2002 SANTE resto project

[vvfdfirefighter]

With engine block and heads back I started on all the external engine components. Every engine component got sandblasted and painted individually so that I could get full coverage of each part. Hopefully it will cut down on and future rust and corrosion that gets started with time. The sandblasting really cleaned up the water jackets on the exhaust manifolds and risers.

For those exhaust parts I would definitely look into HI-TEMP Ceramic Paint. I do a lot of Exhausts with that stuff. Its amazing. Glossy Finish and hard as a rock and won't rust. just make sure you bake it onto the metal.

[t.franscioni]

Some of the engine components getting painted. I used all VHT high heat rattle can products for the engine and all the components. Depending on what it was I used different heat range paints. Like the exhaust manifolds got the VHT flame proof products which require primer paint and clear coat if you want a gloss look which I did so it would match the rest of the engine. The block and heads got VHT engine enamel which is also a primer and color coat process. The rest of the external components got VHT roll bar and chassis paint because it's an epoxy paint and applies much easier without running and requires no primer so long as the parts are clean. The only reason I didn't use the epoxy VHT everywhere was it only has a 250 degree rating where as the engine enamel was 500 degrees and the flame proof product for the exhaust manifold was 1300 degrees.

[t.franscioni]

Replaced the engine water pump while I was at it. The old one ran smooth and didn't leak but pump was just really corroded from age and probably never had the block drained after each use so it sat in a block full of water year round I imagine. Also purchased a rebuild kit for the raw water pump as well which was needed. Currently stripping and repainting the raw water pump but don't any pics of it yet.

[t.franscioni]

For those exhaust parts I would definitely look into HI-TEMP Ceramic Paint. I do a lot of Exhausts with that stuff. Its amazing. Glossy Finish and hard as a rock and won't rust. just make sure you bake it onto the metal.

Yes that's what I tried to do with the VHT products. The can said I can cure everything on the engine by just running it several times at different time intervals. Kind of wish I at least cured the exhaust manifolds in my oven because those would have fit in there and I would have had better control of the curing process. Alas they are already bolted up to the engine and torqued down with the new manifold gaskets... I can tell the curing is very important though especially with the engine enamel. It's still soft and nicks easily.

[t.franscioni]

Engine starting to go back together after the rebuild and painting of the components. Installed all new water hoses, gas lines and oil drain hose. I don't have the means to make the braided gas lines to the fuel rails or the transmission oil lines to the transmission oil cooler so those I'm just cleaning up best I can and reusing. Replacing any component that has a limited life span. Things like the fuel pressure regulator and thermostat, new distributor rotor and cap and will have new spark plug and wires, FCC fuel filter. The throttle body and Idle air control valve were really gunked up so had to give those a good cleaning and new gaskets also. New relays too just because I've read some posts here about fuel delivery problems due to a simple relay going bad. In anticipation of the new stereo system I installed a new 100 amp alternator kit to replace the stock 50 amp unit.

[t.franscioni]

Not sure if it was just my exhaust manifolds or if this is just how they are cast and machined but I had ordered an exhaust manifold bolt kit from nautique parts I think it was and they came with lock washers. When I took the manifolds off the bolts did not have washers of anykind which I though was strange. I couldn't get the lock washers to fit and realized that was why there was no washers on the exhaust manifold bolts. It made sense to have lock washers though so I used a dremel tool and opened up the flange area on the exhaust manifolds before I painted them so that I could get lock washers on all the new manifold bolts.

[keithh2oskier]

Nice work. Really cool build.

[seachicken27]

Looks like Jeff has some serious competition for best restoration thread! Nice work man!

[t.franscioni]

I enjoy following people's restoration threads they are my favorite part of planet nautique. I think it's important to share resto threads because it's proves that you don't need to mortgage your house to get a brand new boat that really not everyone can afford. Assuming of course you have the time, patients and several thousand dollars to invest after buying your used boat. When it's all said and done my goal is to have this boat as close to showroom floor condition as possible with a few tweaks to make it more user friendly like going to bags instead of hard tanks and a better stereo system. Of course I'll probably never get back every dollar I invested in this boat but that's true for buying a new boat also. Plus I hear a lot of people being concerned of hours and a lot of things that really shouldn't turn them away from a used nautique. For the most part hours don't mean a whole lot in my opinion. If something is wrong it should be a negotiating point not a deal breaker. Anything can be fixed or just made new with a little elbow grease and a good website like planet nautique.

[seth]

Wow man that is amazing!!! That shop looks killer to! Are you in socal or norcal?

[t.franscioni]

NorCal....where Thizz is what it was about 8 years ago.... City of Salinas the Norte capital of California. The shop is actually a wine case storage barn... My dads place. It has a forklift which I needed to pull the engine.

[seth]

Do you ever go to Naci?

[t.franscioni]

Naci is about 1.5 hours south of where I live. Spent many Summer's with my homies on lake nacimento. My buddies parents all had cabins in oak shores there at naci. With the California drought though it's been risky business boating on naci. Had a couple buddy's pull there props off on stumps and rocks there the last couple years. I only go to naci now to fish bass tournaments with my buddy. My favorite lake by far is don Pedro over in the Sierra foothills of the San Joaquin valley. It's like a giangantic naci, lots of fingers and shoreline but 10 times the size. My dad had a houseboat on don Pedro when me and my brother were growing up so lots of good memories there at don Pedro lake.

[brit_hunsicker]

I enjoy following people's restoration threads they are my favorite part of planet nautique. I think it's important to share resto threads because it's proves that you don't need to mortgage your house to get a brand new boat that really not everyone can afford. Assuming of course you have the time, patients and several thousand dollars to invest after buying your used boat.

Couldn't have said it any better myself. I just like coming on here to see the rebuild threads and to get the occasional question answered, and maybe do the same for a fellow PN member. After seeing this thread it makes me wish I would have done a lot of these things while mine was torn apart. I just finished up my resto project of my 2001 SAN, but I focused mainly on cosmetics rather than drivetrain.

On another note, was Walter easy to deal with? The cover on the top of my v drive is cracked, likely from poor winterization from the previous owner. I think that the cover is where the cooler is that circulates water. I was going to see if maybe Walter could just sell me a new cover. It just barely seeps a drop of water every 5 minutes or so while in use. I'll post of a pic, maybe you can give me some insight since you've taken one apart now �

[seth]

Nice! We are at Naci a lot. Oak Shores and Bee Rock. Yeah, you gotta know the shallow spots but its good when its low! Its like a river and less people!! Hit me up if you ever come down here!!