RESTO My Carbon Fiber X4's
- Thread starter Matt Braley
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I think that is where an aftermarket total loss ignition system was mounted. "Total loss" means it does not recharge the battery at all but looses the drag that charging creates.
Well I know it's been seen a lot on here but this is the first time I've flipped one to work on myself. I can't say the bad news has slowed down. Keeping with the three hole theme, this was under the silicone where the grate mounts.
Here you can see areas where the gel coat has rubbed through and is exposing the weave.
I hope you don't consider this more damage but I dipped the engine in leather gloss brown. My squish was too thin at .041 so I had to pull the top end back off and put my fattest base gasket in there. It brought the squish up to the early 50's. I consider that a minimum but I'm going with it. I'm calling this one "The Chocolate Engine" and hoping it doesn't end up "The POS", lol.
I called the local fiberglass repair guy that I know fixes a lot of boats around here. He is going to come by and take a look tomorrow and tell me what he can do for me. I told him I'm more interested in the bottom being even then matching the gel coat's color.
Here you can see areas where the gel coat has rubbed through and is exposing the weave.
I hope you don't consider this more damage but I dipped the engine in leather gloss brown. My squish was too thin at .041 so I had to pull the top end back off and put my fattest base gasket in there. It brought the squish up to the early 50's. I consider that a minimum but I'm going with it. I'm calling this one "The Chocolate Engine" and hoping it doesn't end up "The POS", lol.
I called the local fiberglass repair guy that I know fixes a lot of boats around here. He is going to come by and take a look tomorrow and tell me what he can do for me. I told him I'm more interested in the bottom being even then matching the gel coat's color.
CReynoldsMIZ
Well-Known Member
Brown? Oh man I hope that is the primer. I'm sure it will run great, but... Brown??
OK OK I'm going with orange as my other color. I'm not seeing the brown as too exciting either. My hull has so many issues underneath that it's getting redone. I have to pick a color so I'm going with orange on the bottom and leaving the top as it is for now. I can hit the sign shop up for sunburst graphics.
I'm thinking of leaving the mats purple to tie into the steering. There are plenty of orange and/or purple plastic parts around to help tie thing in also. I think it will look fun, look like a toy, and be something new. I know not everybody is gonna love it but it gives me a direction I like and beats the brown.
I'd like to splash the engine with yellow orange and purple. Perhaps I will treat the brown as another primer and start with black or purple as a base color. Get one last look at the chocolate dropping...
I'm thinking of leaving the mats purple to tie into the steering. There are plenty of orange and/or purple plastic parts around to help tie thing in also. I think it will look fun, look like a toy, and be something new. I know not everybody is gonna love it but it gives me a direction I like and beats the brown.
I'd like to splash the engine with yellow orange and purple. Perhaps I will treat the brown as another primer and start with black or purple as a base color. Get one last look at the chocolate dropping...
OK here is your "candy color"
For the man that cannot decide which color....
I dropped the ski off at the fiberglass shop today and got things going at Jettrim
For the man that cannot decide which color....
I dropped the ski off at the fiberglass shop today and got things going at Jettrim
blackNyellow787
Active Member
That's got to be one of the most unique paint jobs I've seen on an engine, nice work Matt
Sent from da iPhone
Sent from da iPhone
Yeah Racer hit me with "Rainbow Bright" the last time I did it haha. It darkened up with the clear coat though and is looking real cool, no remorse this time.
I went to the Automotive paint store yesterday. I had no experience with those and was dumfounded by the cost. I told the guy doing the work I wanted the best so he sent me after PPG Concept. I found an orange I loved and they mixed me up a quart........$197!!!! I didn't even realized there was stuff out there that sold for $800 per gallon.
I'm sending the old trim tabs to California to a guy that can make me better ones. They have to be so thin on this hull that my huge aftermarket box of X4 trim tabs does me no good. I'm hoping to get them in 6061 or something that looks nice and is more rigid at only 1/8" to 1/4".
Started at the carbration today and while cleaning up the intake manifold that is port matched to the Novi 42mm carbs I noticed it was cracked
I'm glad I caught that but now I have to make one. I spent a lot of time grinding and filing today and finally got both holes from 40mm to an even 42mm so there is no ridge anywhere between the carb hole and the port. Of coarse I will need to trim the new gaskets when I get that far.
I went and got some of that Aircraft Paint Remover that you guys talk about and it works great. Tomorrow I will drill, tap, and plug the oil injection holes with set screws in thread locker and silicone. I want to polish up the ports a little so they are smoother
Now here is the fun part.... I've been enjoying great service from Jettrim. They have taken a lot of time to come up with some cool ideas for my seat. Full disclosure, Jess(Minnetonka's brother 99spxxx) has the only other air induction seat I know of out there and he added a hump to his. I'm making mine different but had to throw him a shout out. Same to Dagre147 who traded me the seat so I could send it in. This is only two of six possibilities he sent over today. Material samples in the ski's color scheme are on the way to me so I can hold it up next to the boat and make the best choice. What a first class outfit!
