuum leak possibilities. Does it have perfect pass?

I've decided to take the plunge and do my own upholstery. Has anyone done this? Also is anyone using a sailright straight stitch walking foot sewing machine? Im about to order it and was wanting some feedback.

My investment in the walking foot machine was worth it. I've completed over half my interior. It looks nice, some nicer than factory.

Yes I would. Hours do not scare me at all

I used a piece of 2x4 channel with plates on the end I think it's 12" long. When i welded the ends on I put a slight angle on them to let the chunk release. Maybe a 3 min effort to make it from scrap. I lay the mold on the cheapo gas fish burner and turn it up. Throw em in and with no time they melt. When done let cool and drop in on the floor it pops right out. Too bad I don't have any gold to use..

Melting them down into ingots was great for me. I still have to mould I made. Every so often when I score enough I make another brick. Why buy bags or use them when they can be in heavy compact bricks. I sprayed the fist ones with plastidip. The lay under my ballast bag. I forget I even have them.

Exactly what these guys said. Have someone make you the skins from the pattern you make from the board. Much cheaper. Also be sure to use stainless steel fasenters. Especially the t-nuts that will be used for the hinges and ram brackets. You will have to cut a recess for the latch and use at least 1 piece of the board behind the latch so when people step on it it won't damage the latch. Just relieve the foam. Oh and I second the 3/4 poly board. Or starboard, centurion uses 5/8 on the Enzo's and mine are bent downward from people stepping my on them. I plan to use 3/4 when I redo mine. 5/8 isn't enough McMaster Carr has stainless fasteners and hinges on their site and sailrite.com has the foam and stainless gas strut hardware.