I went to the Automotive paint store yesterday. I had no experience with those and was dumfounded by the cost. I told the guy doing the work I wanted the best so he sent me after PPG Concept. I found an orange I loved and they mixed me up a quart........$197!!!! I didn't even realized there was stuff out there that sold for $800 per gallon.
I'm sending the old trim tabs to California to a guy that can make me better ones. They have to be so thin on this hull that my huge aftermarket box of X4 trim tabs does me no good. I'm hoping to get them in 6061 or something that looks nice and is more rigid at only 1/8" to 1/4".
Started at the carbration today and while cleaning up the intake manifold that is port matched to the Novi 42mm carbs I noticed it was cracked
I'm glad I caught that but now I have to make one. I spent a lot of time grinding and filing today and finally got both holes from 40mm to an even 42mm so there is no ridge anywhere between the carb hole and the port. Of coarse I will need to trim the new gaskets when I get that far.
I went and got some of that Aircraft Paint Remover that you guys talk about and it works great. Tomorrow I will drill, tap, and plug the oil injection holes with set screws in thread locker and silicone. I want to polish up the ports a little so they are smoother
Now here is the fun part.... I've been enjoying great service from Jettrim. They have taken a lot of time to come up with some cool ideas for my seat. Full disclosure, Jess(Minnetonka's brother 99spxxx) has the only other air induction seat I know of out there and he added a hump to his. I'm making mine different but had to throw him a shout out. Same to Dagre147 who traded me the seat so I could send it in. This is only two of six possibilities he sent over today. Material samples in the ski's color scheme are on the way to me so I can hold it up next to the boat and make the best choice. What a first class outfit!
Matt
As far as automotive paint--skip it and go to commercial paint. It's way cheaper. I use stuff from U-Tech is a commercial line of Azko-Nobel. I was OTD for $85 for a pint and activator, I already had reducer which should mix close to a quart of paint. I can paint a few 787's white for that price. Considering I'd drop about $21 per engine in rattle can. I've sprayed a few cars with it (U-tech) and a bunch of trailers, it's tough as nails.
http://www.utech.us/
Rainbow Dash--My Little Pony
As far as automotive paint--skip it and go to commercial paint. It's way cheaper. I use stuff from U-Tech is a commercial line of Azko-Nobel. I was OTD for $85 for a pint and activator, I already had reducer which should mix close to a quart of paint. I can paint a few 787's white for that price. Considering I'd drop about $21 per engine in rattle can. I've sprayed a few cars with it (U-tech) and a bunch of trailers, it's tough as nails.
http://www.utech.us/
Rainbow Dash--My Little Pony
I know of three guys that have ATM hulls here in the states. I hate to say it but top dog right now in that area is the Kawi conversion guy in Va getting 65mph+ on pump gas with his completely restored 98 Big Red Racing Dustin Farthing X4. It's gonna take me a 951 or race fuel in my smaller mills to match/beat that. I'm hoping for 62-63 out of this one as I have already achieved 61 a couple different ways in a normal X4 hull with pump fuel.
That R&D manifold may have worked but I have hours in modifying the stock one to match these carbs perfectly. Another hour or two and it will be perfect and pretty. Thank you though!! I have tons of manifolds myself also but most of the am ones have been bored over 42mm or are set up for spigot mount. I wanted the stock bolt pattern for these also cause a lot of the am ones will rotate the carbs in the wrong direction for linkage and fuel hookups.
Thanks Racer for that good paint advice. This is a done deal though, bought n paid for. It should be awesome. Those first few scratches under the hull are gonna hurt though.
That R&D manifold may have worked but I have hours in modifying the stock one to match these carbs perfectly. Another hour or two and it will be perfect and pretty. Thank you though!! I have tons of manifolds myself also but most of the am ones have been bored over 42mm or are set up for spigot mount. I wanted the stock bolt pattern for these also cause a lot of the am ones will rotate the carbs in the wrong direction for linkage and fuel hookups.
Thanks Racer for that good paint advice. This is a done deal though, bought n paid for. It should be awesome. Those first few scratches under the hull are gonna hurt though.
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Spimothy Leary
Well-Known Member
love the camo paint color.
keep it up !
keep it up !
Got a call from Jettrim cause my air induction seat was broken when they took the old cover off. They are having it repaired at a local ski shop that does fiberglass work. That means there are parts of this X4 at 5 different shops right now!!
I finished the manifold today.
Sticking with the carbon fiber theme, I picked out a rotary valve that most closely matched the original. It was marked 163
Starter and mani glitz
I finished the manifold today.
Sticking with the carbon fiber theme, I picked out a rotary valve that most closely matched the original. It was marked 163
Starter and mani glitz
I'm sorry Matt but whatever you're smoking... send some my way! Lolol
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